Chad’s Morning Brief: Republican Groups Back Paul Ryan and Jodey Arrington to Appear on the Show

Paul Ryan will be the next Speaker. The Chad Hasty Show airs 8:30-11am on 790AM KFYO.

GOP Groups Back Ryan

Paul Ryan will be the next Speaker. Thursday evening Ryan sent a letter to Republicans saying that he is ready to lead according to CNN.

"I never thought I'd be speaker," Ryan said in a statement. "But I pledged to you that if I could be a unifying figure, then I would serve -- I would go all in. After talking with so many of you, and hearing your words of encouragement, I believe we are ready to move forward as a one, united team. And I am ready and eager to be our speaker."

The speakership would be a dramatic career twist for the Wisconsin Republican, who was his party's vice presidential nominee in 2012 and has repeatedly turned down pleas from colleagues to run for the post. He thoroughly enjoys his policy-heavy role as the chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.

Ryan has spent the week meeting with Republicans and setting his own terms for becoming Speaker. One of those terms was that he wanted to unite the Republican Party. Earlier in the day according to FOX News, Republican groups announced that they would backing Ryan for Speaker including most of the Freedom Caucus.

The three House Republican groups that Rep. Paul Ryan said must support him in order for him to seek the speakership have done so – giving the Wisconsin congressman a seemingly open path to run for the job in elections next week.

The latest to support him are the Republican Study Committee and the so-called Tuesday Group. The former represents mainstream House conservatives and claims over 170 members. It said Thursday Ryan is "the right person to lead the House going forward."

The Tuesday Group, which also backed Ryan, represents GOP moderates.

Their support comes after the House Freedom Caucus, which earlier had endorsed another candidate, put out a statement Wednesday saying that the overwhelming majority of its members now support Ryan – though it wasn’t technically an endorsement. Their initial resistance to a Ryan speakership had been his biggest hurdle to running.

Ryan, in initially opening the door to a run, said that he must have broad support from these groups – and if he didn’t, he would stay on as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and not seek the job being left by retiring John Boehner.

The groups’ support will almost certainly pressure Ryan into the race, and could mean he has more than enough votes to win.

Ryan said in a statement Wednesday night the move by the Freedom Caucus "is a positive step toward a unified Republican team.”

Ryan also had laid out other demands as a condition for him running, which may have to be worked out. They include:

• He wants House rules changed to overhaul what is known as the "motion to vacate the chair" -- a parliamentary weapon members can use to try and oust a speaker.

• He wants to be able to spend time with his family, and not be on the road as much as previous speakers.

Ryan, outlining these conditions, had given colleagues until Friday to express their views.

I have no problem with Ryan not spending as much time on the road fundraising as past Speakers have done. He can hand those duties off to others in leadership. I am not okay with overhauling the motion to vacate the chair. To me that goes too far and Republicans should push back against that.

Arrington on The Chad Hasty Show

Candidate for Congress, Jodey Arrington will join the show today at 10am to discuss his campaign. I expect other candidates to start appearing on the show as well as announcements are made and paperwork is filed.

I look forward to finding out what Arrington's vision is for Congress and this area. Feel free to leave your questions below or email me, chad@kfyo.com.