New Book: Paul Ryan Retired To "Escape" Trump

Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan

A new book, titled "American Carnage" by Tim Alberta, offers even more insight into why Republicans who once loathed Donald Trump made their deal with the devil to get what they want.

One passage quotes former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, who says he saw retirement from politics as an "escape hatch."

Via the Washington Post:

Now out of office and trading in his power suits for a blue vest, Ryan is back to critiquing Trump in unflattering terms in conversations with Alberta, who writes the former speaker could not stand the idea of another two years with the president and saw retirement as the “escape hatch.”

“We’ve gotten so numbed by it all,” Ryan says. “Not in government, but where we live our lives, we have a responsibility to try and rebuild. Don’t call a woman a ‘horse face.’ Don’t cheat on your wife. Don’t cheat on anything. Be a good person. Set a good example.”

“I told myself I gotta have a relationship with this guy to help him get his mind right,” Ryan recalls. “Because, I’m telling you, he didn’t know anything about government . . . I wanted to scold him all the time.”

[snip]

In Alberta’s telling, Trump offers perks to gain support, threatens foes with the wrath of his supporters and makes cold, narcissistic calculations to keep power.

“Those f---ing evangelicals,” Trump says in a meeting with GOP lawmakers, according to the book, smiling and shaking his head. In Trump’s mind, Alberta writes, he would “give them the policies and the access to authority that they longed for. In return they would stand behind him unwaveringly.”

Trump Attacks Paul Ryan Over Birthright Citizenship

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan

President Donald Trump aimed his Twitter account at Speaker of the House Paul Ryan on today, saying Ryan “knows nothing” about birthright citizenship.

This comes after Trump shared in an interview with Axios that he plans to sign an executive order eliminating the right to citizenship for children born in the United States.

Doing so would obviously clash with the 14th Amendment.

In an interview with radio station WVLK on Tuesday, Ryan responded to Trump’s announcement, saying he “obviously cannot do that.”

“Well, you obviously cannot do that,” Ryan said. “You cannot end birthright citizenship with an executive order. We didn’t like it when Obama tried changing immigration laws via executive action, and obviously as conservatives, we believe in the Constitution.”

The Trumpster clapped back on Twitter.

Paul Ryan should be focusing on holding the Majority rather than giving his opinions on Birthright Citizenship, something he knows nothing about! Our new Republican Majority will work on this, Closing the Immigration Loopholes and Securing our Border!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2018

Nothing says unity heading into the midterms quite like a GOP twitter fight.

— Denis (@Diderotin) October 31, 2018

Senior GOP aide on Trump tweet attacking Ryan: "This is a great way to screw up the message a week before the election. First the birthright comment itself and now attacking the top Republican in Congress who is trying to save our majority."

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) October 31, 2018

“Well, you obviously cannot do that.”
~Paul Ryan responding to Trump’s campaign lie that he can alter the Constitution with an executive order. https://t.co/34T3308lJD

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) October 31, 2018

Congress Responds To Trump's Woeful Putin Press Conference

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan

After Donald Trump's embarrassing performance at a press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin today in Helsinki, some Congressional leaders are speaking out.

Some are more forceful than others.

We have this feckless drivel from Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan via press release:

“There is no question that Russia interfered in our election and continues attempts to undermine democracy here and around the world. That is not just the finding of the American intelligence community but also the House Committee on Intelligence. The president must appreciate that Russia is not our ally. There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals. The United States must be focused on holding Russia accountable and putting an end to its vile attacks on democracy.”

There's this from Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R) who basically sidesteps the issue of Trump:

“The Senate Intelligence Committee has reviewed the 2017 IC (intelligence community) assessment and found no reason to doubt its conclusion that President Putin ordered an influence campaign aimed at the 2016 U.S. elections with the goal of undermining faith in our democratic process. Russia has conducted a coordinated cyberattack on state election systems, and hacked critical infrastructure. They have used social media to sow chaos and discord in our society.

“They have beaten and harassed U.S. diplomats and violated anti-proliferation treaties. Any statement by Vladimir Putin contrary to these facts is a lie and should be recognized as one by the President.

“Vladimir Putin is not our friend and never has been. Nor does he want to be our friend. His regime’s actions prove it. We must make clear that the United States will not tolerate hostile Russian activities against us or our allies.”

On the other side of the aisle, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York (D) offered this:

“What could possibly cause President Trump to put the interests of Russia over those of the United States? Millions of Americans will continue to wonder if the only possible explanation for this dangerous behavior is the possibility that President Putin holds damaging information over President Trump. For the president of the United States to side with President Putin against American law enforcement, American defense officials, and American intelligence agencies is thoughtless, dangerous, and weak. The president is putting himself over our country.”

Speaker Of The House Paul Ryan Announces He Will Not Run For Re-Election

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan

Confirming months of rumors, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced this morning that he will not run for re-election in the November mid-term elections.

From The New York Times:

Mr. Ryan said he will serve until the end of this Congress in January, which will mark 20 years in Congress. He insisted he will be “leaving this majority in good hands with what I believe is a very bright future.”

But his retirement, at the age of 48, is sure to kick off a succession battle for the leadership of the House Republican Conference, likely between the House majority leader, Kevin McCarthy of California, and the House majority whip, Steve Scalise of Louisiana. And it could also trigger another wave of retirements among Republicans not eager to face angry voters in the fall and taking their cue from Mr. Ryan.

The announcement from Ryan marked the 40th House Republican to signal retirement ahead of what looks like a tough mid-term election cycle for the GOP. Only 19 Democrats have announced they won't seek re-election.

Coming just an hour after Ryan, GOP Rep. Dennis Ross of Florida also declared his time in Congress would come to an end after the mid-terms.

Many political experts posit that after finally achieving his lifelong dream of tax reform, Ryan had no appetite to return to the minority should the Democrats retake control of the House this fall.

.@SpeakerRyan could have been a check on Trump. But Ryan rarely challenged the President on anything. They had real ideological differences too: on trade, on the deficit, and on tax cuts.

— Chris Matthews (@HardballChris) April 11, 2018

Congrats to Paul Ryan for finally succeeding in giving the people what they want.

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) April 11, 2018

Paul Ryan's retirement announcement "a big indicator that the speaker doesn’t think he’d be speaker anymore,” Chris Christie tells @ABC.

“If you’re a betting person, you’re betting on the Democrats for the House in the fall.” https://t.co/x7HaudrTZ2 pic.twitter.com/Q8yNFncSPz

— ABC News (@ABC) April 11, 2018

The front-runner for the GOP nomination for Ryan's seat is apparently an anti-Semitic, white supremacist named Paul Nehlen. According to ThinkProgress.com he's been kicked off Twitter and Breitbart for his offensive chatter.

Your definitive rundown on the white nationalist who benefits the most from Paul Ryan’s retirement, courtesy of @lachlan https://t.co/2KCHLuodxD pic.twitter.com/Ie4U1DMnlE

— Sam Stein (@samstein) April 11, 2018

That Time When Paul Ryan Deleted His $1.50 Tweet

When Speaker of the House Paul Ryan tweeted the news that a woman wrote to him about her $1.50 increase in her weekly paycheck thanks to the Trump Tax Cuts, he immediately tweeted it out as proof of what a wonderful success the new tax law is.

Except, of course, corporations and the wealthy are reaping much, much bigger windfalls.

The tweet showed Ryan being out of touch with middle America and the media could not stop themselves from pointing this up.

Ryan eventually deleted the tweet.

#sad

Watch below.

.@SpeakerRyan can’t run from the truth about the #GOPTaxScam. pic.twitter.com/wwlqNOo7BA

— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) February 7, 2018

Rumors Flying That Speaker Of The House Paul Ryan Will Leave Congress In 2018

First, Politico reported this on Speaker of the House Paul Ryan's eventual departure from Congress:

Despite several landmark legislative wins this year, and a better-than-expected relationship with President Donald Trump, Ryan has made it known to some of his closest confidants that this will be his final term as speaker. He consults a small crew of family, friends and staff for career advice, and is always cautious not to telegraph his political maneuvers. But the expectation of his impending departure has escaped the hushed confines of Ryan’s inner circle and permeated the upper-most echelons of the GOP. In recent interviews with three dozen people who know the speaker—fellow lawmakers, congressional and administration aides, conservative intellectuals and Republican lobbyists—not a single person believed Ryan will stay in Congress past 2018.

Then came this denial, via The Hill:

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) says he’s not quitting Congress anytime soon. Asked at the end of his weekly press conference whether he was leaving Congress “soon,” Ryan chuckled and replied as he walked off the stage: “I’m not, no.”

Rumors have been swirling for weeks that Ryan — who this October marked his second year in the Speaker’s office — could resign from Congress shortly after passing his No. 1 legislative priority: tax reform.

The House and Senate are expected to pass a final version of their historic tax-cuts bill next week, with President Trump planning to sign it into law by Christmas Day.

Watch the reporting from CNN today below:

Speaker Paul Ryan has had soul searching conversations about his future with friends, some of his close friends tell CNN. They say it is possible Ryan could leave Congress after the 2018 elections https://t.co/d4JQ17N4lq pic.twitter.com/IfrivCwcEd

— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) December 14, 2017

Paul Ryan: Roy Moore Should Step Aside "If He Cares About The Values He Claims To Care About"

Paul Ryan

Republican leaders have made it clear they are done with Alabama Republican Roy Moore.

First, it was Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell who dropped the "if true" phrase from his denunciations of Moore.

And then this morning, in the aftermath of a fifth woman coming forward with allegations of sexual impropriety regarding Moore, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan definitively told reporters Moore should stand down as the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate in Alabama.

“He should step aside,” Ryan said during the press conference. “Number one, these allegations are credible. Number two, if he cares about the values and people that he claims to care about, then he should step aside.”

Watch below.

Paul Ryan: The President Wanted To Have A "Bipartisan Moment"

Donald Trump

Via the NY Times:

President Trump struck a deal with Democratic congressional leaders on Wednesday to increase the debt limit and finance the government until mid-December, blindsiding his own Republican allies as he reached across the aisle to resolve a major dispute for the first time since taking office.

The agreement would avert a fiscal showdown later this month without the bloody, partisan battle that many had anticipated by combining a debt ceiling increase and stopgap spending measure with relief aid to Texas and other areas devastated by Hurricane Harvey. But without addressing the fundamental underlying issues, it set up the prospect for an even bigger clash at the end of the year.

In embracing the three-month deal, Mr. Trump accepted a Democratic proposal that had been rejected earlier in the day by Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin. Mr. Trump’s snap decision at a White House meeting caught Republican leaders off guard and reflected friction between the president and his party. After weeks of criticizing Republican leaders for failing to pass legislation, Mr. Trump signaled that he was willing to cross party lines to score some much-desired legislative victories.

Speaker Ryan told reporters today that Donald Trump's surprise agreement with Democratic leaders was about having a "bipartisan moment" as the country faces down two massive hurricanes and more.

.@SpeakerRyan on yesterday's White House meeting: "Isn't it a good thing that congressional leaders talk?" pic.twitter.com/mW9XwjtmQT

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 7, 2017

Paul Ryan "Hopes" Congress Can Help Those "Who Have Done Nothing Wrong"

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has issued a statement regarding Donald Trump's rescission of DACA.

Via press release:

However well-intentioned, President Obama’s DACA program was a clear abuse of executive authority, an attempt to create law out of thin air. Just as the courts have already struck down similar Obama policy, this was never a viable long-term solution to this challenge.

Congress writes laws, not the president, and ending this program fulfills a promise that President Trump made to restore the proper role of the executive and legislative branches.

But now there is more to do, and the president has called on Congress to act. The president’s announcement does not revoke permits immediately, and it is important that those affected have clarity on how this interim period will be carried out.

At the heart of this issue are young people who came to this country through no fault of their own, and for many of them it’s the only country they know. Their status is one of many immigration issues, such as border security and interior enforcement, which Congress has failed to adequately address over the years.

It is my hope that the House and Senate, with the president’s leadership, will be able to find consensus on a permanent legislative solution that includes ensuring that those who have done nothing wrong can still contribute as a valued part of this great country.

Don't hold your breath, folks. Republicans have blocked such reforms for over a decade.

Paul Ryan Opposes Ending DACA Policy, Urges Legislative Fix

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan

House Speaker Paul Ryan on Friday gave hope to those who support DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), a program instituted by President Barack Obama that protects from deportation undocumented immigrants who were brought to America by their parents before their 16th birthday.

During a radio interview, Ryan urged Donald Trump to not rescind the policy.

Ryan offered his take while talking to his hometown radio station WCLO in Janesville, Wisconsin. Ryan said Congress is currently working on a legislative fix to preserve the program.

"I actually don't think he should do that," Ryan said of Trump's consideration of terminating the program. "I believe that this is something that Congress has to fix."

Trump told reporters Friday he was still mulling the decision. The White House press secretary said a decision would be announced Tuesday.

There are over 800,000 current enrollees. Folks are accepted based on whether they have a clean record, good grades in school and strong ties to the community.

BREAKING: @SpeakerRyan asks Trump NOT to rescind #DACA. #DefendDACA pic.twitter.com/p29sxwafOI

— CAP Action (@CAPAction) September 1, 2017

News Round-Up: August 2, 2017

Some news items you might have missed:

• I'm half-way through my week, Instahunk Steve Raider (above) is half-way through his day at the beach. Switch places?

• Donald Trump has (finally) signed legislation that imposes further sanctions on Russia for meddling in the 2016 election. The measure also limits his own authority to lift those sanctions. I'm surprised he would do that to the Motherland.

• Former White House photographer Pete Souza responds to reports that Donald Trump told golf club members that the White House is "a real dump:"

Despite what some say, the White House is definitely not "a dump." What a shameful thing to say, or even think. It belittles the honorable men and women who make the White House the exemplary historical place it is, opening its doors to thousands of people every day.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Aug 1, 2017 at 4:19pm PDT

• The Daily Show's Trevor Noah on Los Angeles booking the 2028 Olympics: “Because this is Hollywood, there will be big changes … For example, the entire Chinese Olympic team will be played by white actors.”

• Facing 24 counts of prosecutorial misconduct, former Congressman Aaron Schock is shocked federal investigators have dug into personal aspects of his life, including whether rumors that he is gay are true or not. Maybe it was the Downton Abbey-styled office that gave it away? Or perhaps the turquoise belt paired with a plum checkered shirt?

• Announcing "It's time for The Wall," Speaker of the House Paul Ryan gets all butch riding a horse in dad jeans with hip EDM music in the background of this 30-second clip of his trip to the Mexican border. Wearing a headset and Ray Bans, Ryan goes full #MAGA for "The Wall." Watch below.

Paul Ryan Defends Donald Trump: "He's Just New To This"

Paul Ryan

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan suggested during comments to the press today that President Trump's request to James Comey to drop FBI investigations into Michael Flynn could stem from his lack of experience in government.

From The Hill:

“Of course there needs to be a degree of independence between [the Department of Justice], FBI, and the White House and a line of communication’s established,” Ryan told reporters.

“The president’s new at this. He’s new to government. So he probably wasn’t steeped in the long-running protocols that establish the relationships between DOJ, the FBI and White Houses. He’s just new to this.”

Another reporter later pressed Ryan on why inexperience is an “acceptable excuse” for Trump’s behavior.

“I’m not saying it’s an acceptable excuse. It’s just my observation,” Ryan replied. “He’s new at government and so therefore I think that he’s learning as he goes.”

The night before, Ryan told MSNBC's Greta Van Susteren that it was "obviously" inappropriate for Trump to ask for Comey's loyalty.

“The President’s new at this”: House Speaker Paul Ryan defends President Trump's interactions with James Comey https://t.co/kcvID85H8E pic.twitter.com/s1s6FkO1YW

— CNN (@CNN) June 8, 2017

Trump Chokes As First Legislative Effort Fails With No Vote On Healthcare

After much posturing and drama right down to the wire, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan pulled the American Health Care Act from a floor vote to avoid an embarrassing, lop-sided defeat.

In a recent Quinnipiac poll, the legislation only had 17% support from the American people.

President Trump, the man who campaigned on his reputation as "master negotiator," and "the closer," couldn't close this deal. Although White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters over and over today that Trump "left everything on the field" to get the bill approved, not only did he not get the ball into the end zone, he whiffed on the kickoff.

Via The Hill:

“We were very close, it was a very tight margin. We had no Democrat support, no votes from the Democrats,” Trump said, flanked by Vice President Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price in the Oval Office.

“I think the losers are Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer because now they own ObamaCare,” the president added, referring to the House and Senate Democratic leaders.

But he said he would be “open” to working with Democrats on healthcare again if ObamaCare “explodes.” “When it explodes, which it will soon, if they got together with us and we got a real healthcare bill, I would be totally open to it, ” Trump said.

In truth, the effort failed because far-right Freedom Caucus House members didn't like the bill, even though concessions were made to pull in their votes.

I think Trump mentioned being "open" to working with the Democrats in the future as a way to let the Freedom Caucus know he could potentially go around them and instead work with more moderate Dems and Repubs.

Ultimately, I don't think the actual details of legislation is that important to Trump. I think he just wants to win and be popular. Perhaps this thumping might encourage him to work with the Democrats a bit.

But make no mistake, this was a loss; a loss for the guy who said folks were going to be "tired of winning, winning, winning."

Speaker Ryan took the loss in more manly manner, admitting the difficulties of being a "governing" party now.

From CBS News:

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said the U.S. is “going to be living with Obamacare for the foreseeable future” after he abruptly canceled a scheduled vote on the contentious Republican health care bill Friday. “Obamacare is the law of the land, and it will remain the law of the land until it’s replaced,” Ryan said.

“Moving from an opposition party to a governing party comes with growing pains,” Ryan told reporters Friday afternoon. “We’re feeling those growing pains today.” The failure to bring the bill to a vote is a major embarrassment for President Trump, Ryan and congressional Republicans, who had vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act since its passage in 2010. “We came really close today, but we came up short,” Ryan said.

So, let's look at the scoreboard:

• Muslim ban failed twice
• National Security Adviser Mike Flynn resigned
• Mexico won't pay for the wall
• FBI investigating Trump & Russia
• No evidence of wire tap at Trump Tower
• Trumpcare failed

Winning?

Today's House Trumpcare Vote Cancelled

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan

Lacking the necessary votes to pass the proposed replacement for the Affordable Care Act, today's vote on the American Health Care Act has been cancelled by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.

Earlier today, White House press secretary Sean Spicer declared with confidence there was no need for a "Plan B" because the legislation would pass tonight.

Q: Is there a backup plan if the health bill doesn’t pass tonight?

Spicer: “No. It’s gonna pass. So that’s it.” pic.twitter.com/fUo8BBnBPU

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) March 23, 2017

House Speaker Paul Ryan Seeks To Fine Lawmakers Who Live-Stream From House Chamber

When Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan says to turn off cameras in the House chamber, he means ALL cameras.

And so, he has come up with a rules package that would fine Congressional lawmakers who live-stream from the chamber.

Via Politico:

The move comes in response to Democratic lawmakers, who in June live-streamed a sit-in on the House floor over gun control legislation. Democrats organized the sit-in to protest Republican lawmakers’ decision not to bring to the floor a gun-control bill, which if passed would have broadened background checks and prevented people on no-fly lists from buying guns.

When the House turned off the cameras inside the chambers during the sit-in, the participating lawmakers turned to live-streaming services such as Periscope and Facebook Live to broadcast the sit-in, which spanned for 25 hours. The live-streams, which attracted considerable publicity and millions of views, were in turn broadcast live on C-SPAN and other TV networks, which had lost access to live video when the House cameras were shut down.

Ryan, who at the time called the protest a “publicity stunt,” faced criticism for not penalizing the lawmakers for using their mobile phones and for taking photographs during the protest. Through a spokesperson, Ryan said the proposed rules package “will help ensure that order and decorum are preserved in the House of Representatives so lawmakers can do the people’s work.”

The proposal, which was first reported by Bloomberg News, would fine House members for using a device to record audio or video from the House chamber floor. Lawmakers would be fined $500 for the first offense and $2,500 for each subsequent violation. The fines would be deducted from members’ paychecks.

Paul Ryan: I Hate That People Feel Afraid Of Our President-Elect

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan on CNN's State of the Nation today, addressing the fears of millions of Americans who have felt attacked and marginalized throughout the president-elect’s campaign.

“First of all, I hate that people feel this way, and second of all, they should not. America is a pluralistic, inclusive country. I really think that people should put their minds at ease.”

Regarding the reports of hate crimes and harassment against minorities since the election Ryan denounced the acts saying, “We are the party of Lincoln. People who espouse those views, we don’t want them in our party.”

Now if only Donald Trump would be as direct and forthcoming with a statement like that...

Speaker Paul Ryan on people afraid of Trump: "I hate it that people feel this way" https://t.co/6OZtrfIwim #CNNSOTU https://t.co/rvbxQ0wE4v

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) November 13, 2016

Paul Ryan Tells Congressional Republicans He Will Not Defend Donald Trump For Remainder Of Election

On a Republican party conference call of Congress members, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan informed his fellow GOPers that he will not spend the next 29 days defending Donald Trump, nor will he campaign with the Republican presidential candidate.

From Huffington Post:

Ryan told members of Congress on a conference call Monday that they “all need to do what’s best for you in your district,” according to someone on the call. Ryan said he wouldn’t campaign with Trump for the rest of the election, but added that he wouldn’t withdraw his endorsement of the GOP nominee.

“He made clear to members that his decisions are being driven by what is best for his members, not himself,” the source on the call said. “He is willing to endure political pressure to help protect our majority.”

Ryan seems to be suggesting that he would unendorse Trump if he were on his own. But he’s also signaling that he sees a negative down-ballot impact for Republicans if he were to pull his support.

The conference call was held after a leaked video revealed that Trump had, in 2005, bragged about groping and kissing women without their consent. Amid a steady stream of Republicans unendorsing Trump, many party members are questioning whether they, too, should withdraw their support from the nominee and risk angering Trump’s base and depressing GOP turnout even more. Not unendorsing means forever associating yourself with Trump and telling voters that Trump’s behavior is still acceptable.

Predictably, the Donald struck back via Twitter:

Paul Ryan should spend more time on balancing the budget, jobs and illegal immigration and not waste his time on fighting Republican nominee

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2016

Paul Ryan Weighs In On Donald Trump Insults To Family Of Fallen U.S. Soldier

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan

Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan (R) issued this statement regarding the current insults by Donald Trump on the family of fallen U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan

"America's greatness is built on the principles of liberty and preserved by the men and woman who wear the uniform to defend it. As I have siad on numerous occasions, a religious test for entering our country is not reflective of these fundamental values. I reject it. Many Muslim Americans have served valiantly in our military, and made the ultimate sacrifice. Captain Khan was one such brave example. His sacrifice - and that of Khizr and Ghazala Khan - should be honored. Period."

Paul Ryan's GOP Capitol Hill Interns Selfie Goes Viral Over Total Lack Of Diversity

Via Speaker of the House Paul Ryan's Instagram account: "I think this sets a record for the most number of #CapitolHill interns in a single selfie. #SpeakerSelfie."

Now, what do you notice about this group of people?

Or rather, what do you notice missing?

#Diversity

House Republicans Will Allow Vote On Gun Control

Perhaps the sit-in did accomplish something on the issue of common sense gun control.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has apparently agreed to allow a vote in the House on legislation designed to keep suspected terrorists from buying guns.

Now, that sounds like it makes sense, no?

Via ThinkProgress:

According to The Hill, Ryan told Republicans on a conference call "that the House will take up a terrorism package that will include measures to disrupt radicalization and recruitment, as well as a provision to prevent suspected terrorists from purchasing guns."

Exactly which bill the House would take up was unclear from the conference call, The Hill reported. Because it's unclear which bill will be brought to the floor, The New York Daily News noted that Ryan could "select a bill considered too weak by most Democrats."

If the bill is too weak, there is a possibility that House Democrats will continue to protest in one way or another until a better bill is brought to a vote.