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Paul Ryan Fast Facts

Here’s a look at the life of former House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Personal

Birth date: January 29, 1970

Birth place: Janesville, Wisconsin

Birth name: Paul Davis Ryan

Father: Paul M. Ryan, an attorney

Mother: Elizabeth “Betty” (Hutter) Ryan Douglas

Marriage: Janna (Little) Ryan (December 2, 2000-present)

Children: Liza, Charlie, Sam

Education: Miami University (Ohio), B.A., 1992

Religion: Roman Catholic

Other Facts

Ryan’s father died of a heart attack when Ryan was 16.

Double-majored in economics and political science at Miami University (Ohio).

Ryan is a fitness buff and enjoys bow hunting.

Timeline

1992 – Legislative aide to Senator Robert Kasten of Wisconsin.

1993-1995 Staff assistant and speechwriter for the Empower America think tank, which was co-founded by Rep. Jack Kemp (R-NY).

1995-1997 Legislative director for Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas.

November 3, 1998 – Is elected to the US House of Representatives for the 1st District of Wisconsin. Ryan is reelected in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016.

2011-2014 – Chairman of the House Budget Committee.

March 29, 2012 Ryan’s 2013 budget proposal is passed by the Republican controlled House, 228-191. The budget plan is later defeated in the Senate, 57-40.

August 11, 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney announces Ryan as his choice for vice presidential running mate.

August 17, 2012 Released tax documents show that Ryan and his wife earned $323,416 in 2011 and paid an effective tax rate of 20%.

November 6, 2012 The Romney-Ryan ticket is defeated in the general election by the Obama-Biden ticket, but Ryan wins an eighth term representing Wisconsin’s 1st District.

October 8, 2013 – The Wall Street Journal publishes an op-ed by Ryan in the midst of the 16-day government shutdown, in which Ryan discusses the challenges of reaching a budget agreement.

December 2013 – Ryan and Senate Budget Chairman Patty Murray strike a budget deal that avoids a shutdown until 2015. It passes the House 332-94 and the Senate 64-36 and is signed by President Barack Obama.

July 24, 2014 – Ryan releases a 73-page plan to fight poverty, called “Expanding Opportunity in America.”

January 6, 2015-October 29, 2015 – Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means.

October 22, 2015 – Officially announces he is running for House speaker.

October 28, 2015 – House Republicans nominate Ryan for speaker of the House.

October 29, 2015 – Becomes the 54th speaker of the US House of Representatives.

April 12, 2016 – Ending speculation that he could be drafted as the Republican presidential nominee during the party’s summer convention in Cleveland, Ryan declares, “I do not want, nor will I accept the nomination…Count me out.”

November 8, 2016 – Ryan wins reelection to the House, defeating Democrat Ryan Solen 65% to 32%.

January 3, 2017 – Ryan is reelected as the speaker of the US House of Representatives.

December 22, 2017 – President Donald Trump signs into law an overhaul of the US tax code, an issue the speaker has long supported.

April 11, 2018 – Announces he is not seeking reelection.

January 3, 2019 – Retires from Congress.

March 2019 – Appointed to the board of Fox Corporation and serves as chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

April 15, 2019 – The University of Notre Dame announces that Ryan will be a guest lecturer for political science and economics during the 2019-2020 academic year.

October 28, 2019 – Ryan announces the launch of the American Idea Foundation, a nonprofit organization aimed at fighting poverty.

Article Topic Follows: National Politics

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