Newt Gingrich led as speaker of the house with a commanding fist comparable to Joe “Czar” Cannon. The Republican party was unified in their commitment to fulfill their campaign promises with their constituents, and party leadership has continued to grow in strength ever since. The wake of the reforms in the Congress committees and the overall increase in cohesion of party ideology has led to an increase in the strength of party leadership. In order to see the light of day on the floor of Congress, legislation must be pushed through committees. That means the chairs of these committees wield an incredible amount of power in deciding which legislation will eventually be passed. During Gingrich’s time as Speaker, the Republicans set aside the
