DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement after House Speaker Paul Ryan announced he would not be seeking re-election:

“Speaker Ryan’s retirement is an indictment of Republican leadership that has failed to provide meaningful results for the American people. Instead, Republicans have voted to gut funding for Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, student loans, public schools, and SNAP benefits, while trying to take health care away from millions of American families. They opposed measures to close the gender pay gap and viciously attacked a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body. They stifled any and all attempts to enact sensible gun laws. They refused to stand up to Donald Trump’s rampant bigotry, corruption, and dishonesty. And they consistently served Wall Street and wealthy corporations at the expense of their constituents. 

“The American people are demanding change, and the disaster of unified Republican control of government has made one thing abundantly clear: Democratic values are American values. Americans want access to affordable health care, higher wages, quality education, commonsense gun reforms, and most importantly, a government that works for them. That is what the Democratic Party is all about. 

“Since Donald Trump took office, 46 Republicans have resigned or made retirement plans, and Democrats have flipped another 39 state legislative seats from red to blue across the country. The American people are hungry for Democratic leadership, and the Democratic Party is organizing in every single ZIP code to provide it in 2018. As Paul Ryan heads for the exit, Democrats are fighting to make sure that his Republican colleagues join him in retirement come November.”