House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., announced Wednesday that he is not seeking re-election in November -- a move that comes as the GOP girds for a tough fight to keep control of the House.
Ryan told senior GOP members that he would retire in January after serving out his full term, his office said in a statement.
“After nearly twenty years in the House, the speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father. While he did not seek the position, he told his colleagues that serving as speaker has been the professional honor of his life, and he thanked them for the trust they placed in him," Brendan Buck, counselor to the speaker, said in the statement.
Ryan was expected to hold a press conference later Wednesday morning following a meeting with fellow lawmakers.
His decision not to seek re-election follows Ryan playing a key role in passing last year's tax reform bill -- an issue close to his heart and something he has pushed for years. But Ryan has had a rocky relationship with President Trump, and condemned Trump's more controversial moves on a number of occasions during the campaign.
Axios reported that Ryan’s decision was motivated partly by Trump, who has reportedly made the job frustrating for Ryan.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/04/11/house-speaker-paul-ryan-will-not-run-for-re-election.html
