Speaker of the United States House of Representatives by Minority Whip Newt Gingrich. Speaker Gingrich would regularly clash with Democratic President Bill Clinton, leading to the United States federal government shutdown of 1995 and 1996, in which Clinton was largely seen to have prevailed. Gingrich's hold on the leadership was weakened significantly by that and several other controversies, and he faced a caucus revolt in 1997. After the Republicans lost House seats in 1998 (although retaining a majority) he did not stand for a third term as Speaker. His successor, Dennis Hastert, had been chosen as a compromise candidate, since the other Republicans in the leadership were more
October 2015 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives, and is second in the United States presidential line of succession, after the Vice President and ahead of the President pro tempore of the United States Senate. Though the Constitution does not require that the Speaker be an elected member of the House of Representatives, every Speaker to date has been elected from House membership. The 435 members of the House of Representatives elect a Speaker by majority rule at the beginning of each session of the United States Congress, who serves until the end of