Speaker of the House Paul Ryan may be stepping down from his position earlier than expected, according to a new report from Axios, which broke the news Wednesday that Ryan would not be seeking re-election in 2018.
A source close to House leadership told the online newsmagazine that “Scuttlebutt is that Paul will have to step down from speakership soon. Members won’t follow a lame duck, he’ll have no leverage to cut deals, and the last thing they need in this environment is 6 months of palace intrigue and everyone stabbing everyone else in the back.”
The source isn’t wrong. Ryan is leaving ahead of what could be a Republican midterm bloodbath, and after inking the best deal possible on tax reform. He’ll exit office with good will, which he’ll need if he decides to pursue either a high-profile think tank job or a future presidential campaign.
The House source that spoke to Axios suggested that Ryan may not last out the summer: “He will be gone by the end of July.”
That’s not a bad move for the GOP, though Ryan may be disappointed to learn he has to give up his cushy office more swiftly than expected. If the polls indicate that the Republicans will lose control of the House, the race will be on to pass major legislation before the end of the summer, and that could include landmark things like immigration and health care reform. Without a dealmaker in the head seat, the GOP is all but washed up.
There’s also value in knowing who will lead the GOP in the House ahead of November. Republican voters could be buoyed by the thought of a leader more in line with the Trump agenda.