Rep. Tim Ryan said Friday that he’s “on the team” of the Democratic House leadership despite challenging House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi just after the 2016 election.
“I’m on the team here. I did what I did a year ago. I ran against the House leadership. I made my case. I lost,” Mr. Ryan explained on CNN.
Mr. Ryan was responding to numerous Republicans, including President Trump, who have said that Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat, will be a great asset to their midterm campaigns as she faces mounting disapproval. The Ohio Democrat challenged Mrs. Pelosi’s position in the leadership, saying the party needed a new face that was in touch with working-class voters. He lost his bid by a wide margin.
Some vulnerable Democrats have also made their displeasure with Mrs. Pelosi known, particularly after her speech earlier this week. Mrs. Pelosi’s eight-hour floor speech on Wednesday protested the lack of protections for Dreamers — those brought to the U.S. illegally as children — in the budget deal.
But Mr. Ryan said the bill actually does a lot of good things, and Democrats will have to continue to be persistent about the Dreamer issue.
Mr. Ryan voted in favor of the agreement saying in a statement that it was “far from perfect” but was an important step toward breaking Washington’s “gridlock.”
“The agreement includes billions of dollars more for critical defense and domestic programs that range from keeping our troops abroad equipped with the latest technology, to making sure our students can thrive and learn here at home,” Mr. Ryan’s office said in a statement.
The House and Senate passed the budget deal in the early morning hours on Friday, and President Trump signed the measure.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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