Paul Ryan unanimously re-elected as speaker of the House of Representatives
WASHINGTON -- Paul Ryan was re-elected by the House Republican conference Tuesday, November 15th to serve a second term as speaker of the House.
The official vote installing him as the speaker will come in early January, when the next session of Congress begins.
After a tumultuous first year in the top leadership spot -- a job he was elected to after then-Speaker John Boehner abruptly resigned -- Ryan clashed with both conservatives on the right of the conference and with then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. But Tuesday afternoon's vote held little drama as Ryan ran unopposed and House GOP members re-elected the Wisconsin Republican in a unanimous vote.
It's a big change from just a little more than a week ago, when Ryan was facing grumbling inside his own caucus as the prospect of a White House loss seemed imminent. But last week's big election wins for Republicans appeared to quell most of those concerns.
Instead, it's House Democrats who are facing key splits, capped by a decision Tuesday morning to delay their leadership elections until after Thanksgiving, a move that could put House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's job in jeopardy.
House Republicans on Tuesday also elected Ohio Rep. Steve Stivers to lead the National Republican Congressional Committee. He was facing a challenge from Rep. Roger Williams of Texas.
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner issued the following statement:
"Speaker Ryan is a true conservative leader who exemplifies what it means to serve others. His unfailing optimism inspires his colleagues, and his unique brand of leadership encourages an inclusive, open process that strengthens trust and builds positive, effective relationships. His ambitious plan to give America a better way forward makes it no surprise that he was unanimously selected by his peers to serve another term as Speaker. I look forward to continuing to work with him as we head into a new Congress."