Paul Ryan becomes Speaker of US House of Representatives
US Republican Representative Paul Ryan has been formally elected as the new Speaker of the US House of Representatives in Congress.
The voting was held on Thursday, where Ryan easily defeated Democratic nominee and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi with 236 votes to 184.
The victory was effectively determined on Wednesday since the Wisconsin congressman had secured the position the day before by winning the support of most Republican representatives in a closed-door election to become the party's candidate.
He beat GOP Representative Daniel Webster, a former Speaker in the Florida statehouse, in a 200-43 vote on Wednesday.
The speaker of the House is second in the US presidential line of succession, after the vice president.
Ryan needed 218 votes to clinch a victory on the floor of the 435-member House which is dominated by the GOP. He now succeeds John Boehner, who announced last month that he will step down by the end of October.
Ryan, 45, has been in Congress for 17 years and enjoys strong ties with all wings of the Republican Party. He is the former chairman of the House Budget Committee and current head of the Ways and Means Committee.
Boehner's resignation caused a month of turbulence among Republicans when the candidacy of the heir-apparent, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, was derailed.
Ryan, who was initially reluctant to accept the offer, set several conditions to run for the job. He demanded universal support among the party and that the chamber repeals a motion that can be used to oust a sitting speaker. He also insisted on spending the weekends with his family.
He is the House’s 54th speaker and the youngest since 39-year-old Representative James Blaine assumed the job in 1869.
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