Ryan talks social media privacy rights in Madison

Speaker would favor regulation in that area

MADISON – Congress must act to block the violation of people’s privacy rights by social media and technology companies, but lawmakers should move cautiously to avoid going too far, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Friday.

Making his first public appearance in Wisconsin since deciding not to run for re-election, the Janesville Republican said he hopes to use his final year in office to overhaul financial regulations known as Dodd-Frank, update infrastructure such as airports and water resources and reshape federal programs for funding technical education.

Congress has held high-profile hearings in recent weeks on how social media companies like Facebook use consumers’ data.

“People’s privacy rights are clearly being compromised,” Ryan acknowledged even as he urged caution. “We want to make sure that we get it right without stifling innovation.”

In a speech to members of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce at the Edgewater Hotel, Ryan mainly touted efforts by the GOP Congress to reduce regulations, making his openness to new digital regulations a notable exception.

The event came a week after Ryan upended politics in Wisconsin and Washington by announcing that after nearly two decades in Congress he wouldn’t seek re-election. He said Friday he wouldn’t decide on his next career move until next year.

In other remarks, Ryan said he now believes it will be impossible to lower federal budget deficits and overhaul programs such as Social Security and Medicare health coverage without support from Democrats. To get it, Ryan suggested establishing a bipartisan commission that would come up with a plan that would have to receive up-ordown floor votes.

Democrats, in turn, have criticized Ryan and other Republicans for passing tax cuts that are projected to substantially

“People’s privacy rights are clearly being compromised. We want to make sure that we get it right without stifling innovation.” Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)

increase the deficit.

“You cannot tell me that we can afford to give away billions in tax cuts to the wealthiest, but we can’t afford to take care of our disabled and our seniors. It doesn’t make any sense,” Randy Bryce, a Democrat running for Ryan’s seat, said earlier this year.

The tax bill that Ryan helped pass last year delivered substantial cuts for both small and large types of corporations in the state such as manufacturers — a key group within WMC. The speaker said he felt comfortable leaving office after the December passage of that tax overhaul — a long-sought goal that provided permanent cuts for corporations and temporary ones for individuals.

Corporate attorney and University of Wisconsin System Regent Bryan Steil is scheduled to announce Sunday afternoon whether he’s running for Ryan’s seat as a Republican at an event at Performance Micro Tool in Janesville.

Also running as Republicans are political newcomer and former Green Beret Nick Polce of Lake Geneva and frequent state Capitol protester Jeremy Ryan, who ran in the GOP primary against Ryan in 2014 but got less than 6% of the vote. Paul Nehlen, who has been criticized for anti-Semitic and racially charged posts on social media, is also running.

Ryan said Friday he wouldn’t endorse in the GOP primary until the filing deadline for candidates.

Democrats running for the seat include Bryce, an ironworker, and Cathy Myers, a Janesville School Board member. State Rep. Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) is also mulling a run.