text: Washington (CNN) The era of Paul Ryan has begun on Capitol Hill after House Republicans nominated the 45-year-old Wisconsin congressman to serve as speaker of the House, setting him up to be the youngest to ascend to the post since before the Civil War. 
   
   Ryan will step into a job he repeatedly insisted he didn't want after easily defeating Florida Republican Daniel Webster for the top House leadership post, which is second in line to the succeed the President. The secret-ballot vote was 200 for Ryan versus 43 for Webster. 
   
   The full House of Representatives is now set to officially approve the nomination Thursday morning when the gavel will pass from Speaker John Boehner to Ryan. 
   
   Speaker of the House Denis Hastert, left, administers the oath of office to Ryan at the beginning of his first term as representative of Wisconsin on January 6, 1999. 
   
   Speaker of the House Denis Hastert, left, administers the oath of office to Ryan at the beginning of his first term as representative of Wisconsin on January 6, 1999. 
   
   Ryan speaks at a Cato Institute briefing on Medicare reform in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington on July 22, 2003. 
   
   Ryan speaks at a Cato Institute briefing on Medicare reform in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington on July 22, 2003. 
   
   Ryan follows President George W. Bush off of Air Force One at General Mitchell International Airport - Air Reserve Station in Milwaukee on July 11, 2006. 
   
   Ryan follows President George W. Bush off of Air Force One at General Mitchell International Airport - Air Reserve Station in Milwaukee on July 11, 2006. 
   
   Then-Budget Committee Chairman John M. Spratt Jr., left, and ranking member Ryan listen to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testify during the House Budget hearing on the economy on January 17, 2008. 
   
   Then-Budget Committee Chairman John M. Spratt Jr., left, and ranking member Ryan listen to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testify during the House Budget hearing on the economy on January 17, 2008. 
   
   Ryan, left, and Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire speak to reporters about the 2010 federal budget. 
   
   Ryan, left, and Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire speak to reporters about the 2010 federal budget. 
   
   Ryan looks over papers as he waits for other House Republicans to arrive for a news conference in the Capitol Visitors Center in 2010. 
   
   Ryan looks over papers as he waits for other House Republicans to arrive for a news conference in the Capitol Visitors Center in 2010. 
   
   Ryan listens as Ben Bernanke, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, speaks at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget annual conference in Washington on June 14, 2011. 
   
   Ryan listens as Ben Bernanke, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, speaks at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget annual conference in Washington on June 14, 2011. 
   
   Ryan holds a news conference in December 2011 in Washington to introduce a package of 10 legislative reforms designed to revamp the budget process. 
   
   Ryan holds a news conference in December 2011 in Washington to introduce a package of 10 legislative reforms designed to revamp the budget process. 
   
   Ryan is introduced before speaking about the federal budget at Georgetown University on April 26, 2012. 
   
   Ryan is introduced before speaking about the federal budget at Georgetown University on April 26, 2012. 
   
   Ryan, left, and Romney greet each other on stage April 3, 2012, during the primary night gathering at The Grain Exchange in Milwaukee. 
   
   Ryan, left, and Romney greet each other on stage April 3, 2012, during the primary night gathering at The Grain Exchange in Milwaukee. 
   
   Ryan speaks while campaigning for Romney at a textile factory in Janesville, Wisconsin, on June 18, 2012. 
   
   Ryan speaks while campaigning for Romney at a textile factory in Janesville, Wisconsin, on June 18, 2012. 
   
   Ryan looks on as Romney greets people June 18, 2012, during a campaign event in Janesville, Wisconsin. 
   
   Ryan looks on as Romney greets people June 18, 2012, during a campaign event in Janesville, Wisconsin. 
   
   Romney jokes with Ryan in April 2012 during a pancake brunch at Bluemound Gardens in Milwaukee. 
   
   Romney jokes with Ryan in April 2012 during a pancake brunch at Bluemound Gardens in Milwaukee. 
   
   Romney introduced Ryan as his running mate in front of the USS Wisconsin. The seven-term congressman provides a strong contrast to the Obama administration on fiscal policy. 
   
   Romney introduced Ryan as his running mate in front of the USS Wisconsin. The seven-term congressman provides a strong contrast to the Obama administration on fiscal policy. 
   
   Ryan speaks after Romney announced him as his running mate in Norfolk, Virginia, on August 11, 2012. 
   
   Ryan speaks after Romney announced him as his running mate in Norfolk, Virginia, on August 11, 2012. 
   
   Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin speaks during a campagin stop at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on August 13, 2012. It was the newly minted GOP vice presidential candidate's first solo stop since becoming Romney's running mate. 
   
   Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin speaks during a campagin stop at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on August 13, 2012. It was the newly minted GOP vice presidential candidate's first solo stop since becoming Romney's running mate. 
   
   Ryan greets supporters during a presidential campaign rally with Mitt Romney at The Square at Union Centre in West Chester, Ohio, on November 2, 2012. 
   
   Ryan greets supporters during a presidential campaign rally with Mitt Romney at The Square at Union Centre in West Chester, Ohio, on November 2, 2012. 
   
   Willie Robertson of the reality TV series "Duck Dynasty" poses for a picture with Ryan and his wife, Janna, before President Obama delivers his State of the Union address on January 28, 2014. 
   
   Willie Robertson of the reality TV series "Duck Dynasty" poses for a picture with Ryan and his wife, Janna, before President Obama delivers his State of the Union address on January 28, 2014. 
   
   Ryan and his wife, Janna, arrive at a state dinner at the White House in honor of French President Francois Hollande on February 11, 2014 . 
   
   Ryan and his wife, Janna, arrive at a state dinner at the White House in honor of French President Francois Hollande on February 11, 2014 . 
   
   Ryan announced Monday, January 12, that he would not run for president in 2016, preferring instead to focus on policy work as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Ryan, the GOP's 2012 vice presidential nominee, has long been seen as a top contender for the presidency. 
   
   Ryan announced Monday, January 12, that he would not run for president in 2016, preferring instead to focus on policy work as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Ryan, the GOP's 2012 vice presidential nominee, has long been seen as a top contender for the presidency. 
   
   Rep. Paul Ryan, R.-Wisconsin, was elected the 54th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, October 29, after receiving the votes of 236 members. The vote was largely a formality after House Republicans nominated him for the position on Wednesday, October 28. 
   
   Rep. Paul Ryan, R.-Wisconsin, was elected the 54th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, October 29, after receiving the votes of 236 members. The vote was largely a formality after House Republicans nominated him for the position on Wednesday, October 28. 
   
   The change in leadership comes after weeks of dramatic and public turmoil among House Republicans, after Boehner, who turns 66 next month, abruptly announced in late September that he was stepping down. Since Republicans took control of the chamber in 2011 and elected Boehner to the top post he faced a constant barrage of criticism from conservatives. A band of members on the right thwarted almost every major legislative move Boehner made, taking the county to the brink of default in 2011 and triggering a government shutdown in 2013. 
   
   Ryan pledged to unify the House Republicans and get the House back on track. "We have an obligation here in the people's house to do the people's business," Ryan told reporters after the vote. "We are going to respect the people by representing the people." 
   
   Ryan reluctantly agreed to seek the job after spending a week at home with his family in Janesville, Wisconsin, but agreed to run only if the various factions inside the House GOP backed him and signed off on his desire to protect his family time with his wife and three young children. 
   
   Already, Republicans were signaling that Ryan's background as a policy wonk with experience on the national stage after as Mitt Romney's 2012 vice presidential nominee would make him different from Boehner. 
   
   "Ryan is a really a thought leader for the Republican Party. We've been operating under his blueprints and he's one of the best communicators that we've had -- equal or even greater to Newt Gingrich," California GOP Rep. Devin Nunes, a close ally of Boehner's, said on Tuesday. 
   
   With the 2016 presidential race showcasing the split between establishment candidate and outsiders pledging to shake up the GOP, Ryan effectively becomes the national face of the Republican Party. 
   
   "It's our onus, it's our burden to set the agenda now because we don't have anyone on the presidential side," said Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Florida. 
   
   Will face challenge from the right 
   
   Inside the closed meeting Wednesday, Ryan was nominated by South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy, a close friend and a conservative beloved by the GOP base as the chair of the high profile Select Committee on Benghazi. Gowdy's endorsement was seen as an important marker that the right flank, which had stymied Boehner, was prepared to give Ryan a chance to govern. 
   
   But Ryan is likely to confront the same criticism from the same outside groups that Boehner faced -- that he's not conservative enough. 
   
   He won 200 votes from his fellow Republicans, but will need 218 votes to win on the House floor. Webster gathererd 43 votes, a signal from the right wing that they will not give Ryan free reign. Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kansas, a member of the power conservative House Freedom Caucus, said he voted for Webster but believes Ryan will get the 218 he needs Thursday. 
   
   Photos: The hand-off: How Speakers Ryan to O'Neill came to power Photos: The hand-off: How Speakers Ryan to O'Neill came to power The current Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin. He gained his power from his predecessor, former Speaker John Boehner, after the Ohio Republican shocked the political world by deciding to vacate his position. Click through for other recent speakers: Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: The hand-off: How Speakers Ryan to O'Neill came to power Former Speaker John Boehner, a Republican from Ohio, gained his power from his predecessor, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, when the GOP gained the majority of seats in the House in the 2010 midterm elections. Boehner announced his intention to leave the position in September 2015, and Paul Ryan succeeded him in October. Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: The hand-off: How Speakers Ryan to O'Neill came to power U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi was the first and only female speaker of the House. Her speakership lasted from January 4, 2007, to January 3, 2011. Pelosi, a Democrat, lost her seat to the Republican majority in the 2010 midterms. John Boehner took the gavel. Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: The hand-off: How Speakers Ryan to O'Neill came to power Dennis Hastert remains the longest serving Republican speaker in history, from January 6, 1999, to January 3, 2007. However, the GOP lost its majority in the House of Representatives, leaving Democrat Nancy Pelosi to become speaker. On Thursday, May 28, Hastert was accused in an indictment of lying to the FBI and evading currency reporting requirements as he sought to pay off a subject to "cover up past misconduct." On Thursday, October 28, Hastert pleaded guilty in the case. Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: The hand-off: How Speakers Ryan to O'Neill came to power Newt Gingrich broke the four-decade line of Democratic speakers by becoming speaker from 1995 to 1999 and was named Man of the Year by Time magazine for the accomplishment. He then fell from grace after a disappointing 1998 midterm election for the GOP, prompting him to step down from both the speakership and Congress. Gingrich's resignations came as a complete surprise to many, as the speaker had been fighting to keep his top job until the announcement. Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: The hand-off: How Speakers Ryan to O'Neill came to power Tom Foley, a Democrat who represented Washington state in the House for 30 years, took over the office of the speaker after the resignation of Jim Wright. Foley served as speaker from 1989 to January 1995 but was defeated in the 1994 election by George Nethercutt. Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: The hand-off: How Speakers Ryan to O'Neill came to power Jim Wright of Texas served two years as speaker, after Massachusetts Democrat Tip O'Neill retired. But he stepped down in 1989 after facing a House Ethics Committee investigation on improprieties with the sale of his book and fees from speaking engagements. He was the first speaker to resign in the face of a scandal. He died on May 6, 2015, at 92. Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: The hand-off: How Speakers Ryan to O'Neill came to power A Massachusetts Democrat who served as speaker from 1977 until retirement in 1987, Tip O'Neill was well-known for his deal-making as well as his collegiality with former President Ronald Reagan. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi thought to commemorate the 34-year congressional career of O'Neill with an office building on the edge of Capitol Hill that bears his name. O'Neill was the longest continuously serving House speaker of any party in U.S. history. Hide Caption 8 of 8 
   
   Another Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Mo Brooks, voted for Webster but said he will back Ryan on the floor. "He's the nominee," Brooks said. 
   
   A Ryan backer, Greg Walden, said the "political flu bug is over" and downplayed the tally, predicting Ryan would get in the range of 230 votes tomorrow. 
   
   Ryan did not initially want the job. When conservatives rejected Boehner's number two, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, to take his place, Ryan immediately put out a press release saying he had no interest in the job as speaker. He took a pass at running for president in 2016, told all his colleagues he already has his dream job as Chairman of the Ways and Means committee, where he set the GOP agenda on trade, tax reform and other complicated policy issues. 
   
   Many House Republicans -- scrambling to find a leader to avoid what promised to be a messy process to united a deeply fractured conference -- wouldn't take no for an answer and made a full court press for Ryan to reconsider. Boehner and other top national Republican leaders, including Romney, to step in and save the party from an embarrassing spectacle. 
   
   "We're in a new era of politics," Nunes said, explaining that with growing media contingent covering every Washington debate and outside advocacy groups raising money off of Republican battles, it's important to drive a direct message about the agenda the House is pursuing. "This is all about marketing." 
   
   Changes sought to House process 
   
   Multiple House GOP members told CNN that Ryan's success will be determined less by his personality than by how he follows through on his pledge to make the House use a more bottom-up approach to governing. Rank-and-file members are demanding they be given the chance to put their imprint on legislation before it reaches the House floor. 
   
   "In the business world where I came from, once a process was in place, the person wasn't as important," Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Ohio, told CNN. "If I had one recommendation for a Speaker Ryan it would be - make sure the process gets in place very quickly so he can continue the policy side, and the process can then can continue to work." 
   
   Ryan already has vowed to change how the chamber operates and work on adjusting internal GOP conference rules to allow broader representation on committees. 
   
   The presumptive speaker already faced his first major challenge this week when Boehner announced he cut a major budget deal with the White House and quickly moved it toward a House vote Wednesday. Ryan distanced himself from the agreement, making conservatives happy by declaring that, "the process stinks." 
   
   But even though he criticized the process, Ryan announced hours before the vote on the House floor that he'd back the deal. And although it sets spending levels for the next two years, one of the new speaker's first tests will be passing a spending bill in December that sets more detailed budgets for federal agencies and avoids a government shutdown. ||||| The Gavel Blog Archives Select Date… November, 2018 October, 2018 September, 2018 August, 2018 July, 2018 June, 2018 May, 2018 April, 2018 March, 2018 February, 2018 January, 2018 December, 2017 
   
   AP Photo Don't call him Paul: It's 'Speaker Paul D. Ryan' 
   
   Paul Ryan is changing his job title. He’s changing his office. And he’s even changing his name. 
   
   From today on, the Wisconsin Republican would like to be known – in official capacities, anyway – as Paul D. Ryan. 
   
   The Ways and Means chairman asked the Clerk of the House Karen Haas to officially change his name to include the middle initial on all official documents and offices – just one day before Ryan is set to be elected speaker. 
   
   Ryan’s middle name is Davis. 
   
  
target: – House Republicans officially nominated Paul Ryan as speaker Wednesday, CNN reports. Er, excuse us, Paul D. Ryan. Also Wednesday, the congressman asked the Clerk of the House to formally change his name on all official documents and offices to Paul D. Ryan, Politico reports. His full name is Paul Davis Ryan. The full House is expected to approve Ryan's nomination Thursday morning.