Dennis Hastert served as a congressman.
John Dennis Hastert ( [ ˈhæstərt ] born January 2 , 1942 ) is an American former congressman who served as the 51st Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007 , representing from 1987 to 2007 . He was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1986 , and re-elected every subsequent election until he retired in 2007 . The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives .