US lawmakers on Thursday elected Paul Ryan, a conservative Republican who helped steer budget and tax policy in Congress, as speaker of the House of Representatives, seeking to end months of political disarray. Ryan, 45, now holds the most powerful job in Congress and is second in line to the presidency after the vice president, should the commander-in-chief be impeached or otherwise vacate the Oval Office.
The nine-term congressman from Wisconsin quickly called on Republicans and Democrats to work together to return the House to "regular order." "Let's be frank. The House is broken. We're not solving problems; we're adding to them. And I am not interested in laying blame. We are not settling scores. We are wiping the slate clean," Ryan told fellow lawmakers after winning the vote.
"Neither the members nor the people are satisfied with how things are going. We need to make some changes," he said, noting that a "respected minority" - referring to Democrats - would "work in good faith." Ryan - who had said he would take the job only if divided Republican factions would unify behind him - earned 236 votes in the 435-member chamber. Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi received 184 votes, while Daniel Webster, the rebellious conservative who launched a long-shot bid for speaker last month, received nine votes.
Colin Powell, the former secretary of state, received one vote, as did congressmen John Lewis and Jim Cooper. Ryan received an extended ovation and cheers from lawmakers and invited guests, including 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who chose Ryan to be his running mate. Pelosi, the Democratic minority leader, then handed him the speaker's gavel to cheers. "I never thought I'd be speaker. But early in my life, I wanted to serve this House. I thought this place was exhilarating because here, you can make a difference."
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