Dennis Hastert
R-Illinois 14th District
Speaker of the House-Designate
web page: http://dennyhastert.house.gov/
Phyllis Schafly, Eagle Forum: "This is great news for the Republicans. Its's turning over a new leaf. Denny Hastert has a longtime record as a pro-family conservative and I know that this is a better day for the Republicans in Congress."
Randy Tate, Executive Director of the Christian Coalition: "Denny Hastert is a man of true principles and integrity. He is a true conservative. Denny received a "Friend of the Family" award (from the Christian Coalition) and only 80 members out of the 435 members in the House received that award."
The newly elected Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert has similar conservative credentials to his predecessor, Newt Gingrich. He opposed all of NOW's priority issues in the last Congress, and has a long record of opposing legal abortion. Hastert has distinguished himself as an effective deal maker; he is credited with the ability to win votes on tough legislative issues. He is expected to shy away from the public rhetoric that Gingrich used, but has the proven ability to move his conservative agenda through Congress.
Hastert is an activist anti-abortion Congressmember. He signed onto "Friends of the Court Briefs" in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (in which the Supreme Court limited access to abortion) and Rust v. Sullivan (in which the Supreme Court upheld the gag rule which prohibited many clinics from providing abortion counseling).
1997-1998: NOW
0%
1997-1998: Christian Coalition 100%
1997-1998: National Right to Life 100%
1997: NARAL 0%
1993-1996: Planned Parenthood 0%
1997: ACLU 0%
1995-1996: NAACP 18%
1995-1996: HRC 0%
1995-1996: National Hispanic Leadership Agenda 0%
1995-1996: LCCR 10%
1995: AFL-CIO 0%
1991-1992: NGLTF 8%
1993-1994: NRA 100%
1997-1998: AAUW 0%
1995-1996: Concerned Women for America 75%
1989-1990: NWPC 4%
Congressman Hastert, 56, was elected in 1986 to represent the 14th Congressional District of Illinois. He is a member of the House Commerce Committee, serves as Chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee's National Security, International Affairs and Criminal Justice Subcommittee.
Hastert has been the House Republican point person on health care reform
since 1992. In the 105th Congress, Hastert chaired the House Working Group
on Health Care Quality. At the start of the 104th Congress in January
1995, Hastert began serving as Chief Deputy Majority Whip of the U.S. House,
a leadership position he continued to hold in the 105th Congress. In that
capacity, Hastert is responsible for advancing a conservative agenda on
the House floor by working with Republican members in laying out achievable
policy strategy, lining up support, and counting Members' votes to ensure
passage. Prior to his election to Congress, Hastert served three terms
in the Illinois General Assembly.
Reproductive Rights
1998:Voted in favor of The "Partial Birth" Abortion Ban, H.R. 1122. "Partial-birth" abortion is a political - not a medical term-- that is designed to mislead the public about the actual nature of medically necessary abortion procedures. This abortion procedures ban would outlaw the safest, most common abortion procedures used throughout pregnancy.
Voted for the Child Custody Protection Act, H.R. 3682. This bill makes it a federal crime for anyone to transport or accompany a minor across state lines for an abortion, unless the young woman has already satisfied the requirement of her home state's parental notification and involvement laws.
Voted for the Coburn Amendment to FY 99 Agriculture Appropriations Bill. This amendment withholds funds from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review and approve drugs that induce medical abortion (such as mifepristone or RU-486).
Voted in favor of the Istook Amendment to FY 99 Labor/HHS Appropriations Bill. Under this bill teens seeking prescription contraception at federally funded clinics must have parental consent or clinics must notify parents five business days in advance of providing service to teens.
Voted against Funds Appropriated for Population Planning, H.R. 581, which provides international family planning funding. This bill prohibits any foreign non-governmental Organization (NGO), such as international family planning organizations that receive US aid, from discussing abortion with their governments or professional colleagues.
Voted in favor of an amendment to prohibit the use of funds to carry out joint adoptions between individuals who are not related by blood or marriage. Bill number HR 4380.
1997: Co-sponsored the "Human Life Amendment," H.J. RES. 13. This resolution has been re-introduced four times since the 1970's. If passed it would overturn Roe v. Wade by amending the U.S. Constitution.
1995:Co-sponsored the "Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act", H.R. 1833, which subjects any physician who knowingly performs a "partial-birth" abortion to a fine or imprisonment for not more than two years.
1994:Voted against the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrance Act (FACE), which safeguards access to abortion clinics by providing federal jurisdiction and enacts specific federal penalties for those convicted of using force, the threat of force, or physical obstruction against patients, health care workers, and clinics.
1993:Did not co-sponsor the Freedom of Choice Act of 1993, H.R. 25, which provided that a State may not restrict the right of a woman to choose to terminate a pregnancy.
Voted for bill H.R. 178, a bill to prohibit the use of federal funds for abortion except where the life of the mother would be endangered.
1992:Voted against bill H.R. 2786, which protects the physician-patient relationship relating to Federal restrictions on abortion counseling.
1990:Voted against allowing abortions in overseas military facilities
1989:Voted against approving federal abortion funding in cases
of rape or incest
Affirmative Action
1998:Voted for the Roukema Amendment H.R. 2400. This amendment would have repealed the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, which require no less than 10% of highway construction projects funded by the federal government to be contracted to businesses owned by racial minorities and women.
Voted for the Riggs Amendment to H.R. 6, which would prohibit any post-secondary institution from discriminating or granting any preferential treatment in admission based on race, sex, ethnicity, color, or national origin.
Lesbian Rights
1998:Voted for the Hefley Amendment to FY 99, which would have overturned President Clinton's May 28, 1998 Executive Order to protect lesbian and gay federal government employees.
Did not co-sponsor the Hate Crime Prevention Act of 1998, H.R. 3081, which provides for the prosecution of hate crimes on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin.
1996:Voted for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), H.R. 3396. This act amends the Federal judicial code to provide that no State, territory, or possession of the United States or Indian tribe shall be required to recognize any marriage between persons of the same sex under the laws of any other such jurisdiction or to any right or claim arising from such relationship.
1993:Voted against bill H.R. 2401, which would have lifted a
ban on homosexuality in the military.
Workplace Economic Justice
1998:Voted for the Working Families Flexibility Act, H.R. 1. This bill would amend key provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. This would result in the loss of wages and benefits to low-wage workers -- many of whom are women. The legislation would undermine the 40-hour work week and would give employers considerable control over whether and when to provide compensatory time instead of paid overtime to employees.
1995:Voted in favor of H.RES. 319, a resolution waiving points of order against the conference report to accompany the bill (H.R. 4) . This bill enacted punitive welfare reform.
1993:Voted against the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which requires unpaid family and medical leave
1991:Voted against an amendment to the Civil Rights Bill which would have provided unlimited punitive damages for discrimination based on sex, religion, or disability. The Civil Rights Act passed with a $150,000 cap on damages for sex discrimination in private contracts but with no caps on damages for discrimination based on race, religion or disability.
Other Issues
1998: Voted in favor of the "Religious Freedom Amendment Bill", H.J.RES.
78, that would have overturned religious liberty clauses of the
first amendment. If passed it would have permitted state-sanctioned,
government-sponsored prayer in public school classrooms.
HASTERT ON TITLE IX, EDUCATION EQUITY
Background
In 1991, as a "belt-tightening measure," Brown University announced plans to eliminate four teams from its varsity athletics program: men's water polo and golf and women's volleyball and gymnastics. The teams could continue competing as clubs, but without financial subsidies or support services.
Disappointed members of the women's volleyball and gymnastics programs sued Brown University in federal court for violating Title IX. The women sought, first, an injunction immediately blocking the university's decision and, second, full reinstatement of the eliminated programs.
Brown insisted that it did not violate Title IX because two men's programs were also eliminated. But abolishing the two women's teams saved the university $62,000. Abolishing the two men's programs saved only $16,000. (Litigating and appealing the case cost Brown an estimated $1 million.) Moreover, after the four varsity teams were converted to clubs, there were roughly 63% men and 37% women athletes, although university enrollment rates were roughly 52% men and 48% women.
In March 1995, the judge ruled that Brown did violate Title IX by eliminating funding for the two women's programs. This ruling was upheld on appeal.
Hastert's Actions
While deciding whether to petition the United States Supreme Court for
an appeal of the case, Brown received a letter from Congressman J. Dennis
Hastert. Hastert's letter purported to advise the university "on
a matter of utmost importance to the future of college athletics."
In this letter
Hastert implored Brown to appeal the case and made the following claims
about Title IX:
"The Department of Education . . . is now using Title IX as the basis to justify what appears to be a gender-based quota system in college athletics. . .Current Department of Education Title IX guidelines could indeed be viewed as promoting reverse discrimination."
"I am afraid that if the ruling of the Appeals Court were to stand, it would set a dangerous precedent by signaling to colleges and universities that the easiest way to comply with Title IX would be to eliminate men's sports rather than to add new opportunities for women."
"No school has been, or probably ever will be, situated as well as you to vindicate the right of educational administrators to run schools in the manner they see fit . . . ."
Brown University did petition the Supreme Court for a hearing, but the
Court declined to the case without comment. Thus, the lower court's
ruling that Brown violated Title IX stands.