Press Release

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.

“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. 

“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.”   

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.  

"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.

"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."

“In the 113^th 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.”