--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Between [Speaker of the House] Paul Ryan…" description: "\"Between [Speaker of the House] Paul Ryan, [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell, and Donald Trump's team, I don't see a lot of openings for making r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/bill-mckibben-1057_house_between-speaker-of-the-house-paul-ryan-s_508569.jpg" --- # Between \[Speaker of the House\] Paul Ryan, \[Senate Majority… ![“Between [Speaker of the House] Paul Ryan, [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell, and Donald Trump's team, I don't see a lot of openings for making real progress.” quote by Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/bill-mckibben-1057_house_between-speaker-of-the-house-paul-ryan-s_508569.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/bill-mckibben-1057_house_between-speaker-of-the-house-paul-ryan-s_508569.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/bill-mckibben-1057_house_between-speaker-of-the-house-paul-ryan-s_508569.jpg) > “Between \[Speaker of the House\] Paul Ryan, \[Senate Majority Leader\] Mitch McConnell, and Donald Trump's team, I don't see a lot of openings for making real progress.” [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political stalemate hinders meaningful progress. **In simple terms:** Politics blocks change. Key Takeaway Advocate beyond partisan gridlock. Themes politics environment gridlock Mood concerned determined Type activist analytical When to use this quote - activism - voting - community organizing - policy advocacy Key Concepts institutional inertia policy paralysis Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens bypass deadlock? - What alternative routes exist? A Different Perspective Change may require unconventional tactics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority/) [Majority leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority-leader/) [Opening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opening/) [Paul ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paul-ryan/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Ryan Senate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ryan-senate-4315771/) [Senate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senate/) [Senate Majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senate-majority-2716908/) [Speakers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speakers/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Trump Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-team-1106323/) ## Related quotes > [I'm very sad about Mitch McConnell probably getting to be Senate majority leader, if only for two years. To me, he is just everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-m-very-sad-about-mitch-mcconnell-probably-getting-to-be-senate/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [The day after Republicans won solid majorities in the House and Senate, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader-to-be Mitch McConnell outlined priorities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleta-mitchell/the-day-after-republicans-won-solid-majorities-in-the-house-and/) [Cleta Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleta-mitchell/) > [In his first 100 days, Mr. Obama has put the fate of his presidency in the hands of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-rove/in-his-first-100-days-mr-obama-has-put-the-fate-of-his-presidency-in/) [Karl Rove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-rove/) > [I think that the risk to all the progress we've made was at stake in the election because not just the president-elect but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-the-risk-to-all-the-progress-we-ve-made-was-at-stake-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I was a member of the Florida legislature for nine years, the speaker of the house, majority leader, majority whip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-was-a-member-of-the-florida-legislature-for-nine-years-the-speaker/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [My take is this. The Republicans control the Senate. They have the majority of the House, and they have the White House. They can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine-waters/my-take-is-this-the-republicans-control-the-senate-they-have-the/) [Maxine Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine-waters/) > [Obama and his me-too Senate majority led by Nevada's Harry Reid and New York's Chuck Schumer - given the chance - would indeed wipe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-lapierre/obama-and-his-me-too-senate-majority-led-by-nevada-s-harry-reid-and/) [Wayne LaPierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-lapierre/) > [ You saw in your interview with Speaker \[Paul\] Ryan, though, an echo of what the White House and the president \[Donald Trump\] have started… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-halperin/you-saw-in-your-interview-with-speaker-paul-ryan-though-an-echo-of/) [Mark Halperin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-halperin/) > [ As speaker \[Paul\] Ryan suggested, I think they're trying to go back to the Republican dodge and saying we're going to focus on border… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-halperin/as-speaker-paul-ryan-suggested-i-think-they-re-trying-to-go-back-to/) [Mark Halperin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-halperin/) > [Paul Ryan is speaker of the house and that - that is up to members of the caucus. Donald Trump is not running for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/paul-ryan-is-speaker-of-the-house-and-that-that-is-up-to-members-of/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [I like Paul Ryan, and to a certain extent, I feel bad for him. But this is a moment of moral choice. And if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/i-like-paul-ryan-and-to-a-certain-extent-i-feel-bad-for-him-but-this/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [So in our shared mission to make America great again, I support and endorse our Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/so-in-our-shared-mission-to-make-america-great-again-i-support-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I'm on the Trump team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-long/i-m-on-the-trump-team/) [Wendy Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-long/) > [ Part of what the \[British\] dossier says is this, quote, "The operation", meaning the effort to influence our election, "that has been conducted with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/part-of-what-the-british-dossier-says-is-this-quote-the-operation/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [“It’s just a conspiracy theory.” And, he added, the Trump team wasn’t capable of conspiring about anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/it-s-just-a-conspiracy-theory-and-he-added-the-trump-team-wasn-t/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) ## More by Bill McKibben > [I try not to be either optimistic or pessimistic. I try not to think about outcomes on that scale. My job, it seems to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/i-try-not-to-be-either-optimistic-or-pessimistic-i-try-not-to-think/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [Oil companies are radical because they're willing to alter the chemical composition of the atmosphere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/oil-companies-are-radical-because-they-re-willing-to-alter-the/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [Whenever anyone challenges anything, the powers that be try to paint them as extremists or radicals or whatever. And I think that's actually nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/whenever-anyone-challenges-anything-the-powers-that-be-try-to-paint/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [My guess is that liberating the fossil fuel industry to frack anywhere they want will drive down the rate at which we're converting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/my-guess-is-that-liberating-the-fossil-fuel-industry-to-frack/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [What makes us different? We're the creature that can decide not to do something that we are capable of doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/what-makes-us-different-we-re-the-creature-that-can-decide-not-to-do/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [“The snow was coming down so hard. It looked like the flakes were hurrying to get out of the sky so the next ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/the-snow-was-coming-down-so-hard-it-looked-like-the-flakes-were/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [Most of the men and women who vote in Congress each year to continue subsidies have taken campaign donations from big energy companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/most-of-the-men-and-women-who-vote-in-congress-each-year-to-continue/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [“I’ve sat behind a microphone and listened for decades as Americans learned to stop talking with each other and start shouting instead. No discussions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/i-ve-sat-behind-a-microphone-and-listened-for-decades-as-americans/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [People in low-lying countries like Bangladesh with almost 140 million people who are managing to feed themselves, whose carbon emissions can't really be calculated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/people-in-low-lying-countries-like-bangladesh-with-almost-140-million/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [We're putting more carbon into the atmosphere than the atmosphere can absorb. And everybody told us when we started, coz we knew nothing when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/we-re-putting-more-carbon-into-the-atmosphere-than-the-atmosphere-can/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [Everything that the administration has done has been counterproductive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/everything-that-the-administration-has-done-has-been-counterproductive/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [We use the web to help people organize in the flesh, and then we take the images of those events and put them back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/we-use-the-web-to-help-people-organize-in-the-flesh-and-then-we-take/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [everyone knows, at some level, that the sharp line between "good weather" and "bad weather" is a fiction, that we need rain as surely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/everyone-knows-at-some-level-that-the-sharp-line-between-good-weather/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [The thing about global warming is that you can address it on a great number of levels - in fact you have to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/the-thing-about-global-warming-is-that-you-can-address-it-on-a-great/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [Where people aren't as deeply reliant on fossil fuel as in the United States, it's far easier for them to imagine change on this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/where-people-aren-t-as-deeply-reliant-on-fossil-fuel-as-in-the-united/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) [Explore all 299 Bill McKibben quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) ## More House quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/) [Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [Houses are like the human beings that inhabit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/houses-are-like-the-human-beings-that-inhabit-them/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [I don't own designer clothes, or a sports car, or a huge house, but I am seeing the world, experiencing amazing things, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roz-savage/i-don-t-own-designer-clothes-or-a-sports-car-or-a-huge-house-but-i-am/) [Roz Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roz-savage/) > [Then all this earth shines like one house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/then-all-this-earth-shines-like-one-house/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [She'd read once that if you ran into a bear in the woods you should avoid eye contact and you shouldn't run away, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/she-d-read-once-that-if-you-ran-into-a-bear-in-the-woods-you-should/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [I didn't expect to be so comfortable handing my child off to a nanny without getting any of her information. As soon as she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-wong/i-didn-t-expect-to-be-so-comfortable-handing-my-child-off-to-a-nanny/) [Ali Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-wong/) > [I think of novels as houses. 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I have never been to a house of prostitution, but I understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/well-this-is-aptly-called-a-junket-for-both-of-us-i-have-never-been/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) [Browse all 14,318 House quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Between [Speaker of the House] Paul Ryan, [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell, and Donald Trump's team, I don't see a lot of openings for making real progress.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill McKibben" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/between-speaker-of-the-house-paul-ryan-senate-majority-leader-mitch/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "House" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/between-speaker-of-the-house-paul-ryan-senate-majority-leader-mitch/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/bill-mckibben-1057_house_between-speaker-of-the-house-paul-ryan-s_508569.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/bill-mckibben-1057_house_between-speaker-of-the-house-paul-ryan-s_508569.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/bill-mckibben-1057_house_between-speaker-of-the-house-paul-ryan-s_508569.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Between [Speaker of the House] Paul Ryan, [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell, and Donald Trump's team…” — Bill McKibben", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bill McKibben", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Between [Speaker of the House] Paul...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/between-speaker-of-the-house-paul-ryan-senate-majority-leader-mitch/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/between-speaker-of-the-house-paul-ryan-senate-majority-leader-mitch/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```