“When I was waiting tables, washing dishes, or mowing lawns for money, I never thought of myself as stuck in some station in life. I was on my own path, my own journey, an American journey where I could think for myself, decide for myself, define happiness for myself.”

Paul Ryan is an American politician from the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He served as the 54th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and was known for his role in crafting fiscal policy, particularly budget proposals emphasizing entitlement reform and tax cuts. His political career spanned leadership in the House Republican Conference and as a prominent voice in conservative economic discourse.