WASHINGTON _ Speaker Paul D. Ryan told the House Republican Conference on Friday that he did not come to the decision to fire House Chaplain Patrick J. Conroy lightly and disputed assertions that it was related to a prayer the Jesuit priest gave during the tax overhaul debate.
"He assured us that had nothing to do with it," Rep. Mia Love of Utah said.
Several members said Ryan only briefly mentioned the incident, which has infuriated Democrats and some Republicans, during the conference meeting, which was held to discuss the party's appropriations strategy for fiscal 2019.
"He said he had people coming that were saying they had a concern about that their pastoral needs weren't being met," Rep. Mark Amodei said.
Ryan said he decided to make a change because of the concerns and that there was no misconduct, the Nevada Republican said.
Another Republican member, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Ryan said he's gotten feedback from numerous members over the last year or so that they'd like a more active spiritual adviser who is more engaged with members and more approachable.
The member had not personally shared concerns with the speaker but said that issues with Conroy have been raised in various formats and he agrees with them.
