Speaker Ryan's Retirement Is a "Football Captain Quitting Halfway Through"
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced Wednesday he would not seek re-election in November, signaling that Republicans may have a more difficult time maintaining their Congressional majority through the midterm elections.
Ryan’s decision took his Republican colleagues and Democratic opponents by surprise, though he reminded reporters Wednesday he agreed to take up the Speaker’s job in 2015 “reluctantly.”
“I have given this job everything I have,” he said, according to the Associated Press. “We’re going to have a great record to run on.”
Ryan said he decided not to run again to spend more time with his three teenage children, who live in the same Wisconsin town in which Ryan grew up.
He will serve until the end of his term, in January.
His decision not to seek reelection will likely ignite the campaign for his Wisconsin seat and could swell the wave of Republican lawmakers deciding not to run, said Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).
“When the captain of the football team quits the game halfway through, gives you a good indication of how the rest of the game is going to go,” Gallego told Cheddar. “He knows he’s going to be a minority leader next year.”
“I think Republicans should really be worried about the tsunami that’s coming,” Gallego added.
After Ryan’s announcement, Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL) announced he would retire after eight terms in the House.
More than 40 Republicans have announced that they won’t run in 2018, either because they’re retiring or seeking other office. Democrats need 24 seats to take back control of the House for the first time since 2011.
Republicans’ chances of maintaining their majority have been hurt by growing voter dissatisfaction and President Trump’s low approval ratings -- around 40 percent in recent polls.
Gallego, who represents Arizona’s 7th district, criticized Trump’s policies, especially his proposed border wall.
Funding for the wall was excluded from the recent $1.3 billion bipartisan spending bill the president signed, frustrating Trump. Instead, he suggested sending up to 4,000 National Guard troops to the southern border with Mexico, though they will not have the authority to make arrests or “perform law enforcement duties.” The governors of California, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona have all agreed to send the National Guard.
Gallego criticized the president, saying he was using the National Guard as “a prop” in a political debate.
“There is no emergency,” Gallego said. “There’s no reason you call up the National Guard and call it a crisis, just so you can boost up your poll numbers.”
Last December, the arrests of illegal immigrants trying to cross into the U.S. dipped to the lowest level since 1971.
For the full interview, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/why-rep-ruben-gallego-says-the-game-isnt-going-to-end-well-for-republicans-this-november)
A new report by the Foreign Correspondents Club of China warns that press freedom in the most populous country in the world is declining at an alarming speed. Cheddar News speaks with Steven Butler, Asia Program Coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, about the hardships journalists face in China.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C. 1st District) joined Cheddar to discuss her cannabis legalization bill, the States Reform Act, and the prospects for gaining bipartisan support for a bill that has garnered the endorsement of e-commerce giant Amazon. This legislation is supported by businesses large and small, Amazon obviously being the most recent and largest business to support it," Mace said. "They don't want to sell pot. But what it does do is it affects their working employment pool." She stated that 10 percent of eligible new hires for Amazon are affected by restrictive marijuana laws. The representative also explained that the bill leaves equity provisions up to the states rather than mandating them on a federal level.
After a number of tragic subway incidents, the MTA is facing increased pressure to install subway platform screens to help prevent injury or death. However, according to an earlier report from the MTA, installing these prevented measures isn't feasible. New York City Council Member Keith Powers, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Across the country, states are working to redraw their congressional lines in what is often known as gerrymandering. These news lines are expected to determine the balance of power between Democrats and Republicans within the next decade. Senior Counsel for the Brennan Center's Democracy Program, Michael Li, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The state of California is officially planning to close its death row in the next two years. That state's governor Democrat Gavin Newsom says the plan is now to move all condemned inmates to other prisons and turn it into, as he calls it, a positive healing environment. Former U. S. Assistant Attorney and Legal Analyst, David Katz, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Anthony Saccaro, Founder and President of Providence Financial, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he elaborates on why he is excited that the market is beginning to rebound and believes February has the potential to be a good month after a turbulent January.
Cryptocurrency is expected to become a part of our daily lives — but what sort of environmental impact does it have? As the U.S. becomes the crypto mining capital of the world, climate advocates are worried about mining companies reopening old coal plants, using massive amounts of energy, wasteful hardware, and more. Congressional Democrats led by Senator Elizabeth Warren are demanding answers from mining firms about their electricity use and waste levels. John Belizaire, CEO of Soluna Computing, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss the congressional letters, how crypto mining can become a green industry, and more.
The Supreme Court will reconsider race-based affirmative action in college admissions. The court will examine admissions policies at Harvard University and The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, which count the race of applicants as a factor in admissions. The court has upheld affirmative action policies in the past, saying it helps to create more diverse student bodies. However, the conservative Supreme Court could be skeptical and even possibly hostile to such policies. Nick Anderson, Higher Education Writer, Washington Post joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
