Lawmakers on Thursday elected Rep. Paul Ryan as the 54th Speaker of the House, putting an end to weeks of uncertainty over who would lead the raucous 247-member GOP conference after John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) surprise resignation.
On a day filled with pomp and excitement, the Wisconsin Republican received 236 votes for Speaker – more than the 218 needed to win on the first ballot. His only challenger, little-known Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), whom Ryan defeated in an internal GOP election Wednesday, received 9 votes on the floor. Read More