[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 6, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H2-H5]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          ELECTION OF SPEAKER

  The Clerk. Pursuant to law and to precedent, the next order of 
business is the election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives 
for the 106th Congress.
  Nominations are now in order.
  The Clerk recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts).
  Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma. Mr. Clerk, happily for our country and happily 
for you and me, Republicans and Democrats, Dennis Hastert has answered

[[Page H3]]

his Nation's call. This common man will bring his strong common sense, 
sharpened in the school of adversity, to bear on the Speakership. He 
has many qualities of another Congressman from Illinois, the Great 
Emancipator, Abraham Lincoln, and he will not hesitate, he will not 
doubt and he will not falter. We are grateful that he has resolved at 
whatever peril, at whatever cost, the most wonderful Nation in the 
world should be preserved.
  As Chairman of the Republican Conference, I am directed by the 
unanimous vote of that conference to present for election to the Office 
of the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 106th Congress, 
the name of the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert, a Representative-elect 
from the State of Illinois.
  The Clerk. The Clerk recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost).
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Clerk, as Chairman of the Democratic Caucus, I am 
directed by the unanimous vote of that caucus to present for election 
to the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 
106th Congress the name of one of most articulate and thoughtful 
Members of this Congress, the Honorable Richard A. Gephardt, a 
Representative-elect from the State of Missouri.
  The Clerk. The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert, a Representative-elect 
from the State of Illinois, and the Honorable Richard A. Gephardt, a 
Representative-elect from the State of Missouri, have been placed in 
nomination.
  Are there further nominations?
  There being no further nominations, the Clerk will appoint tellers.
  The Clerk appoints the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson), the gentlewoman from New 
Jersey (Mrs. Roukema), and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
  The tellers will come forward and take their seats at the desk in 
front of the Speaker's rostrum.
  The roll will now be called, and those responding to their names will 
indicate by surname the nominee of their choice.
  The reading clerk will now call the roll.
  The tellers having taken their places, the House proceeded to vote 
for the Speaker.

                              {time}  1315


                         Parliamentary Inquiry

  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO (during the vote). Have we been eliminated 
already? Have we been eliminated from the voting procedure?
  The Clerk. Delegates and the Resident Commissioners are not qualified 
to vote.
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. We have always been qualified to vote.
  The Clerk. That is not the case.
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. What is that?
  The Clerk. That is not the case.
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Yes. We voted the last time.


                         Parliamentary Inquiry

  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Clerk, would the Clerk respond to a 
parliamentary inquiry?
  The Clerk. The gentleman will state his inquiry.
  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. The parliamentary inquiry for the Clerk 
is for the delegates who represent American citizens. Where does that 
vote come today? Will they not be allowed to vote for Speaker of this 
House? The Member from Puerto Rico represents 4 million American 
citizens.
  The Clerk. Representatives-elect are the only individuals qualified 
to vote in the election of the Speaker.
  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. All right. Can we just make sure that is 
duly noted under this majority, the disenfranchisement.
  The following is the result of the vote:

                              [Roll No. 2]

                              HASTERT--220

     Aderholt
     Archer
     Armey
     Bachus
     Baker
     Ballenger
     Barr
     Barrett (NE)
     Bartlett
     Barton
     Bass
     Bateman
     Bereuter
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bliley
     Blunt
     Boehlert
     Boehner
     Bonilla
     Bono
     Brady (TX)
     Bryant
     Burr
     Burton
     Buyer
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Canady
     Cannon
     Castle
     Chabot
     Chambliss
     Chenoweth
     Coble
     Coburn
     Collins
     Combest
     Cook
     Cooksey
     Cox
     Crane
     Cubin
     Cunningham
     Davis (VA)
     Deal
     DeLay
     DeMint
     Diaz-Balart
     Dickey
     Doolittle
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Ehlers
     Ehrlich
     Emerson
     English
     Everett
     Ewing
     Fletcher
     Foley
     Forbes
     Fossella
     Fowler
     Franks (NJ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Ganske
     Gekas
     Gibbons
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gilman
     Goodlatte
     Goodling
     Goss
     Graham
     Granger
     Green (WI)
     Greenwood
     Gutknecht
     Hansen
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Hayworth
     Hefley
     Herger
     Hill (MT)
     Hilleary
     Hobson
     Hoekstra
     Horn
     Hostettler
     Houghton
     Hulshof
     Hunter
     Hutchinson
     Hyde
     Istook
     Jenkins
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones (NC)
     Kasich
     Kelly
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     Kuykendall
     LaHood
     Largent
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Lazio
     Leach
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Linder
     Livingston
     LoBiondo
     Lucas (OK)
     Manzullo
     McCollum
     McCrery
     McHugh
     McInnis
     McIntosh
     McKeon
     Metcalf
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Miller, Gary
     Moran (KS)
     Morella
     Myrick
     Nethercutt
     Ney
     Northup
     Norwood
     Nussle
     Ose
     Oxley
     Packard
     Paul
     Pease
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Pickering
     Pitts
     Pombo
     Porter
     Portman
     Pryce (OH)
     Quinn
     Radanovich
     Ramstad
     Regula
     Reynolds
     Riley
     Rogan
     Rogers
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roukema
     Royce
     Ryan (WI)
     Ryun (KS)
     Salmon
     Sanford
     Saxton
     Scarborough
     Schaffer
     Sensenbrenner
     Sessions
     Shadegg
     Shaw
     Shays
     Sherwood
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Skeen
     Smith (MI)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Souder
     Spence
     Stearns
     Stump
     Sununu
     Sweeney
     Talent
     Tancredo
     Tauzin
     Taylor (NC)
     Terry
     Thomas
     Thornberry
     Thune
     Tiahrt
     Toomey
     Upton
     Walden
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Watkins
     Watts (OK)
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Wilson
     Wolf
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                             GEPHARDT--205

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Allen
     Andrews
     Baird
     Baldacci
     Baldwin
     Barrett (WI)
     Becerra
     Bentsen
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Bishop
     Blagojevich
     Blumenauer
     Bonior
     Borski
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyd
     Brady (PA)
     Brown (CA)
     Brown (FL)
     Brown (OH)
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardin
     Carson
     Clay
     Clayton
     Clement
     Clyburn
     Condit
     Conyers
     Costello
     Coyne
     Cramer
     Crowley
     Cummings
     Danner
     Davis (FL)
     Davis (IL)
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     Deutsch
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Dixon
     Doggett
     Dooley
     Doyle
     Edwards
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Evans
     Fattah
     Filner
     Ford
     Frank (MA)
     Frost
     Gejdenson
     Gonzalez
     Goode
     Gordon
     Green (TX)
     Gutierrez
     Hall (OH)
     Hall (TX)
     Hastings (FL)
     Hill (IN)
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hoeffel
     Holden
     Holt
     Hooley
     Inslee
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     John
     Johnson, E. B.
     Jones (OH)
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kind (WI)
     Kleczka
     Klink
     Kucinich
     LaFalce
     Lampson
     Lantos
     Larson
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (GA)
     Lipinski
     Lofgren
     Lowey
     Lucas (KY)
     Luther
     Maloney (CT)
     Maloney (NY)
     Markey
     Martinez
     Mascara
     Matsui
     McCarthy (MO)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McIntyre
     McKinney
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Menendez
     Millender-McDonald
     Minge
     Mink
     Moakley
     Moore
     Moran (VA)
     Murtha
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Owens
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Peterson (MN)
     Phelps
     Pickett
     Pomeroy
     Price (NC)
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Reyes
     Rivers
     Rodriguez
     Roemer
     Rothman
     Roybal-Allard
     Rush
     Sabo
     Sanchez
     Sanders
     Sandlin
     Sawyer
     Schakowsky
     Scott
     Serrano
     Sherman
     Shows
     Sisisky
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Spratt
     Stabenow
     Stenholm
     Strickland
     Stupak
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Taylor (MS)
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thurman
     Tierney
     Towns
     Traficant
     Turner
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Velazquez
     Vento
     Visclosky
     Waters
     Watt (NC)
     Waxman
     Weiner
     Wexler
     Weygand
     Wise
     Woolsey
     Wu
     Wynn

                        ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--2

     Gephardt
     Hastert
       

                             NOT VOTING--7

     Barcia
     Farr
     Gallegly
     Hoyer
     Miller, George
     Mollohan
     Stark
  The Clerk. The tellers agree in their tallies that the total number 
of votes cast is 427, of which the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert of the 
State of Illinois has received 222, and the Honorable Richard A. 
Gephardt of the State of Missouri has received 205, with two voting 
present.

[[Page H4]]

  Therefore, the Honorable J. Dennis Hastert of the State of Illinois 
is duly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 106th 
Congress, having received a majority of the votes cast.

                              {time}  1330

  The Clerk. The Clerk appoints the following committee to escort the 
Speaker-elect to the Chair: The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), 
the gentleman from Texas, (Mr. Armey), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
DeLay), the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bonior), the gentleman from 
Oklahoma (Mr. Watts), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost), the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Crane), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Hyde), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Porter), the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Evans) the gentleman from Illinois, (Mr. Lipinski), the 
gentleman from Illinois, (Mr. Costello), the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Ewing), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez), the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush), 
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Weller), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson), the gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Blagojevich), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Davis) the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus), the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Mrs. Biggert), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Phelps), and 
the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).
  The committee will retire from the Chamber to escort the Speaker-
elect to the chair.
  The Deputy Sergeant at Arms announced the Speaker-elect of the House 
of Representatives of the 106th Congress, who was escorted to the chair 
by the Committee of Escort.
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker and Members of the House, before I hand the 
gavel over to our new Speaker, let me say to him simply, let us bury 
the hatchet.
  First, I want to say to the new Speaker that Jane Gephardt and I 
would like to invite him and his wife, Jean, to our congressional 
district in Missouri, and I hope that in the days ahead Jane and I can 
come to your congressional district in Illinois.
  The only problem that I have with this new Speaker is that as I 
understand it, he is a Chicago Cubs fan, and all of my colleagues know 
that I am a St. Louis Cardinals fan. He tells me his wife is a St. 
Louis, Cardinals fan, which gives me real hope. But if Sammy Sosa and 
Mark McGwire can figure it out, so can we.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, you know that over the next 2 years I am going to 
work hard to win a majority back for Democratic values and ideas. But I 
want to shift the focus today away from politics to other ideas, to 
other efforts that we can make together to do us all proud. Let us put 
to rest finally the poisonous politics that has infected this place. 
Let us join together not only in words, but in deeds, to do right by 
the people, to live up to our oaths, and to move our nation forward 
into a new century of prosperity.
  This is hallowed ground. This is a precious place where we have 
nurtured and protected for generations our democracy. We have a burden, 
all of us, and we have a responsibility to live up to those who have 
gone before us, and today and in the future, to reach toward the sky 
and to listen to our better angels. It is in this spirit that I am 
proud to hand the gavel to the new Speaker of the House, to our new 
Speaker of the House, the gentleman from Illinois, Dennis Hastert.
  Mr. HASTERT. Thank you, Mr. Leader, for your kind and thoughtful 
remarks. I am going to break tradition, and at this point I am going to 
ask you to hold the gavel so that I may go down to the floor.
  Customarily, a new Speaker gives his first remarks from the Speaker's 
chair. And while I have great respect for the traditions of this House 
and this institution, I am breaking tradition this once, because my 
legislative home is here on the floor with you, and so is my heart.
  To you, the Members of the 106th Congress, to my family and friends 
and constituents, I say, thank you. This is not a job that I sought, 
but one that I embrace with determination and enthusiasm. In the next 
few minutes, I will share with you how I plan to carry out the job that 
you have given me. But first, I think we need to take a moment, and I 
want to say goodbye to a Member of this House who made history.
  Newt, this institution has been forever transformed by your presence, 
and for years to come all Americans will benefit from the changes that 
you have championed: a balanced budget, welfare reform, tax relief, and 
in fact, this week, families all over America are beginning to 
calculate their taxes, and to help them, they will find a child tax 
credit made possible by the Congress that you led. Thank you, Newt. 
Good luck, and God bless you in your new endeavors.
  Those of you here in this House know me, but Hastert is not exactly a 
household name across America. So our fellow citizens deserve to know 
who I am and what I am going to do.
  What I am is a former high school teacher, a wrestling and football 
coach, a small businessman and a State legislator. And for the last 12 
years, I have been a Member of this House. I am indebted to the people 
of the 14th Congressional District of Illinois who have continued to 
send me here to represent them.
  I believe in limited government, but when government does act, it 
must be for the good of the people.
  Serving in this body is a privilege, it is not a right, and each of 
us was sent here to conduct the people's business. I intend to get down 
to business. That means formulating, debating, and voting on 
legislation that addresses the problems that the American people want 
solved.
  In the turbulent days behind us, debate on merits often gave way to 
personal attacks.

                              {time}  1345

  Some have felt slighted, insulted, or ignored. That is wrong. That 
will change. 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 life for the American people. In short, I believe all of 
us, regardless of party, can respect one another, even as we fiercely 
disagree on particular issues.
  Speaking of people who find ways to work together across the 
political fence, let me bring an analogy to a personal level. Two good 
Illinois friends of mine, George Ryan, the Republican Governor-elect, 
and Richard Daley, the Democratic mayor of Chicago, are in the 
visitors' gallery side by side. I will ask them to stand to be 
recognized.
  Those who know me well will tell you that I am true to my word. To 
me, a commitment is a commitment. What you see and hear today is what 
you will see and hear tomorrow.
  No one knows me better than my family. My wife, Jean, and our sons, 
Josh and Ethan, are here today. They are my reason for being, and Jean, 
she helps me keep my feet on the ground. She and the boys are my daily 
reminder that home is on the Fox River, and not the Potomac River.
  To Jean, Josh, and Ethan, thank you for everything, and I love you.
  As a teacher, I explained the story of America year after year. I 
soon came to realize that it was a story, but a story that keeps 
changing, for we Americans are restless people, and we like to tackle 
and solve problems. We are constantly renewing our Nation, 
experimenting and creating new ways of doing things. I like to work 
against the backdrop of American basics: freedom, liberty, 
responsibility, and opportunity. You can count on me to be a workhorse.
  My experience as a football and wrestling coach taught me some other 
lessons that apply here. A good coach knows when to step back and let 
others shine in the spotlight. President Reagan for years had a plaque 
in his office that said it all: ``There is no limit to what can be 
accomplished if you don't mind who gets the credit.''
  A good coach does not rely on only a few star players, and everyone 
in the squad has something to offer. You never get to the finals 
without a well-rounded team. Above all, a coach worth his salt will 
instill in his team a sense of fair play, camaraderie, respect for the 
game, and for the opposition. Without those, victory is hollow and 
defeat

[[Page H5]]

represents opportunities lost. I have found that to be true around 
here, too.
  So where do we go from here? Some media pundits say that we will have 
2 years of stalemate because the Republican majority is too small. Some 
say that a White House bent on revenge will not give us a moment's 
peace. Some say the minority in this House will prevent passage of 
serious legislation so that they can later claim this was a ``do-
nothing'' Congress.
  Washington is a town of rumors and guesses and speculation, so none 
of this comes as a surprise, but none of it needs to come true; that 
is, if we really respect the voters that sent us here.
  To my Republican colleagues, I say, it is time to put forward the 
major elements of our legislative program. We will succeed or fail 
depending upon how sensible a program we offer.
  To my Democratic colleagues, I will say, I will meet you halfway; 
maybe more so, on occasion. But cooperation is a two-way street. I 
expect you to meet me halfway, too.
  The President and a number of Democrats here in the House have been 
saying it is time to address several issues head-on. I will buy that, 
but I think we should agree that stalemate is not an option; solutions 
are.
  To all my colleagues, I say: We must get our job done and done now. 
We have an obligation to pass all the appropriation bills by this 
summer. We will not leave this Chamber until we do. I intend to be a 
good listener, but I want to hear ideas and the debate that flows from 
them. I will have a low tolerance for campaign speeches masquerading as 
debate, whatever the source.
  Our country faces four big challenges which we must address, and not 
next month or next year or the year after that, but now. Each challenge 
involves an element of our security.
  First is retirement and health security. Both our social security and 
Medicare programs will run into brick walls in a few years if we do not 
do something about them now. We must make sure that social security is 
there for those who depend on it and those who expect to. We also must 
consider options for younger workers, so they can look forward to an 
even brighter retirement.
  Nearly a year ago President Clinton came here to give his State of 
the Union Address. He called for reform of social security. This year I 
invite him to return to give us his reform plan, and he has my 
assurance that it will be taken seriously.
  Second, we must ensure a secure future for America's children by 
insisting that every child has a good school and a safe, drug-free 
environment. In my 16 years as a teacher, I learned that most of the 
decisions having to do with education are best left to the people 
closest to the situation: parents, teachers, school board members. What 
should the Federal government's role be? It should be to see that as 
many education dollars as possible go directly to the classrooms, where 
they will do the most good.
  Next is economic security. In the early eighties we adopted policies 
that laid the foundation for long-term growth. Except for one brief 
period, that growth has continued ever since. We want our economy to 
keep on growing. Toward that end, it is time for us in Congress to put 
a microscope to the ways that government takes money from our fellow 
citizens and how it spends it.
  There is a culture here in Washington that has grown unchallenged for 
too long. It combines three notions. One is that government has a prior 
claim to the earnings of all Americans, as if they worked for the 
government and not the other way around. Another notion is that a 
government program, once it is begun, will never end. A third notion is 
that every program must grow each passing year.
  To borrow a musical line, it just ain't necessarily so; at least, it 
will not be as long as I am around here to have something to say about 
it. We must measure every dollar we spend by this criterion: Is it 
really necessary?
  This is important. For most Americans, money does not come easy. When 
I was a kid, to make ends meet my dad had a feed business and he worked 
nights in a restaurant. My mom raised chickens and sold the eggs. I 
still remember, when tax time came around, our family really felt it. 
What we need is a leaner, more efficient government, along with tax 
policies that spur and sustain growth by giving tax relief to all 
working Americans.
  Finally, there is the challenge of America's security in a world of 
danger and uncertainty. Without it, other elements of our security will 
not be possible. We no longer worry about Soviet nuclear bombs raining 
down on us. Today there are different worries: the sudden violence of a 
terrorist bomb, the silent threat of biological weapons, or the rogue 
state that aims a deadly missile at one of our cities.
  We need a defense capability that matches these turn-of-the-century 
threats. We have asked the men and women of our Armed Forces to take on 
assignments in many corners of the Earth. Yet, we have not given them 
the best equipment or preparation that they need to match those 
assignments. That must be corrected.
  These are not Democratic or Republican issues, they are American 
issues. We should be able to reach agreement quickly on the goals. And 
yes, we are going to argue about the means, but if we are in earnest 
about our responsibilities, we will find common ground to get the job 
done. In the process, we will build the people's faith in this great 
United States Congress.
  As a classroom teacher and coach, I learned the value of brevity. I 
learned that it is work, not talk, that wins championships.
  In closing, I want you to know just how proud I am to be chosen to be 
your Speaker. There is a big job ahead for all of us, so I ask that God 
bless this House as we move forward together. I thank the Members very 
much. Now, let us bring an end to talk and let us get to work.
  I recognize my friend, the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Dingell), Dean of the House, my colleague from the Committee on 
Commerce, whose common sense and fairness I admire. He will administer 
the oath of office.
  Mr. DINGELL then administered the oath of office to Mr. Hastert, as 
follows:
  Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the 
Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and 
domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; 
that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or 
purpose of evasion, and that you will well and faithfully discharge the 
duties of the office on which you are about to enter. So help you God.
  (Applause, the Members rising.)

                          ____________________