By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
CNN is reporting that US Representative Trey Gowdy (R-South Carolina) will formally nominate colleague Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) to by the next Speaker of the House of Representatives in a GOP Caucus meeting on Wednesday. On Tuesday, October 27, Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) said that he would vote for Paul Ryan on the House floor “IF” Ryan is the Republican nominee.
US Representative Brooks said in a speech on the floor of the House that Ryan has, “Excellent communication skill and is charismatic.” Brooks said that he and Ryan have had a major disagreement on border security. Brooks said that native born Americans have lost more than 8 million job opportunities to immigrants both legal and illegal since 2000 and that Ryan’s views on immigration, “Conflicts with the values of Americans I represent.”
Rep. Brooks made his support for Paul Ryan contingent on two demands. First that it is unwise and unproductive to pass any immigration reform while Barack Obama is still the President of the United States and second that no immigration reform bill ever gets to the floor of the US House of Representatives unless it is, “Supported by the majority of the majority”…….ie most of the House Republican Caucus.
Congressman Ryan has agreed to Congressman Brooks demands. Brooks is a member of the growing Freedom Caucus within the House Republican Caucus that essentially forced Boehner to step aside as speaker.
While some conservatives question whether or not Ryan is not conservative enough, a liberal group is attacking Ryan as being a conservative ideologue.
The Agenda Project Action Fund, which produced the “Granny Off the Cliff” ad, has produced yet another ad attacking Ryan. Agenda Project Founder and ad creator Erica Payne said in a statement, “Today, far-right extremists ensured the election of one of their own to the 3rd most powerful job in America. With this approval, Paul Ryan’s far-right vision for America – including a total evisceration of Medicare – moves one step closer to reality. Seniors need to be scared – very scared – and then they need to act.”
Agenda Project Action Fund Director of Communications Erik Altieri said, “Right-wing darling Paul Ryan has worked diligently to present himself publicly as an intellectual rather than an ideologue, but there is no hiding the truth when you take one look at his plans for Medicare.”
The group has dogged Paul Ryan for years because as Chairman of the House Budget Committee the budget he proposed had once advanced a budget plan that would turn Medicare into a voucher system.
The Republican House Caucus is expected to vote on the Speaker’s race today and then nominate a speaker candidate on the House floor on Thursday. Congressman Daniel Webster (R-Florida) is also seeking the position; but at this time multiple media outlets believe that Ryan has the votes. Democrats could nominate minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) for the job; but realistically the GOP nominee will likely win the Speakership if there is a vote.
Representative John Boehner (R from Ohio) has been the Speaker of the House since 2011.
