McCarthy says Ryan ‘ looking at’ run for House speaker
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, whose decision to drop his bid for speaker Thursday stunned his colleagues, said Friday that Paul Ryan is considering the job as pressure mounts on the Wisconsin Republican to jump into the race.
“We had a very good conference,” McCarthy said after a meeting of House Republicans who gathered to find a way to unite their fractured caucus. He said Ryan, the Ways and Means Committee chairman who was the party’s 2012 vice presidential nominee, is “looking at” mounting a bid, “but he’s got to decide on his own.”
Ryan’s spokesman, Brendan Buck, said in a statement, “Chairman Ryan appreciates the support he’s getting from his colleagues but is still not running for speaker.”
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said Ryan is going home to discuss it with his family. Issa said he would consider running himself only if Ryan opts to pass.
“It’s a job he doesn’t want and isn’t seeking, but it’s a job that’s seeking him,” Issa said of Ryan. He said Ryan has support from moderates and conservatives. He said members of the conservative Freedom Caucus, which often challenged current Speaker John Boehner, told him they would vote for Ryan.
“We need to bring this caucus back together,” Issa said. “Paul Ryan can do that.”
It was apparent McCarthy lacked the support of the 218 members necessary to guarantee his election by the full House, which had been scheduled to vote Oct. 29. Boehner had announced he is resigning at the end of the month.