House Speaker Paul Ryan officially announced his retirement from Congress and the speakership Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill.
“I am announcing that this year will be my last one as a member of the House. To be clear, I am not resigning. I intend to serve my full term as I was elected to do,” Ryan said. "If I am here for one more term, my kids will only have ever known me as a weekend dad. I just can't let that happen."
“It's been a wild ride but it's been a journey well worth taking to do be able to do my part to strengthen the American idea,” he continued. “This is not a job that last forever.”
Ryan was tapped for the speakership in 2015 after former Speaker John Boehner left the position. He is the 54th Speaker of the House and has served in Congress for 20 years.
"I have every confidence that I'll be handing this gavel on to the next Republican Speaker of the House next year,” Ryan said.
President Trump praised Ryan for his time in public service and offered support for his future.
“Speaker Paul Ryan is a truly good man, and while he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question. We are with you Paul!” Trump tweeted.
Outgoing Congressman Trey Gowdy offered the same.
“I respected Paul even before I entered Congress. His roadmaps to entitlement reform made me proud to be a conservative. His budgets showed Congress could be courageous. His willingness to surrender his dream job for no one's dream job shows exactly what sacrifice looks like,” Gowdy said. “To say Paul will be missed in Congress is an extreme understatement. He is beloved by Members on both sides of the aisle, and we can't thank him enough for nearly 20 years of service to our country.”
Now, the race is on for Ryan’s replacement.