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The decision to back Ryan by the House Freedom Caucus, a group of nearly 40 lawmakers that has risen in power and stature since its founding this year, came after the Ways and Means Committee chairman spent much of his day courting its support. (DeBonis and Costa, 10/21)

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Tuesday he would run for speaker of the House--under certain conditions. The job could yield many headaches, but he'll at least have the last laugh over Newt Gingrich, the former speaker who has criticized Ryan's proposals to overhaul Medicare. ... Throughout his 16 years in Congress, he has advocated steadily for profound changes in the way Americans receive help from the government. He has sought to introduce market forces into federal programs, give state authorities more say over how those programs are administered, and force recipients of welfare to submit to careful monitoring by state-appointed caseworkers. (Ehrenfreund, 10/21)

One of Paul Ryan’s conditions for becoming speaker is that he be able to spend time with his family. But when it comes to federal policies on family leave, Ryan has opposed virtually every measure proposed over the past several years. In 2009, for instance, Ryan voted against the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, which would have allowed federal employees to substitute up to four weeks of available paid leave to take parental leave. The bill passed a then-Democratic House with 24 Republican votes, but the legislation never made it to the Senate floor. (Levine, 10/21)

Rep. Pat Tiberi is planning to run for the top slot on the House Ways and Means Committee if Rep. Paul Ryan becomes the next speaker. The Ohio Republican's move could tee up a major battle for the powerful tax-writing gavel. Texas Rep. Kevin Brady is also expected to make another run for the position. (Palmer and Sherman, 10/21)

House Republicans are pursuing a more narrow version of an ObamaCare repeal bill, a move that the top budget leader says will ensure smoother sailing in the Senate. The House Rules Committee decided Wednesday night to limit the scope of its reconciliation bill – a budget tool rolls back ObamaCare – by adopting an amendment from Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-Ga.). (Ferris, 10/21)

Meanwhile, House GOP leaders are considering scheduling a Friday vote on a debt limit bill produced by the conservative Republican Study Committee. It would establish procedures designed to force the House to vote on $3.8 trillion in spending cuts over the coming decade, to add teeth to the non-binding budget Republicans adopted this spring. It would also mandate a vote on a constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget and would impose a ban on new regulations. ... The White House has made it clear that any increase in the so-called debt limit must be "clean" of other policies that would make it appear that Obama is negotiating away concessions in exchange for the must-pass legislation. In 2011, before his re-election, Obama gave $2.1 trillion in spending cuts in exchange for a comparable increase in the debt cap. (Taylor, 10/21)