Republicans picked Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as their nominee to be the next speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, uniting around the former vice presidential candidate ahead of a tough vote on a budget deal.
President Barack Obama and top lawmakers from both parties reached a tentative budget agreement that would avert a U.S. debt default and reduce chances of a government shutdown, easing years of political friction over fiscal policy in Washington.
Even some of the staunchest anti-establishment Tea Party Republicans in the House admit they don’t have a viable plan to unseat House Speaker John Boehner.
Rep. John Boehner narrowly survived a tense vote to win a third term as House Speaker, winning the support of 216 of his colleagues.
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) brought a lawsuit against the White House last week which accused the administration of unconstitutional overreach of its executive authority, to which the President mockingly responded saying, “So sue me.” Later in the day, President Obama asked his cabinet to search for ways the White House could use its executive authority to bypass Congress and push his agenda without the legislative body.
House Speaker John A. Boehner said Tuesday that President Obama may have broken the law in failing to notify Congress of his plans to transfer Taliban fighters from Guantanamo Bay, elevating the battle over this weekend’s deal to a constitutional clash between Congress and the executive branch.