1 / 21 Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.)

“I thank Speaker Boehner for his service to the people of Ohio and this country. John Boehner is a good and decent man. His word was always good. And I will miss him."<br><br>"I respect Paul Ryan and congratulate him on his election as Speaker. He is a smart and dedicated leader who is deeply committed to his country and his family. Those qualities will serve him well as Speaker of the House, and I look forward to working together to address issues vital to the American people."<br><br>"But make no mistake – my Democratic colleagues and I will continue to have deep policy differences with Speaker Ryan on the vast majority of issues. We will continue to fight against any effort to privatize Medicare or weaken Social Security. Democrats remain committed to protecting the social safety net that keeps millions of Americans on their feet, and we will continue to stand strong against all Republican attacks on middle class Americans. That won’t change with Speaker Ryan."<br><br>"Paul Ryan has at times shown a willingness to work across the aisle to get things done. He has at times proven himself to be a reasonable negotiating partner. But I’m troubled by reports that he has already made significant concessions to the most extreme House Republicans to win their support. I hope he will be a strong and responsible leader as Speaker and control the right-wing ideologues who continue to highjack the Republican Conference and the entire House of Representatives. I hope he will stand up to the extreme voices in his caucus – including the 167 Republicans who voted just yesterday to shut down the government and destroy the full faith and credit of the United States."<br> <br>"Now, more than ever, House Republicans need a leader empowered to compromise with Democrats in order to reach bipartisan agreements that benefit the American people. I hope Speaker Ryan will be that leader."<br><br>"I look forward to getting to work for the American people.”

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