News Wrap: House Speaker Paul Ryan takes the gavel

GWEN IFILL:

Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan became the 54th speaker of the House of Representatives today. He's 45 years old, and was the party's vice presidential nominee in 2012. Now he faces perhaps his biggest test yet.

MAN:

Mr. Speaker, the speaker-elect, Paul D. Ryan of the state of Wisconsin.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

GWEN IFILL:

The bipartisan cheers, handshakes and hugs all made clear the new speaker is popular with Republicans and Democrats. And after taking the gavel from Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Ryan called for healing.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), Speaker of the House: The House is broken. We're not solving problems. We're adding to them. And I am not interested in laying blame. We are not settling scores. We are wiping the slate clean.

GWEN IFILL:

That drew a standing ovation, and Ryan went on, pledging more transparency, something rebellious conservatives in his own party and Democrats alike have demanded.

REP. PAUL RYAN:

We need to let every member contribute, not once they have earned their stripes, but now. Let people participate, and they might change their mind. A neglected minority will gum up the works. A respected minority will work in good faith.

GWEN IFILL:

The nine-term veteran, who until today chaired the tax-writing Ways and Means panel, said he wants committees to take the lead in drafting all major legislation.

Ryan ultimately agreed to run after demanding unified party backing.

WOMAN:

Ryan.

GWEN IFILL:

Today, he came close, winning 236 of the 245 Republican votes cast. The nine opposing him were conservatives who had helped force out Speaker John Boehner.

Today, Boehner bade his own teary farewell, claiming credit for ending earmarks and passing a final two-year budget. His last day in Congress is Saturday.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), Former Speaker of the House: I leave with no regrets, no burdens. If anything, I leave the way I started, just a regular guy, humbled by the chance to do a big job.

That's what I'm most proud of. I'm still just me. Real change takes time. Yes, freedom makes all things possible. But patience is what makes all things real. So, believe in the long, slow struggle. Believe in this country's ability to meet her challenges and to lead the world.

GWEN IFILL:

Later, the quarter-century congressman listened as Pelosi and Ryan saluted his service, and then he slipped out the back of the chamber.

Ryan's first major challenge will be passing spending bills to flesh out the two-year budget deal that passed the House yesterday. The deadline is early December.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

The commanders of the U.S. and Chinese navies met face-to-face today via videoconference on tensions in the South China Sea. U.S. officials said they agreed to follow existing protocols to avoid clashes. On Tuesday, a U.S. warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of a Chinese-built island in a disputed area. The U.S. maintains the area is international waters. China warned today against any repeat.

GWEN IFILL:

In Vienna, Austria, talks on the war in Syria are getting under way, with uncertain prospects. Secretary of State John Kerry joined envoys from nearly 20 nations today, including, for the first time, a representative from Iran. Rebel groups were not invited.

Meanwhile, a Syrian human rights group reported Russian airstrikes have killed 600, nearly a third of them civilians.

But, in Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry rejected that claim.

MARIA ZAKHAROVA, Spokeswomane, Russian Foreign Ministry (through interpreter):

I want to stress that such insinuations, whoever they are coming from and whoever shares them, they have nothing to do with reality. We see them as a part of that propaganda campaign to distort Russian military actions in comparison to what we can honestly call failed efforts of the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition.

GWEN IFILL:

The Russians say their strikes are targeting Islamic State and other jihadist groups. The U.S. says, in fact, the targets have mostly been rebels fighting the Assad government.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians today in the West Bank city of Hebron. The Israelis said both tried to stab soldiers. The incidents led to clashes in Hebron between Palestinian youths and Israeli forces. It was another sign that a surge of violence in Jerusalem is now spreading.

GWEN IFILL:

A U.N. committee on international aviation standards has rejected a ban on shipping rechargeable batteries on passenger planes. That's despite evidence they're a fire hazard. It was widely reported today that the committee voted 11-7 against a ban. The U.S., along with pilots and plane manufacturers, favored the prohibition. The battery industry argued against it.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

In economic news, Deutsche Bank announced big cuts to its work force in eliminating 35,000 jobs, mostly by selling some of its businesses. That follows heavy losses in the third quarter. Germany's largest lender has had to pay heavy fines and legal settlements over rigging a benchmark interest rate.

GWEN IFILL:

And U.S. growth hit the skids in the third quarter. It came in at 1.5 percent, less than half the number for the second quarter. That didn't do much for the mood on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 23 points to close below 17756. The Nasdaq fell 21 points, and the S&P 500 slipped a point.