“When you question this war on poverty, you get all the criticisms from adherents to the status quo who just don't want to see anything change. We got to have the courage to face that down, just as we did in the welfare reform of the late 1990s, and if we succeeded, we can help resuscitate this culture and get people back to work.”

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.