Ryan: GOP can’t be seen as ‘opposition party’

House Speaker Paul Ryan concedes the “five-point” Republican legislative agenda he’s pursuing in Congress could be construed as competing with policy points the GOP presidential candidates are pushing in the primary season.

But he argues that the party shouldn’t wait until its nominating convention in July to tell the public its priorities, including lowering the national debt, strengthening the military and easing government regulation of business.

In an interview on “CBS This Morning” Tuesday, Ryan says that if the party waits until its nominating convention to state its primary policy objectives, “it’s too late.” He says he doesn’t intend to handicap the GOP presidential race or discuss the candidates since he’s the party convention chairman. But Ryan adds that the GOP needs “a transition from being an opposition party to being a proposition party.”

He says he’s spoken to Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich — the three candidates still in the race — but doesn’t elaborate. Speaking of congressional Republicans, Ryan says, “We’re not worrying about something that’s out of our control, which is who is the nominee.”

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