Paul Ryan elected House speaker

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) was officially elected the 62nd speaker of the House Thursday, clearing the requisite 218-vote majority, with 236 Republicans supporting him in a public floor vote by the full House. The election marks the end of a long saga that began with former Speaker John Boehner's unexpected resignation, which threw the GOP into turmoil and led to the party pleading for Ryan to consider running for the job.

"There's a difference between being asked to do something and being called to do something," Boehner said in his farewell address. "Paul [Ryan] is being called."

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