Rep. Gowdy: Paul Ryan a Modern-Day Founding Father
Ginny Montalbano /
Shortly after Rep. Trey Gowdy’s new lawmaker orientation as an elected member of the House of Representatives in 2011, he went to his hero Paul Ryan’s office and asked for his autograph.
Ryan, who was slightly embarrassed, according to Gowdy, decided to take the opportunity to have a quick chat with his new colleague from South Carolina.
“We’re peers, we’re colleagues, we’re equals … we don’t ask each other for autographs,” Ryan told him.
This anecdote was one of several that outgoing Rep. Gowdy told an audience at Ryan’s farewell address on Dec. 19 at the Library of Congress.
His touching tribute inspired quite a few laughs, a couple of tears, but perhaps more importantly, a holistic picture of the famous policy wonk-turned-reluctant speaker of the House, whom Gowdy now counts as one of closest friends and the legacy he leaves—personally and politically.
Rep. Trey Gowdy watches Speaker Paul Ryan give his farewell address after a touching tribute. (Photo: Morgan Walker/The Daily Signal)
As Gowdy stood in the same hall where Ryan gave his “Confident America” speech in 2015, shortly after becoming speaker, he gave a firsthand account of what transpired to make Ryan do the unthinkable: leave his self-described “dream job” as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee to unite the Republican Party.
What a country, what a building, what a leader. ?? pic.twitter.com/5aP15haTfs
— AshLee Strong (@AshLeeStrong) December 19, 2018
“One morning in 2012 I stopped him and I said, ‘Paul, do you think you would ever consider running for speaker of the House?’ … He put his hands on my shoulders and he said, ‘Trey I love you guys, but I don’t love you enough to be the speaker.’”
Flash forward to the 2015, a fractured Republican Party in disarray, Ryan changed his mind.
“Speaker is the leader,” Gowdy said. “It’s where you take your problems. It is where you take your incredibly good ideas, if only your colleagues were wise enough to see your genius.”
He added: “Paul, I will tell you this. You might not have loved us enough to be speaker of the House, but I am glad you loved the country enough to be speaker of the House.”
Ryan was first elected to Congress in 1998.
“If I had one pick as a modern-day Founding Father or Mother, it would be you, Paul. Of all the people I know in politics, it would be you,” Gowdy said.
.@TGowdySC in emotional introduction for @SpeakerRyan farewell address says Ryan would be his pick for a “modern day founding father.” #news3 pic.twitter.com/EPI4VXkcCM
— Jessica Arp (@newsbyjessica) December 19, 2018
Ryan’s legacy includes the largest tax reform overhaul since President Ronald Reagan’s administration.
“After years of doubt, years of the cynics saying it could not be done, we achieved the first major overhaul of our tax code in 31 years. Think about it. We went from having the worst tax code in the industrialized world to one of the most competitive,” Ryan said in his farewell speech.
He also said:
We have taken on some of the biggest challenges of our time, and made a great and lasting difference in the trajectory of this country. We began a historic rebuilding of our military and national defense. We enacted new and tough sanctions on some of our biggest foes.
We ushered in a new career and technical education system. Record regulatory reform to help small businesses. A long-sought expansion of domestic energy production, to be followed by America’s new energy dominance. To stem the tide of opioid addiction, the most significant effort against a single drug crisis in congressional history. Criminal justice reform to give more people a chance at redemption. A landmark crackdown on human trafficking that is already yielding results and saving lives. A [Veterans Affairs Department] with real accountability, and finally, better care for veterans.
After a two decade-long career in Congress that included a vice presidential run in 2012, Ryan acknowledged that he does leave with some unfinished business, including poverty and immigration, but particularly entitlement reform.
“I acknowledge plainly that my ambitions for entitlement reform have outpaced the political reality and I consider this our greatest unfinished business. We all know what needs to be done. Strong economic growth, which we have now, and entitlement reform, to address the long-term drivers of our debt,” Ryan said.
“Our problems are solvable if our politics will allow it,” he added.