The Washington elites, who have missed every major call of this political season, are now informing us that the speaker’s race is just “inside baseball.” They could not be more wrong.
They should try answering my office phones for one day. My constituents and the American people are paying attention, and demanding their rightful place in our nation’s governance.
On Wednesday, the House Freedom Caucus, of which I’m a member, had a productive meeting with Congressman Paul Ryan. Ryan made his case for why he should be the next speaker of the House. Caucus members made their case for rules changes that would enable members to better serve the will of their constituents. He gave the members critical assurances on a number of significant issues.
But my constituents were not in the room, and so aren’t aware of the assurances that were made that night. As their representative, I want to make sure they are getting the facts. It’s my job to bring them into the room.
This is especially true because of the narrative that’s being promoted in the press suggesting that Congressman Ryan somehow pulled a fast one over caucus members — one headline at Politico went so far as to say Ryan “conquered the Freedom Caucus.” That kind of thing damages the goodwill that existed in our meeting.
Given the desire we all have to find common cause over shared principles, bomb-throwing like that serves no good purpose. It creates a toxic environment where voters are left in the dark. It’s time to cut through the clutter and provide clarity.
Shortly after Speaker Boehner announced his resignation, I released a list of ten commitments the next Speaker and all House leaders should make — a list that former House Speaker and author of the Contract with America Newt Gingrich referred to as “a very good list” that is “well worth looking at.” These commitments are not tied to individual candidates and were made available weeks prior to Congressman Ryan’s announcement.
As candidates for Speaker entered the race, I asked each of them whether they could commit to those 10 principles — on paper. The simple reason for this is that the American people deserve some sense of what their next Speaker will do.
So far, I’ve received confirmations from several candidates, but have yet to receive a written response from Congressman Ryan.
Congressman Ryan has rightfully noted that he does not want to submit to preconditions from any group. That is fine. But at the same time, he must give the American people some sense of the principles we can hold him to.
I respect Rep. Ryan and his passionate service to our nation. His budget credentials are unquestioned, and he can be a great spokesman who helps our party communicate on the economic challenges we face going forward.
I have always said that this Speaker’s race is not about the person. It is about the principles, and making the necessary structural reforms so that the process serves the best interest of the American people, and not just the political class.
Our national debt is approximately $19 trillion and we have almost $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities. In order to turn things around, we need to be unified. This is too important a decision to leave to a few people in Washington who think they should tell us who our next Speaker should be. For our party to be truly united, and get things done, our next Speaker will need the support of the American people. Communicating honestly with them is a good start.
67 comments
Paul Ryan is a big-government fake conservative. Most of his voting record increases the size and power of government in one form or other. He’s even written federal budgets that don’t balance the yearly deficit for 30 years.
“I respect Rep. Ryan and his passionate service to our nation. His budget credentials are unquestioned,”
“Our national debt is approximately $19 trillion and we have almost $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities.”
These two statements are incompatible…
If Ryan were a cattle buyer, I’d tell the hands to count the cattle before and after he came to inspect and count the herd. I’d alert the sheriff.
Ryan smiles, wears expensive suits, and is simply a well-dressed con man, a member of congress.
Harry Reid and the Democrats are all excited for a Paul Ryan Speakership. The Democrats have found their man. The Freedom Caucus caved into the Democrats demands. They can try to paint the picture as sunny as they want to save face but they caved and that is what it is. What a major disappointment! The Constitution will be meaningless by 2016 with the Republican pansies we have sent to Washington. Mr Brat, Mr Kelly, Mr Loudermilk, Mr Mulvaney and others talk a Conservative-Tea Party vision on the campaign trail because they know this is what the voters want. In Washington, all their campaign talk turns in nothing but cow manure! T
It seems that Paul Ryan wants to demand people agree to HIS terms (100% of the GOP reps support him, and doing away with the clause to call a speaker to vacate the chair), but him not so much in return. Then I read at the Conservative Treehouse that he has chosen David Hoppe, CoC lobbyist to be his chief of staff? Is this a middle-finger salute to we conservatives? I was a fan of Paul Ryan until he ran as VP for Mitt Romney. After the failed debate and feckless campaign he made a leap to the middle of the road, so to speak. I’d always seen him as a conservative before, but all of a sudden he started mouthing the mantra from the GOPe. It just makes me sick.
I find it laughable to laud someone’s budget credentials who supports open door immigration as completely as Ryan does. That is that libertarian nonsense… Opening the door to the poverty of the world is somehow going to end the vast American welfare state? How does that work? You import millions of poor from around the world who need and according to most statistics WANT entitlement programs… And somehow this is going to result in the elimination of the welfare state… Boy that Ryan is a genius if he can pull that one off!
I can’t be the only one who was left a little confused by this article. The Congressman says that his constituents weren’t in the room, so they don’t know what agreements were made, then says they need to know and its his job to tell them. I thought that mean a list was forthcoming, but then .. ??? … then it sounded like, I’m not sure, there wasn’t an agreement made, or that it was Ryan’s job to tell people, or he wouldn’t tell them or something ? Then the Congressman mentions the list again at the end, so .. was it agreed to, that list, or not ? I’m really confused.
The GOP is an interesting waste of time. Its reptilian politicians are stuck between the donors and the voters.. Like little Paulie Ryan, they choose the donors. After all, who will give them million dollar salaries when they leave like Eric Cantor? So no wonder they chose corporate dollars to actual conservative principles… Open borders, free trade, corporate bailouts and welfare… heck big government in total… The Chamber of Commerce loves all of that! Sure you the tax payer get to fund it. Democrats are a OK with the Chamber too. So you the shrinking number of conservatives gets piled on by the Democrats, the RINOs and the Chamber!
This is correct.
Paul Ryan announces Chamber of Commerce lobbyist will be his Chief of Staff. How about them apples? The INSANITY in the GOP continues.
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2015/10/25/unreal-paul-ryan-announces-chamber-of-commerce-lobbyist-will-be-his-chief-of-staff/
It’s not insane to work for the ones who pay you.
The insane ones are the zombie voters who keep pulling the lever for them and expecting different results.
If you remember the “Conservatives” did their job, it is how the Tea Party came to be. We voted these people in based on what they said they were going to do which was fight Obama and his insanity and destruction of this country. We gave them the House and Senate, and they used us and betrayed us. The GOP has done dirty politics by preventing any future true conservatives winning. Ryan ran on being a conservative and was one of the “Young Guns”. We did our job, they have not done theirs. It is being said that if the GOP doesn’t get their candidate they will vote for the Hildebeast, tell me again, who is insane?
if Paul Ryan is elected speaker the party will split, we are NOT going to be HOSED by another John Boehner with a different face, PERIODthe WHOLE IDEA behind removing Boehner was to FIX the direction the party was going, to STOP the obama administraion and the DEMOCRATS,….PERIOD and if ryan is elected it will be back to the Status Quo within months if not days….
Thank you Congressman, For your honesty and your service (and for taking out Eric Cantor in the primary). As much as Constitutional conservatives have the right to be angry at the House (and even more so, the Senate) leadership, the bottom line is you can’t elect something with nothing.
Right now we can’t get a conservative Speaker elected because there are only 40-80 true conservatives in the House. If we want the conservative leadership then we, the grassroots, need to get involved in the Party at the precinct level the way your supporters did and get true conservatives elected in GOP primaries.
To insist that we elect a conservative Speaker when there simply aren’t the conservative votes to do so will be an exercise in frustration. We need to change the composition of the House before we can change the composition of its Leadership.
That’s the hard part, isn’t it?
Yep. It’s easy to sit here and get mad that we have such feckless leaders but until we, the people, start electing true conservatives we will continue to watch “campaign conservatives” be elected to leadership.
Further evidence that the GOP is dead. Most people are saying that come 2017 Amnesty Ryan will push a massive amnesty through Congress for Hillary to sign…
Adios GOP! Hope you so called “conservatives” enjoy gun control, abortion on demand, big government, taxes up to your necks, socialized medicine and whatever else the Left wing of the Democrat party dreams up! You idiots with leadership like Ryan have sealed your fate with thirty years of amnesty, no illegal immigration enforcement, etc.. Amnesty are not just the so called 11 million living in the shadows… once amnestied you petition for all your relatives back home…So you can multiply “11 Million” (a baloney number) by 2 or 3 or 4… Further more there will be a run on the border to get in on the amnesty… When the dust settled on all the RINO’s amnesties 1986-the mid 1990s you got 11million new Democrat voters… now the scale of the next amnesty is breathtaking…
Barack O knows that this is the voting block of his dreams… notice how NOT ONE Democrat doesn’t support open border policies… not one… wonder why you idiots?
Why exactly did your district elect you and throw out Amnesty Eric, Dave Brat? Oh yes to oppose the open borders that the establishment GOP cherishes… And now you and the so called Freedom Caucus elect its greatest proponent of illegal amnesties, job sucking free trade agreements and big government budgets to the most important job in the House of Reptiles…
Bearing Drift is right about you… what is the difference? They said that you voted to fund Obama’s amnesty… I take their word for it… You couldn’t have voted no??
Don’t take their word for it. Brat voted against funding amnesty. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2015/roll109.xml
It doesn’t matter if the next Speaker of the House is Paul Ryan, Newt Gingrich (HA!), Allen West (HAHAHA!) or Ronald Reagan attached to jumper cables, the Freedom Caucus is going to get diddlysquat of their demands enacted into law. If for some reason something actually gets to the President, he’ll veto it saying “There they go again” The veto will be sustained and Hillary Clinton gets free ammunition for her presidential campaign.
“That’s cute. Now who the hell are you?” – Paul Ryan
The guy who knocked out Eric Cantor and ruined the big illegal immigration amnesty plans… and yes dude from the “Southside” of Virginia who represents that region’s demand that illegal immigration amnesty be passed, Cantor lost to Brat because of Cantor’s support of amnesty.
…. But looks to me like Brat will sign onto Comprehensive amnesty when it comes up cause he just elected its greatest proponent to the most powerful job in the stinking House of Reptiles…
Bruce, is the country on the wrong track? Do we really need any serious changes? What is your opinion?
What does it say when Republican’s elect the Speaker that Harry Reid wants?
We cannot trust Boehner, Obummer, Reid, Gutierrez, and numerous others in the House and Senate so their support of Ryan means he is definitely a RINO and not worthy of our trust or support.
Dave, if he doesn’t sign the paper, he is lying to the caucus. Make him sign and commit or don’t vote him in!
brat u said nothing to reassure American people we can trust paul ryan, have u also gone to the dark side, meaning joined Boehner and company? look who ryans supports Boehner, reid, Pelosi, Obama, and u trust him?? ryan doesn’t work on weekends and u can’t fire him, are u for real? ryan’s for big business not the American people or principals he will get in and do what he is getting paid for by the establishment/progressive rino’s
This is unbelievable. It’s like insurgents -tired of incompetence and collaboration-over-ran the palace in coup, deposed the king – and then installed the queen as ruler while making the king they ousted head of security! Republican leadership is an oxymoron.
I like your show. Crank up the watts a bit in Richmond, I am in the sticks.
[…] Not so fast, Paul Ryan […]
I wonder if Dave even reads these comments. We, real conservatives, have suffered through years of a pseudo Republican, a RINO, speaker which pleased the mainstream GOP because nothing changed to upset the status quo. GOP leadership is so weak and is not reflective of conservatives at all. Why in the world do we want to put another RINO in there? Immigration is our biggest issue right now. At the rate Muslims are being welcomed into our country, in just a couple of generations, our culture will no longer even resemble the culture I grew up with. If we don’t get the immigration issues under control, all other issues are moot. In a couple of generations, the issue won’t be between Democrats and Republicans, it will be between Sharia and Freedom. Where does Paul Ryan stand on immigration? He’s not the man for the job.
Where does Paul Ryan stand on immigration? Like a four hundred pound man stands on doughnuts… can’t get enough of it.
Blah, blah, blah. The GOP has learned nothing because they don’t want to learn, they are the Uniparty. All for one, and one for all when it comes to the GOP and DNC, and ZERO for the American people.
It made me mad that nobody said anything about Ryan until Jason Chaffetz decided to run, then it was like, Oh no, an actual Conservative might get in there and there was this big swell for Ryan. He came in like Cantor, hitching his cart to the Tea Party and has moved left ever since. I don’t trust him at all. Gohmert, Brat, Chaffetz, Lee, we have some really good guys. Please, not Ryan.
Chaffetz is weak on immigration, and he refused to sign for the Benghazi Select Committee to be formed. So did Issa, Cantor, and Boehner, the rest of the Republicans signed it. Jason is no Angel.
How about Justin Amash from Michigan? He seems to be strong and not a push-over. Very well liked by many.
He isn’t bad. I like him. There is only one vote he did that I didn’t like, can’t remember which one. It was one others caved on as well. But yeah, I would much prefer him over Ryan.
Chaffetz is basically a RINO. He supports Amnesty; that alone is enough to brand him RINO and unworthy our support for Speaker or our trust on anything else of importance. Very few members of the House or Senate have integrity which is an character trait that has all but disappeared over the last few decades.
Agree!
Please do not vote for Paul Ryan, he has voted and said yes to all of Obamas agenda’s. He is not for the American people he is for Obama, Obama pays him very well.
In 2012 Representative Paul Ryan very publicly claimed that via his House Committee up to 85% of Obamacare could be dismantled and this attempt WOULD be initiated under his committee leadership by ditching the plan’s taxing and spending requirements. That’s three years ago and I’m sure he just hasn’t had the time to get around to it given his busy weekends back home in Wisconsin. I’m equally sure that solemnly made commitment (or at least an attempt) made to the American voter is about worth exactly the same weight in currency as the “critical assurances on a number of significant issues” he made to the House Freedom Caucus behind closed doors. After reading this account I can at least relate to one assessment, that being, when seeking the support of the American people “communicating honestly with them is a good start”. Do you have any even rough time estimate when that might begin on this issue?
So Mr. Brat, you say you want to deliver the facts.
“But my constituents were not in the room, and so aren’t aware of the assurances that were made that night. As their representative, I want to make sure they are getting the facts. It’s my job to bring them into the room.”
And then you don’t deliver on that promise.
What assurances were made? Haven’t the voters been given assurances in the past that were never honored? Do assurances have any value?
Assurances from these people mean NOTHING.
More drivel from a member of the Minority of Tyranny.
WE THE PEOPLE DO NOT WANT PAUL RYAN AS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE!! PERIOD. HE is NO BETTER THAN BOHNER OR HARRY REID. WE’VE called every congressman on that committee and expressed our disapproval to this move and NOW WE’RE GOING TO SEE HOW WELL DC LISTENS TO US. NO RYAN!!! When Gutierrez who is a Democrat supports RYAN THAT ALONE should be enough reason to say HELL NO! LISTEN TO US
I also understood that Obama was rooting for Ryan. I think Gutierrez is a RINO, but closer to a Democrat and certainly not for the USA.
You’re absolutely right! Gutierrez is a Democrat and for ILLEGAL immigration
YOU know if Gutierrez and Obama are rooting for Ryan, HE’S A DEFINITE RINO!! I’d LOVE to see Mark Levin be speaker or better yet Trey Gowdy!!! THAT would be and answer to America’s problems and the RINO GOP can pound dirt. THEY BETTER NOT PUT RYAN IN THERE! WE’VE LET THEM KNOW WHO AMERICA FEELS ABOUT THIS APPOINTMENT! .
Guiterrez is a democrat.
Amen to that!
Mr. Brat, I would be far more confident in the new Speaker if he/she were named Dave Brat, Curt Clawson, Trey Gowdy or any of the other true champions of our Constitution in the House. Based on his past record, I fear you and many of your colleagues are being naive in supporting Mr. Ryan.
We need reforms; he is not a reformer.
Should he become Speaker, I hope I am wrong. Our country, our Constitution and our liberty are at stake.
Koch heads are a dime a dozen these days.
Cantor lost his position last election. Strike one.
You don’t really need voters to become VP.
The Presidential candidates can pick their own choice of running mate
Exactly. That’s why selecting Cantor as VP would be such a huge counter strike against the revolutionary wing of the gop.
Does Cantor have his hand in Sheldon Adelson’s pocket? If not, which candidate does?
Some circles say it’s Rubio. His other hand is in the Koch pocket. If it’s true that Adel and The Bros are playing nice, those hanging around Rubio’s circle should be getting excited.
Get with the program. The Conservatives/Tea Party DITCHED RINO Cantor! The Conservatives are the ones standing up to big business and the Establishment is peeing their pants in FEAR! Read about it here – http://ow.ly/TNho7
Oh I AM with the program. Having Cantor as VP on the RINO ticket would open a flood of money for a beleaguered campaign like JEB!. Eric’s expertise as an attack dog would boost Bush’s low energy campaign to a white hot engagement with the poll leader “outsiders” while JEB! focused on plans and visions for the suckers. But most of all, a Cantor nomination would stroke the over-sized ego of someone who has been looking to plunge a big stick in the eyes of Virginia voters and Tea Party advocates everywhere. Frankly I’m surprised the establishment campaign Koch heads haven’t thought of this yet.
Men do not pee, we pi-s. Let’s be honest here.
what does this op-ed say? will Brat vote for Ryan or not?
Indeed. I wish Rep. Brat would come right out and say he will NOT vote for RINO Paul Ryan! Rep. Brat should stand with Rep. Louie Gohmert and support Daniel Webster like the Freedom Caucus initially said they would.
I very seriously doubt that Brat will vote for anyone but Webster.
It doesn’t matter who he votes for. Nobody cares. That’s why this op-ed was only published in the Washington Examiner.
First off, if I were going to run for Speaker, it would be for two reasons; I wanted to lead this nation in the right path for it’s recovery and I would truly want the job! If someone is unwilling to “give up some of his family time” and “not do what is required”, well, I wouldn’t think that the folks need that! Someone is needed who will do what is required to get the job done, no exceptions and no conditions! That’s just me!
Basically, your comment is the same as what I told my Congressman’s office yesterday. It would seem that Ryan wrote his own job description?
The real question is what does Ryan bring to the table that John Boehner did not? I think that Boehner was a self-made millionaire before he went to congress. He is no dummy.
Yep. Life is hard. Plenty of Americans cannot be at home on the weekends to be w/their families or doing things they want to be doing because they have to work. Our deployed don’t get to see their families for months, sometimes years at a time. Boo-Hoo Paul.