On October 29, 2015, 45 year-old Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan officially became the speaker of the House. In such position, Ryan is third in line to become president. He inherits the prominent position from Republican John Boehner, who recently resigned due to mounting inter-party tensions between mainstream Republicans and members of the far right Tea Party Caucus. Fiscally, Ryan is libertarian. Socially, he is staunchly conservative. Here is his stance on today’s most pressing issues:
Abortion: Ryan is firmly pro-life and has cosponsored multiple bills that limit access to abortion. He supported the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, an act that would prohibit the Department of Health and Human Services from providing funding to entities that performs elective abortions as well as the Sanctity of Human Life Act—a bill that defines conception as the beginning of life and entitles fetuses to legal and constitutional rights. If the latter had passed, it would allow individual states to criminalize abortion.
Education: During the past congressional term, Ryan co-sponsored the Know Before you Go Act, which would require institutions of higher education to report student enrollment data as well as student/program outcome data to the Department of Education in order to maintain access to title IV federal financial aid programs. His support of this bill is inconsistent with his libertarian beliefs. It requires an increased level of federal involvement in higher education programs and the creation of a comprehensive federal database intended to gauge the success of social programs. More consistent with republican values is Ryan’s adherence to the “Bennett Hypothesis” (which states that federal aid programs encourage tuition spikes). This belief may lead to cuts in federal aid programs that conservatives view as linked to tuition increases.
Gun Control: Generally Ryan’s beliefs surrounding gun control fall along party lines, meaning he is pro-second amendment and against gun control laws. During the last congressional term, he co-sponsored the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2015, a bill that would allow individuals with proper gun licenses to carry concealed handguns, so long as the device is not a machine gun or otherwise destructive.