Scrambling for a speaker, Republicans appeal to Paul Ryan

JUDY WOODRUFF:

The House has gone home for the weekend, without Republicans deciding on a choice for the new speaker.

But the loudest rumblings today involved the party's 2012 vice presidential nominee, who now chairs the Ways and Means Committee.

Political director Lisa Desjardins has the story.

LISA DESJARDINS:

House Republicans gathered this morning, waiting to hear from the man who's now at the center of their political storm.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R), Wisconsin: I have got nothing new to say.

LISA DESJARDINS:

Until now, Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin had flatly rejected running for speaker. But the pressure kept building, and the appeals grew louder.

REP. DARRELL ISSA (R), California: I did everything except carry his gym bag this morning trying to get him to do it. The fact is, Paul Ryan is the right man right now.

LISA DESJARDINS:

Peter King of New York spoke for many moderates who had backed Speaker John Boehner, and then Kevin McCarthy, who dropped out yesterday.

REP. PETER KING (R), New York: I think Paul Ryan right now has the clout, he has the stature, that he could overcome a lot, he could bring sides together. It would be hard for people to confront Paul Ryan and say he's not a good Republican or saying he's not loyal.

LISA DESJARDINS:

Even conservative Jason Chaffetz of Utah, who's running himself, said he would support Ryan.

But members of the Freedom Caucus, who helped push out Boehner and derail McCarthy, they aren't jumping the Ryan bandwagon at this point.

REP. JOHN FLEMING (R), Louisiana: Remember that, for us, much of it has to do with the process, empowering individual members and the constituents that send us here. So, it's not always about the personality; a lot has to do with the process.

LISA DESJARDINS:

Others, like Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, worried that even Ryan may not be able to bridge the deep divisions in the Republican Conference.

REP. CHARLIE DENT (R), Pennsylvania: The bigger challenge is not who we put in the speaker's chair. The issue is, how do we change the underlying political dynamic that got us in this position in the first place?

LISA DESJARDINS:

For now, all eyes remain on the quiet office of Paul Ryan, even though a spokesman says the Wisconsin congressman is still not running for speaker.

Boehner says he will stay on as speaker until a successor is finally elected.

For the PBS NewsHour, I'm Lisa Desjardins.