Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to be keynote speaker at CPAC in March U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2012, at Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., Aug. 29, 2012. WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., will be a keynote speaker at this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, organizers said Friday. Ryan's decision to address the conference in March suggests he is seriously considering a presidential run in 2016, The Hill said. Ryan, who chairs the House Budget Committee, was Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's running mate in 2012. "We are pleased to announce that Congressman Paul Ryan will be a featured speaker at CPAC 2013," American Conservative Union Chairman Al Cardenas said. From the day he was elected, Chairman Ryan has been a strong voice in Congress for pro-growth, free-market economic policies and has always been a CPAC favorite. The three-day conference is scheduled for March in National Harbor, Md., a suburb of Washington. During the 40 years it has been held, the CPAC conference has become a place where potential Republican contenders for political office can woo the right wing of their party. Ryan recently said he has "decided not to decide" on 2016.