Good morning. Mr. Speaker monica is going to be doing the interview. Thanks so much for taking the time today. Sure. Were set up in here. Fine. How did the Conference Meeting go . Very good. This one side was out. Just had the rules and ordinary things to do but it went as well as could expect. Did you see the post this morning . No. There was an inside story of the press conference. Its great. A great shot. Didnt have time to open the papers this morning. I have them all in my bag. Right after the intro do we want to break and have the cspan camera leave . Well get the first question. Thank you. And were all set. Great. Mr. Speaker you used to teach history and today youre about to step into the history books. How has your teaching background prepared you for this . One of the things i think it does is give you an extreme exposure in trying to explain things to human beings. Its the personal touch that you have day in and day out. And of course, teaching is communicating, making things relling vanity to young minds and this job isnt that much different. You have to talk to folks day in and day out. Touf make things relevant. Touf tell a story so things people understand how things move in sequence. And so its very much like teaching day in and day out. Good morning. How are you doing . You look very nice this morning. Thank you. How are you . Great. Youre looking dapper. Good morning. How are you . Hello, thomas. Come on in. Smile for everybody. You look great. Were here with channel 1 news today. My wife gene. My son ethan. His friend heidi. And my old friend we were buddies since seventh grade tom jarmen from indiana. Nice to meet you. Were off for an exciting day. Yes. I woke up this morning and the shower was cold. At least i woke up. Got up early and sergeant at arms has brought genes new pen. Wonderful. Great. Now i suppose im going to have to pin this on. And a new license plate. Your number has moved up. You know, each one. Well put that in collection. Well. Why dont you help put this on because i am not the best putter oner. And where is my pen . Thats nice. Ill let you put mine on for me. Very nice. That looks beautiful. What is the significance of the pin . Thats a spouse pin. So really one of the significance is that you can move around in congress and people know that youre with that guy. Or im with her. Go through any of the doors. Everyone knows. Everyone knows that i would be a spouse and that thats ok for me to go to different places in the capitol. Right. Why dont you stick that on. Thats beautiful. Jeans good at this. Good. Great. Thank you. All right. Maybe we can just get a couple of shots working at the desk signing a bill for world peace or whatever. Not studying my speech. Right . I think i have a chair here someplace. I think well put a chair at the desk. You will to excuse the office. Were in the flux of moving, as you can see. Sams going to call you so we b prepared. Fine. Is scott right here, too . All right. Hello. Hey. We need to work on this House Administration committee. I dont know if i can call. Ive got to talk to boehner, alers, nay, and mica. Ok. And so these are people we really have to call. Ill call them and try to get that scheduled. Ok. Tom is ok. Ewings ok. Boehners ok. Ok. So i think we need to talk and touch base with alers. And mica . Yeah. Ok. Ill do it. Thanks. Bye. Thats the only one. Thats all thats left. Right, scott . Ok. Good. Thank you. I think the headlines on message. Thats great. Jeans right there. Right there. Jeanness my place usually hidden by the microphone somewhere. So all good news on the front page too. Right . All good news. And then heres the relays for your speech today. All right. We went over with our other guys on this then. Even added how you want to make sure that we get our work done or else were going to stay here until we do. Good. I talked to both young and casic on this. Ok. So everybodys on mind. As a matter of fact those are some meetings that were going to have to set up early on. Good. Ill probably lay the applause on those today. I hope so. Good. Here you are. Is that yesterday . Now, see, deb price wears pink and she just kind of stands out. All those guys with black on how was dinner last night . It was nice. It was really great. Then we had some friends come up and we sat and talked into the yeah. Small hours. Up here . Back. Short night. They didnt get the rest that he thought you would. Well, im running on adrenaline i think. Ok. All right. Ready . What time are we supposed to leave . Weve got some time. I have a question. Sure. Probably really simple. But i know its your first day, what do you do as the speaker every day . Well, if its been the last three days you meet with people, day in and day out. You know as the speaker you are the person that everybody officially speaks to on in the house. But youre the person that everybody comes to to have a complaint or request. Youre a big listener. Kind of like teaching school. You listen to concerns and try to lay out solutions. You know, obviously in this job you find out that you dont have all the solutions and you have to rely on a lot of god people. You know, in this conference and in this congress. So a lot of talent here. And so one of my jobs i see is kind of like going back and being a coach. You put the stars out front and let them do the job and hope the coach them along so theyre doing the right thing. So its i guess an analogy that says well, ive been thinking since ive been reading about you my question has been, well, how do you go from being a teacher to a member of congress . And yet it seems like you bring so much of your teaching brackground into what youre doing here. I served in the Illinois Legislature for six years and last night at the Illinois Society george ryan was there. And george ryan was the speaker of the house now governor elect for illinois. And you learn a lot as you go in. And i had the same reaction i think to Abraham Lincoln did when i first went to the general assembly. He looked around and said what am i doing here with all these guys . And two years later saying, i wonder what some of these other guys are doing here. But anyway you learn. And the first thing i learned that you had to accept when you got into this business is theres really a gap between theory and practice and what you teach and what actually exists. But if you learn to use the philosophy and the teachings and the writings of the founding fatters and then let them lay against the reality that you have to do to get things done, i think its a pretty good blueprint to be a legislature. Do you learn something new every day . This job is a College Education every day. Last year, for instance, i was doing health care which you have to know the insurance industry, you have to know the doctors, you have to know hospitals, you have to know the pharmaceutical. All these thing that is have to come together people who make pro thesis. All those issues out there that are tied into what the whole issue of what is health care. Then people who are the consumers and what their concerns are and needs. So er day youre learning something that you have to be able to file away and then come back and pull. And the other piece of legislation i worked on last year was a comprehensive health care, antidrug bill. So you had the whole issue of people in communities that needed Drug Rehabilitation Community prevention law enforcement, Border Protection intradicks on the high seas and then working back in countries of drugs and try to the cocaine and the marijuana and the popies that they can put different types of crops in. And then the whole Banking System because all the money that came from drugs or that didnt get back into the hands of the drug and narcotic drug lords they wouldnt be able to do this. So the whole financial side of it. So theres so many aspects of anything that you do. Then you have to understand about submarines and airplanes and missiles. Really something that is a challenge day in and day out. A College Education every day. Every day. So have you gotten the calls yet from your former students saying, coach, whats up . We of course keep in contact with a lot of those people every day. And theyre there. One of the things that last night at the reception at the Illinois Society reception i looked around and saw a lot of our kids that just came out. Its a neat thing. Thats great. It must be a very exciting time for you. Thank you and for my family as well. Of course. What do you think of all this . Well, youre awful quiet. Ive never seen you this quiet before. Exciting times . Yeah. It really is. Im just trying to get him through college. Where do you go to school . University of illinois. Of course. What are you studying there . Marketing. How are you liking it . I love it. I really do. Do you think you might end up in d. C. One day . I dont know. Looking good from here. Right . I think everybody is a little overwhelmed right now. But ethan here also, what else do you do . Tell them with your aviation. Oh. Im picking up a minor in aviation and really looking ahead to going to law school and ultimately what i would like to do. So many opportunities. Right . Yeah. Exactly. Good. Ok. Good morning. How are you doing . Great. I hope so. Its a great day. Good morning. Hi. How are you . Really appreciate the great work youve done. Good morning. Good morning. Thank you. Thank you reverend. Let me begin by first thanking the member and Family Committee for sponsoring this event. Let me also recognize our new speaker elect den ni hastert and his wife jean. That are here today. Deni were all starting a new congress some like yourself are starting this congress in a new role, some as new members. Some of us are continuing in old roles. All of us are concerned. Can we do it right . Can we get the job right . Or, for some of us, can we do it better . A lot of things we need to do is get to work. Thats the best feeling there is. How do you do that with impeachment hanging out there . The tellers agree in their tally that the total numbers of votes cast are 427 of which the honorable jay Dennis Hastert of the state of illinois has received 220 and the honorable richard a. Again hart of the state of missouri has received 205 with two voting present. Therefore, the honorable jay Dennis Hastert of the state of illinois is dualy elected speaker of the house of representatives for the 106th congress having received the majority of the votes passed. [applause] mr. Speaker and members of the house, before i hand the gal over to our new speaker, let me say to him simply lets bury the hatchet. [applause] first, i want to say to the new speaker that gene again harlt 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 jean 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 hes a chicago cubs fan, and my wife a cardinals fan. And all of you know that im a st. Louis cardinals fan and he tells me his wife is a st. Louis cardinals fan which gives me a real hope. But if sammy sosa and mark mcguire can figure it out, so can we. [applause] now, mr. Speaker you know that over the next two years im 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 that do us all proud. Lets put to rest finally the poisonous politics that has infected this place. [applause] lets join together not only in words but in deed to do right by the people to li 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 nurtrd 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. [applause] thank you mr. Leader. For your kind and thoughtful remarks. I want to break tradition. At this point im going to ask you to hold the gavel so that i may go down to the floor. [applause] customarily a new speaker gives his first remarks from the speakers chair. While i have Great Respect for the traditions of this house, and this institution, i am breaking tra disthis once because my legislative home is here on the floor with you. And so is my heart. [applause] to you the members of the 106st congress, to my family and friends, and constituents, i say thank you. This is not a job that i sought but one that i embraced with determination and enthusiasm. In the next few minutes i will share with you how i plan to carry out the job that youve given me. But lets 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 youve 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. [applause] 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 Business man and a state legislature. And for the last 12 years i have been a member of this house. Im indebted to the people of the 14th Congressional District of illinois who continue 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. And serving in this body is a privilege. Its not a right. And each of us was sent here to conduct the peoples business. And 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. Some have felt slighted insulted, or ignored. That is wrong. And that will change. [applause] solutions to problems cannot be found in a pool of bitterness. They can be found in an environment which we trust one anothers 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 and even as fiercely as we disagree on particular issues. And 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. And i will ask them to stand to be recognized. [applause] those who know me well will tell you that i am true to my word. To me, a commitment is a commitment. And 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 keeps my helps me keep my feet on the ground. And she and my boys are my daily reminder that home is on the fox river and not the potomac river. [applause] to jean, josh, and ethan thank you for everything. And i love you. [applause] as a teacher, i explained the story of america year after year and i soon came to realize that it was a story, but a story that keeps changing. Or we americans are restless people and we like to tackle and solve problems. And were constantly renewing our nations experimenting and creating new ways of doing things. And i like to work against the backdrop of american basics. Freedom, liberty responsibility, and opportunity. You can count on me to be a work horse. [applause] 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 dont mind who gets the credit. [applause] a good coach doesnt rely on only a few star players. Everyone in the squad has something to offer. And you never get to the finals without a wellrounded team. And 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 represents opportunities lost. I found that to be true around here too. So where do we go from here . Some media pundits say that we will have two years of stalemate because the republican majority is too small. And some say that the white house spent on revenge will not give us a moments peace. And some say the minority in this house will prevent passage of serious legislation so that they can later claim this is 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. [applause] we will succeed or fail the pending on how sensible of program we offer. To my democratic colleagues i will say i will meet you halfway. Maybe more so on the occasion. Cooperation is a twoway street. I expect you to meet me halfway to. The president and a number of democrats have been saying it time to address several issues head on. I will buy that. I think we should agree that stalemate is not an option. Solutions are. And to all my colleagues i say we must get our job done and done now. We have an obligation to pass all the Appropriations Bills by this summer. And we will not leave this chamber until we do. [applause] i intend to be a good listener. I want to hear ideas and the debate that flows from them. I will have a low tolerance for Campaign Speeches masquerading as to the. As debate. Our country faces for big challenges which we must address. Not next month not the next year or the year after that, but now. This challenge follows elements in our security. Both are Social Security and medicare programs. We will run into brick walls in a few years if we dont do something about its now. We will make sure Social Security is there for those who depend on it. We must consider options for younger workers so we can look forward to an even brighter retirement. Nearly a year ago president clinton came here to give his state of the union address. This year i invite him to return to give us his form plan. We must ensure a secure future for americas children by insisting that every child has a good school and a safe drug free environment. In my 16 years as a teacher i have 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 federal governments role be . It will see that many education dollars go to the classroom where they will do the most good. The next is economic security. In the early 80s we adopted policies that laid the foundation for longterm growth. That growth is continued ever since. We want our economy to keep on growing. Toward that end it is time for us to put a microscope to the way the government takes money from our fellow citizens and how expensive. It combines three notions. One that government is prior claimed to the earnings of all americans as if they work for the government and not the other way around. Another notion is the government program, once it begun, will never end. A third notion is every program must grow each passing year. To borrow a music online, it aint necessarily so. It wont be as long as im around here and have something to say about it. [applause] we must measure our dollar measure every dollar we spend by this criterion. For most americans money doesnt come easy. I work nights in a restaurant. I still remember when tax time came around, our family really felt it. Along with tax policies that spirit and sustained growth by giving tax relief to all working americans. Finally there is the challenge of American Security in a world of danger in certainty. Without it other elements wont be possible. We wont worry about soviet Nuclear Bombs rating gelled unless it raining down on us. Rogue state that aims a deadly missile we need to defense capability that matches these turnofthecentury threats. We have not given them the best equipment they need to match those assignments. That must be corrected. [applause] these are not democratic or republican issues. We should be able to reach a quick Reach Agreement quickly on the goals. If we arent earnest about our responsibilities we will find Common Ground to get the job done area did in the process we will build the peoples faith in this great United States congress. As a classroom teacher and coach ive learned the value of brevity. It is work, not talk that wins championships. In closing i want you to know how proud i am to be chosen to be your speaker. There is a big job ahead for all of us. I ask that god bless this house as we move forward together. Thank you very much. [applause] now lets get to work. I recognize the dean of the house, the distinguished gentleman from michigan, mr. Dingell. [applause] my colleague from the Commerce Committee whose common sense and fairness i admire. He will administer the oath of office. If the gentleman from illinois will please raise his right hand. D solemnly swear to support the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, and 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, that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of a duties of the office which you are about to about to enter so help you god . I do. [applause] pamela according to the president , the chair will swear and all members of the house at this time. If the members will rise, the chair will administer the oath of office. All members please raise your right hands. Do you solemnly swear you will support and defend the constitution of the United States, against all enemies foreign and domestic that will bear the true faith and allegiance to the same . That you take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office in which you are about to enter, so help you god . I do. Congratulations, you are new members of the 106th congress. [applause] thank you. Congratulations. Congratulations. Great day. This has been fun. This is exciting. A wonderful day for all of us. I wish patty could be here to see this. We enjoyed it. Congratulations. One step at a time type of thing. Howre you doing you go them a great. My pleasure. Have the gang here too. Thank you. I understand don. I talked to him a little while ago. Im so proud of you. Thank you. Thank you. Do it right. Congratulations. A good day for all of us. Thanks. Thank you. You can do it. Thanks a lot. Take care of him. Congratulations. Dont i get a hug . Congratulations. Wonderful. Really. Congratulations