3 GOP groups back Ryan, opening path to speaker run

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Fox News:

The three House Republican groups that Rep. Paul Ryan said must support him in order for him to seek the speakership have done so – giving the Wisconsin congressman a seemingly open path to run for the job in elections next week.

 

The latest to support him are the Republican Study Committee and the so-called Tuesday Group. The former represents mainstream House conservatives and claims over 170 members. It said Thursday Ryan is "the right person to lead the House going forward."

 

The Tuesday Group, which also backed Ryan, represents GOP moderates.

 

Their support comes after the House Freedom Caucus, which earlier had endorsed another candidate, put out a statement Wednesday saying that the overwhelming majority of its members now support Ryan – though it wasn’t technically an endorsement. Their initial resistance to a Ryan speakership had been his biggest hurdle to running.

 

Ryan, in initially opening the door to a run, said that he must have broad support from these groups – and if he didn’t, he would stay on as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and not seek the job being left by retiring John Boehner.

 

The groups’ support will almost certainly pressure Ryan into the race, and could mean he has more than enough votes to win.

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Game over?