Paul Davis Ryan (born January 29, 1970) is an American politician and member of the Republican Party who has served as the United States Representative for Wisconsin's 1st congressional district since 1999 and as Chairman of the House Budget Committee since 2011. He was the Republican Party nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2012 Presidential election. He is the author of nonfiction works: Young Guns: A New Generation of Conservative Leaders, and The Way Home: Renewing the American Idea.