WASHINGTON (AP) — Paul Ryan became the 54th speaker of the U.S. House on Thursday in a day of high political theater, a young new leader for a fractured Congress, charged with healing Republican divides and quieting the chaos of Capitol Hill.
"Let's prove ourselves worthy," Ryan urged from the House dais where he was sworn into the job, second in line to the presidency, after an extraordinary month of unrest for Congress.
"Let's be frank: The House is broken," Ryan declared. "We are not settling scores. We are wiping the slate clean."
As Ryan spoke, senators across the Capitol were preparing to cast votes on a broad two-year budget and debt deal that passed the House on Wednesday, engineered largely by outgoing Speaker John Boehner to allow Ryan a fresh start with the toughest issues resolved. ...
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