Skip to main content

Paul Ryan Elected Speaker of the House

Share This article

The House of Representatives welcomed a new leader Thursday as Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., officially became the 62nd speaker of the House Thursday.

At 45, the Wisconsin congressman is the youngest person to fill the position in 150 years. He's now tasked with the job of unifying the Republican Party.

"The House is broken," Ryan said in his first remarks to the chamber. "We are not settling scores. We are wiping the slate clean."

Speaker Paul Ryan spoke about a new vision to unify the House GOP. But can he deliver? Paul Bonicelli of the Regent University School of Government shared his thought on what to expect from the new House leader going forward. Watch below:

Ryan won 80 percent of the vote in Wednesday's closed-door party ballot, clearing the way for Thursday's full House vote.

"...This begins a new day in the House of Representatives," Ryan said as he thanked fellow Republicans and promised the House will look different under his leadership.

"We are turning the page," Ryan said. "We are not going to have a House that looks like it's looked the last few years. We are going to move forward; we are going to unify. Our party lost its vision, and we are going to replace it with a vision."

Ryan's nomination came just before the House approved a controversial fiscal deal that raises the nation's debt ceiling through March 2017, keeping the government from defaulting on its loans.

The new speaker surprised some conservatives by supporting the measure, saying the agreement will help "wipe the slate clean."

The focus now shifts to the Senate.

Republican leaders say they're confident they can push the measure through to the president, but Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has promised to filibuster the legislation.

Share This article

About The Author

Caitlin Burke Headshot
Caitlin
Burke

Caitlin Burke serves as National Security Correspondent and a general assignment reporter for CBN News. She has also hosted the CBN News original podcast, The Daily Rundown. Some of Caitlin’s recent stories have focused on the national security threat posed by China, America’s military strength, and vulnerabilities in the U.S. power grid. She joined CBN News in July 2010, and over the course of her career, she has had the opportunity to cover stories both domestically and abroad. Caitlin began her news career working as a production assistant in Richmond, Virginia, for the NBC affiliate WWBT