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
Women in the United States House of Representatives pool opened to women in 2009, the pool having previously been male-only. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen entered the U.S. House of Representatives in 1989 as the first Latina in either chamber of Congress. Tammy Baldwin entered the U.S. House of Representatives in 1999 as the first openly gay woman in either chamber of Congress. Nancy Pelosi became the first female House Minority Whip in 2002. She went on to become the first and only to date female Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in 2007. Also in 2007, Mazie Hirono entered the U.S. House of Representatives as the first female