Will the House be able to elect a new Speaker?

"We are not solving the country's problems; we are only adding to them," he says.

The 45-year-old House Ways and Means Committee chairman pledges to change that dynamic if selected speaker in elections next week. He is a lock for the job now that he's secured support from all factions of the House GOP, including the hardline Freedom Caucus.

"We have an opportunity to turn the page, to start with a clean slate, and to rebuild what has been lost," Ryan, the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee, said in a letter to fellow Republicans late Thursday that formally announced his candidacy. "We can make the House a more open and inclusive body — one where every member can contribute to the legislative process."
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"I know you're willing to work hard and get it done, and I think this moment is ripe for real reform," he wrote. "I believe we are ready to move forward as a one, united team. And I am ready and eager to be our speaker."