Ryan lets House chaplain keep job

The chaplain for the U.S. House of Representatives will return to work after claiming Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., forced him to resign without a good reason. Ryan said his decision to ask Patrick Conroy, a Catholic priest, to step down “was based on my duty to ensure that the House has the kind of pastoral services that it deserves,” but, “I know that this body is not well served by a protracted fight over such an important position.” Conroy’s resignation drew criticism, especially from Catholic lawmakers. In a letter to Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Conroy said that when Ryan aide Jonathan Burks told him he should resign, he “mentioned something dismissively like, ‘Maybe it’s time that we had a chaplain that wasn’t a Catholic.’” Conroy also said Burks referenced a prayer he gave last year about the GOP tax bill in which he said, “May their efforts these days guarantee that there are not winners and losers under new tax laws, but benefits balanced and shared by all Americans.” In a statement released by Ryan’s office, Burks said, “I strongly disagree with Father Conroy’s recollection of our conversation.”