With the selection of Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney's running mate, the nation's eyes are set upon a young conservative congressman from Wisconsin.

Voters are just getting to know Paul Ryan and what he stands for, but the fact that he's at the top of the ticket means he could have an important impact on congressional races throughout the nation and Central New York.

Ryan is the Chairman of the House Budget Vommittee. In that capacity he advanced a controversial budget . Republicans lined up to support Ryan's effort, including Central New York Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle. Buerkle was prepared to defend her vote. She told CNY Central's Jim Kenyon, "his (Ryan's) is a reasonable plan that really gets us to the point where we as a nation are not spending more money than we take in."

The budget Ryan proposed was blocked by the democrat controlled Senate and President Obama. It would have cut $6 trillion in spending over a decade, but would have also reduced tax revenue by $4 trillion by cutting individual and corporate income taxes. He would also eliminated the capital gains tax.

Buerkle's opponent, Democrat Dan Maffei sees the choice of Paul Ryan as way to define the issues in his campaign. "It cuts taxes for the very very top ... it's one of the reasons it doesn't balance the budget until 2040." Maffei claimed.

Ryan's budget would have also overhauled Medicare. It would allow seniors to purchase medical insurance through a type of voucher system, which some opponents say will force seniors to pay more than the current system. Buerkle says anyone over 55 would see no change in his or her Medicare benefits. She says Ryan's Medicare overhaul would keep it from going bankrupt. "I voted for his budget. I think it's a place to start the discussion. We've got to do something if we're going to keep Medicare alive and well for our seniors."

Maffei says, "Whether he (Ryan) means to destroy Medicare or not ... it clearly would be very different than it is today."