House

Ryan pays respects to Nancy Reagan in Calif.

by Scott Wong - 03/09/16 3:40 PM ET

.@SpeakerRyan at Reagan Library while Nancy Reagan lies in repose https://t.co/MDzTPNzZDA https://t.co/QH0l3cl3E2

— CSPAN (@cspan) March 9, 2016

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Wednesday took a brief break from his California fundraising tour to pay respects to former first lady Nancy Reagan, who died Sunday at 94 years old.

Ryan joined the Reagan family at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, where the Speaker bowed his head before Nancy Reagan’s flower-adorned casket. A public visitation was set for later Wednesday and Thursday.

{mosads}The former first lady will be buried at the library beside her late husband Friday, but Ryan will not be able to attend due to scheduling conflicts, spokeswoman AshLee Strong said.

Ryan and his top deputy, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), spent the earlier part of the week traveling up and down the state, raising money to protect vulnerable GOP incumbents in the November elections. The GOP duo made stops in Sacramento, Los Angeles and McCarthy’s hometown of Bakersfield.

Months before 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney tapped Ryan as his running mate, Ryan gave a speech at the Reagan Library in which he slammed President Obama as a “failed president.”

Tags Paul Ryan