Speaker.gov

Working in Congress, it’s easy to get caught up in the noise—the headlines, the Facebook comments, the tweets. But what's often overlooked are all of the stories—both uplifting and heartbreaking—that we witness: the mother who gives her time helping others after both of her sons battled an opioid addiction; the factory worker who is able to send his child to summer camp thanks to his tax reform bonus; the leader who returns to his position on the House floor and the baseball diamond.

It is the highest civilian honor that Congress can bestow, and this week, they awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the soldier, legislator, and statesman from Kansas, Senator Bob Dole.

1. "Senator Dole, because of you, America is better." - Speaker Ryan

From big public ceremonies to small personal moments, the Office of the Speaker takes approximately 30,000 photos each year. Narrowing those down to just a few of our favorites is no easy task, but in chronological order, these seventeen photos tell the story of 2017 for Speaker Ryan.

Yes—it’s true. Much of October was spent on tax reform, turning a framework into legislative text that will soon be introduced.

You could sense the anticipation and the excitement in the room. It was a day that was long, long overdue, but finally, more than 70 years after the end of World War II, Filipino veterans were recognized for their bravery on the battlefield. 

This week, over the course of about 26 hours, Speaker Ryan made three stops in two states to survey damage from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

It’s easy to get caught up in cable news countdown clocks, DC partisan bickering, and 140-character play-by-plays. But these aren’t the things that most Americans spend their days thinking about. (I know, hard to believe.) People care about having a good job, taking care of their families, achieving the American Dream. That’s why you sent your representatives to Washington—to focus on the issues that matter most to you.

So here are seven moments from July that show we’re cutting through the clutter to tackle what matters most—the problems people face in their everyday lives.

High-drama hearings and partisan sniping. That’s all that goes on in Washington these days, right? Not exactly.

Every day, there are hundreds of small, but important moments that don’t make headlines. Here are eight such moments from June that show, regardless of political affiliation, we’re all united in our humanity.

What you see on the front pages of newspapers or hear on the nightly news is not always the full story. A lot of what goes on inside the Capitol is actually politics-free. In fact, here are seven, behind-the-scenes photos that show a few small, but important, moments from the Speaker’s perspective.

1.   Answering Questions – Speaker Ryan calls into a local Wisconsin radio station for a live interview.

As he always does, Speaker Ryan took time this week to meet with fellow Wisconsinites. He was inspired by the message he heard from students who beat childhood cancer; a teacher who has gone above and beyond to close the achievement gap; a group of state legislators who are moving Wisconsin forward; and many others. Here are six photos featuring Wisconsinites who visited the speaker this week in Washington.

1.   Janesville Students