On Wednesday Paul Ryan announced that he would not seek reelection for his congressional seat and he would be relinquishing his role as Speaker of the House.
37 retirements in the House, and polls showing that the Democrats were favored in the 2018 mid-term elections, could have singled that Ryan would have to soon hand over his mallet to Nancy Pelosi. With that being said his resignation is troubling for the Republican party. He was once seen as the future of the party and a likely presidential candidate.
If Paul Ryan had decided to seek reelection, many would have placed the blame on his feet if the House was handed over to Democrats. During his tenure as Speaker he has been criticized for a certain level of perceived incompetence. Over the past two years, with control of the House, Senate, and White House there was a tax reform bill that was passed, along with the cutting back of many Obama imposed regulations. Ultimately his tenure should not be deemed as an absolute failure.
During President Trump’s campaign, there were certainly moments where him and Ryan were at odds. Ultimately though they were able to put aside their differences and accomplish many legislation goals. The mainstream media tried to cast a shadow on Ryan and Trump’s relationship, but its clear Trump’s recent tweet disproves that.
“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. We are with you Paul!”
-President Trump
Ryan was not able to accomplish his goal of repealing and replacing Obamacare. He was able to repeal the individual mandate which is an important function of the healthcare plan. It is hard to predict where Paul Ryan will be ranked on the list of the list of Speakers. History will ultimately determine his standing. If Congress, and the Senate retain their Republican majority they can be used as a test to gauge Ryan’s effectiveness.
So long Paul Ryan!
