Conservatives Call Paul Ryan's Demands a 'Non-Starter'

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said the demands that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) is making before running for Speaker of the House are “unreasonable,” while Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID) said one of his demands is a “non-starter.”

“You know, I’m not sure he wants the job,” Massie said on CNN. “His list of demands were so bold, they pass almost into the unreasonable.”

Massie supports Rep. Dan Webster (R-FL) who has been backed by the House Freedom Caucus. Massie said Webster will empower members of the House, but Ryan is seeking more powers for the Speaker.

Ryan said during a press conference Tuesday night that he would run for Speaker of the House if the conference united behind him, they respected his time with his family, and they do away with the motion to vacate the chair – the rule used to remove Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) – which was put into place by the third President of the United States and Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, according to the National Review.

The Washington Times noted Massie “said he understands why Mr. Ryan would want to retain his family time, but he thinks ‘it’s sort of an unreasonable demand to say you’re not going to work on weekends.’”

The Washington Times is reporting Ryan will meet with members of the House late Wednesday, but it appears conservative members of the House Freedom Caucus aren’t tolerating Ryan’s high demands.

“That’s a hard threshold to make,” Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) stated.

The House Freedom Caucus’ Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID) said Ryan’s move to do away with the motion to vacate the chair is a “non-starter.”