Paul Ryan, a Republican congressman from Wisconsin and a vice-presidential candidate in the 2012 election, will today be elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. This ends the latest protracted spell of infighting among Republicans. Although they have a majority in the House, they are bitterly divided over whether to co-operate with President Barack Obama or to block him. That conflict did for the outgoing speaker, John Boehner, from Ohio, and the man who was initially expected to succeed him, Kevin McCarthy of California. Mr Ryan, a fiscal conservative with some moderate instincts—for example, on immigration reform—has been pushed into the job to bring unity. But that looks impossible. His first task will be to placate right-wingers who are seething over the budget agreement Mr Boehner struck this week. If it passes, it will increase both the federal-debt ceiling—and spending—by $80 billion over the next two years.