The election of Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as the new speaker of the House Thursday (Oct. 29) drew immediate response from communications tech industry players.

Consumer Electronics Association President Gary Shapiro welcomed the chairman, but has some "asks" as well.

"We congratulate Speaker Ryan. He can help grow our economy by advancing policies that promote our nation's leadership in technological innovation," Shapiro said in a statement. "We encourage Speaker Ryan to work with House members to prioritize legislation that will encourage innovation, entrepreneurship and a vibrant free-market system."

"Specifically,," he said, "we urge action and legislation restricting patent trolls, encouraging free trade, investing in infrastructure, allowing online taxation to equalize the playing field for brick-and-mortar retailers, reducing the national debt and expanding wireless broadband."

“On behalf of TechNet, I congratulate Congressman Paul Ryan on becoming Speaker of the House,” said TechNet President Linda Moore.  “Congressman Ryan is a thoughtful, dedicated public servant who is committed to solving the very real challenges facing our nation.”

Moore also had some suggested priorities for the new speaker, including "international tax reform, free trade, patent reform, and high-skilled immigration reform."

"Over his tenure on Capitol Hill, Congressman Ryan has a proven track record of taking on important policy issues, and looking for principled, pragmatic, and lasting solutions," said Michael Timmeny, head of government and Community relations for Cisco.

Fred Upton (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee that oversees communications, added his congratulations.

“We will have a steady hand at the tiller with the selection of Paul Ryan to lead the people’s House today,” Upton said. “I appreciate Paul’s commitment to advancing solutions in a thoughtful and deliberate way and know we will get to work quickly to address pressing issues that present both challenges and opportunities...."

Add former tech exec and chairman of the House Judiciary Internet Subcommittee Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) to the list of possible successors to John Boehner (R-I..) as speaker of the House.

Following the surprise withdrawal of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (also R-Calif.) from the race Oct. 8, Issa released a statement saying "It’s incumbent upon us to have a robust conversation about the direction and future of our party. I pledge to play a constructive role in that discussion and hope my colleagues will do the same as we work to choose a Speaker who best represents the values and aspirations of the American people.”

In an interview on MSNBC Friday morning (Oct. 9), Issa suggested he fit the bill. He said he would take on the tough fights. he said he could be "potentially a candidate," then described the kind of leader that was needed, someone who has been a chairman--he is former chairman of the House Oversight Committee--and someone willing to fight for fiscal responsibility when a fight is needed--something he said he was willing to do.

Issa said it is ultimately the Republican conference's call about the speakership and he did not have the hubris to tell it who was the best candidate. "This is a job you can't run for. You can make yourself available for it."

Issa is familiar to media companies as an opponent of net neutrality rules and more recently of an effort to transition the Internet domain naming authority from U.S. oversight to a multistakeholder model. He has also pushed the FCC to free up more 5 GHz spectrum for unlicensed WiFi, something cable operators have been doing as well.

Broadcasters will also remember Issa for his push for a GAO investigation of broadcast lobbying expenditures back in 2012.

Before his election to Congress in 2001, Issa was CEO of California-based Directed Electronics and served two terms as chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association.

CEA President Gary Shapiro posted a blog Friday with five reasons why Issa should be Speaker, including that he is "unbuyable" and is a "leader" who "'gets' tech and can "move frogs in a wheelbarrow."