{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398416", "Ryan: We Have an Obligation to Offer a Bold Alternative", "2015-11-02", "2015", "2015-11", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "paulryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  This morning,Wisconsins First District Congressman and speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, spoke with WLIPs Bill Lawrence and WRJNs Glenn Klein.\r\nExcerpts of Ryans remarks follow:\r\nServing the people of Wisconsins First District:  \r\nYou know, the best conversations I have with constituents are typically at a cross-country meet with other parents or at a volleyball tournament with other parents or . . . the Italian-American club, talking with people at the Columbus Day dinner. . . . I get really good organic feedback from constituents. It makes me understand whats going on in peoples lives, and with kids at home, you have other responsibilities other than just [the speakership]. And I think we want well-balanced people in positions of leadership, and thats what Im going to do.***\r\nYou know, I was home this weekend, and Im going to be home in a weekend traveling the district and being with my familyand then working in Washington.Rethinking the speakership:  \r\nIm redesigning the way the job works so that it can be done more effectively, and we can get better results out of Congress. Thats my goal. We have divided government right now, and . . . its difficult to see the big things getting done. But we still have to get things done, and I want to make sure that that happens. ***  \r\nRight now, I just want to make sure that we fix whats broken in Congress. I want to heal the institution. I want it to truly be the peoples House and get it working again. Lets just have honest . . . debates so that we can put forth honest solutions so that the people of this country get to choose what kind of country they want to have. Thats a moment Im looking forward to. Its very clarifying, and I think its what people want and need. ***  \r\nIve always been about the cause that I care about: these issues, these principles, this country, working families who are not strong right now and need to get strength. The countrys got to get its mojo back, and right now, we dont. And weve got to put together an agenda to make sure we do. ***  \r\nWhat I want these bills to do is work their way through the congressional committees like Congress is supposed to work. I chaired two [committees]the Budget Committee and the Ways and Means Committeeso what I dont want to do is sit around playing Caesar or dictator in the House deciding what bill goes and what bill doesnt. I think you have to have more of a bottom-up legislative process where the House can work its will, and that means you arent sitting in the speakers chair predetermining the outcome of everything because, you know, I wasnt elected dictator of the House. I was elected speaker of the House, and I want the House to work its will. Providing a vision for the Republican Party:  \r\nI believe that [in] 2016, we as a country are going to have to have as clear a conversation with [each] other as citizens about what direction do we want the country to go, what kind of country do we want to have. Not just for people who are struggling and raising families, but for the next generation. And those are the big issues that I think we need to deal with and that I think we need to present. And if we dont like the direction the countrys headedwhich, I and most of my colleagues dontI think we have an obligation to offer people a very good, bold alternative. And so now Im eager and excited.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398416"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.736318925395608, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}