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1st LD Writethru: Paul Ryan continue as U.S. Speaker after voting among Congress Republicans

Xinhua, November 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

Paul Ryan will continue to serve as U.S. House Speaker, the chief legislative partner to President-elect Donald Trump for the next two years, after a unanimous voice vote on Tuesday among Congress Republicans.

The Wisconsin lawmaker won the nomination during a closed-door conference meeting at the Capitol. He is expected to win a floor vote to be officially reelected as Speaker on January 3, 2017, when all 435 House members cast their vote in a public roll call.

Kevin MaCarthy, a Californian Republican, was unanimously reelected to another two-year term as majority leader, while Steve Scalise, from Louisana, was reelected majority whip.

"Welcome to the dawn of a new unified Republican government," Ryan told media before Tuesday's voting.

In Tuesday's closed-door meeting, Ryan told fellow Republican lawmakers that he had just spoken to Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who relayed a message that the Trump-Pence team is supportive of the House leadership team, according to a TheHill news daily report.

"I talk with Donald Trump virtually every single day. I spoke with Mike Pence this morning. We are the same page,"said Ryan.

"We're working hand in glove and we're going to make sure that this is a very successful administration," Ryan told reporters after the meeting.

However, there are whispers that if about two dozens of Republicans were to withhold their support, Ryan's reelection would be in jeopardy. Ahead of Tuesday's meeting, several Republican lawmakers urged Ryan's team to delay leadership elections, said local media.

Ryan, who enjoys broad support among Republican rank-and-file, waffled on backing Trump during the campaign, especially after Trump's lewd tape about women was leaked early October.

"I am sickened by what I heard today," Ryan said at the time.

Trump's victory for presidency has obviously eased Republicans' internal tensions. However, there are ongoing uncertainty about how Republican mainstream politics will meld with Trump's.

Trump on Sunday chose his campaign official Stephen Bannon as his chief strategist and senior counselor, and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus as his chief of staff in White House.

Priebus, also from Wisconsin, is Ryan's longtime friend and ally, while Bannon, 62, is the former executive of right-wing Breitbart News which often launched personal attacks against Ryan and his family. Enditem