search
Sections List
American Journal News

Paul Ryan uses final speech as House speaker to brag about his failures

Ryan avoided discussing the reality of his tax scam and the record-breaking deficit.

By Dan Desai Martin - December 19, 2018
Share
Paul Ryan gives his farewell address.

Retiring Speaker Paul Ryan presided over a massive increase to the federal deficit, an attempt to kick more than 20 million people off of their health insurance, and a failed tax scam that was so unpopular it helped cost his Republican Party the House majority in the 2018 midterms.

So naturally, an oblivious, self-important Ryan used his farewell speech at the Library of Congress to pat himself on the back. Maybe he figured no one else would.

Speaking about the tax scam, Ryan said it was “something I worked on my entire adult life, and it is something that will help to improve people’s lives for a long time to come.” If by “people” Ryan means “Wall Street bankers,” then yes, he is correct.

Since the tax scam passed Congress nearly a year ago, Wall Street banks have seen record profits, thanks to massive tax breaks championed by Ryan and his Republican colleagues (the bill passed with zero support from Democrats).

But American families have not seen much improvement. Wages have been stagnant or barely increasing after adjusting for inflation. And most of the tax breaks Ryan rammed through go to help the richest 1 percent of families. In a few short years, millions of low- and middle-income families will end up paying higher taxes because of the new law.

If Ryan was really concerned about “people’s lives for a long time to come,” he probably would have stuck to his original promise of keeping the tax scam revenue-neutral. But instead, he financed the congressional kickbacks to wealthy corporations by adding nearly $2 trillion to the deficit, something that will certainly not improve anyone’s life in the years to come.

Further, Ryan bragged about improving the economy over his time as House speaker.

“Three years ago, when we last gathered in this hall, we began a great journey,” Ryan said. “To set our nation on a better path. To move our economy from stagnation to growth.”

But as CNN notes, job growth has slowed during the first two years of the Trump administration compared to the last few years of President Obama’s. Yet another Ryan failure to add to the growing pile.

In perhaps the most cowardly portion of his speech, Ryan bemoaned the current level of coarse discourse that dominates politics.

This kind of politics starts from a place of outrage, and seeks to tear us down from there. So … how do we get back to aspiration and inclusion, where we start with humility, and seek to build on that? I don’t know the answer to that.

But Ryan spent eight years during the Obama administration stoking outrage and coddling the the most racist elements of the tea party. With the rise of Trump, Ryan fully emerged from his cocoon of cowardice into a sad, limp, spineless sycophant who regularly refused to speak forcefully against him.

In place of any attempts to “get back to aspiration and inclusion,” Ryan was silently complicit in all of Trump’s most divisive outbursts, so long as he could get support for tax cuts for Wall Street billionaires.

In the end, “failure” is too kind a moniker to attach to Ryan’s congressional career. As one of his longtime friends anonymously told the Washington Post, “Paul doesn’t want to believe it’s all as bad as it is.”

It is, Paul. It’s that bad and worse.

Thankfully, Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi is on her way to clean up the mess he left behind. Farewell, and good riddance to Ryan’s congressional career.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


Read More
AJ News
Latest
GOP Rep. Zach Nunn suggests laws against hate crime aren’t needed

GOP Rep. Zach Nunn suggests laws against hate crime aren’t needed

By Jesse Valentine - April 15, 2024
GOP Senate candidate Hung Cao blames racial equity for Baltimore bridge tragedy

GOP Senate candidate Hung Cao blames racial equity for Baltimore bridge tragedy

By Jesse Valentine - March 29, 2024
GOP Rep. Jennifer Kiggans donates thousands to far-right extremists

GOP Rep. Jennifer Kiggans donates thousands to far-right extremists

By Jesse Valentine - March 08, 2024
Ohio senate candidate Bernie Moreno: “Absolute pro-life no exceptions.”

Ohio senate candidate Bernie Moreno: “Absolute pro-life no exceptions.”

By Jesse Valentine - March 07, 2024
Anti-China Republicans pocket thousands from Chinese owned conglomerate

Anti-China Republicans pocket thousands from Chinese owned conglomerate

By Jesse Valentine - March 04, 2024
Republican Eric Hovde makes inconsistent statements about family history

Republican Eric Hovde makes inconsistent statements about family history

By Jesse Valentine - February 26, 2024
Republican David McCormick invests millions in website that platforms Holocaust denial

Republican David McCormick invests millions in website that platforms Holocaust denial

By Jesse Valentine - February 09, 2024
Lawmakers will again take up bills expanding, tightening gun laws

Lawmakers will again take up bills expanding, tightening gun laws

By Annmarie Timmins, New Hampshire Bulletin - January 31, 2024
UAW delivers rousing presidential endorsement for Biden over ‘scab’ Trump

UAW delivers rousing presidential endorsement for Biden over ‘scab’ Trump

By Ashley Murray, States Newsroom - January 24, 2024
Republicans Sam Brown and Jeff Gunter sling mud in Nevada senate primary

Republicans Sam Brown and Jeff Gunter sling mud in Nevada senate primary

By Jesse Valentine - January 17, 2024
A Young Texas Woman Almost Died Due To The Texas Abortion Bans – Now She’s Battling To Save Other Women

A Young Texas Woman Almost Died Due To The Texas Abortion Bans – Now She’s Battling To Save Other Women

By Bonnie Fuller - January 10, 2024
Health care legislation preview: Maryland advocates want to focus on access, patients in 2024 session

Health care legislation preview: Maryland advocates want to focus on access, patients in 2024 session

By Danielle J. Brown, Maryland Matters - January 08, 2024
How GOP senate hopefuls try to excuse the  January 6 insurrection

How GOP senate hopefuls try to excuse the  January 6 insurrection

By Jesse Valentine - January 05, 2024
NH lawmakers will be taking up major voting bills this year. Here are some to watch for.

NH lawmakers will be taking up major voting bills this year. Here are some to watch for.

By Ethan DeWitt, New Hampshire Bulletin - January 04, 2024
Republican US Senate candidates want to make Trump’s tax cuts permanent 

Republican US Senate candidates want to make Trump’s tax cuts permanent 

By Jesse Valentine - December 22, 2023
Rand Paul went all in on the Kentucky governor’s race. It didn’t work.

Rand Paul went all in on the Kentucky governor’s race. It didn’t work.

By - December 15, 2023
Texas governor and attorney general do little to curb state’s chemical plant crisis

Texas governor and attorney general do little to curb state’s chemical plant crisis

By Jesse Valentine - December 08, 2023
Likely GOP Senate candidate Eric Hovde proposed tax hike for poorer workers and retirees

Likely GOP Senate candidate Eric Hovde proposed tax hike for poorer workers and retirees

By Jesse Valentine - December 07, 2023
Whitmer signs specific criminal penalties for assaulting health care workers into law

Whitmer signs specific criminal penalties for assaulting health care workers into law

By Anna Liz Nichols, Michigan Advance - December 06, 2023
105 Republicans voted to expel Santos for things Trump has also done

105 Republicans voted to expel Santos for things Trump has also done

By Jesse Valentine - December 05, 2023
For Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, another Trump term is another chance to kill Obamacare

For Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, another Trump term is another chance to kill Obamacare

By Jesse Valentine - December 04, 2023
Florida Sen. Rick Scott backs Donald Trump in revived push to repeal Obamacare

Florida Sen. Rick Scott backs Donald Trump in revived push to repeal Obamacare

By Jesse Valentine - November 30, 2023
Tate Reeves took donations from power company that hiked customer rates

Tate Reeves took donations from power company that hiked customer rates

By Jesse Valentine - November 06, 2023
Daniel Cameron ran on depoliticizing the Kentucky AG’s office. He made it more political.

Daniel Cameron ran on depoliticizing the Kentucky AG’s office. He made it more political.

By Jesse Valentine - November 03, 2023
Republican operatives sound every alarm on current trajectory of 2023 governor’s race

Republican operatives sound every alarm on current trajectory of 2023 governor’s race

By Adam Ganucheau, Mississippi Today - October 24, 2023
 Direct mailers distort California Democrat Will Rollins’ record 

 Direct mailers distort California Democrat Will Rollins’ record 

By Jesse Valentine - April 25, 2024
More than half of Republican Jay Ashcroft’s funding comes from outside Missouri

More than half of Republican Jay Ashcroft’s funding comes from outside Missouri

By Jesse Valentine - April 25, 2024
Assisted living home lawsuit, citations add to controversy over Hovde’s nursing home remarks

Assisted living home lawsuit, citations add to controversy over Hovde’s nursing home remarks

By Erik Gunn, Wisconsin Examiner - April 24, 2024
Ohio doctors fear effects of emergency abortion care case set to go before U.S. Supreme Court

Ohio doctors fear effects of emergency abortion care case set to go before U.S. Supreme Court

By Susan Tebben, Ohio Capital Journal - April 23, 2024
President Biden visits Prince William park to talk solar, youth involvement on Earth Day

President Biden visits Prince William park to talk solar, youth involvement on Earth Day

By Charlie Paullin, Virginia Mercury - April 23, 2024
Biden on abortion rights: President expects to give speech Tuesday on new Florida 6-week ban

Biden on abortion rights: President expects to give speech Tuesday on new Florida 6-week ban

By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix - April 22, 2024