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U.S. NEWS A5
Thursday 22 October 2015
Fractious House conservatives resist Ryan’s call to unify
conservatives pushed Ryan began making the
rounds to the three major
Speaker John Boehner to House caucuses whose en-
dorsements he is seeking
resign and then pressured as a condition for running
for speaker. It’s a job the
his likely successor into with- 45-year-old never wanted
but is exploring, he says,
drawing. out of a sense of duty af-
ter Boehner announced
The same intraparty divide his resignation and Major-
ity Leader Kevin McCarthy
is roiling the Republicans’ abruptly withdrew from the
running to replace him.
presidential campaign, Ryan has made clear that
he does not want to be
with outsiders led by billion- the latest victim of Repub-
lican dysfunction and will
aire businessman Donald run only if it becomes clear
he can unify the House Re-
Trump dominating the field publicans.
Boehner, who hopes to
for months. leave Congress at the end
of this month, sought to
On Wednesday, some move the process forward,
scheduling secret-ballot
House members quickly House Republican elec-
tions for Oct. 28, to be fol-
took issue with Ryan’s sug- lowed by a floor vote in the
full House the next day.
gested changes to con- On Wednesday Ryan met
with the mainstream con-
gressional rules and even servative Republican Study
Committee, and he was
his desire to balance fam- to meet on Thursday with
the establishment-aligned
ily life with the demands of Tuesday Group.q
the job. “No other speaker
candidate came in and
said here’s the list of my de-
mands, either meet those
Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. arrives for a House GOP conference meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, or I’m not going to do
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015. Ryan is seeking unity in a place it’s rarely found, telling House Repub-
licans he will serve as their speaker only if they embrace him by week’s end as their consensus this,” Rep. Tim Huelskamp,
candidate.
a member of the hardline
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
House Freedom Caucus,
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- the party’s presidential Congress and the second complained the day after
publican Party conserva- campaign. in line of succession to the
tives resisted Paul Ryan’s The conservatives’ reac- president. Ryan outlined the condi-
appeals to rally around tions cast doubt on wheth- The Wisconsin congress-
him for House speaker er Ryan, the party’s 2012 man, a reluctant candi- tions for his candidacy.
Wednesday, suggesting vice presidential nominee, date for the post, has been
fresh trouble ahead for the can get the buy-in from asked to run by mainstream Rep. Raul Labrador of Ida-
inter-party struggle that has all factions of the House party leaders seeking to re-
rendered Congress almost he says he needs to run for solve a crisis set in motion ho, another Freedom Cau-
dysfunctional and shaken speaker, the top position in when compromise-averse
cus member, said: “I think
it’s pretty presumptuous to
say that Paul Ryan is the
only one who can win this.”
The comments came as
House Republican floats debt limit alternatives
ANDREW TAYLOR Credit markets are already cannot borrow any more the government, even if eral workers and the mili-
Associated Press nervous about the lack of money. We will be operat- there is a fiscal standoff. tary, Medicare payments
WASHINGTON (AP) — Wash- progress as a Nov. 3 Trea- ing on a cash basis. Some “If there is ever any doubt to providers, and medical
ington is barreling toward a sury Department deadline days we will have enough over the security and reli- care for veterans and the
deadline to raise the gov- looms. That’s when the gov- cash to pay our bills. Other ability of the debt owed poor. And, while Treasury
ernment’s borrowing cap ernment’s ability to use ac- days we won’t. Going past by this government, the says government payment
and avert a first-ever de- counting steps to pay its bills Nov. 3 is irresponsible.” interest rates that lenders systems can prioritize debt
fault on U.S. payments, but for veterans, Social Security The House on Wednesday change would quickly rise obligations over other pay-
there’s no sign yet on Capi- recipients, federal employ- passed, 235-194, legislation and overwhelm us,” Mc- ments, its systems are not
tol Hill of a viable solution. ees and others will run out by Republican Rep. Tom Clintock said. built to allow prioritization
Instead, the Republican- and the government would McClintock that would re- The White House promises of payments like Social Se-
controlled House is mov- have a dangerously small quire the government to that Obama would veto curity over all others.
ing ahead on tea party- fiscal cushion. pay its creditors and Social the bill, which Democrats “Treasury’s payment sys-
blessed legislation related “There is no margin for er- Security beneficiaries first like Sen. Harry Reid of Ne- tems are designed to pay
to the debt limit that has ror,” Treasury Secretary Ja- and exempt those pay- vada have dubbed the our bills — they were not
no chance of making it cob Lew said Wednesday ments from the debt limit if “Pay China First Act” since designed to not pay our
through the Senate, much at a conference sponsored the government runs out of debt payments would get bills,” Treasury spokesman
less of being signed by Pres- by the Center for American cash. The idea is to preserve preference over other obli- Daniel Watson said in a
ident Barack Obama. Progress. “After Nov. 3, we the “full faith and credit” of gations like salaries for fed- blog post last week.q
