Washington - Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry (R, NC-10) released the following statement on the election of Speaker of the House Paul D. Ryan:

“Paul Ryan has long been one of the leading voices within our Conference. As Chair of the Budget Committee he highlighted the urgent need to address our nation’s exploding debt and displayed the political courage to actually tackle the problem. His budget agreements outlined a path to reforming the entitlement programs that serve as the principal drivers of our debt and outlined a path to balance within ten years. 
 
“As Ways and Means Chair, Paul continued to be a champion of entitlement reform and began laying the ground work for fixing our nation’s broken tax code. Throughout his career he has served as leading messenger within our Conference, promoting our conservative message against the disastrous liberal policies that have defined the Obama years and harmed so many Americans. 
 
“Paul will bring a different perspective to the Speaker’s Chair. He will be our youngest Speaker in nearly 150 years and one of the few with school-aged children. In this regard he uniquely represents our Conference—one increasingly made up of working moms and dads—but also the vast majority of American families. His service is proof you can be both committed to your family and also a leader for our nation.   
 
“The recent months have been challenging for all House Republicans but today marks a new beginning. I’m confident Paul has what it takes to unite and lead our Conference, reform the way the People’s House operates, and present a clear, conservative governing vision we will all be proud to support.”