Paul Ryan
The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries saw the Republican Party engage in sustained debates over fiscal policy and the role of the federal government, producing a generation of legislators who rose through congressional ranks to positions of considerable institutional authority. Paul Ryan, born on January 29, 1970, in Janesville, Wisconsin, became one of the more prominent political figures to emerge from that environment, serving as both a member of Congress and, ultimately, as Speaker of the House.
Ryan attended Joseph A. Craig High School before pursuing higher education at Miami University, American University, and Marian College in Dublin. He is a citizen of the United States and worked in both congressional staff roles and elected office. He was elected as a Republican to represent Wisconsin's 1st congressional district and served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1999 to 2019, a span of two decades in the legislative branch.
Within that tenure, Ryan ascended to the speakership, serving as the 54th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. Before holding that office, he gained national visibility as the Republican Party's vice presidential nominee in the 2012 presidential election, running alongside presidential nominee Mitt Romney. The ticket was defeated by incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
Ryan received the Irving Kristol Award during his time as a public figure in American politics. The Library of Congress identifies him under the authorized label "Ryan, Paul, 1970-," reflecting his continued status as a living public figure whose record remains part of the documented political history of the United States. His service as the 54th Speaker of the House, concluding in 2019, stands as the most senior institutional position he held during his congressional career.
Quotes by Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan's insights on:
We want to have a system where people can come here and work - go back and forth if they want to... so that we have an open door to the people who want to come and contribute to our country, who want to come and make a difference in their families' lives and our economy.
America is more than just a country. It's more than Chicago or Wisconsin. It's more than our borders. America is an idea. It's a very precious idea.
We see ourselves in the House as sort of the engine room of the ship of the Republican Party. We're down in the bottom... in the bowels shoveling coal into the furnace. And, by the way, there's nothing wrong with coal.
As Republicans, our challenge is to become a pro-market party and not be a pro-business party.
I cannot and I will not give up my family. I may not be on the road as often as previous speakers, but I pledge to make up for it with more time communicating our vision, our message.
Freedom of religion is a fundamental Constitutional principle. It's a founding principle of this country.
I am a pro-growth, constitutional, limited government conservative. So I'm going to speak out for what I believe in - the kind of inclusive, aspirational, optimistic politics which unites people.
I believe that if we do not prevent Medicare from going bankrupt, it will go bankrupt. And that will be bad for everybody. We have to tackle our debt crisis. We have to tackle the drivers of our debt.
We are in a global economy whether we like it or not. And we believe - I believe - that America should be at the table writing the rules of the global economy instead of China.
If you want to change a law, you have to pass a law. Presidents don't write laws. Congress writes laws.