BEND, OR -- Despite House Speaker John Boehner’s resignation announcement, House Republicans have yet to identify a clear front-runner for his replacement. Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR) is fifth in line for party leadership but he tells KBND, at this point, he’s not interested in the position. "I’ve got plenty to do on my own and I very much support Paul Ryan. I was asked if I would step in on an interim basis or something. I said I’ve never turned down a tough job that I’ve been asked to do. If the conference came to me and said ‘you’re the one who can bridge on an interim basis and get us healed up and back together’ I wouldn’t say no. Then that got interpreted that I’m off running for speaker – No."
Walden says selecting a new Speaker is no easy task – partly because of the tough job description - and partly because the appointment requires a majority vote of the entire House.
To hear our full conversation with Congressman Greg Walden, visit our Podcast Page.