He was speaker of the House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999 . He is known for bringing in the `` Republican Revolution '' in the House because his political party , the Republican Party , or GOP , after 40 years of the Democratic Party dominating Congress . In 1995 , Time magazine selected him as the Person of the Year for his role in leading the Republican Revolution in the House , ending 40 years of the Democratic Party being in the majority .