Paul Ryan

=== 115th Congress ===
[[File:Donald Trump with Paul Ryan and Mike Pence 2017-12-20.jpg|thumb|Ryan with Donald Trump and Vice President [[Mike Pence]], December 2017]]
Two months after the [[2016 United States House of Representatives elections|2016 elections]], Ryan was re-elected Speaker of the House on January 3, 2017, the opening day of the [[115th United States Congress|115th Congress]]. He received 239 votes to House Democratic Leader Pelosi's 189 votes (with 5 more going to others).<ref>{{cite web| title=Final Vote Results For Roll Call 2: Election of the Speaker (115th Congress)| url=http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2017/roll002.xml| website=clerk.house.gov| date=January 3, 2017| access-date=February 5, 2019}}</ref>

On February 7, 2017, Ryan told reporters a replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would be introduced "this year" amid speculation Donald Trump would not act toward doing so until the following year.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/07/politics/ryan-obamacare-replacement/|title=Ryan insists Obamacare replacement will pass this year|first=Deirde|last=Walsh|date=February 7, 2017|work=CNN}}</ref> On March 9, Ryan gave a 30-minute lecture explaining the proposed replacement for the ACA, titled the [[American Health Care Act]] (AHCA).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/09/politics/paul-ryans-ted-talk-obamacare-repeal/index.html|title=Paul Ryan's TED talk ignores conservative split on GOP health care bill|first=Deirdre|last=Walsh|work=CNN}}</ref> On March 30, Ryan said that he did not intend to work with Democrats on repealing and replacing the ACA, reasoning their involvement would lead to "government running health care."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/30/paul-ryan-rules-out-working-democrats-health-care/|title=Speaker Ryan rules out working with Democrats on health care|first=Tom Jr.|last=Howell|newspaper=Washington Times|date=March 30, 2017}}</ref> On April 4, Ryan confirmed renewed discussions of an ACA replacement, but warned that a replacement was in the "conceptual" stages of its development.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/apr/4/ryan-revived-health-care-talks-conceptual-stage|title=Speaker Ryan: Revived health care talks still in 'conceptual stage'|date=April 4, 2017|newspaper=Washington Times}}</ref> On May 4, the House narrowly voted for the AHCA to repeal the ACA.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1628|title=H.R.1628 – American Health Care Act of 2017|date=May 4, 2017|website=www.congress.gov}}</ref> On May 9, Ryan said that "a month or two" would pass before the Senate would pass its own ACA repeal and replacement legislation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/09/paul-ryan-senate-pass-obamacare-repeal-238148|title=Ryan predicts Senate will pass Obamacare repeal in 'a month or two'|first=Louis|last=Nelson|publisher=Politico|date=May 9, 2017}}</ref> The Senate created several of its own versions of the act but was unable to pass any of them.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/john-mccains-no-vote-sinks-republicans-skinny-repeal-plan/535209/|title=John McCain's No Vote Sinks Republicans' 'Skinny Repeal' Plan – The Atlantic|last=Berman|first=Russell|date=July 28, 2017|work=[[The Atlantic]]|access-date=April 11, 2018}}</ref>

In May 2017, Ryan said Congress' goal was "calendared 2017 for tax reform" and reported progress was being made in doing so.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/18/paul-ryan-trump-tax-reform-2017-238559|title=Ryan: Tax reform is happening in 2017|first=Rachael|last=Bade|date=May 18, 2017|publisher=Politico}}</ref> In December 2017, both houses of Congress passed a $1.5 trillion tax bill called the [[Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017]], which Trump signed into law on December 22.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/22/trump-signs-gop-tax-plan-short-term-government-funding-bill.html |title= Trump signs GOP tax plan, short-term government funding bill |last=Wilkie |first= Christina |date= December 22, 2017 |work=[[CNBC]] |access-date= April 11, 2018}}</ref> The tax law is projected to add an additional $1.5 trillion to the national debt over a decade, but the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation also estimated that the GDP level on average would be 0.7% higher during the same period.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/tory/2018/04/11/paul-ryan-legacy-record-budget-red-ink|title=Paul Ryan's Legacy of Red Ink|work=POLITICO Magazine|access-date=April 12, 2018}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name="JCT_Econ1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.jct.gov/publications.html?func=startdown&id=5055|title=JCX-69-17|website=www.jct.gov}}</ref> In the weeks leading up to his retirement announcement, Ryan also championed a $1.3 trillion government-wide spending bill that boosted military spending significantly.<ref name=":1" /> ''Politico'' noted that Ryan "clamored for austerity when he's been in the minority, trashing Democrats as profligate budget-busters, but he's happily busted budgets in the majority."<ref name=":4" />

In June 2017, Ryan expressed support for strong sanctions on Russia in response to Russian interference in the 2016 elections and its annexation of the Crimea, saying that Russia's actions were "unacceptable".<ref name="signs">{{cite news |url= https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia/trump-signs-russia-sanctions-bill-moscow-calls-it-trade-war-idUSKBN1AI1Y4 |title= Trump signs Russia sanctions bill, Moscow calls it 'trade war' |date= August 2, 2017 |work= [[Reuters]] |access-date= April 11, 2018}}</ref> He urged Special Counsel [[Robert Mueller]] and Congressional oversight committees to "do their jobs so that we can get to the bottom of all of this."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/07/12/paul-ryan-russian-meddling-election-absolutely-unacceptable/471428001/ |title= Paul Ryan: Russian meddling in U.S. election is 'absolutely unacceptable' |first= Erin |last=Kelly |newspaper=USA Today |date= July 12, 2017}}</ref> In July Congress passed a bill imposing new sanctions on Russia and giving Congress the power to overrule White House attempts to roll back sanctions. Both houses passed the bill with veto-proof majorities (98–2 in the Senate, 419–3 in the House), so Trump reluctantly signed it into law on August 2, 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/02/politics/donald-trump-russia-sanctions-bill/index.html|title=Trump signs bill approving new sanctions against Russia|date=August 3, 2017|work=CNN|access-date=April 11, 2018}}</ref><ref name = signs/>

Ryan provided political cover for [[Devin Nunes]], chair of the House Intelligence Committee, who many characterized as a source of the dysfunction in the committee as it investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/fiscal-hawk-ryan-leaves-behind-growing-deficits-and-a-changed-gop/2018/04/11/827b68d4-3d93-11e8-a7d1-e4efec6389f0_story.html|title=Fiscal hawk Ryan leaves behind growing deficits and a changed GOP|last=Werner|first=Erica|date=April 11, 2018|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 12, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Nunes accused the Obama administration of improperly "unmasking" the identities of Trump associates (which led Nunes' temporary recusal from the committee's Russia investigation), accused the FBI of misconduct, leaked the text messages of Senator [[Mark Warner]] (in an effort to misleadingly suggest impropriety on his behalf), and threatened to impeach FBI Director Christopher Wray and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/04/11/paul-ryan-retire-devin-nunes-217848|title=Now You're Free, Paul Ryan. Fire Devin Nunes.|work=POLITICO Magazine|access-date=April 12, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/11/paul-ryan-do-not-fire-mueller-rosenstein-515215|title=Ryan says Mueller, Rosenstein 'should be allowed to do their jobs' despite Trump threats|work=POLITICO|access-date=April 12, 2018}}</ref> The House Intelligence Committee was one of few so-called "select" committees in Congress, which meant that it was up to Ryan to decide the chairman of the committee.<ref name=":5" />

Despite having favored comprehensive immigration earlier in his congressional career, Speaker Ryan prevented immigration legislation from being advanced in the House.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/us/politics/paul-ryan-speaker.html|title=Ryan Leaves Behind a Party That in Many Ways Left Him Behind|last1=Stolberg|first1=Sheryl Gay|date=April 11, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 12, 2018|last2=Kaplan|first2=Thomas|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> When President Trump ended [[Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals]] (DACA) – which granted temporary stay for undocumented immigrants brought into the United States as minors – Ryan said DACA recipients should "rest easy" because Congress would solve the problem for them, but Ryan backed no bills to protect DACA recipients.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2018/4/11/17224240/paul-ryan-leaving-primary-reelection|title=Paul Ryan lost the fight for the Republican Party's soul|work=Vox|access-date=April 12, 2018}}</ref>

An article in ''The Washington Post'' described Ryan's relationship with President Trump as "friendly, if occasionally uneasy," adding that "Ryan did little to check the president or encourage oversight of his administration."<ref name=":1" /> Ryan supported Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey, and did not support legislation to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.<ref name=":1" /> Ryan said that legislation to protect Mueller's investigation was not "necessary".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/paul-ryan-not-necessary-bring-bill-protect-mueller-n866086?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma|title=Paul Ryan: Not 'necessary' to bring up bill to protect Mueller|work=NBC News|access-date=April 15, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>

On April 11, 2018, Ryan announced that he would not run for re-election in November, saying, "I like to think I've done my part, my little part in history to set us on a better course." In response, Trump tweeted, "Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and while he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question."<ref name="retire">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/11/politics/paul-ryan-retirement-house-speaker/index.html|title=House Speaker Paul Ryan won't seek re-election|author1=Phil Mattingly |author2=Maegan Vazquez|work=CNN|access-date=April 11, 2018}}</ref>

In May 2018, Ryan led the House in passing the [[Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act]], which partially repealed the [[Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act|Dodd-Frank Act]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/22/business/congress-passes-dodd-frank-rollback-for-smaller-banks.html|title=Congress Approves First Big Dodd-Frank Rollback|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 22, 2018|last1=Rappeport|first1=Alan}}</ref> It was signed into law by President Trump a few days later.

After Republicans lost control of the House in the 2018 midterm elections, Ryan suggested that there were irregularities about the election results in California. Ryan said that California's election system was "bizarre", "defies logic" and that "there are a lot of races there we should have won." After Ryan's remarks were reported on, Ryan's spokesperson said "The Speaker did not and does not dispute the results".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/418880-ryan-casts-doubt-on-bizarre-california-election-results|title=Ryan casts doubt on 'bizarre' California election results|last=Swanson|first=Ian|date=November 29, 2018|work=The Hill|access-date=November 29, 2018|language=en}}</ref>