APGAP Students treated to Q&A With Paul Ryan

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan treated students in AP Government and Politics (APGAP) to a question and answer session last Friday afternoon in the GHS Library.

This special visit has been in the works for about a year.

“In AP Government and Politics, students learn about a variety of topics that lend themselves to guest speakers. I submitted a request last year inviting the Speaker to come to talk to my students about Congress and his role as a congressional leader,” APGAP teacher Ben Hubing explained.  “He was in town on Friday January 12 for a few events and was able to fit us into his schedule. Students were able to ask questions of Ryan for 45 minutes on policy issues as well as the nuts and bolts of his role.”

After Hubing announced the Speaker’s visit last Monday, students were filled with excitement and looked forward to many different aspects of the visit.

“What I was most looking forward to about Paul Ryan coming to speak to us is his ideas/opinions on what his experience is like as a politician and certain policies that he stands for and is against,” senior Katie Yanisch said. “It was very interesting to see how us students reacted to some of what he says and just get a national politician’s perspective.”

Students were also looking forward to ask questions about the life of a politician and certain policies they may or may not agree with.

“One question I wanted to ask him is what is his greatest challenge as a politician? And are their times where his viewpoints don’t align with other important figures, such as the president, and if so how does he deal with this difference? “ Yanisch said.

Other students had unique questions for the speaker.

“I wanted to ask him about when he ran for Vice President and how difficult the process really is,” junior Nina Delgadillo said.

Hubing hoped that aside from getting to meet, according to him, the third most important person in the country, they gained something from the opportunity.

“I hope students gained insights into how the government functions as well as a clearer idea of party ideology that help shape laws and public policy,” he said.

Ryan answered questions for about an hour, leading him to discuss several political issues. He spoke about his personal beliefs and background, DACA, the right to bear arms, the Bill of Rights, presidential debates, the newly passed tax plan, same-sex marriage, and his view of the internet and social media and how it should be used by politicians.

He explained that as a classical liberal, he believes that the government doesn’t dictate what our rights are, only secures them in the Bill of Rights.

Regarding DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which doesn’t punish those who were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents, Ryan explained that he would like to see a balanced bill which protects those currently under DACA but doesn’t let anyone else gain that protection.

“I don’t want to see these kids get deported,” he said.

Another topic that Ryan enjoyed proudly talking about and explaining to the students was the newly passed tax plan that took effect Jan. 1.

“Tax reform is the best thing we could have done to create a stronger economy,” he said.

When senior Jonathan Wilinski asked Ryan about social media and the appropriateness of President Trump’s use of Twitter, Ryan, along with the crowd chuckled.  

“Don’t let it get the best of you and just focus on your fundamentals of life,” Ryan said of social media.

As far as his future in politics, Ryan will not be running for president.

“I had a couple good shots to run for President and I decided not to,” he said.  “I actually want to be a normal person.”

Leaving the group with a piece of advice, Ryan encouraged students to make logical decisions rather than base their choices off of their emotions.

Hubing recognizes the importance of being an informed citizen as well.

“One of my pet peeves is when people say they don’t care about government or politics. Students should be aware because politics is everywhere,” he said.  “Whether we are talking about college affordability, health care, or surfing the web, government policy is key to shaping our day to day lives in ways many don’t even consider.  Staying engaged is one way to make sure that our leaders create policy that benefits the people that elect them and send them to Washington.”

Overall, students enjoyed and appreciated Ryan taking time out of his day to visit them.

“Seeing Paul Ryan was an awesome experience!!  He was very knowledgeable about the topics we discussed and it was cool to hear his perspective on conservative issues that are often conveyed wrong in the media,” senior Jamie Wage said.