Paul Ryan joins DC think tank

Former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is joining the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) as a visiting fellow, the Washington, D.C., think tank announced Tuesday.

The former Wisconsin lawmaker retired from Congress in January, citing family reasons.

{mosads}Since then, Ryan started the nonprofit American Idea Foundation and taught political science and economics at the University of Notre Dame.

Ryan will focus on opportunity, mobility, the social safety net and entitlement reform while at AEI, the right-leaning think tank said in a statement.

“The American Enterprise Institute has long been at the forefront of advancing ideas and solutions that expand freedom, opportunity, and individual liberty,” said Ryan.

“It is an honor to join AEI as a distinguished visiting fellow in the practice of public policy and help contribute to the amazing work of its scholars and staff.”

Several close friends and supporters of Ryan suggested that AEI would be a good fit for the lawmaker after his retirement because of his penchant for wonky terminology and his ideological proximity to the group.

The latest development comes just weeks after Ryan moved his family from Wisconsin to a Washington, D.C., suburb.