Walker: Ryan acting ‘like a governor’

Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) on Sunday voiced support for the budget agreement negotiated by his fellow Wisconsin Republican, Rep. Paul Ryan, but he said the GOP would have to win more elections to enact more significant spending reforms.

Walker, a potential Republican president hopeful in 2016, praised Ryan for his leadership during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He initially declined to weigh in specifically on the two-year budget deal, but pressed on whether it was a good idea, he replied, “I do.”

The agreement, which restores some sequestration spending cuts in exchange for modest long-term budget savings, has come under criticism from some conservatives, including other possible 2016 contenders like Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas.).

{mosads}Ryan, the GOP vice presidential nominee in 2012, has also said he will take “a hard look” at running for the White House, but it is seen as highly unlikely that both he and Walker will run.

“If you’re going to bring conservative activists to the table, they have to see this for what it is, and it’s really a big wakeup call for the fact that if Republicans, in particular grassroots activists, want to see a stronger budget in the future, we’ve got to have some help in the United States Senate,” Walker said.

Ryan appeared separately on “Meet the Press” and defended the deal as a “symbolically large agreement” that showed how lawmakers could make divided government work.

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