Paul Ryan

Paul Ryan

Republican Party

Prior offices

U.S. House Wisconsin District 1

Successor: Bryan Steil

Predecessor: Mark W. Neumann

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Compensation

Net worth

$5,405,548.50

Education

High school

Joseph A. Craig High School, Wis.

Bachelor's

Miami University, OH

Personal

Religion

Christian: Catholic

Contact

Personal website

Personal Twitter

Paul Ryan (b. January 29, 1970, in Janesville, Wis.) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives who represented Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District. On April 11, 2018, Ryan announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018.

He stated, "Serving as speaker has been a great honor. Now, with all three of my kids in their teens, I am ready to set new priorities. I intend to serve my full term as I was elected to do. But I will be retiring in January, leaving this majority in good hands and with a bright future."

Ryan was elected as speaker of the House on October 29, 2015. He was elected at age 45 and was the youngest speaker to serve since 1869. Ryan was first elected to the U.S. House in 1998.

In 2012, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney chose Ryan to be his vice presidential running mate in his unsuccessful campaign versus President Barack Obama (D).

Biography

Ryan graduated from Joseph A. Craig High School in Wisconsin. Then, after graduating from Miami University of Ohio, Ryan moved to Washington D.C., where he was an aide to Wisconsin Senator Robert Kasten and a speechwriter for deceased former congressman Jack Kemp. Prior to entering Congress in 1999 at age 28, Ryan also worked on the policy staff for the conservative think tank Empower America.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Ryan's academic, professional, and political career:

• 1999-2019: U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District
• 1995-1997: Legislative director to Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.)
• 1993-1995: Advisor and speechwriter for Empower America
• 1992: Aide to Sen. Robert Kasten (Wis.)
• 1992: Graduated from Miami University with a B.A.

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2017-2018

As speaker of the House, Ryan served on no committees.

2015-2016

As speaker of the House, Ryan did not serve on any committees.

Before being elected speaker on October 29, 2015, Ryan served on the following committees:

• Ways and Means Committee, Chairman

2013-2014

Ryan served on the following committees:

• Budget Committee, Chairman
• Ways and Means Committee
  • Subcommittee on Health

2011-2012

Ryan was a member of the following House committees:

• Budget Committee, Chairman
• Ways and Means Committee
  • Subcommittee on Health

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018

For detailed information about each vote, click here.

• Votes on domestic policy (click to expand)

  Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (Conference report) (HR 2)

   Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018

  Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023.

  Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2 (second vote))

   Bill Passed (213-211) on June 21, 2018

  Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. It also proposed modifying the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as the food stamp program.

  Securing America’s Future Act of 2018 (HR 4760)

   Bill Failed (193-231) on June 21, 2018

  Proposed funding a border wall, limiting legal immigration, a mandatory worker verification program, allowing DACA recipients to apply for legal status, and preventing separation of families at the border.

  Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)

   Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018

  Reauthorizes through FY2023 and modifies some Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.

  Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (HR 36)

   Bill Passed (237-189) on October 3, 2017

  Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill provided exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest.

  Kate's Law (HR 3004)

   Bill Passed (257-167) on June 29, 2017

  Proposed increasing criminal penalties for individuals in the country illegally who were convicted of certain crimes, deported, and then re-entered the U.S. illegally.

  No Sanctuary for Criminals Act (HR 3003)

   Bill Passed (228-195) on June 29, 2017

  Proposed withholding federal funds from states and localities that chose not to follow federal immigration laws.

  Voted Yea on: American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)

   Bill passed (217-213) on May 4, 2017

  Proposed modifying the budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.

• Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand)

  Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 6157)

   Bill Passed (361-61) on September 26, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.

  Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 5895)

   Bill Passed (377-20) on September 13, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.

  Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 6157)

   Bill Passed (359-49) on June 28, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.

  Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 5895)

   Bill Passed (235-179) on June 8, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.

  Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S 2155)

   Bill Passed (258-159) on May 22, 2018

  Proposed exempting some banks from the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

  Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)

   Bill Passed (256-167) on March 22, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes.

  Voted Yea on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)

   Bill Passed (240-186) on February 9, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018.

  Further Extension Of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1892)

   Bill Passed (245-182) on February 6, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)

   Bill Passed (266-150) on January 22, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)

   Bill Passed (230-197) on January 18, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 16, 2018.

  Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)

   Bill Passed (231-188) on December 21, 2017

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

   Bill Passed (227-203) on December 19, 2017

  Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes (HJ Res 123)

   Bill Passed (235-193) on December 7, 2017

  Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017.

  Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

   Bill Passed (227-205) on November 16, 2017

  Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses.

  Voted Yea on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

   Bill Passed (216-212) on October 26, 2017

  Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027. (This bill proposed adopting the Senate's budget resolution.)

  Voted Yea on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

   Bill Passed (219-206) on October 5, 2017

  Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027.

  
  

  Voted Yea on: Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3354)

   Bill Passed (211-198) on September 14, 2017

  Proposed providing FY2018 appropriations for the federal government. It combined 12 appropriations bills.

  Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)

   Bill Passed (316-90) on September 8, 2017

  Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts.

  Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 601)

   Bill Passed (419-3) on September 6, 2017

  Proposed providing $7.85 billion for disaster relief requirements, including response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey.

  Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 (HR 10)

   Bill passed (233-186) on June 8, 2017

  Proposed amending the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, among other acts.

  Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)

   Bill passed (309-118) on May 3, 2017

  Proposed a $1.2 trillion budget to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017.

• Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand)

  National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (HR 5515)

   Bill Passed (351-66) on May 24, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities

  Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)

   Bill Passed (250-166) on January 30, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations for military functions administered by the Department of Defense and for other purposes, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018.

  
  

  National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018—Conference report (HR 2810)

   Bill Passed (356-70) on November 14, 2017

  Proposed authorizing FY2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths.

  Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3219)

   Bill Passed (235-192) on July 27, 2017

  Proposed making appropriations for defense, military construction, Veterans Affairs, the Legislative Branch, energy and water development, and for other purposes for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2018.

  Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)

   Bill Passed (419-3) on July 25, 2017

  Proposed providing congressional review and measures to counter aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes.

  Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180, second vote)

   Bill Passed (380-35) on July 28, 2017

  Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.

  Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180)

   Bill Failed (241-163) on July 24, 2017

  Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.

  National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)

   Bill Passed (344-81) on July 14, 2017

  Proposed authorizing fiscal year 2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It did not provide budget authority.

  Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 1301)

   Bill passed (371-48) on March 8, 2017

  The $577.9 billion fiscal year 2017 defense spending bill proposed $516.1 billion in base budget funding and $61.8 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations/ Global War on Terrorism funding.

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

114th Congress The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Ryan's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections. Economic and fiscal Trade Act of 2015 See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015 Trade adjustment assistance On June 12, 2015, the House rejected the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 126-302. Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) is a federal program providing American workers displaced by foreign trade agreements with job training and services. The measure was packaged with trade promotion authority (TPA), also known as fast-track authority. TPA is a legislative procedure that allows Congress to define "U.S. negotiating objectives and spells out a detailed oversight and consultation process for during trade negotiations. Under TPA, Congress retains the authority to review and decide whether any proposed U.S. trade agreement will be implemented," according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Ryan was one of 86 Republicans to vote in favor of TAA. Trade promotion authority On June 12, 2015, the House passed the trade promotion authority (TPA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015 —by a vote of 219-211. TPA gives the president fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements sent to Congress without the opportunity for amendment or filibuster. Although the House approved TPA, it was a largely symbolic vote given the measure was part of a package trade bill including trade adjustment assistance (TAA), which was rejected earlier the same day. Ryan was one of 191 Republicans to support the measure. Trade promotion authority second vote After the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) and trade promotion authority (TPA) did not pass the House together on June 12, 2015, representatives voted to authorize TPA alone as an amendment to HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—on June 18, 2015. The amendment passed by a vote of 218-208, with all voting members of the House maintaining their original positions on TPA except for Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). Ryan was one of 190 Republicans to vote in favor of the amendment. Trade adjustment assistance second vote The House passed HR 1295—the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015—on June 25, 2015, by a vote of 286-138. The Senate packaged trade adjustment assistance (TAA) in this bill after the House rejected the TAA measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015. Along with trade promotion authority (TPA), which Congress passed as part of HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—TAA became law on June 29, 2015. Ryan was one of 111 Republicans to vote in favor of HR 1295. Defense spending authorization On May 15, 2015, the House passed HR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Ryan voted with 227 other Republicans and 41 Democrats to approve the bill. The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015. 2016 Budget proposal On April 30, 2015, the House voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183 Democrats who voted, voted against the resolution. Ryan voted with 225 other Republicans to approve the bill. 2015 budget On October 28, 2015, the House passed HR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. Ryan voted with 78 Republicans and 187 Democrats in favor of the bill. It passed the Senate on October 30, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign Affairs Iran nuclear deal See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015 On May 14, 2015, the House approved HR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Ryan voted with 222 other Republican representatives to approve the bill. Approval of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action On September 11, 2015, the House rejected HR 3461—To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 162-269. The legislation proposed approving the nuclear agreement with Iran. Ryan voted with 243 Republicans and 25 Democrats against the bill. Suspension of Iran sanctions relief On September 11, 2015, the House approved HR 3460—To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 247-186. HR 3460 prohibited "the President, prior to January 21, 2017, from: limiting the application of specified sanctions on Iran or refraining from applying any such sanctions; or removing a foreign person (including entities) listed in Attachments 3 or 4 to Annex II of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Department of the Treasury." Ryan voted with 244 Republicans and two Democrats for the bill. Presidential non-compliance of section 2 On September 10, 2015, the House passed H Res 411—Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 245-186. Section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 required the president to submit all materials related to the nuclear agreement for congressional review. House Republicans introduced the resolution because two agreements between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran were not submitted to Congress. Ryan voted with 244 Republicans for the resolution. Export-Import Bank On October 27, 2015, the House passed HR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods. Ryan voted with 116 Republicans and one Democrat against the bill. Domestic USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 2048—the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015—by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revised HR 3199—the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005—by ending the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Ryan voted with 195 Republicans and 142 Democrats to approve the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015. Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Ryan voted with 237 Republicans in favor of the bill. Cyber security On April 23, 2015, the House passed HR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies. Ryan voted with 219 Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill. On April 22, 2015, the House passed HR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Ryan voted with 201 Republicans and 105 Democrats in favor of the bill. Immigration On November 19, 2015, the House passed HR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137. The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. Ryan voted with 241 Republicans and 47 Democrats in favor of the bill. 113th Congress The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Ryan's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections. National security NDAA Ryan voted for HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote. DHS Appropriations Ryan voted for HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 that was largely along party lines. Keystone Pipeline Amendment Ryan voted against House Amendment 69, which would have amended HR 3 to "require that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, conduct a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certify that necessary protections have been put in place." The amendment failed on May 22, 2013, with a vote of 176 - 239 and was largely along party lines. CISPA (2013) Ryan voted for HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities. The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party. Economy Farm bill On January 29, 2014, the U.S. House approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill. The bill passed by a vote of 251-166. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that would kick in when prices drop. It also cut the food stamp program an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states. Ryan voted with 161 other Republican representatives in favor of the bill. 2014 Budget On January 15, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014. The House voted 359-67 for the 1,582-page bill, with 64 Republicans and three Democrats voting against the bill. The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations. It increased the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel by 1 percent, increased Head Start funding for early childhood education by $1 billion, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and protected the Affordable Care Act from any drastic cuts. Ryan voted with the majority of the Republican Party in favor of the bill. Report on budget In a March 2014 report critiquing the budget situation, Ryan developed his own proposal of programs to cut. Among those programs were welfare, child care, college Pell grants and other assistance programs. In the short term, Ryan's proposal attempted to introduce some concrete Republican solutions to reverse perceptions that the GOP had become simply the party of "no" in opposition to Obama. "This report will help start the conversation. It shows that some programs work; others don't. And for many of them, we just don't know. Clearly, we can do better," Ryan said. Government shutdown See also: United States budget debate, 2013 On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201. At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference. Ryan voted to approve the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate. The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Ryan voted against HR 2775. Farm Bill See also: United States Farm Bill 2013 Ryan voted for the Farm Bill on July 11, 2013. The bill passed in a 216-208 vote. The bill passed included farm policy, but did not include food stamps. Immigration Morton Memos Prohibition Ryan voted for House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain individuals residing in the United States without legal status. The vote largely followed party lines. Healthcare Healthcare Reform Rules Ryan voted for House Amendment 450 - Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The amendment was adopted by the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 227-185. The amendment requires that all changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be approved by Congress before taking effect. The vote was largely along party lines. Social issues Abortion Ryan voted for HR 1797 - Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The resolution passed the House on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 228 - 196 that largely followed party lines. The purpose of the bill is to ban abortions that would take place 20 or more weeks after fertilization. Government affairs HR 676 See also: Boehner's lawsuit against the Obama administration On July 30, 2014, the U.S. House approved a resolution 225 to 201 to sue President Barack Obama for exceeding his constitutional authority. Five Republicans—Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Paul Broun of Georgia, Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Walter Jones of North Carolina and Steve Stockman of Texas—voted with Democrats against the lawsuit. Ryan joined the other 224 Republicans in favor of the lawsuit. All Democrats voted against the resolution. Previous congressional sessions Fiscal Cliff Ryan voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was 1 of 85 Republicans that voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257-167 vote on January 1, 2013.

Issues

2015 leadership election

See also: U.S. House leadership elections, 2015

The House elected Ryan to be the chamber's 54th speaker on October 29, 2015. Ryan received 236 votes on the House floor, above the 218 he needed to be elected speaker. His election came after the House Republican conference selected Ryan as its nominee for speaker at a closed-door meeting October 28, 2015. Ryan announced his candidacy for speaker on October 22, 2015, after he made comments on October 20, 2015, that he would seek the speaker position only if House Republicans agreed to certain conditions, to be met by October 23, 2015, including getting the endorsement of the two conservative and one moderate caucuses within the conference. He also demanded a change to House rules to make it harder for a simple majority to oust the speaker and to delegate the lion's share of the speaker's travel and fundraising duties. Two of the three groups endorsed him for speaker. And while he did not get the endorsement of the conservative Freedom Caucus, which frequently clashed with the previous speaker, he did get a pledge from the group that a supermajority of its roughly 40 members would back him. He also decided to delay the discussion on changing the rules until after October 23, 2015, in a concession to the Freedom Caucus, which had been wary of a change. Ryan faced pressure to run after U.S. Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) stepped down and U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Cal.), the leading candidate to replace Boehner, withdrew from the race.

Book deal

Ryan published his second book, "Where Do We Go From Here?" in August 2014. His first book, "Young Guns: A New Generation of Conservative Leaders," was co-authored with Republican Reps. Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy in 2010.

2016 presidential endorsement

✓ Ryan endorsed Donald Trump for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

See also: Endorsements for Donald Trump

Presidential preference

2012

See also: Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

Paul Ryan endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.

Elections

2018

See also: Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District election, 2018

Paul Ryan did not file to run for re-election.

2016

U.S. House

See also: Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Paul Ryan (R) defeated Ryan Solen (D), Jason Lebeck (L) and Spencer Zimmerman (Trump Conservative) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Ryan defeated Paul Nehlen in the Republican primary, while Solen defeated Tom Breu to win the Democratic nomination. The primary elections took place on August 9, 2016.

U.S. House, Wisconsin District 1 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Paul Ryan Incumbent	65%	230,072
	Democratic	Ryan Solen	30.2%	107,003
	Trump Conservative	Spencer Zimmerman	2.7%	9,429
	Libertarian	Jason Lebeck	2.1%	7,486
Total Votes				353,990
Source: Wisconsin Elections Commission

U.S. House, Wisconsin District 1 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Paul Ryan Incumbent	84.1%	57,364
Paul Nehlen	15.9%	10,864
Total Votes		68,228
Source: Wisconsin Elections and Ethics Commission

U.S. House, Wisconsin District 1 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Ryan Solen	59.1%	14,639
Tom Breu	40.9%	10,142
Total Votes		24,781
Source: Wisconsin Elections and Ethics Commission

Presidency

See also: Paul Ryan possible presidential campaign, 2016 and Presidential election, 2016

On January 12, 2015, Ryan announced that he would not run for president in 2016. He said, "It is amazing the amount of encouragement I have gotten from people - from friends and supporters - but I feel like I am in a position to make a big difference where I am and I want to do that," he said, referring to his role as chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Ballotpedia Battleground Poll (June 10-22, 2016)

See also: Ballotpedia's battleground poll, 2016

Ballotpedia partnered with Evolving Strategies and surveyed voters across seven states (June 10 – 22) regarding their vote preferences. We tested six election scenarios. In one set, we matched Hillary Clinton (D) in a series of two-way contests with Donald Trump (R), Ohio Governor John Kasich (R), and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R). In the second set, we matched these same candidates in a series of three-way contests that also included former governor Gary Johnson.

In all seven states, Clinton polled higher than Trump. The tightest battleground race between the two frontrunners was in Iowa, where Clinton led Trump by a weighted 4 percentage points. Clinton saw the largest lead in Michigan, where she led Trump by a weighted 17 percentage points. Comparatively, John Kasich polled ahead of Clinton in five of the seven states, and Paul Ryan polled ahead of Clinton in three states.

Evolving Strategies and Ballotpedia surveyed 4,242 registered voters, with a margin of error of +/-4.0%.

2014

See also: Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District elections, 2014

Ryan won re-election to the U.S. House to represent Wisconsin's 1st District. Ryan defeated Jeremy Ryan in the Republican primary.

U.S. House, Wisconsin District 1 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Paul Ryan Incumbent	63.3%	182,316
	Democratic	Rob Zerban	36.6%	105,552
	Independent	Keith Deschler - Write-in	0%	29
	N/A	Scattering	0.1%	273
Total Votes				288,170
Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

U.S. House, Wisconsin District 1 Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Paul Ryan Incumbent	94.3%	40,813
Jeremy Ryan	5.7%	2,450
Scattering	0.1%	30
Total Votes		43,293
Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

Media

Paul Ryan, "Audit."

Paul Ryan, "Step up to the Plate."

Paul Ryan, "Mom and Aunt Ellen."

• In the October 2014 ad, "Audit," Ryan criticized the IRS and called for changes to the tax code.

• In the October 2014 ad, "Step up to the Plate," Ryan promised to decrease spending and to reduce debt.

• In the October 2014 ad, "Mom and Aunt Ellen," Ryan promised to protect Medicare and Social Security.

2012

See also: Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District elections, 2012

Ryan won re-election in 2012. He was unopposed in the Republican primary and defeated Rob Zerban (D) and Keith Deschler (L) in the November general election.

While Ryan was selected by Mitt Romney on August 11 to be his running mate, Wisconsin law allowed Ryan to pursue his House re-election at the same time. If Ryan had been elected for both offices, the state would have held a special election to fill his U.S. House seat.

In 2011 redistricting, The Hill published a list of the "Top Ten House Members" who were helped by redistricting. Ryan ranked ninth on the list. The article noted that the redistricting process, controlled by Republicans in the state House, was rushed through rather quickly ahead of recalls happening in the state, and added a few more points to the Republican base in Ryan's district.

U.S. House, Wisconsin District 1 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Rob Zerban	43.4%	158,414
	Republican	Paul Ryan Incumbent	54.9%	200,423
	Libertarian	Keith Deschler	1.7%	6,054
	Miscellaneous	N/A	0%	167
Total Votes				365,058
Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" (dead link)

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Paul Ryan, click [show] to expand the section.

2010 On November 2, 2010, Paul Ryan won re-election to the United States House. He defeated John Heckenlively (D) and Joseph Kexel (L) in the general election. U.S. House, Wisconsin District 1 General Election, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Paul Ryan incumbent 68.2% 179,819      Democratic John Heckenlively 30.1% 79,363      Libertarian Joseph Kexel 1.6% 4,311      N/A Scattering 0.1% 134 Total Votes 263,627 2008 On November 4, 2008, Paul Ryan won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Marge Krupp (D) and Joseph Kexel (L) in the general election. U.S. House, Wisconsin District 1 General Election, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Paul Ryan incumbent 64% 231,009      Democratic Marge Krupp 34.7% 125,268      Libertarian Joseph Kexel 1.3% 4,606      N/A Scattering 0.1% 224 Total Votes 361,107 2006 On November 7, 2006, Paul Ryan won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Jeffrey C. Thomas (D) in the general election. U.S. House, Wisconsin District 1 General Election, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Paul Ryan incumbent 62.6% 161,320      Democratic Jeffrey C. Thomas 37.2% 95,761      N/A Scattering 0.2% 515 Total Votes 257,596 2004 On November 2, 2004, Paul Ryan won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Jeffrey Chapman Thomas (D), Norman Aulabaugh (I) and Don Bernau (L) in the general election. U.S. House, Wisconsin District 1 General Election, 2004 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Paul Ryan incumbent 65.4% 233,372      Democratic Jeffrey Chapman Thomas 32.6% 116,250      Independent Norman Aulabaugh 1.2% 4,252      Libertarian Don Bernau 0.8% 2,936      N/A Scattering 0% 166 Total Votes 356,976 2002 On November 5, 2002, Paul Ryan won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Jeffrey C. Thomas (D) and George Meyers (L) in the general election. U.S. House, Wisconsin District 1 General Election, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Paul Ryan incumbent 67.2% 140,176      Democratic Jeffrey C. Thomas 30.6% 63,895      Libertarian George Meyers 2.1% 4,406      N/A Scattering 0.1% 136 Total Votes 208,613 2000 On November 7, 2000, Paul Ryan won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Jeffrey C. Thomas (D) in the general election. U.S. House, Wisconsin District 1 General Election, 2000 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Paul Ryan incumbent 66.6% 177,612      Democratic Jeffrey C. Thomas 33.3% 88,885      N/A Scattering 0.1% 294 Total Votes 266,791 1998 On November 3, 1998, Paul Ryan won election to the United States House. He defeated Lydia Carol Spottswood (D) in the general election. U.S. House, Wisconsin District 1 General Election, 1998 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Paul Ryan 57.1% 108,475      Democratic Lydia Carol Spottswood 42.7% 81,164      N/A Scattering 0.2% 307 Total Votes 189,946

Campaign themes

2016

The following issues were listed on Ryan's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

“	Paul Ryan is committed to securing our border: Paul Ryan has always said that securing the border is the first step to any immigration reform proposal. More importantly, we need a President who will commit to work with Congress to effectively secure the border. Most recently, Paul led the House in successfully suing the President to overturn his executive order on amnesty. Paul Ryan is taking action to stop ISIS from carrying out future attacks: Paul worked on legislation to strengthen the Visa Waiver Program to protect the homeland – denying visa waiver eligibility status to any individual who has recently traveled to terrorist hotspots like Syria and Iraq. Paul Ryan is committed to balancing the budget and cutting spending: Paul Ryan has fought wasteful Washington spending year after year and is committed to balancing our budget, so we leave future generations a debt-free future. Paul Ryan opposes trade agreements that do not benefit U.S. workers and businesses: Paul is withholding his support for TPP because he believes President Obama did a poor job negotiating the agreement.	”
—Paul Ryan's campaign website, https://www.ryanforcongress.com/setting-record-straight/

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Paul Ryan campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2016	U.S. House, Wisconsin District 1	Won	$19,689,414	N/A**
2014	U.S. House (Wisconsin, District 1)	Won	$9,358,582	N/A**
2012	U.S. House Wisconsin District 1	Won	$4,994,668	N/A**
2010	U.S. House Wisconsin District 1	Won	$3,922,760	N/A**
2008	U.S. House Wisconsin District 1	Won	$1,653,204	N/A**
2006	U.S. House Wisconsin District 1	Won	$1,462,674	N/A**
2004	U.S. House Wisconsin District 1	Won	$1,374,025	N/A**
2002	U.S. House Wisconsin District 1	Won	$1,244,748	N/A**
2000	U.S. House Wisconsin District 1	Won	$1,343,419	N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Ryan's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $2,206,097 to $8,605,000. That averages to $5,405,548.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican House members in 2012 of $7,614,097.96. Ryan ranked as the 69th most wealthy representative in 2012. Between 2004 and 2012, Ryan‘s calculated net worth increased by an average of 22 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Paul Ryan Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2004	$1,950,206
2012	$5,405,548
Growth from 2004 to 2012:	177%
Average annual growth:	22%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). In the 113th Congress, Ryan was the chair of the Budget Committee. Ryan received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Retired industry. Comparatively, the top industry employer in Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District was Educational services, and health care and social assistance, according to a 2012 U.S. Census survey.

From 1997-2014, 24.09 percent of Ryan's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Paul Ryan Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$24,757,754
Total Spent	$20,862,816
Chair of the Budget Committee
Top industry in the district	Educational services, and health care and social assistance
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Retired	$1,820,196
Securities & Investment	$1,363,077
Insurance	$1,312,506
Health Professionals	$811,104
Misc Manufacturing & Distributing	$656,549
% total in top industry	7.35%
% total in top two industries	12.86%
% total in top five industries	24.09%

Analysis

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

Ryan most often voted with:

• Steve Chabot
• John Barrow

Ryan least often voted with:

• Chris Gibson
• Janice Schakowsky

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Ryan was a "rank-and-file Republican," as of July 2014. This was the same rating Ryan received in May 2013.

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Ryan missed 237 of 11,518 roll call votes from January 1999 to September 2015. This amounted to 2.1 percent, which was lower than the median of 2.2 percent among representatives as of September 2015.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

2013

Ryan ranked 71st in the conservative rankings in 2013.

2012

Ryan was one of two members who ranked 127th in the conservative rankings in 2012.

2011

Ryan was one of three members of Congress who ranked 150th in the conservative rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Ryan voted with the Republican Party 94.9 percent of the time, which ranked 86th among the 234 House Republican members as of July 2014.

2013

Ryan voted with the Republican Party 96.2 percent of the time, which ranked 103rd among the 234 House Republican members as of June 2013.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

2011

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Ryan paid his congressional staff a total of $858,307 in 2011. Overall, Wisconsin ranked 32nd in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Ryan and his wife, Janna, have three children. He spent a summer working for Oscar Meyer and once drove the Weinermobile, a vehicle shaped like a hot dog in a bun.

2013 best year

Ryan was named by The Hill as a member of Congress who had one of the best years in 2013.

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term Paul + Ryan + Wisconsin + House

Paul Ryan News Feed

See also

• Portal:Elections
• Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election
• Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District
• United States congressional delegations from Wisconsin
• Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District elections, 2014
• United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin, 2014
• Presidential election, 2016

External links

Suggest a link

• Social media:
  • Facebook
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  • YouTube
• Biographies:
  • U.S. Congress
  • NNDB
  • Wikipedia
• Political profiles:
  • GovTrack
  • CongressMerge
  • OurCampaigns
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Roll Call
• Fact-checking:
  • FactCheck
  • PolitiFact
• Financial (federal level):
  • FEC contributions
  • OpenSecrets.org
  • LegiStorm.com
  • Washington Post
• Interest group ratings:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions:
  • On The Issues
  • Project Vote Smart
• Legislation:
  • Congress.gov
• Public statements:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Voting record:
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Washington Post
• Works by or about:
  • WorldCat
• Media appearances:
  • C-SPAN
  • IMDb
• Media coverage:
  • Bloomberg
  • Guardian
  • New York Times
  • Wall Street Journal
  • Washington Post

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Mark Neumann	U.S. House of Representatives - Wisconsin, 1st District 1999-2019	Succeeded by Bryan Steil

[show]

Wisconsin's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Tammy Baldwin (D)

Ronald Johnson (R)

Representatives

District 1

Bryan Steil (R)

District 2

Mark Pocan (D)

District 3

Derrick Van Orden (R)

District 4

Gwen Moore (D)

District 5

Scott Fitzgerald (R)

District 6

Glenn Grothman (R)

District 7

Tom Tiffany (R)

District 8

Tony Wied (R)

Republican Party (7)

Democratic Party (3)