Dennis Hastert
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Image:Dennis Hastert.jpg John Dennis Hastert, born January 2, 1942, is an American politician, and has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 1999. Since 1987, he has been a Republican congressman from Illinois, representing that state's 14th District. Hastert's opponent in the 2006 general election is Democrat John Laesch.
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Early life
Hastert was born in Aurora,Illinois and grew up in Oswego, Illinois. He graduated from Wheaton College, Illinois in 1964 and earned a master's degree in education from Northern Illinois University in 1967. He moved to Yorkville, 55 miles west of Chicago and took a job as a government and history teacher at Yorkville High School. He also coached wrestling and football, leading the wrestling team to a state title in 1976. In 1980, he was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives and served three terms, becoming ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee.
14th District Congressman John Groteberg did not run for a second term in 1986 due to a terminal illness. Hastert was nominated by a Republican convention to succeed him. He faced Mary Lou Kearns, the Democratic coroner of Kane County. Hastert initially ran a sluggish campaign, but eventually the district's strong Republican lean (the 14th has been held by Republicans for all but four years since its formation in 1903) prevailed, allowing Hastert to win with 52 percent of the vote. He has never faced another contest nearly that close, winning reelection nine times with close to 70 percent of the vote.
Rise to the Speakership
Hastert's rise to the Speakership came unexpectedly. During his first 12 years in Congress, he had been a relatively low-key member with a reliably conservative voting record. He worked closely with Illinois Republican leaders, especially Minority Leader Robert Michel. After the Republicans took control of the House in 1995, Hastert was named Chief Deputy Whip, the highest appointed position in the House Republican caucus. In this position, he was chief vote-counter for former Majority Whip Tom DeLay.
Following a disappointing Republican performance in the 1998 elections and facing rebellion from his caucus, Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia abruptly resigned from the Speakership and did not take his seat for an 11th term. Appropriations Committee chairman Bob Livingston of Louisiana quickly gathered enough support within the Republican caucus to become de facto Speaker-elect, but announced that he would resign his seat as well after admitting to an extramarital affair. This series of events occurred amid the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.
With the departures of Gingrich and Livingston, the likely candidates for the Speakership seemed to be Majority Leader Dick Armey and DeLay, both from Texas. However, both were seen as vulnerable. Armey had only recently deflected a challenge from Oklahoma's Steve Largent to unseat him as majority leader. DeLay was as controversial then as now, and was well aware that with a sharply reduced majority (indeed, it was at least in part Gingrich's prediction of a 30-seat win, and subsequent 5-seat loss, that had forced Gingrich out out of the House), he would be too controversial and polarizing for the Republicans to reliably transact business in such a closely divided Congress. The leadership then turned to Hastert as a compromise candidate.
Speaker
Following his election as Speaker, Hastert unusually delivered his acceptance speech from the floor, allowing Minority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri to preside briefly. Hastert noted the need for both parties to work together, saying: "Solutions to problems cannot be found in a pool of bitterness. They can be found in an environment in which we trust one another's word; where we generate heat and passion, but where we recognize that each member is equally important to our overall mission of improving the life of the American people." His policy agenda focused on lowering taxes, improving education, strengthening Social Security and Medicare, and bolstering national defense.
Although Hastert, as Speaker, is nominal leader of the House Republicans, he does not take a high profile role in the media, in dramatic contrast to Gingrich. Some observers felt that the Majority Leader (first Armey, then DeLay, then Roy Blunt) had more real power. Hastert denies this. In the months after 9-11, he met regularly with President Bush, Vice President Cheney, the two Senate leaders and the House minority leader to shape the national response. Some have offered the observation that while Gingrich was a bombastic strategist, Hastert is a quiet tactician; the contrast of his predecessor may have exaggerated Hastert's preferred working style. As Speaker he traditionally does not serve on any committee nor vote on the floor.
In 2001, Hastert visited Osweiler, the village in Luxembourg where his ancestors are from.
Hastert has been a prominent advocate of the Fairtax proposal to replace the income tax with a national sales tax. He has been a strong supporter of all of the Bush administration foreign and domestic policies.
Contributors
According to Federal Election Commission records, Hastert has received donations from numerous PAC's and individuals. The companies include several with ties to Illinois, such as McDonald's, Caterpillar, and Allstate. Many Fortune 500 companies, medical associations, and agricultural interests have also contributed. [1]
Hastert has declined and returned contributions from the National Rifle Association. Donations from tobacco companies, including Lorillard Tobacco Company and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, have also been returned. [2]
From 1997 to 2001, Hastert received multiple donations from Enron Corporation and Arthur Andersen; however, the extent of their issues was not fully known at the time. Hastert accepted multiple donations from Accenture, despite the GAO noting Accenture is incorporated in a tax haven country (Bermuda), thereby avoiding federal income tax. [3]
The law firm of Winston and Strawn has made multiple financial contributions. Winston and Strawn's CEO is Republican James R. Thompson, who served as the audit committee chairman for Hollinger International, which is now under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Winston and Strawn represented, on a pro bono basis, former Illinois governor and Republican George H. Ryan, who was convicted on April 17, 2006 on 18 criminal charges related to corruption. [4]
Controversy over support for Turkey
During his time in Congress, critics have alleged he is too friendly with Turkey because he has not supported initiatives related to the Armenian genocide of 1915-1923. He has frequently traveled to Turkey.
In October 2000, Hastert withdrew at the last minute a promised House vote on a resolution to recognize the Armenian killings. Hastert claimed that this was prompted by a telephone conversation with then-President Bill Clinton in which "Clinton said he was 'deeply concerned' about the language in the document... Hastert said Clinton had warned of 'possible far-reaching negative consequences for the United States' if the House voted on the legislation." ([5]). Hastert defended pulling the vote, saying "I believe the Armenian people suffered a historic tragedy, and that this resolution was a fitting condemnation of those events. But the president of the United States, the commander and chief of our Armed Forces, has asked us not to bring this resolution to the House floor. This is not an idle request. We all know that the situation in the Middle East is unusually tense."([6]) He blocked similar legislation in 2004. [7]
In August 2005, an article published in Vanity Fair reported that FBI translator turned whistleblower Sibel Edmonds has sworn under oath that she listened to wiretaps in which Turkish nationals boasted that Hastert had accepted bribes.[8] A Hastert spokesperson has denied any knowledge of these events even though an NSA investigation is underway.Template:Fact
George Soros controversy
In September 2004, billionaire currency trader George Soros filed an official complaint with the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct charging Hastert had said on radio and television that Soros received drug money. [9]
New Orleans rebuilding controversy
Hastert generated controversy on 1 September 2005 when he said spending Federal money to rebuild New Orleans from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina "doesn't make sense to me."[10]. Hastert went on to say that "It looks like a lot of that place could be bulldozed"[11].
Hastert's web site responds to this controversy with the following statements: "It is important that when we rebuild this historic city that we consider the safety of the citizens first. I am not advocating that the city be abandoned or relocated."
Presidential Succession
Dennis Hastert is presently third in the Presidential Line of Succession. Should both President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney be removed, die, resign, or become otherwise unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office of President, Dennis Hastert would become Acting President under the terms of the 22nd amendment.
Template:Start box {{succession box | before=Newt Gingrich | title=Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives | years=January 6 1999 – current | after=current }} Template:End box