Press Release
House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) joined Speaker John Boehner, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, and leaders from both the House and Senate this morning at a ceremony in Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol to mark Nelson Mandela International Day.
Today, House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) and Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) applauded the Committee on Energy and Commerce on passage of the bipartisan School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act.
“In the wake of the Supreme Court’s disappointing ruling on Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, I am encouraged that the Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing to explore what steps the Congress can take to write a new preclearance formula to protect against discrimination and disenfranchisement.
"I join in congratulating Sec. Napolitano on her selection as the next President of the University of California system and thanking her for her service at the helm of the Department of Homeland Security over the past four years.
Once again, House Republicans are in disarray. Violating their own ‘three-day’ rule of posting legislation for all to read, they have announced a vote tomorrow on a controversial, 600-page Farm Bill that nobody has had a chance to read and that omits nutrition assistance funding for low-income families under the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP).
The fiscal year 2014 Energy and Water Appropriations bill that Republicans brought to the Floor this week takes the wrong approach to budgeting and slashes critical energy and water infrastructure investments, which is why I am opposing it.
“I am pleased that the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions approved the Employment Non-Discrimination Act today by a strong bipartisan vote of 15-7.
“Today, as I stood with the families of the nineteen fallen firefighters in Prescott Valley, Arizona, I joined in remembering their dedication, their courage, and their sacrifice as they fought to save their community from one of the region’s most devastating wildfires.
“Starting today, as a result of Congress’s failure to achieve a big and balanced solution to deficits, our national security and military readiness will be weakened as civilian workers are prevented from carrying out their important work because of furloughs.
“The Mid-Session Review released by the Office of Management and Budget this afternoon shows that the President’s budget proposal for FY2014 continues to be a serious approach to deficit reduction that will put America back on the path to fiscal stability.