Gang of Seven
Encyclopedia
The Gang of Seven refers to a group of freshmen Republican U.S. Representatives
, elected to serve in the 101st Congress in 1990. The group loudly condemned the House banking scandal
and the Congressional Post Office scandal
, forcing the congressional leadership to address the issues by ensuring the incidents stayed in the media and public eye. The group also criticized other Congressional perks, such as congressional subsidies for the Capitol Barbershop and Senate Restaurant.
Two members of this group, Jim Nussle
and John Boehner
, were also key drafters of the Contract with America
, which along with the banking and post office scandals helped the Republicans take control
of the House in the 1994 elections.
broke in early 1992, when it was revealed that the United States House of Representatives allowed members to overdraw their House checking accounts without risk of being penalized by the House bank (actually a clearinghouse
). The House banking scandal ultimately involved more than 450 representatives, most of whom did not break any laws. Twenty-two congressmen and -women were singled out by the House Ethics Committee for leaving their checking accounts overdrawn for at least eight months out of a sample of 39 months.
The Congressional Post Office scandal refers to the discovery of corruption among various Congressional Post Office employees and members of the United States House of Representatives, investigated 1991–1995, climaxing in the conviction of House Ways and Means Committee chairman Dan Rostenkowski (D-IL). The Republican
charges were largely ignored until July 1993, when the Congressional Postmaster
Robert Rota pleaded guilty to three criminal charges, implicating Representatives Dan Rostenkowski
(D-IL) and Joe Kolter
(D-PA
). They were accused of heading a conspiracy
to launder Post Office money through stamps and postal vouchers. Rostenkowski was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison, in 1995.
Rick Santorum was once considered a rising star in the Republican Party. He was the first of the Gang of Seven to run for higher office, and the only one who was successful, becoming the Junior US Senator from Pennsylvania in the Republican landslide of 1994. Santorum served two terms in the Senate and rose to the level of Senate Republican Conference Chairman before being defeated by State Treasurer Bob Casey
in 2006.
Charles Taylor remained in the House for 11 terms. He was defeated in 2006 losing to former NFL quarterback Heath Shuler
.
Two retired from the House to run for higher office. Frank Riggs left his House seat after three terms in 1998 to run unsuccessfully for the US Senate seat held by Barbara Boxer
. Jim Nussle retired in 2006 after eight terms to run for the open Iowa governor's seat but lost to Democratic candidate Chet Culver
. Nussle having served previously as the Chairman of the House Budget Committee was then selected to serve as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under President George W. Bush
.
The latter two retired to return to private life. Scott Klug chose to keep his initial campaign promise of only serving four terms and to refocus on his business. John Doolittle was tainted by involvement in the Jack Abramoff scandal and retired at the end of his ninth term in 2008.
Only Boehner currently remains in the House of Representatives. He served as House Republican Conference Chairman from 1995 to 1999, but he was ousted after the party lost five seats in the 1998 midterm elections, though the Republicans retained a majority. He was later Chairman of the Education and Labor Committee from 2001 to 2006. In February 2006, Boehner scored an upset victory over Roy Blunt
to become House Majority Leader, campaigning as a reformer in the wake of several political scandals among Republican House members. After the November 2006 election, when the Republicans lost control of the House, he became the House Minority Leader. He remained in office and in 2011 was elected Speaker of the House
for the 112th Congress. Looking back on his involvement with the Gang of Seven, he has said "I think showing the American people that there are people willing to take a principled stand in Washington is a very good thing."
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, elected to serve in the 101st Congress in 1990. The group loudly condemned the House banking scandal
House banking scandal
The House banking scandal broke in early 1992, when it was revealed that the United States House of Representatives allowed members to overdraw their House checking accounts without risk of being penalized by the House bank ....
and the Congressional Post Office scandal
Congressional Post Office Scandal
The Congressional Post Office scandal refers to the discovery of corruption among various Congressional Post Office employees and members of the United States House of Representatives, investigated 1991–1995, climaxing in the conviction of House Ways and Means Committee chairman Dan...
, forcing the congressional leadership to address the issues by ensuring the incidents stayed in the media and public eye. The group also criticized other Congressional perks, such as congressional subsidies for the Capitol Barbershop and Senate Restaurant.
Two members of this group, Jim Nussle
Jim Nussle
James Allen "Jim" Nussle is an American politician and was the director of the Office of Management and Budget. Nussle was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2007...
and John Boehner
John Boehner
John Andrew Boehner is the 61st and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he is the U.S. Representative from , serving since 1991...
, were also key drafters of the Contract with America
Contract with America
The Contract with America was a document released by the United States Republican Party during the 1994 Congressional election campaign. Written by Larry Hunter, who was aided by Newt Gingrich, Robert Walker, Richard Armey, Bill Paxon, Tom DeLay, John Boehner and Jim Nussle, and in part using text...
, which along with the banking and post office scandals helped the Republicans take control
Republican Revolution
The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the media dubbed Republican Party success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate...
of the House in the 1994 elections.
Primary activities
The House banking scandalHouse banking scandal
The House banking scandal broke in early 1992, when it was revealed that the United States House of Representatives allowed members to overdraw their House checking accounts without risk of being penalized by the House bank ....
broke in early 1992, when it was revealed that the United States House of Representatives allowed members to overdraw their House checking accounts without risk of being penalized by the House bank (actually a clearinghouse
Clearing house (finance)
A clearing house is a financial institution that provides clearing and settlement services for financial and commodities derivatives and securities transactions...
). The House banking scandal ultimately involved more than 450 representatives, most of whom did not break any laws. Twenty-two congressmen and -women were singled out by the House Ethics Committee for leaving their checking accounts overdrawn for at least eight months out of a sample of 39 months.
The Congressional Post Office scandal refers to the discovery of corruption among various Congressional Post Office employees and members of the United States House of Representatives, investigated 1991–1995, climaxing in the conviction of House Ways and Means Committee chairman Dan Rostenkowski (D-IL). The Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
charges were largely ignored until July 1993, when the Congressional Postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
Robert Rota pleaded guilty to three criminal charges, implicating Representatives Dan Rostenkowski
Dan Rostenkowski
Daniel David "Dan" Rostenkowski was a United States Representative from Illinois, serving from 1959 to 1995. Raised in a blue-collar neighborhood on the Northwest Side of Chicago, Rostenkowski rose to become one of the most powerful legislators in Washington. He was a member of the Democratic Party...
(D-IL) and Joe Kolter
Joseph P. Kolter
Joseph Paul Kolter was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives for Pennsylvania.Joe Kolter was born in McDonald, Ohio. He graduated from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and served in the United States Army from 1944 to 1947...
(D-PA
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
). They were accused of heading a conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
to launder Post Office money through stamps and postal vouchers. Rostenkowski was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison, in 1995.
Members
The seven Representatives were:- John BoehnerJohn BoehnerJohn Andrew Boehner is the 61st and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he is the U.S. Representative from , serving since 1991...
(OH-08), currently serving (House Minority Leader 2007-2011; Speaker of the House since 2011) - Rick SantorumRick SantorumRichard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...
(PA-18), successfully ran for US Senate, defeated 2006 (Presidential Candidate 2012 election) - Charles H. TaylorCharles H. TaylorCharles Hart Taylor is an American politician; a Republican, he represented North Carolina's 11th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He began serving in 1991 and continued through January 3, 2007....
(NC-11), defeated 2006 - Frank RiggsFrank RiggsFrank D. Riggs is a politician from the states of California and Arizona.Riggs was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and he served in the United States Army from 1972 to 1975. Riggs worked as a police officer and in real estate...
(CA-01), retired - Jim NussleJim NussleJames Allen "Jim" Nussle is an American politician and was the director of the Office of Management and Budget. Nussle was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2007...
(IA-01), retired - Scott Klug (WI-02), retired
- John DoolittleJohn DoolittleJohn Taylor Doolittle , American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2009, representing . In the 109th Congress, he held a leadership role as the Deputy Whip for the Republican party in the House...
(CA-04), retired
Subsequent careers
Six of the seven are no longer in Congress; one successfully ran for higher office, one was defeated for re-election, and four retired.Rick Santorum was once considered a rising star in the Republican Party. He was the first of the Gang of Seven to run for higher office, and the only one who was successful, becoming the Junior US Senator from Pennsylvania in the Republican landslide of 1994. Santorum served two terms in the Senate and rose to the level of Senate Republican Conference Chairman before being defeated by State Treasurer Bob Casey
Bob Casey, Jr.
Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Jr. is the senior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as Pennsylvania Treasurer, and Pennsylvania Auditor General. He is the son of former Governor Bob Casey, Sr..He is the first Democrat elected to a full term in...
in 2006.
Charles Taylor remained in the House for 11 terms. He was defeated in 2006 losing to former NFL quarterback Heath Shuler
Heath Shuler
Joseph Heath Shuler is a businessman, a former NFL quarterback, and the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
.
Two retired from the House to run for higher office. Frank Riggs left his House seat after three terms in 1998 to run unsuccessfully for the US Senate seat held by Barbara Boxer
Barbara Boxer
Barbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives ....
. Jim Nussle retired in 2006 after eight terms to run for the open Iowa governor's seat but lost to Democratic candidate Chet Culver
Chet Culver
Chester John "Chet" Culver was the 41st Governor of Iowa, from 2007 to 2011. He was also elected as the Federal Liaison for the Democratic Governors Association for 2008-2009. He founded the Chet Culver Group, an energy sector consulting firm, in 2011.-Early life and education:Culver was born in...
. Nussle having served previously as the Chairman of the House Budget Committee was then selected to serve as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
The latter two retired to return to private life. Scott Klug chose to keep his initial campaign promise of only serving four terms and to refocus on his business. John Doolittle was tainted by involvement in the Jack Abramoff scandal and retired at the end of his ninth term in 2008.
Only Boehner currently remains in the House of Representatives. He served as House Republican Conference Chairman from 1995 to 1999, but he was ousted after the party lost five seats in the 1998 midterm elections, though the Republicans retained a majority. He was later Chairman of the Education and Labor Committee from 2001 to 2006. In February 2006, Boehner scored an upset victory over Roy Blunt
Roy Blunt
Roy D. Blunt is the junior United States Senator from Missouri. He is a member of the Republican Party. His Senate seat was previously held by Republican Kit Bond, until his retirement....
to become House Majority Leader, campaigning as a reformer in the wake of several political scandals among Republican House members. After the November 2006 election, when the Republicans lost control of the House, he became the House Minority Leader. He remained in office and in 2011 was elected Speaker of the House
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
for the 112th Congress. Looking back on his involvement with the Gang of Seven, he has said "I think showing the American people that there are people willing to take a principled stand in Washington is a very good thing."
See Also
- House banking scandalHouse banking scandalThe House banking scandal broke in early 1992, when it was revealed that the United States House of Representatives allowed members to overdraw their House checking accounts without risk of being penalized by the House bank ....
- Congressional Post Office scandalCongressional Post Office ScandalThe Congressional Post Office scandal refers to the discovery of corruption among various Congressional Post Office employees and members of the United States House of Representatives, investigated 1991–1995, climaxing in the conviction of House Ways and Means Committee chairman Dan...
- 101st United States Congress101st United States CongressThe One Hundred First United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1989 to January 3, 1991, during the first two...
External links
- Rick Hendersen, "The House Republican freshmen: always aggressive, sometimes obnoxious, hardly mono lithic" Reason Online.
- William McGurn, "Rubber congressmen - check bouncing scandal", National Review, April 13, 1992.