Congress

“Today, the United States lost a great statesman and decorated war hero.  As a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Daniel K. Inouye gave his right arm in service to his country during World War II in an action that earned him the Medal of Honor.  He then continued to give America every measure of his energy, his wisdom, and his devotion through public service. 

For residents of areas affected by Hurricane Sandy, additional assistance to continue recovery efforts cannot come soon enough. The emergency aid package requested today by the Obama Administration will help communities in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and neighboring states get back on their feet.

Today House Republican leaders released the legislative schedule for 2013. We must use these scheduled days wisely - not to pursue partisan agendas, but to work together on behalf of the American people. Our nation still faces a number of challenges that we will need to continue addressing next year. We must remain focused on creating jobs, growing the economy, and pursuing a responsible, balanced plan to reduce the deficit. I hope we will set politics and partisanship aside and work together to keep our country moving forward.

I am deeply honored to have been elected by the Democratic Members of the 113th Congress to serve another term as our party’s Whip. Our Caucus’s strength comes both from its diversity and from our unity as we stand up for the values of fairness and equality we share as Democrats. 

For 17 years, Jesse Jackson, Jr. has been a dedicated public servant and a tireless advocate for the people of Chicago. He has made a real difference in his community and across the country, fighting for important issues such as minority health and voting rights. I wish him well and continue to keep him, Sandi, and their family in my thoughts and prayers.

I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Senator Warren Rudman this week. Our nation has lost an extraordinary man of integrity who often worked across the aisle in order to address our country’s most pressing challenges. Throughout his career, he was committed to fiscal responsibility and worked with both parties to make the tough choices necessary to bring down our deficits and balance the budget. As we work to restore fiscal responsibility, Rudman’s legacy serves as an important reminder of what we can accomplish when we put country before party and work together to confront our budget challenges. I join in mourning his passing, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.

"Over the past few days, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with many of my colleagues, and I appreciate the support I’ve received from them to remain Democratic Whip. I look forward to working with Leader Pelosi as we keep our Caucus united and continue our efforts to return to the majority. Democrats will work to find common ground where we can so that we can create jobs, strengthen the middle class, and pursue responsible deficit reduction and fiscal balance. As Democratic Whip, I will continue to work with all the Members of our Caucus to get things done for the American people."

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) and the House Democratic Caucuses announced jointly today that they have launched a new resume bank at democraticwhip.gov/resumes where members of the public can submit resumes that will be viewable by all new and existing House Democratic offices. For the large freshman class of Democrats that will be joining the 113th Congress, this will be a useful tool as they set up their offices and hire staff members.