Chuck Schumer wants Paul Ryan to 'break free' from the GOP before he leaves office
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) confirmed Wednesday that he will not run for re-election this year, and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has some advice for the departing congressman.
"With his newfound political freedom, I hope the speaker uses his remaining time in Congress to break free from the hard-right factions of his caucus that have kept Congress from getting real things done," said Schumer in a statement. Schumer said that, while other top Republicans jockeying for Ryan's spot will make the end of his term complicated, he's confident Ryan is "up to the job."
Ryan, who has been House speaker since 2015, doesn't have a clear successor poised to take his spot. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) are reportedly angling for the job, but nobody has officially thrown their hat into the ring.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Schumer was frequently at odds with Ryan, often trading barbs over everything from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration program to the handling of Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and his infamous memo regarding Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. Schumer and Ryan also blamed each other for the government shutdown in January.
Meanwhile, Ryan's Democratic counterpart in the House, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), has yet to address the retirement news. Still, her last tweet happens to mention Ryan anyway: "[Speaker Ryan] and [the GOP] seem to have forgotten that Americans will not stand for their attacks on #Medicare & #SocialSecurity," she wrote.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Film reviews: ‘Send Help’ and ‘Private Life’Feature An office doormat is stranded alone with her awful boss and a frazzled therapist turns amateur murder investigator
-
Movies to watch in Februarythe week recommends Time travelers, multiverse hoppers and an Iraqi parable highlight this month’s offerings during the depths of winter
-
ICE’s facial scanning is the tip of the surveillance icebergIN THE SPOTLIGHT Federal troops are increasingly turning to high-tech tracking tools that push the boundaries of personal privacy
-
Trump sues IRS for $10B over tax record leaksSpeed Read The president is claiming ‘reputational and financial harm’ from leaks of his tax information between 2018 and 2020
-
Trump, Senate Democrats reach DHS funding dealSpeed Read The deal will fund most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
