Paul Ryan is elected House speaker

Rep. Paul Ryan (RWisc.) was elected Thursday as the new speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, calling in his first speech for changes in how business is conducted in that legislative body.

Ryan successor to John Boehner, who had held the post since January 2011 but announced in September that he would resign from Congress was elected with 236 votes, or 18 more than the 218 required.

After being welcomed by lawmakers with a long ovation and thanking Boehner for his 25 years of service in the House, he said bluntly that the U.S. lower house of Congress was “broken” and was not “solving problems.”

“We need to make some changes, starting with how the House does business ... The committees should retake the lead in drafting all major legislation. If you know the issue, you should write the bill.”

In a nod to the Democrats, he said they needed to be allowed to participate because “a respected minority will work in good faith. Instead of trying to stop the majority, they might try to become the majority.”

He also called on lawmakers to be more thorough in their work.

“We do not echo the people. We represent them. We are supposed to study up and do the homework that they cannot do. So when we do not follow regular order when we rush to pass bills a lot of us do not understand we are not doing our job. Only a fully functioning House can truly represent the people.”

Before Ryan was elected, the hardline Freedom Caucus had prevented Boehner’s heir apparent Rep. Kevin McCarthy (RCalif.), the majority leader from succeeding him.

The 45yearold Ryan, who had been the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means until being elected speaker, was considered by many conservatives to be the only socalled “consensus candidate” for the Republican Party.

Even so, 45 GOP lawmakers 43 of whom voted for Freedom Caucus favorite Rep. Daniel Webster (RFL) did not support him in an internal party vote on Wednesday.