Paul Ryan: "I was not elected dictator of the House"
Newly-elected House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, pledged to lead the lower chamber by consensus - not by dictating his will - in an interview that will air in full Sunday on "Face the Nation."
"I was not elected dictator of the House," Ryan told host John Dickerson. "I was elected speaker of the House. And that means we do it in a bottom up approach. We reach consensus."
"As Republicans, we have common principles. We need to take those common principles and apply them to the problems of the day through consensus to show the country a better way forward," Ryan added. "And it's my job to lead to that consensus, but not to dictate that consensus."
Ryan's predecessor, former House Speaker John Boehner, was fond of saying that he'd allow the House to work its will, rather than trying to force his will upon the House. Ryan's emphasis on "consensus" and a "bottom-up" approach suggests he would emulate Boehner's leadership in that regard.
Ryan also discussed the recent two-year budget agreement that extended government funding past the 2016 election - a deal he voted for but one he said "stinks" nonetheless.
"I think this allows us to get back to what we'd call here, you know, regular order," Ryan said of the budget agreement. "It means we can get back to doing an appropriations process, going on offense on ideas. I think it's really clear that we have to offer the country a bold alternative vision for the country. This gives us the ability to do that. But it also gives us the ability to work on exercising the power of the purse, which is a critical power for the legislative branch of government."
Tune into "Face the Nation" this Sunday to see the full interview with the new speaker. Check your local listings for airtimes.