Paul Ryan cites his desire not to be 'a weekend dad' for why he's retiring


House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) confirmed in a press conference Wednesday that he will be retiring from Congress at the end of 2018. "You realize you hold the office for just a small part of our history, so you better make the most of it," Ryan reflected, calling the position one of the greatest honors of his life.
Citing his other greatest honor — being a husband and a father of three — Ryan said he would be leaving Congress after almost two decades. "If I am here for one more term, my kids will only have known me as a weekend dad," Ryan said, noting that his own father died when he was the age his daughter is now.
"I'm really proud of what we've been able to do," Ryan said of his time in office, emphasizing, "I'm not done yet."
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In a recent poll by Marquette Law School, 46 percent of Wisconsin registered voters had a favorable opinion of Ryan, and 39 percent had an unfavorable opinion. The poll reached 800 people by landline and cell phone between Feb. 25 and March 1 and has a margin or error of plus or minus 4.5 percent. Watch more of Ryan's comments below. Jeva Lange
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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