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Indiana Republicans waiting for Paul Ryan to make a move

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — If Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan decides to run for Speaker of the House, he will likely find support in the Indiana delegation.

Paul Ryan is under a lot of pressure to replace John Boehner as Speaker, and other potential candidates for the job are waiting to see what Ryan does before they make a move.

So, while Ryan considers what that decision could mean to his family, we wanted to know what some Indiana Republicans think.

Marlin Stutzman is a member of the Freedom Caucus, a group of conservatives who took credit for the resignation of outgoing speaker Boehner.

Stutzman wants to talk with Ryan. “I think he’s a very strong leader already and would be able to bridge a lot of the divides in our conference together, so he would absolutely be on the top of my list,” Stutzman said.

Congressman Todd Young serves with Paul Ryan on the Ways and Means Committee, where Ryan is the chairman.

Young is waiting to see what Ryan decides.

“I think Paul Ryan would be an exceptional speaker,” said Young. “I think we have other individuals that could conceivably do the job as well but, really, I’m going to have to assess whoever the candidate is based on who can advance conservative principles.”

Meantime, another Indiana Republican, Luke Messer, is working behind the scenes to change the rules in Congress during this transition period.

Messer wants individual members to have greater ability to control legislation, and that means the next Speaker could have less power than Boehner holds now.