William Waldo Cameron Forum on Public Affairs - 4/28/2003
Dennis Hastert
After 16 years of teaching and coaching, Speaker Hastert
served in the Illinois House of Representatives for six years before being
elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986. In 1999, Hastert was
elected Speaker of the House, the third highest elected official in the
When Hastert succeeded Newt Gingrich on January 6, 1999, he broke tradition by delivering his acceptance speech from the House floor and by allowing Minority Leader Dick Gephardt to briefly preside over the day’s proceedings. These two actions demonstrated Hastert’s desire to bring both parties together to get their work done.
Throughout his legislative career, he has drawn from his experience as a former wrestling coach by emphasizing teambuilding and setting clear-cut, achievable goals. He has remained committed to the goals he laid out during his first term as Speaker. His career accomplishments are extensive and cover a wide range of major national issues. To name a few - he has been the House Republican point person on health care reform and helped author the health care reform bill which was signed into law in 1996 to expand coverage to the uninsured. He has championed legislation to balance the federal budget, cut taxes and government waste and clean up the environment. He has secured dozens of federal grants for district communities and organizations that will assist with everything from bolstering police services to protecting district farmland.
Speaker Hastert spent the first 16 years of his career as a
government and history teacher at