Federal Government Policy and Business

House Speaker Job Requires Many Hats Paul Ryan Has Never Worn

The New York Times: WASHINGTON — To most Americans, the speaker of the House is the man (and in one case, the woman) sitting next to the vice president during the State of the Union address to Congress, and the one who goes on television now and then to denounce the opposing party’s ideas.
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But the speaker’s daily duties, by dint of House rules, traditions and institutional realities, are myriad and relentless. He oversees legislative strategy sessions, reaches out to the Senate and the White House on pending bills and negotiations, oversees the Capitol (“A chunk of plaster just fell on someone’s head!”), unveils statues and fends off a sometimes-adversarial news media. And of course he raises money and more money.

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