In this Oct. 20, 2015, photo, Rep. Paul Ryan, R- Wis., speaks at a news conference following a House GOP meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. Ryan may or may not become the next speaker of the House. He’s already become an unlikely spokesman for balancing family life with work. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) 
Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn.Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn., says he's joining other House Freedom Caucus members ready to back Wisconsin GOP Rep. Paul Ryan for speaker of the House.
Ryan met with the Freedom Caucus, a group of tea party-aligned conservative lawmakers consistently critical of outgoing Speaker John Boehner, on Wednesday night. After the meeting, caucus leaders and Ryan announced he had received support from a "supermajority" of the 40 caucus members.
"During that meeting Paul agreed with several key initiatives we have been pushing in the House Freedom Caucus," DesJarlais said in a prepared statement to The Tennessean.
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