Ryan wins GOP speaker nod but loses bid for unanimous support

WASHINGTON—Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., is poised to become the next speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives but not with the unanimous support he wanted.

On Wednesday, 45 Republicans voted against Ryan during a Republican Conference meeting, leaving him well short of the 218 he will need to secure the speakership in a Thursday floor vote. Members expect Ryan to win Thursday’s vote on the first ballot, but the defections underscore the ongoing dissatisfaction among Republicans.

“We’re going to unify,” Ryan told a throng of reporters after the conference vote. “This begins a new day in the House of Representatives.”

Ryan’s nomination came on the heels of a tumultuous five weeks following House Speaker John Boehner’s announcement he would relinquish the gavel and his seat after almost five years. Boehner’s recommended replacement, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, appeared ready to ascend, but he abruptly dropped his candidacy moments before Republicans were set to vote on Oct. 8.

Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla., has been the only constant since Boehner’s retirement announcement: He launched a speaker bid the same day, and his message of decentralizing power shaped the conversation in the race.

On Wednesday, Webster, a former speaker of the Florida House, received 43 votes, including some outside the conservative caucus that endorsed him last month. Although Webster’s voting record is relatively moderate, conservatives said they wanted the process changes he enacted in Florida.

Ryan, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, promised many of the same reforms, including returning the budget process to regular order.

“It seems like over the three years I’ve been here we’re used more than utilized,” Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told me after the vote. “We’re a very talented group of individuals, and if we’re able to utilize each person’s skills, then you’re going to see a successful House.”

Several House Freedom Caucus members said they will vote for Ryan on the House floor Thursday, and they expect him to follow through on his promises once he takes office.

“He wants to change business as usual, so we’re cautiously optimistic,” said Rep. Raúl Labrador, R-Idaho. “We’re going to give him a chance. We’re going to have his back for the next few months and make sure we give him the opportunity to show that he can lead.”

Ryan said many times he was not interested in the job, but he relented to pressure from colleagues who said he was the only member who could get the necessary 218 votes. Now, at 45, he is set to become one of the youngest House speakers in history.

Although Ryan, the GOP’s vice presidential nominee in 2012, is a prolific fundraiser, he said he would spend less time traveling than Boehner did because he has three young children at home.

“This is not a job I ever wanted or I ever sought,” Ryan said last week. “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.”