releases: http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398415
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| http://paulryan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398415 | Ryan: I See the First District as My Family | 2015-10-30 | 2015 | 2015-10 | Republican | House | WI | Paul Ryan | R000570 | paulryan.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, DC Today,Wisconsins First District Congressman Paul Ryan spoke with members of the Wisconsin press corps in his first interview since assuming the role of speaker of the House.Excerpts of Ryans remarks follow: On how the speakership will affect his work in Wisconsins First District: I am still Paul Ryan, and I am going to be living in Janesville, being with constituents and family each week. I see the First District as my family. It is where the people I representmy friends, my familylive. And it is where I am going to continue living and working and representing this district. I think this gives me a great opportunity to make a huge differencenot just for Wisconsin, but for our country. I was very humbled by the fact that my colleagues here in the House on an overwhelming basis elected me speaker of the House. Its something that I never thought I would do or never sought, but its something that Im honored to have: this opportunity to serve in this capacity. *** I live in Janesville. I am going to stay living in Janesville. I am going to continue to be a partof the community and serve this congressional district. So, as far as constituents are concerned, I dont think they will see any difference. *** I commute; I live in Janesville. I just work here. I work here, but I live in Janesville. I am going to continue working in Washingtonliving in Janesville. That means a weekly commute. Nothing is going to change from that perspective. So, I will still be traveling back and forth from the First District on a weekly basis, and thats not going to change. *** And so, I start a new day today in a new position. But Im the same person, and I think youll see the kind of service I provide the country and Wisconsin continuing like I have in the past. On his vision for his speakership: We do not have time to be timid. We believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. . . . That means we cant simply be an opposition party. We have to be an effective alternative party offering the country a clear vision and a different way forward. That is something I believe we can absolutely unify around. . . . to stop being timid, to be bold, to be specific, to lay an agenda out there in 2016 . . . so that we can give the people of this country a very clear choice. That is something I believe we can absolutely unify around, and I think thats exactly what Republicans of all kinds and backgrounds are hungering [and] yearning for. *** Once I basically decided this was something I had to do, I wanted to do it in a way where I could be successful. And so, I wanted to make sure that I could take this job in a way thats redesigned. . . . I turned from no, to skeptical, to willing, to eager. And now, I am excited. The way I said it to my colleagues was if Im in for a dime, Im in for a dollar. Im going to dive into the deep end of the pool, and be happy and joyful, and do this job well. I believe that in our conference we have rallied around a newly designed speakership that is good for Congress and good for conservatives, so that we can offer the country a bold agenda going forward. *** I come at this job from a different path than most people do. I come at it as a committeechairman, who believes in the committee process, in the legislative process that the Founders envisioned . . . which is a more participatory, consensus system where policy is written in the committees. I want to open the process up. I believe in a bottom-up, participatory approach to legislating in Congress. And then I also am going to work on making us, and helping move us to being an alternative party, a proposition partygoing on offense on bold ideas. I believe that we must owe the country a very clear and compelling vision for a better way forward than the path we are now on. *** Ive helped move our party to be the party of fiscal responsibility and tackling the drivers of our debt, offering a balanced budget and a plan to pay off our national debt so that we can grow our economy and give our children and grandchildren a more prosperous future, and not saddle them with our debts. This is obviously one of the biggest issues of our time, and this is an issue that must be dealt with. If we do not tackle these challenges soon, they will tackle us. So obviously I bring to this job with me the policy experience background and initiatives that Ive been championing since I have been here. *** I believe we have an obligation to look for common ground where we can find it, and I think my career shows that. Am I spirited in defense of my principles and offering alternatives when I think the other party and the presidents going in the wrong direction? Absolutely. But that doesnt mean to say that we cant find common ground to advance good ideas for the good of the country. And so, I think you can do both. I can walk and chew gum at the same time. And so I believe that you can find common ground without sacrificing principle for the good of the country. But if there are areas you do not agree, if you think the country is headed in the wrong direction, you have an obligation to say how you would do things differently. I think thats what people deserve, and I think thats what people want. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |