Chuck Schumer wants Paul Ryan to 'break free' from the GOP before he leaves office

Chuck Schumer.
(Image credit: Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

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."

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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.

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Summer Meza, The Week US

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.