[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 160 (Thursday, November 6, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H10534-H10535]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CONFERENCE ON THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE HOUSE SPEAKERSHIP

  (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks and include therein 
extraneous material.)
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, it is among my duties to keep in mind the 
historical precedents of this body when

[[Page H10535]]

determining how legislation will move through the House. I am very 
privileged to do this job for our esteemed Speaker, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Hastert).
  Speaker Hastert perhaps, more than any other in recent history, is 
uniquely qualified to bring a historical perspective to his job as 
Speaker as he was, as we all know, a government and history teacher at 
Yorkville High School in Illinois.
  Because of his deep-rooted interest in the history of our Republic, 
it is my pleasure to announce to our colleagues that Speaker Hastert, 
along with former Speakers Jim Wright, Tom Foley, and Newt Gingrich, 
will be participating in an event entitled, ``The Changing Nature of 
the House Speakership: The Cannon Centenary Conference.'' This 
conference, named for Joseph Cannon, is being held on November 12 and 
is jointly sponsored by the Congressional Research Service and the 
University of Oklahoma.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of our colleagues to take the time to 
participate in this conference and perhaps learn something new about 
the history of this great body and the institution of the Speakership.
  Mr. Speaker, I have a copy of the program here, and I will include it 
in the Record at this point.

  The Changing Nature of the House Speakership: The Cannon Centenary 
                               Conference


  A historic event featuring all three living former speakers and the 
                            current speaker

       The Speaker of the House is second in line only to the Vice 
     President to succeed to the presidency. Few lawmakers can be 
     said to possess the visibility and authority of the Speaker.
       The role of the Speaker has been shaped largely by history 
     rather than by constitutional definition. The Speakership has 
     been influenced by the individuals who have held the post and 
     the circumstances in which they have operated; formal 
     obligations that have been assigned to the office by House 
     rules and by statute; the character of the House as a 
     political and constitutional institution; and the traditions 
     and customs that have evolved over time.
       We invite you to attend a one-day conference examining the 
     changing nature of the speakership--a historic event 
     featuring the current Speaker and all three living former 
     Speakers and commemorating the centenary of one of the most 
     noteworthy Speakers in the history of the House: Joseph G. 
     Cannon, Republican from Illinois, who served as Speaker from 
     1903 to 1911.
       This conference will explore the evolving nature of the 
     speakership and discuss the key forces and factors which 
     influences the ability to lead a large and complex 
     institutions like the House of Representatives.
     8:30 am  Registration
     9:00 am  Welcome and Introduction--Daniel P. Mulhollan, 
         Director, Congressional Research Service
     9:15 am  The O'Neill Speakership, 1977-1987--John A. Farrell, 
         author, ``Tip O'Neill and the Democratic Century'' 
         Comments by Hon. Mickey Edwards and Hon. Dan Rostenkowski
     10:45 am  Hon. James C. Wright, Jr., Speaker, 1987-1989--
         Comments by Hon. David E. Bonior and Hon. Tom Loeffler
     Noon-1:45 pm  Hon. J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker
     2:00 pm  Hon. Thomas S. Foley, Speaker, 1989-1995--Comments 
         by Hon. Vic Fazio and Hon. Bill Frenzel
     3:30 pm  Hon. Newt Gingrich, Speaker, 1995-1999--Comments by 
         Hon. Leon E. Panetta and Hon. Robert S. Walker
     4:45-5:15 pm  Conference Summary--Robert V. Remini, author of 
         books on Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay 
         and Daniel Webster

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