(NORFOLK, Virginia) — Mitt Romney has selected Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his running mate. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee made the announcement Saturday morning in Norfolk, Virginia in front of the U.S.S. Wisconsin museum.
Ryan, 42, was elected to the House of Representatives in 1999. He is currently the chairman of the House Budget Committee. Ryan is married with three children.
Ryan is perhaps best known nationally as the author of a controversial budget plan to overhaul Medicare. The plan seeks to curb overall entitlement spending and changes Medicaid into a voucher-like system. He has also called for making changes to Medicaid and privatizing part of Social Security.
While word of Ryan's selection leaked late Friday night, it was posted by the campaign to its smartphone app before the speeches. President Barack Obama's campaign withheld its reaction until the Republicans had spoken.
"The architect of the radical Republican House budget, Ryan, like Romney, proposed an additional $250,000 tax cut for millionaires, and deep cuts in education from Head Start to college aid," Jim Messina, the president's campaign manager, said in a written statement.
