Dennis Hastert: Speaker of the House

            
             Dennis Hastert came from a small town in Illinois. He was born in Auora, and was raised in Oswego. He earned degrees from Wheaton College and Northern Illinois University. He taught and coached wrestling for sixteen years at Yorkville High School. He served in the Illinois House of Representatives for six years before he was selected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986. In 1999, he was selected to be the Speaker of the House. Dennis Hastert turned 61 on January 2, 2003. He is now serving his third term as the Speaker and his ninth term as the Republican Congressman.
             Dennis Hastert is responsible for the day-to-day functions of the U.S. House. When he gave his acceptance speech he broke tradition by allowing the Minority Leader, Dick Gephardt to briefly preside over the day-to-day proceedings. He thought that both parties needed to work together to get their work done. .
             In Dennis Hastert's four-part common sense agenda he planned to lower taxes, improve education, strengthen Social Security and Medicare, and boost the national defense. Hastert has used his coaching skills to emphasize teambuilding and to set clear-cut, achievable goals. .
             Prior to his election as Speaker in 1999, Hastert served as the Majority Whip. He also served as Chairman of the Government Reform and Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice. As a chairman he had broad ideas on State, Defense and Justice, as well as the nation's war on drugs. He has also been the point person on health care reform. He has been in many committees. .
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