Paul Ryan

Paul Davis Ryan (born 1970-01-29 in Janesville, Wisconsin) is an American politician best known for serving as the 54th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. He grew up as the youngest of four children in a family with deep Wisconsin roots; his father was a lawyer and his mother later became an interior designer. After graduating with a double‑major in economics and political science from Miami University in 1992, Ryan moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked as a legislative aide, a speechwriter for Empower America, and later for Vice‑Presidential candidate Jack Kemp. Returning to Wisconsin in 1997, he spent a year at his family’s construction firm before winning election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998, representing Wisconsin’s 1st congressional district for two decades. During his congressional tenure he chaired the House Budget Committee (2011‑2015) and briefly the Ways and Means Committee (2015), earning a reputation as a fierce “deficit hawk” and a leading advocate for tax reform, entitlement restructuring, and supply‑side economics. In 2012 he was selected as the Republican vice‑presidential nominee alongside Mitt Romney, and although the ticket lost, Ryan retained his House seat. His ascent to the Speakership in October 2015 marked a historic moment as he became the youngest speaker since James G. Blaine in 1869. As speaker he shepherded the landmark Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act of 2018, and oversaw significant legislation on health‑care, deregulation, and sanctions against Russia. He announced his retirement in 2018, citing a desire to return to private life, and was succeeded by Nancy Pelosi when Democrats took control of the chamber.

After leaving Congress, Ryan joined the board of Fox Corporation, became a senior advisor at Teneo, and took a faculty position at the University of Notre Dame. He also co‑founded the American Idea Foundation and entered the private‑equity world with Solamere Capital. Married to tax attorney Janna Little since 2000, the couple resides in Janesville and has three children. Ryan remains an influential voice in conservative policy circles, frequently commenting on fiscal responsibility, health‑care reform, and the future direction of the Republican Party.