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Paul Ryan Picks Tom Price as Budget Committee Vice Chair

By Billy House // December 18, 2012 | 4:23 p.m.
Updated: December 18, 2012 | 4:26 p.m.

Suddenly, Rep. Tom Price is being given the vice chairmanship of the House Budget Committee -- a week after the Georgia Republican publicly dispelled talk he might be among conservatives willing to challenge House Speaker John Boehner in next month’s internal elections.

The decision to appoint Price as the Budget vice chairman was announced on Tuesday. It was purely the call of the committee’s chairman, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wis.,–-not Boehner--according to Michael Steel, the speaker’s spokesman, who would not comment beyond that.

For certain, this is one committee vice chairmanship more coveted now than usual. That’s because of speculation that Ryan-–after losing his vice presidential bid-–might leave Congress at some point next session to work on his policy agenda or even a potential 2016 presidential bid.

If that were to happen, Price presumably would ascend.

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