Ryan wielded gavel wisely

Paul Ryan had all-star talent as a legislator and fundraiser, and the realization of his career-long goal of tax reform is a monumental legacy.

He has been an adept policy wonk, and his work as the preeminent Obamacare critic on Capitol Hill was nothing short of inspirational, most notably in 2010 as the ranking member of the House Budget Committee.

That year at the bipartisan White House Summit on Health Care, Ryan put on a savant-level clinic on sound economic policy and on the harmful ramifications the Democratic health care bill would have. He spoke with analytical flourish but kept his logic simple, such as when he admonished President Obama, “Hiding spending does not reduce spending.” He was both heartfelt and professorial at once, and during the televised event, President Obama, a lecturer if there ever was one, seemed to morph from commander in chief into a firstyear pupil.

It was this “Whiz Kid” reputation and subsequent political stardom that propelled him into position as Mitt Romney’s running mate during the 2012 presidential election. Ryan was a tireless campaigner, with a process-driven approach to just about everything.

At the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., Ryan gave a rousing, powerful and funny speech, at one point declaring, “President Obama is the kind of politician who puts promises on the record, and then calls that the record ... college graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life.”

After the election loss, Ryan enjoyed time as chairman of the House Tax Writing Committee. Ever the wonk, he referred to it as his “dream job.”

Ryan finally became speaker in 2015 after Speaker John Boehner called it quits. Although he was at first reluctant, he eventually bowed to pressure and the kid from Wisconsin became the 44th Speaker of the House of Representatives.

He cited his family as the primary reason for leaving his powerful post, saying, “I have accomplished much of what I came here to do, and my kids aren’t getting any younger. What I realized is if I serve for one more term my kids will only have known me as a weekend dad.” His own father died when he was 16.

As of next January, Paul Ryan returns to Janesville, Wis.

And what does this mean for Congress? No matter the outcome of midterm elections later this year, big changes lie ahead in Washington, D.C.

Ryan’s departure will leave the powerful position of speaker open, assuming Republicans maintain control of the House of Representatives going into 2019. And talented though he was on policy, the even-keeled Ryan was never the man to satisfy the Republican base, who have been clamoring for the disruption of the status quo. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, previously derailed from the speakership by hardliners in the Freedom Caucus, will likely face a similar uphill battle to replace Ryan. Another name being floated is that of Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who survived an assassination attempt last year and has more conservative chops than McCarthy with the base. His election to the position would certainly move the House of Representatives to the right.

But of course, there are no guarantees, especially for the party holding the White House during a midterm election cycle. Ryan joins more than 40 House Republicans choosing not to run for re-election in 2018, giving the Democrats plenty of opportunities to retake the chamber just by picking up open seats. So both McCarthy and Scalise might be out of luck come January.

Democrats like those who make up our own delegation must be salivating at the prospect of reclaiming the speaker’s gavel next year. For many, it would be their first taste of real power in Washington, D.C. Aspiring political climbers such as Rep. Katherine Clark, Rep. Seth Moulton and Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III have never known a time on Capitol Hill when their party was in power. No longer relegated to the resistance, and sit-ins on the floor of Congress, they’ll have a chance to pass real legislation and pad their resumes for 2020.

Wherever their aspirations may take them.