Speaker of the House: Paul Ryan
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to install Republican Rep. Paul Ryan as its new speaker, replacing John Boehner following a revolt by conservative lawmakers who forced his retirement.
Ryan won 236 votes among the 247 Republicans in the chamber, indicating that the Wisconsin congressman was deserted by only a handful of the conservatives who pushed out Boehner.
His main Republican challenger, Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida, received nine votes, while former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Rep. Jim Cooper of Tennessee each received one vote.
Ryan now moves to the No. 2 succession spot for the presidency behind the vice president, a position he sought in 2012 as Mitt Romney’s running mate.
Previously the chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, Ryan has served in the chamber since 1999. He is the architect of conservative budget plans that sought to rein in federal spending in part by cutting federal retirement and health insurance plans. (Reuters)
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