New House Speaker, Fresh Hope?

Rep. Paul Ryan was sworn in today as the youngest Speaker of the House of Representatives in 150 years.

Elected by 236 votes (nine Republicans voting against him), Rep. Ryan said, “Let’s be frank — the House is broken. We are not solving problems. We are adding to them. And I am not interested in laying blame. We are not settling scores. We are wiping the slate clean.”

Republicans criticized the unpopular former speaker, Rep. John Boehner, for doing little to oppose the Democrats’ agenda while he held the post. Should we expect something different from Rep. Ryan? From the Washington Times:

Hoping to unify the party, Mr. Ryan demanded fealty from all three factions of the party — the Tuesday Group of centrists, the more conservative Republican Study Committee and the Freedom Caucus, a set of hardline conservatives who frequently bucked Mr. Boehner.

Though short of an endorsement, two thirds of the Freedom Caucus backed Mr. Ryan this month after he vowed not to push immigration reform that doesn’t have majority support from Republicans. He also walked back his request to scrap a parliamentary maneuver that allows members to oust the speaker.

CURE’s Star Parker interviewed Rep. Ryan several years ago. The country needs less government dependency, an “opportunity society” but also with a “sound safety net,” the congressman said. Watch the brief clip for more.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore (Creative Commons) – Some Rights Reserved