SNL’S Chris Farley as Speaker Newt Gingrich: An Oral History

C-SPAN's The Weekly

If someone were to ask you: name your favorite moment in Congress involving a character from Saturday Night Live -- how would you respond?

There’s a good chance you would say it was this: Chris Farley – as Speaker Newt Gingrich – with Speaker Newt Gingrich –– August 4th, 1995 … It was the 100th day of the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives. And Chris Farley – dressed up as Newt Gingrich and doing a doing masterful and frenetic impression of the Speaker – in front of the entire Republican conference.

This month, SNL is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

At C-SPAN’s podcast “The Weekly,” we’re marking an additional anniversary -- 30 years since that iconic moment on Capitol Hill when Chris Farley showed up in Congress as Newt Gingrich.

What were the resolutions Newt Gingrich, er Chris Farley, introduced that day?

What did Chris Farley say about Democrats?

What did Newt Gingrich think of the impression?

And how hard did Chris Farley bang the speaker’s gavel on the podium?

Find out in the latest episode of C-SPAN’s podcast “The Weekly.”

It’s part 2 of our look back at the impact Saturday Night Live has had on the U.S. Congress.

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