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Speaker
==Early Life==
==Early Life==
Paul Ryan was born in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Paul Ryan was born in Janesville, Wisconsin.
==Speaker==
Many Republicans had promoted [[Eric Cantor]] within the House leadership structure to Majority Leader with the goal of having Cantor become the first Jewish Speaker in history. As a result, Ryan took on roles as Chair of the House Budget Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee as an ally of Cantor rather than as a direct rival. Ryan and Cantor coauthored a book. However, the Tea Party launched a primary challenge against Cantor, and [[David Brat]] defeated Cantor in the Republican primary. As a result, Cantor resigned from the House and the leadership team, effective August 18, 2014. This in turn, placed the then-Speaker [[John Boehner]] in a difficult position, because he relied upon Cantor to deliver conservative Republican votes. As the Republican House caucus grew more fractured, Boehner could not gather the votes necessary to pass appropriations needed to keep the government open and faced demands that his continued leadership be put to a rare mid-term vote. On September 25, 2015, Boehner announced that he would step down as Speaker and resign from Congress at the end of October 2015. At first, Ryan indicated that he would rather remain as Chair of the Ways and Means Committee to allowHouse Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California to run for Speaker, but when no other candidate emerged with wide-spread support, he agreed to run for Speaker. Boehner officially passed off the Speaker's gavel to Ryan on October 29, 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2015/10/29/paul-ryan-set-to-be-elected-62nd-house-speaker/ |title=Paul Ryan elected House speaker |work=Washington Post |author=Mike DeBonis |date=October 29, 2015 |accessdate=May 11, 2016}}</ref> Ryan is the youngest Speaker since [[James G. Blaine]] in 1875.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Downs|first1=Rebecca|title=Paul Ryan elected youngest Speaker of the House since 1875|url=http://redalertpolitics.com/2015/10/29/paul-ryan-elected-youngest-speaker-house-since-1875|publisher=redalertpolitics.com|accessdate=May 11, 2016}}</ref>
As Speaker, Ryan is the highest Republican elected official currently serving in government, and was mentioned as a possible 2016 candidate for President. He has been scheduled to serve as co-chair of the 2016 Republican National Convention. When [[Donald Trump]] was projected as receiving a majority of the delegates at that Convention, the Republican leadership divided on how to react. Most Republicans said they would support him as the nominee, but Ryan among others withheld their support. In response, the Tea Party, including [[Sarah Palin]], are promoting Paul Nehlen in the June 2016 primary. However, Ryan leads Nehlen 78% to 14% in the polls.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rightwisconsin.com/opinion/daily-takes/paul-ryan-has-massive-78-14-lead-over-primary-challenger|title=Paul Ryan Has Massive 78-14 Lead Over Primary Challenger|accessdate=May 11, 2016}}</ref>
==Athletics==
==Athletics==