Yoho Statement on House Speaker Election
Washington, D.C. - Congressman Ted S. Yoho (R-FL-03) released the following statement after the election of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) as Speaker of the House.
“Yesterday, in conference, I voted for Daniel Webster for Speaker of the House of Representatives. I truly believe he would be an effective Speaker and I agree with his desire to lead based on principle, not politics. Unfortunately, Dan did not win the Republican nomination and Paul Ryan was made Speaker-designate. Today, I again voted for Dan Webster on the house floor.
“Following the vote, a new Speaker emerged in Paul Ryan. I look forward to working with him in making this Congress one that is worthy of the American people. It is only by being unified that we can stop President Obama’s radical agenda.
“I am pleased to see that Speaker Ryan has said that he will institute many of the changes to the House structure that Dan suggested. My goal from the very beginning was to change the way business is done in Washington. After many discussions, Speaker Ryan agreed that things will change. He has pledged to put an end to the retaliation and ‘culture of intimidation’ that exists in Washington. He will institute structural changes that decentralizes power and provides input from all Members of Congress—not just those in the Speaker’s favor.
“While I am disappointed that Dan is not our Speaker, I am happy to see that Speaker Ryan plans to institute the very changes we fought so hard for. In a year’s time, there will be a new election for Speaker of the House. By then, we will have seen if Speaker Ryan has made good on his commitments - or if it is time to vote in a new speaker. Given his commitments, at this time, I’m willing to give him an opportunity to prove himself.
“Again, I plan to work with Speaker Ryan to make this Congress the most effective it can be and, rest assured, I will not shy away from holding our leaders accountable.”
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Congressman Ted Yoho serves on the Foreign Affairs and Agriculture Committees. He represents North Florida’s 3rd Congressional District