Paul Ryan

Paul Ryan
Name	Paul Ryan
Caption	Official portrait, 2015
Office	54th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Term start	October 29, 2015
Term end	January 3, 2019
Predecessor	John Boehner
Successor	Nancy Pelosi
Office1	Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee
Term start1	January 3, 2015
Term end1	October 29, 2015
Predecessor1	Dave Camp
Successor1	Kevin Brady
Office2	Chair of the House Budget Committee
Term start2	January 3, 2011
Term end2	January 3, 2015
Predecessor2	John Spratt
Successor2	Tom Price
State3	Wisconsin
District3	1st
Term start3	January 3, 1999
Term end3	January 3, 2019
Predecessor3	Mark Neumann
Successor3	Bryan Steil
Party	Republican
Alma mater	Miami University (BA)
Birth date	29 January 1970
Birth place	Janesville, Wisconsin, U.S.

Paul Ryan is an American former politician who served as the 54th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Wisconsin's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for two decades, rising to prominence as a leading conservative voice on fiscal policy. He was the Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2012 election, running on the ticket with former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney.

Early life and education

Born in Janesville, Wisconsin, he was the youngest of four children in a family of Irish Catholic descent. He attended Joseph A. Craig High School in his hometown before enrolling at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics and political science in 1992. During his college years, he interned for Wisconsin Senator Bob Kasten and later worked as a staffer for Kansas Senator Sam Brownback and for the conservative think tank Empower America.

Early political career

After working as a congressional aide and in the private sector, he was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1998, succeeding Mark Neumann in a district that included his hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin. He quickly established himself as a policy-focused conservative, joining the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Budget Committee. His early legislative work focused on entitlement reform and tax policy, aligning with the Republican Study Committee and earning respect from senior members like Jack Kemp.

Speaker of the House

He was elected Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in October 2015 following the resignation of John Boehner, after serving as Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and previously as Chair of the House Budget Committee. His tenure as Speaker was defined by navigating a fractious Republican Conference, overseeing the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and managing legislative relations with the Trump administration. He announced his retirement from Congress in 2018 and was succeeded as Speaker by Nancy Pelosi in January 2019.

Political positions and ideology

A self-described Ayn Rand admirer in his youth, he was a leading proponent of supply-side economics and fiscal conservatism, authoring numerous budget resolution proposals known as the Ryan budget. His policy agenda emphasized reforming Medicare, overhauling the tax code, and reducing the national debt. While generally aligned with the Republican mainstream on social issues, his primary focus remained on fiscal policy, earning him awards from groups like the National Taxpayers Union.

Post–House career

Since leaving Congress, he has joined the board of directors for the Fox Corporation and serves as a professor of the practice at the University of Notre Dame. He is also a partner at the private equity firm Solamere Capital, co-founded by Tagg Romney, and remains active in political commentary and the work of his American Idea Foundation. He has not sought elected office but occasionally comments on the direction of the Republican Party.

Personal life

He married Janna Ryan, a former tax attorney and staffer for the Senate Commerce Committee, in 2000. The couple has three children and resides in Janesville, Wisconsin. An avid outdoorsman, he is known for his fitness regimen, including the P90X workout program, and is a lifelong fan of the Green Bay Packers and the Milwaukee Brewers.

Category:1970 births Category:American Roman Catholics Category:Living people Category:Speakers of the United States House of Representatives Category:United States representatives from Wisconsin