Posted in National Politics, News

Where has Paul Ryan been as a federal government shutdown looms?

   September 30, 2013

While the debate over a looming shutdown of the federal government has raged in Washington D.C., a report from Roll Call notes that Republican Rep. Paul Ryan has been strangely silent in the debate, considering his role in crafting the House Republican budget (emphasis added).

Rep. Paul D. Ryan, the House Budget chairman and the GOP’s 2012 vice presidential candidate, has been a trusted, go-to source on budget and fiscal issues in the party for years. Yet the Wisconsin Republican has not, seemingly, been at the forefront of the most recent fight over a stopgap spending bill, nor has he been a loud voice on the debt limit.

And that has some Republicans scratching their heads.

“It’s a legitimate question. I have no idea,” Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah said in response to a question about why Ryan hasn’t been more vocal.

“I don’t know that I can really answer that question,” said House Agriculture Chairman Frank D. Lucas of Oklahoma. “Maybe he’s got a lot of things going on. I just don’t know.”

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29 thoughts on “Where has Paul Ryan been as a federal government shutdown looms?”

  1. Dodging irate calls from Republican Governors about why he’s destroying their re-election chances and the GOP?

  2. Last I read (and this was much earlier in the day) Ryan basically said and I’m paraphrasing: “Well, we’ve done all we can. We’ve tried to negotiate. Now it’s up to the winds.” This, of course, in the midst of an outrageous set of demands that basically amounted to the 2012 Ryan-Romney platform. He’s one of the quiet architects, to be sure. He’s literally waiting for the winds to blow and he’ll jump like a rat from the sinking ship onto the one that stays afloat. A number of GOPers are starting to question and buck a shutdown. I think Roll Call speculated correctly – he just might try another run in 2016, and if he does he’ll want to align himself with the winning ship. If that isn’t the Shutdown ship he’ll weasel out by keeping a low profile. He’s regrouping, that’s all, and positioning himself as party leader and figurehead.

  4. Paul Ryan, as a GOP leader, much like Speaker Boehner is deaf, dumb, and blind to the excesses and radicalism of the TP minority. Worse, it seems he is apologizing for or excusing them with untruthful statements.

    You are correct that he is positioning himself for the future. It is a selfish and/or cowardly act.

    Ryan should “man up.”

    1. Duane,

      Respectfully disagree. Boehner is neither deaf nor dumb nor blind to Tea Party excesses and radicalism. It is his role to render them more palatable (i.e. to mainstream Tea Party radicalism) and to implement self-imposed gridlock. The interpretation of a frustrated Boehner exasperated by the Tea Party caucus out of his control is wholly inaccurate. That interpretation assumes that Boehner’s a failed speaker in contrast to Pelosi’s speakership. It’s the wrong standard. It assumes Boehner’s motivation is maintaining normal procedural governance and that Boehner is a Republican leader in the sense that Pelosi is/was a Democratic leader. Again, wrong standard. Apples to oranges.

      You are correct that Ryan and Boehner hold similar roles. And Ryan should “man” up – what we see here is how hideously insidious Ryan truly is. Not that we didn’t know that. Ryan (like Boehner) isn’t simply an ideologue – he’s perfectly aware of how damaging his ideas are to the majority of Americans. Moreover, he’s aware that the public mind isn’t solidified on the shut down blame game just yet. There are still a great number of Americans who blame Obama or some insane iteration of false equivalency. He’s going to do what Boehner does – don the “Janus” mask – one side the “great negotiator” “the great paragon of balance and fairness” mask (which is fallacious, of course) while also straddling the “holding firm” “sticking to the guns” “not caving” mask. Indeed, he should “man up.” but that would require Ryan to possess a constitution of decency. I’m afraid Paul Ryan is nothing but an indecent human being by all measure.

      1. PJ, my “…deaf, dumb, and blind…” was deliberately hyperbolic to reflect Ryan’s public silence opposing the TPs extremes of action.

        Same for Boehner, but as one pundit stated, Boehner knows exactly what he is doing by allowing the radicals to “shoot themselves in the foot” destroying their credibility and impairing their future influence and actions.

        I still say both are political cowards for not doing the right or moral thing in condemning a “shut down” in the strongest possible terms and those (TP) responsible.

        1. Doink! 🙂 Sorry, I didn’t catch the gist of your hyperbole. You are quite right in your description – political cowardice really sums it up nicely. They’re both highly skilled equivocators.

  6. FWIW, House GOP has gerrymandered itself, the nation and the world into this mess. For most Republicans, their biggest threat to re-election is a primary from the right.

    IIRC, Pelosi’s going to have to find 17 Republicans to vote with every single Dem.

  7. Remember his budget is based on savings from Obamacare. So he has no interest in this fight. One of the national outlets is reporting that he is encouraging colleagues to wait for the debt limit fight so they can put social security and medicare on the chopping block. That’s the real game and its a dishonorable one. That he continues to get elected by low information voters and rich sociopaths is Wisconsin’s shame.

    1. Agree.

      IMHO, it’s Social Security and veterans benefits that are most at risk, but who knows with these folks. When you start hearing Dems say they want to “save” Social Security and veterans benefits, that’s code for “chaining the CPI,” meaning those benefits will no longer rise with inflation.

      Another big win for the oligarchs.

  8. “Democrats Now Have Nine Point Lead in the Generic Ballot”

    “The early results are in and it is clear this government shutdown fight is doing significant damage to the Republican party. According to a new Quinnipiac poll, Democrats now have taken a massive nine point lead in the generic ballot.

    If the election was held today 43 percent would vote for the Democrat in their district and only 34 percent would vote for the Republican. This is by far the biggest lead for the Democrats this year….”

    http://elections.firedoglake.com/2013/10/01/democrats-now-have-nine-point-lead-in-the-generic-ballot/

  10. Just read in another national publication that Ryan is indeed behind the bill the GOP will propose as their opening gambit in the debt limit fight. Word is he’s still on his transfer 5 percent to the private sector kick so watch for the bill to include vouchers to replace Medicare and privatizing social security.

    So to sum up, Ryan will be leading the charge to hold the US and World economies hostage. Simply put he’s willing to destroy our 401k’s and livelihoods. He intends to transfer public tax payer monies directly to the 1 percent. And he intends to do this against the wishes of the majority of Americans but for the plutocrats who own him. Zerban’s talking points just write themselves, don’t they?

  11. PJ,

    You know why the GOP always stonewalls, because it works. Obama and the Dems just reward them.

    Remember when Obama said there wouldn’t be any negotiation?

    “Durbin Offers Medical Device Tax Repeal To End Shutdown”

    http://news.firedoglake.com/2013/10/01/durbin-offers-medical-device-tax-repeal-to-end-shutdown/#

    Last January, Obama had the GOP. The Bush tax cuts were set to expire. He could have used that leverage to raise taxes on the 1% to fund government. Instead he gave away all that leverage for some meaningless tax increases on the 1% that didn’t fund anything. And as a bonus he eliminated the holiday on the payroll tax which took 7.5% out of every worker’s paycheck (below $107,000).

    So now, when October 17 rolls around, time to raise the debt ceiling, why should the GOP negotiate. They know Obama and the Dems will cave and give them a better deal. Oligarchs win. 99% loses.

    I want lower federal taxes and MORE federal spending, but if the Dems aren’t going to bring back the holiday on the payroll tax, why are they giving tax breaks to corporations?

    So, when it comes to October 17

    1. OK, PJ from the comments at FDL, looks like my analysis of Durbin’s offer is wrong.

      “Phoenix Woman October 1st, 2013 at 8:49 am

      This is Durbin giving the GOP a poison pill.

      It does two things: it kills the whole “Dems never wanted to compromise” hooey the GOP’s media allies spew, and it has a condition Boehner isn’t yet ready to accept (passing theCR first).

      When Boehmer rejects what most casual observers will see as a reasonable compromise, the obstructionist shoe stays on the GOP foot.

      Jane Hamsher October 1st, 2013 at 8:58 am

      In response to Phoenix Woman @ 2 (show text)

      I tend to be with you, PW. The GOP is taking the political hit for this, and this takes away their most persuasive argument at the moment — that the Democrats are unwilling to compromise.

      The Republicans probably won’t accept it and it doesn’t get the government working again, but hey, we’re in hardball politics land now. At least the Dems are playing.”

      Hope that’s the case.

  12. Democrats unwilling to compromise?

    The ACA is the compromise based on a plan originally introduced by Republicans. The Democrats wanted a public option.

    Having a public option would have driven healthcare costs down even further because it would have created REAL competition amongst insurance providers.

    The real reason the the GOP doesn’t want the ACA to pass is because with the inclusion of pre-exisitng conditions and the 80/20 rule, healthcare will no longer be the cash cow it has been in the past.

    The arguments of “the need for choice” and “market competiton” used by the GOP are almost laughable. Anyone who gives those points even a moment of critical thought understands that there IS choice and competition within the market place exchanges.

    1. CJ, I agree 100% that the public option would have dramatically improved the ACA. Not only would it have eliminated “the mandate,” it would have provided competition for the health insurance oligopoly. The problem with the current version of the ACA is that it forces Americans to buy LOUSY coverage.

      Do you have a link that health insurers can no longer declare pre-existing conditions? I know Obama tried to sell that, but I don’t think it’s the case with the current version of ACA. AFAIK, health insurance oligopoly can still declare a pre-existing condition, anytime they want, for any reason they want. That’s what locks in their profit margins. The “improvement” that the ACA brought was that now they have to pay a small fine for dropping someone.

      Again, including a public option would have solved that problem.

      As far as Dems “wanting” a public option, they wanted contributions from the health insurance oligopoly more.

      http://firedoglake.com/2010/03/19/stupak-abortion-language-to-be-substituted-for-senate-language-in-deal-to-secure-health-care-votes/

      Obama needed every House Dem vote, so they had enormous leverage. Bart Stupak used that leverage to cut funding for abortions for poor women. Stupak had only nine-other Dems.

      From the link: “…Alan Grayson, who voted against the Stupak Amendment when it went before the House last October, now has 80 cosponsors for his public option amendment, but has not been granted a floor vote….”

      Sen. Baldwin (who was in the House during this vote) and other Dems in super-safe Dem districts went AWOL when it came to the “public option” and poor women’s right to choose.

      They had more votes to block Stupak and force Obama/Pelosi to include the “public option,” which as I mentioned earlier removed the biggest impediment the GOP saw which was “the mandate.”

  13. JC,

    Do you know why stonewalling works? Do you know why extortion works? And these are acceptable tactics to you? You and FDL think Dems should play “hardball” and adopt the ruthless and unconscionable tactics of the GOP? Hmm. That’s kind of a switch.

    The purpose of payroll tax is to fund the social security trust fund. A payroll tax holiday is nothing more than a bleeding scheme to defund Social Security.

    The payroll tax hasn’t anything to do with federal taxes to fund the government. There’s no reciprocity between them.

    Boomers (and the oldest Gen Xers for that matter) will be turning 65 every day for the next 17 years. Cutting off Social Security’s revenue stream is irresponsible madness. The payroll tax holiday is the oligarchical gift. Lift the contributions cap. That’s the solution and that’s what oligarchs don’t want to see.

    More money in American’s pockets comes from higher wages and lowering the cost of existence: regulating the private sector, rejecting the monetization of everything under the sun, public enterprise for utilities, energy, nationalized healthcare free of the “free market”….

    If you want lower federal taxes and a payroll tax holiday I’d submit again you might consider reforming the GOP. Dems should never be the party of low taxes, and the Dem Party already is the party of low taxes – historically, taxation is lower in Democratic administrations and higher in Republican administrations. Please. You’ve swallowed the GOP poison pill. Dems should be the party of Progressive Taxation and reclaiming taxation from its reviled position.

    1. PJ, sorry you missed the 2012 Presidential campaign.

      47% of the American public doesn’t pay federal income taxes.

      For those 47% and everyone else making less than $107,000, FICA is extremely regressive.

      Why didn’t Obama handle this at the FISCAL cliff vote in January when he had all the leverage?

    2. PJ, if Obama were as interested in higher wages, as he was in bombing Syria, he’d be supporting unions.

      1. Why does he never talk about the importance of unions?

      http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/08/31/321478/obama-decides-us-should-attack-syria/

      2. If Obama’s (Reid, Pelosi other Dems) interested in higher wages, why isn’t he (they) strenuously advocating raising the minimum wage?

      3. If Obama’s (Reid, Pelosi other Dems) interested in higher wages, why isn’t he (they) strenuously advocating a FEDERAL job guarantee?

      http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2013/07/a-plan-for-all-the-detroits-out-there.html

      4. If Obama’s (Reid, Pelosi other Dems) (they) interested in higher wages, why isn’t he strenuously advocating for more spending in infrastructure?

      5. If Obama’s (Reid, Pelosi other Dems) (they) interested in higher wages, why isn’t he changing the schedule on marijuana? That would end the job-killing-government-regulations against it.

      http://now.msn.com/netherlands-closing-prisons-due-to-lack-of-prisoners

      I would never encourage anyone, who did not have a serious illness, to use it, but the prohibition against alcohol didn’t work either.

      6. Why should the GOP “reform” when the Democrats are all to the right of Dwight Eisenhower?

      1. FICA isn’t regressive, its implementation is off – lift the cap. The Payroll tax holiday directly defunds Social Security.

        If you and FDL are so concerned about Dems and Obama “blinking” and “caving” and not playing “hardball” but you flipped the “hardball” switch on Syria? Please.

        Obama never had any leverage during the Fiscal Cliff. He should never have acquiesced to extortion. Dems didn’t have any leverage during the Shutdown. By design. They shouldn’t acquiesce to extortion.

        1. Why does Obama never talk about unions? The answer(s) doesn’t matter because it isn’t germane. What does it have to do with the GOP scheme for dismantling the government? It doesn’t. Obama and Dems didn’t engineer the shutdown. The GOP engineered the shutdown.

        2. Why don’t Obama and Dems advocate raising the minimum wage? The answer(s) doesn’t matter because it isn’t germane. What does it have to do with the GOP scheme for dismantling the government? It doesn’t. Obama and Dems didn’t engineer the shutdown. The GOP engineered the shutdown.

        3. Why don’t Obama and Dems strenuously advocate a federal job guarantee? The answer(s) doesn’t matter because it isn’t germane. What does it have to do with the GOP scheme for dismantling the government? It doesn’t. Obama and Dems didn’t engineer the shutdown. The GOP engineered the shutdown.

        4. Why don’t Obama and Dems strenuously advocate more spending in infrastructure? The answer(s) doesn’t matter because it isn’t germane. What does it have to do with the GOP scheme for dismantling government? It doesn’t. Obama and Dems didn’t engineer the shutdown. The GOP engineered the shutdown.

        5. Why don’t Obama and Dems change the schedule on marijuana? The answer(s) doesn’t matter because it isn’t germane. What does it have to do with the GOP scheme for dismantling government? It doesn’t. Obama and Dems didn’t engineer the shutdown. The GOP engineered the shutdown.

        The GOP will have to reform whether they like it or not. Since your general position on taxation (their favorite subject to distort) is fairly far to the right you’ll fit right in with the reverse course they will inevitably have to take.

        When Democrats are so far to the right of Eisenhower, it’s probably not a good idea for the Left to abet the rightward drift. Unless, of course, your goal is to drag the Democratic Establishment even farther to the right than it already is. Perhaps that’s a more effective tactic than reforming the GOP.

        Your Obama-Establishment distraction hasn’t any bearing whatsoever to the Shutdown. It therefore detracts from what is critical at this juncture: Obama and Dems didn’t engineer the shutdown. The GOP engineered the shutdown. The shutdown doesn’t have two-party culpability. There is only one party responsible for the shutdown and that party is the GOP.

        Distraction prevents critical examination of what the shut down means and could mean. Perhaps your FDL bubble can tell you exactly how the world community has reacted to GOP sabotage. I guarantee it would be a much better use of their time. Anxiously awaiting useful links you might consider posting.

        I’ll ask you again – Do you know why stonewalling works? Do you know why extortion works? Are these acceptable tactics to you? Do you think that Dems should adopt the ruthless and unconscionable tactics of the GOP?

      1. I’ve posted on Grayson previously. Perhaps you shouldn’t look forward but look back instead. Don’t look for a whole lot on Grayson from me – he’s proven himself not thoroughly fit to govern despite having good ideas in some areas.

        Chaining the CPI isn’t germane to the GOP engineering the dismantling of government. And Payroll tax holidays are worse for Social Security than the chained CPI.

        Refrain from your distractions before you make more a fool of yourself than you already have.

  14. John,

    Why are Obama, Pelosi, and Reid screaming about raising the income cap on the payroll tax?

    The answer(s) doesn’t matter because it’s not germane. What does it have to do with the GOP engineered scheme to dismantle government? It doesn’t. Obama and Dems didn’t engineer the shutdown, The GOP engineered the shutdown.

    Your second question pertains to the payroll tax which is not germane to the GOP engineered scheme to dismantle government. The Dem position on all the matters you are distracting with do not pertain to the GOP engineered scheme to dismantle the government. The answer(s) to your question doesn’t matter no matter how correct or incorrect, accurate or inaccurate those answers may be. The only remotely germane response is your payroll tax holiday does effectively dismantle the government.

    You are equivocating in the very manner of Ryan and Boehner.

    I’ll ask you again: Do you know why stonewalling works? Do you know why extortion works? Are these tactics acceptable to you? Do you think Dems should adopt the ruthless and unconscionable tactics of the GOP?

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