 On 6 December 2006 she was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, defeating ministers Maria van der Hoeven of the Christian Democratic Appeal and Henk Kamp of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.She is the second female Speaker, after Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven, and the second Speaker elected in independent elections, after Frans Weisglas.Verbeet was reelected as Speaker on 22 June 2010, after the general elections of 9 June.