Press Release
“Today’s remarks by the President underscore both the enormous progress we have made over the past four years toward economic recovery as well as how much more work remains in order to restore economic security for the middle class and those striving to reach the middle class. While our markets are doing well, jobs are being created each month, and the housing market is in recovery, too many Americans remain out of work, and many middle-class families are still struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living.
House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) announced the winners of the 2013 Member Online All-Star Competition today. See below for the list of Members, Committees, and Caucuses that have been named 2013 Online All-Stars.
House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) today introduced a resolution calling for Congress and President Obama to fill the vacancies on the Election Assistance Commission, a bipartisan board that provides advice and counsel to states on best practices to carry out their elections and critical assistance to local election officials.
“We ought to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – but do it in a way that helps more children succeed in school and graduate prepared for college or a career. However, instead of promoting student success, this bill will leave more children behind – and it will leave our economy behind as well by undermining our ability to train and secure a highly skilled and competitive workforce for the twenty-first century.
“In Seneca Falls, New York, 165 years ago, a group of women and men came together to declare to our nation and the world that women would no longer be silenced by society, cut off from representation in government, or kept from participating fully in our economy.
“I join in marking 45 years since the first Special Olympics were held at Chicago’s Soldier Field in 1968. Originally the vision of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and taking inspiration from the summer camps she and her family ran at their home starting in 1962, the Special Olympics movement has brought dignity and opportunity to people with intellectual disabilities throughout the country and around the world.
“I am pleased that the Senate has confirmed Gina McCarthy as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency with a bipartisan vote of 59-40. In her more than twenty-five years of service to the people of this country, Ms. McCarthy has worked at both the state and federal levels developing and implementing policies aimed at protecting the environment while encouraging economic growth and greater energy efficiency.
“To build and sustain a strong middle class, we must take steps to empower women as leaders and full participants in our economy. America’s success depends on economic security for every family and individual, especially women who serve not only as primary caregivers, but increasingly as primary breadwinners.
“I am glad the President highlighted the savings middle-class families are experiencing as a result of the Affordable Care Act. The health care law is already putting money back in the pockets of millions of Americans, including the 8.5 million who received rebates in 2012 from insurers under the new rule that 80% of premium dollars must be spent on care and not on administrative costs or overhead. In my home state of Maryland alone, 150,000 people received these rebates, with an average of $143 per family.
“I am pleased that the Senate took the important step today of confirming Tom Perez as our country’s next Secretary of Labor. As our economic recovery continues, America’s workers will benefit from a Labor Department with the dynamic leadership I know Secretary Perez will bring.