The photo was posted over the weekend to his Instagram account and critics have noted that virtually all of the interns visible in the photo are white.
Ryan's office did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment on reactions to the photo. The House Democratic caucus and House GOP conference did not return requests for information about intern diversity in House offices.
Some Capitol Hill interns had their own response. One of them, Kennedy Edwards, a Durham native, sent ABC11 a picture of a large group of diverse interns on the steps of Capitol Hill. They said they have been taking and sharing pictures like this online to show that there is diversity in the program.
Capitol Hill internships are mostly unpaid.
