Today, House Democratic Representative Tim Ryan (OH-13) announced he would be stepping down from his leadership role following reports that his colleagues voiced discomfort about his relentless attacks on Presidential Candidate, Joe Biden.
Ryan had been serving as the co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, which is a bipartisan group of legislators. Yet in the weeks prior, he had made numerous comments about the former Vice President and criticized his bid for the Democratic nomination.
Since then, Politico had reported that Democratic lawmakers had expressed their distress over these remarks and urged Ryan to step down from his position.
Ryan initially had resisted the appeal, highlighting how the Problem Solvers Caucus was established to put pressure on both parties in the Congress. He even called his actions an attempt to hold Biden and other Democratic hopefuls to a higher standard, in hopes of strengthening the party in the upcoming election.
But after what appears to have been a great deliberation, Ryan announced his resignation in a statement, writing: “I agree the Caucus should remain focused on the issues and not on any presidential candidates, including those from our own party”.
He went on to say that he will now be focusing his attention on advocating for his constituents in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District.
Since becoming active in Congress in 2006, Ryan has achieved several successes, such as introducing legislation to revive the Rust Belt’s economy. He has also appealed to members of both parties in order to combat the opioid crisis.
The decision to step down from his leadership role is particularly bittersweet since Ryan was seen as the leader of a unique group of legislators who were committed to bridging ideologies and uniting members of both parties.
He is the second Congressman to announce his resignation from a leadership position as a result of his comments about Biden, following Representative Luis Gutierrez from Illinois’ 4th Congressional District.
As the race for the Presidency continues to heat up, it is expected that many politicians will be facing similar dilemmas as the pressure to support one candidate over another increases.
This could prove to be a challenge for those who belong to the Problem Solvers Caucus, as they have become synonymous with a nonpartisan approach to policy and decision-making. The Caucus will now have to contemplate how to proceed in the future without Ryan as a leader.
