Press Releases
January 28, 2013
"Fixing our immigration system remains one of America's most pressing challenges, one that impacts our economy and the very foundation of the American Dream. I agree that we must approach this issue in a comprehensive way that both secures our borders and allows those who are already here a fair path to apply for citizenship. This is especially true for the many who came here as children, through no fault of their own, and seek to be a part of building our country's future.
January 28, 2013
"I was saddened to learn that Senator Harkin will be retiring at the close of the 113th Congress. He has been a tireless advocate for Iowa families and for opportunities for all Americans in his nearly four decades on Capitol Hill.
January 25, 2013
“I congratulate Denis McDonough on being named as the next White House Chief of Staff. As someone who has served President Obama since before his election in a variety of critical roles, he will bring to his new job a depth of experience. In his current position as Deputy National Security Advisor, Denis has been instrumental in achieving the President’s foreign policy goals and keeping our nation safe from a range of threats from abroad. I am confident that he will continue to provide President Obama with sound counsel and help him manage his Administration’s ongoing efforts to create jobs, address the challenge of our deficits, and protect our citizens from harm at home and overseas.
January 24, 2013
“I’m pleased by Secretary Panetta's announcement, in conjunction with the Joint Chiefs' decision, that women will be allowed to serve in combat roles. This is a long awaited change in policy, and reflects the fact that women have courageously served in our armed forces for years. As I said when the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy was repealed, our military is made stronger when it welcomes the service of all brave Americans willing to fight for their country. This is another step toward a fully inclusive military, and our nation will be better for it.”
January 23, 2013
Thank you very much Leader Pelosi and thank you for your leadership. I am very pleased to join Gwen Moore and one of the few males that is standing here with all these wonderful Members of Congress who are women – Chairman Conyers. I am proud to join in reintroducing the Violence Against Women Act in the 113th Congress.
January 23, 2013
Today, Rep. John Lewis (GA-5), House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5), Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn (SC-6), Rep. John Conyers (MI-13), and Rep. Robert Brady (PA-1) reintroduced the Voter Empowerment Act in the House of Representatives. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York introduced a companion version in the Senate. The Voter Empowerment Act will help ensure equal access to the ballot for every eligible voter, will modernize our voter registration system to help more Americans participate, and takes steps to eliminate deceptive practices and voter fraud that deter voters from casting their ballots.
January 16, 2013
“I am deeply disappointed that House Republicans once again will ask federal employees to give up their hard-earned pay because Congress cannot reach a balanced solution to deficits. Already, middle-class federal workers have contributed $103 billion toward deficit reduction through pay freezes and changes to retirement benefits – while other groups have not been asked to contribute. This is not the way to recruit and retain the top-notch federal workforce the American people deserve.
January 16, 2013
I join in thanking Secretary Ken Salazar for his service and leadership over the past four years. Under his stewardship, the Department of the Interior made enormous progress in the areas of natural resources conservation, federal land use management, and expanding opportunities for Native Americans. I was proud to have worked closely with him as Congress and the Administration completed work on the Cobell settlement to see justice served for Native American tribes whose trust assets were improperly managed. I also had the pleasure of working with Ken in 2009 to pass the most significant land conservation legislation in fifteen years, which set aside 2 million new acres of wilderness, established three new national parks, protected 1,000 miles of wild and scenic rivers, and designated the Baltimore Heritage Area in my home state of Maryland. Ken has been a faithful public servant and a voice for America’s rural communities, and I wish him well in his next endeavors.
January 16, 2013
“Today, President Obama and Vice President Biden outlined a series of steps to make our communities and children safer from gun violence. From a universal background check to a new ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, from new resources for law enforcement to new initiatives that help those with mental illness access the help they need, the President’s plan is a major step forward to address the epidemic of gun violence that has plagued our country in recent years.
January 14, 2013
“President Obama is right that there ought not be a debate over whether the United States should pay the bills it has already incurred. While the American people expect Democrats and Republicans to meet in good faith at the negotiating table to achieve a big and balanced solution to the challenge of deficit reduction, they will not tolerate any party playing partisan games with a possible default and further downgrade of our credit. America must live up to its obligations while seeking a more disciplined fiscal future. Democrats look forward to playing a positive role in this process in the weeks ahead.”
January 10, 2013
WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) praised the Government Printing Office (GPO) and the House Clerk for their recently announced efforts to modernize public access to House information and calling on other legislative branch entities to follow suit. GPO today announced that House bills for the 113th Congress are now available for bulk download in XML. The Office of the House Clerk announced earlier this week that House Floor summaries are also now available for bulk download in XML.
January 10, 2013
"I join in congratulating Jack Lew on his nomination as our next Secretary of the Treasury and thanking Tim Geithner for his steady leadership during a time of extraordinary economic challenges. Jack’s extensive public and private sector experience, his knowledge of both the fiscal and financial, will be an invaluable asset in this new role. He understands the economy and what makes it tick.
January 9, 2013
"As Secretary of Labor over the past four years, Hilda Solis has been a tireless advocate for job creation and workers' rights. I was privileged not only to serve with Hilda in the House but also to work closely with her during her stewardship of the Labor Department, where she was a key ally for Democrats as we developed and passed components of our Make It In America plan to grow our manufacturing sector. I join in thanking her for her exemplary service to our workers, their families, and all who work hard for a good job and the middle-class opportunities all Americans deserve."
January 4, 2013
“In the 113th Congress, we will continue to have an outstanding Whip team that, thanks to these new members, is more diverse than ever before," stated Democratic Whip Hoyer. "They reflect the diversity of our Caucus, bringing a wide range of views and perspectives to the table. Over the past two years, our Whip team has helped maintain unity in our Caucus on a number of votes important to protecting our middle class and creating opportunities that lead to good jobs and a higher quality of life for all Americans. I look forward to working closely with the new and returning Chief Deputy Whips to bring Democrats from different segments of our Caucus together as we pursue our shared goal of helping grow America’s middle class and moving our country forward.”
January 4, 2013
“I am encouraged by the jobs numbers for December released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics today, which show that our economy added 168,000 private sector jobs last month. While we continue to move in the right direction, we must remain focused on taking action to support economic growth and job creation. As the 113th Congress begins, Democrats and Republicans have an opportunity to come together to build on these gains and help more Americans get back to work.
January 3, 2013
"It is vital that the voices of the 5 million Americans represented by delegates and the Resident Commissioner in the U.S. House of Representatives are heard in our legislative process," stated Democratic Whip Hoyer. "By changing the House rules to silence these voices in the 112th Congress and again in this new Congress, House Republicans are doing a disservice to our greatest traditions of political inclusion and common-sense, democratic principles. I strongly urge them to reconsider and to allow the Delegates and Resident Commissioner to vote in the Committee of the Whole House."
January 3, 2013
“With the swearing-in of the 113th Congress today, I am hopeful that the House can refocus on the issues that matter to our constituents: creating middle-class jobs, reducing deficits, and keeping Americans safe. After two years of the least-productive Congress in modern history, with little progress made on our most pressing national challenges, the 113th Congress must do better. This means doing more to help our businesses compete, expand, and create well paying jobs through House Democrats’ Make It In America plan. It also means getting serious about restoring fiscal discipline to Washington in a way that ends uncertainty for businesses and families by ceasing to lurch from one crisis to the next without significant progress. We can and must do better, and a spirit of bipartisanship ought to guide us forward to achieve real results for the American people.
January 2, 2013
"While I remain disappointed that the House Republican leadership did not allow a vote on the Hurricane Sandy supplemental legislation last night, I am relieved that Speaker Boehner has agreed to move forward with a vote on flood insurance this week. It is unfortunate that the Speaker has decided to wait two weeks before having the House vote to approve the bulk of the relief for victims of Sandy, but we will hold him to that promise so that families and business-owners have assurance that help is on its way.
January 2, 2013
“The report released this morning by the Institute for Supply Management shows new gains for America’s manufacturing sector, including in sector employment, and confirms that manufacturing remains a bright spot in our economic recovery. After a brief contraction in November, manufacturing grew once more last month, and the December 2012 report confirms that our economy overall continued to expand for the 43rd consecutive month.
January 2, 2013
“I was shocked last night and deeply saddened that we didn't put the [Hurricane Sandy] relief bill that was passed through the United States Senate in a very strong bipartisan vote on the [House] Floor last night...”
January 1, 2013
“Today House Republicans continued their attack on hardworking federal employees by bringing to the Floor a bill that would extend the pay freeze on civilian federal employees for another year. I strongly oppose such a move – which, fortunately, has no chance of passing the Senate – because middle-class federal employees have already contributed nearly $90 billion toward deficit reduction through reduced pay and pension benefits at a time when other groups have not been asked to contribute.
January 1, 2013
"Thank you very much, Madam Leader. The 112th Congress has about 46 hours left to go. This Congress unfortunately has been most known for an unwillingness to compromise, an unwillingness to come together to act on behalf of the American people.
January 1, 2013
"On this day, 150 years ago, our nation took a major step forward toward ending the evils of slavery and achieving the new birth of freedom which President Abraham Lincoln promised. When the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on New Year's Day in 1863, it ushered in a new American era that brought the country closer to the ideals of its founders. I join in celebrating this important anniversary and all that we have achieved as a nation - through struggle and sacrifice - to build on that proclamation by making our union more perfect through greater equality, inclusion, and equal opportunity for all our people."
December 28, 2012
"President Obama is correct: the time for immediate action to avert the fiscal cliff is here. If Congress does not act, in just a few days middle class families will see their taxes go up, arbitrary spending cuts will begin to take effect, and a number of additional critical items like unemployment insurance will go unaddressed. ...
December 27, 2012
“We could be considering [the Senate] bill today and passing it so every working American and indeed every American would know that their taxes would not increase on the first $200,000 [for] individuals, or $250,000 as families. One hundred percent of Americans would not get a tax increase on that income. We could be working on that and passing it today.”
