# Hastert Rule The Hastert Rule is an informal practice — not a rule of the House — under which the Speaker declines to bring legislation to the floor unless it commands the support of a "majority of the majority" party, regardless of whether it could pass the full House with bipartisan votes. Named for Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL, 1999–2007), though the practice predates him under Newt Gingrich. It functions as an intra-party veto: a faction controlling half the majority caucus (about a quarter of the House) can block measures with majority chamber support. Speakers violate it selectively, typically for must-pass items like debt-ceiling increases and disaster aid. Documented in the [[How a Bill Becomes Law]] process map. See also [[Filibuster]] — the Senate's counterpart supermajoritarian chokepoint — and [[Freedom Caucus]], the bloc that most aggressively enforces majority-of-the-majority discipline.