Paul Ryan awaits conservative nod

WASHINGTON—Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has agreed to serve as the next speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives if his party unites behind him within 72 hours.

Ryan’s public comments came Tuesday night after he addressed the House Republican Conference, which has been in limbo in the two weeks since House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California abruptly withdrew his candidacy for speaker. The current speaker, John Boehner of Ohio, plans to retire at the end of the month.

Ryan, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, repeatedly said he was not interested in the job, but he reconsidered after Republicans of all ideologies asked him to run. He said he would only do so if the major caucuses, including the Republican Study Committee, the House Freedom Caucus, and the Tuesday Group (GOP moderates), coalesced around him by Friday.

“I considered to do this with reluctance, and I mean that in the most personal of ways,” said Ryan, 45, the father of three young children, adding that he would prioritize his family above the speakership. “This is not a job I ever wanted or I ever sought. … I came to the conclusion that this is a very dire moment, not just for Congress, not just for the Republican Party, but for our country.”

Boehner and McCarthy have already backed Ryan, and the Republican Study Committee and the Tuesday Group are likely to fall into line. The Freedom Caucus, the conservative group that helped push out Boehner, has backedRep. Daniel Webster of Florida and will be a harder sell.

On Tuesday, Ryan met with four leaders of the Freedom Caucus: Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.), Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho), and Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) They said Ryan did not make any promises during the meeting.

House conservatives say they’re willing to accept a less conservative speaker as long as the new leader implements changes to the way the House operates. Ryan, the party’s 2012 vice-presidential nominee, expressed an openness to some of those, including returning the House to so-called regular order. But he also wants to change the rule that allows members to force a referendum on the speaker, a move Meadows used against Boehner earlier this year.

In a statement, Webster said Ryan’s announcement does not change his plans to become the next speaker.

“I’m running for speaker to transform a broken congress based on the power of a few into a principle-based, member-driven congress,” said Webster, a former Florida House speaker. “I look forward to continuing to share my vision of pushing down the pyramid of power and ‎spreading out the base to allow each member to be successful.‎”

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who had also launched a long-shot bid to replace Boehner, withdrew his candidacy in support of Ryan.

Ryan, first elected to the House in 1999, has long been viewed as a solid conservative, but many have soured on him in recent years. Some outside groups and activists have spent the last two weeks advocating against him, citing his support for GOP leadership, the 2008 financial bailout, and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)—a top priority of the LGBT community.

Boehner has set the speaker election for Oct. 28, with a House floor vote scheduled for the next day.