Paul Ryan Fast Facts
Here’s a look at the life of former House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Personal
Birth date: January 29, 1970
Birth place: Janesville, Wisconsin
Birth name: Paul Davis Ryan
Father: Paul M. Ryan, an attorney
Mother: Elizabeth “Betty” (Hutter) Ryan Douglas
Marriage: Janna (Little) Ryan (December 2, 2000-present)
Children: Liza, Charlie, Sam
Education: Miami University (Ohio), B.A., 1992
Religion: Roman Catholic
Other Facts
Ryan’s father died of a heart attack when Ryan was 16.
Double-majored in economics and political science at Miami University (Ohio).
Ryan is a fitness buff and enjoys bow hunting.
Timeline
1992 – Legislative aide to Senator Robert Kasten of Wisconsin.
1993-1995 – Staff assistant and speechwriter for the Empower America think tank, which was co-founded by Rep. Jack Kemp (R-NY).
1995-1997 – Legislative director for Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas.
November 3, 1998 – Is elected to the US House of Representatives for the 1st District of Wisconsin. Ryan is reelected in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016.
2011-2014 – Chairman of the House Budget Committee.
March 29, 2012 – Ryan’s 2013 budget proposal is passed by the Republican controlled House, 228-191. The budget plan is later defeated in the Senate, 57-40.
August 11, 2012 – Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney announces Ryan as his choice for vice presidential running mate.
August 17, 2012 – Released tax documents show that Ryan and his wife earned $323,416 in 2011 and paid an effective tax rate of 20%.
November 6, 2012 – The Romney-Ryan ticket is defeated in the general election by the Obama-Biden ticket, but Ryan wins an eighth term representing Wisconsin’s 1st District.
October 8, 2013 – The Wall Street Journal publishes an op-ed by Ryan in the midst of the 16-day government shutdown, in which Ryan discusses the challenges of reaching a budget agreement.
December 2013 – Ryan and Senate Budget Chairman Patty Murray strike a budget deal that avoids a shutdown until 2015. It passes the House 332-94 and the Senate 64-36 and is signed by President Barack Obama.
July 24, 2014 – Ryan releases a 73-page plan to fight poverty, called “Expanding Opportunity in America.”
January 6, 2015-October 29, 2015 – Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means.
October 22, 2015 – Officially announces he is running for House speaker.
October 28, 2015 – House Republicans nominate Ryan for speaker of the House.
October 29, 2015 – Becomes the 54th speaker of the US House of Representatives.
November 8, 2016 – Ryan wins reelection to the House, defeating Democrat Ryan Solen 65% to 32%.
January 3, 2017 – Ryan is reelected as the speaker of the US House of Representatives.
December 22, 2017 – President Donald Trump signs into law an overhaul of the US tax code, an issue the speaker has long supported.
April 11, 2018 – Announces he is not seeking reelection.
January 3, 2019 – Retires from Congress.
March 2019 – Appointed to the board of Fox Corporation and serves as chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
April 15, 2019 – The University of Notre Dame announces that Ryan will be a guest lecturer for political science and economics during the 2019-2020 academic year.
October 28, 2019 – Ryan announces the launch of the American Idea Foundation, a nonprofit organization aimed at fighting poverty.
