Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) will be his running mate at a Saturday morning event in Norfolk, Virginia, launching a bus tour promoting “The Romney Plan For A Stronger Middle Class” in Virginia on Saturday.
Paul Ryan told the crowd of supporters, "President Obama has become part of the problem and Mitt Romney is the solution."
Rep. Ryan, age 42, serves as the House Budget Committee Chair. He is serving his 7th term in the U.S House, representing the first district of Wisconsin.
Both Romney and Ryan attended rallies on Saturday in Ashland and Manassas, Virginia. Governor Bob McDonnell , Ohio Senator Rob Portman, and Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, among others, had been rumored to be on the short list of Vice Presidential candidates.
They will continue their tour in North Carolina on Sunday, and then travel in the afternoon to Wisconsin for a rally in Rep. Ryan's home state.
This is the press release that the Romney campaign released announcing his choice for Vice President.
Boston, MA – Mitt Romney today announced Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate. Below is Congressman Ryan’s biography:
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan is in his seventh term in Congress representing Wisconsin’s First Congressional District. He is Chairman of the House Budget Committee, where he has worked tirelessly leading the effort to reign in federal spending and increase accountability to taxpayers. He also serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, where he has focused on simplifying the tax code and making health care more affordable and accessible.
In January 2010, Ryan gained attention nationwide after unveiling his “Roadmap for America’s Future,” a proposal to eliminate the federal deficit, reform the tax code, and preserve entitlements for future generations.
Representative Ryan was born in Janesville, Wisconsin on January 29, 1970. A fifth-generation Wisconsin native, Ryan was the youngest of four children born to Paul Ryan Sr., who worked as an attorney, and Betty, a stay-at-home mom.
In April 2000, Ryan proposed to Janna Little, a native Oklahoman, at one of his favorite fishing spots, Big St. Germain Lake in Wisconsin. Later that year, the two were married in Oklahoma City.
The Ryans reside in Janesville with their three children, Liza, Charlie and Sam. The family are parishioners at St. John Vianney Catholic Church.
Upon entering Congress in January of 1999, Ryan was the youngest member of the freshmen class at the age of 28. Prior to running for Congress, Ryan served as an aide to Republican Senators Robert Kasten Jr. and Sam Brownback, former U.S. Rep. and Vice Presidential Candidate Jack Kemp, and as a speechwriter for Education Secretary William Bennett.
Ryan is a graduate of Joseph A. Craig High School in Janesville and earned degrees in economics and political science from Miami University in Ohio. He is an avid outdoorsman and is a member is of his local archery association, the Janesville Bowmen.
The Romney Campaign had begun publicizing the Vice Presidential race at the end of last month, by launching a smartphone app that was supposed to give users the first notification of the pick. Several news organizations began announcing that it was Rep. Ryan late Friday night, however, hours before the app sent the message.