Press Release

We are also helping American families keep more of their hard-earned money through increased  energy savings.  Ambitious vehicle fuel economy standards set last year will cut oil consumption by 12 billion barrels and save American families $1.7 trillion over the next ten years.  The announcement today by the President of a $30 million investment in adavanced energy research is good news for middle class families and American businesses that rely on cars and trucks each day, because it represents another important step forward toward ensuring us access to the affordable energy that will drive our prosperity for generations. Today’s announcement will help us harness the most important resource of all: American ingenuity.

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) discussed the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hearing on women's health and Democrats' focus on job creation today on MSNBC Live. See below for excerpts and a link to the video.

Sustaining our economic recovery depends on American businesses, especially manufacturers, remaining globally competitive and able to continue investing in innovation and job growth.  The President's proposal would lower the business tax rate by broadening the base through elimination of those loopholes that distort business decision making.  It also goes hand in hand with House Democrats' Make It In America comprehensive jobs plan by providing incentives for manufacturing and research that will help us retain our role as the world's innovation leader.  When we help manufacturers make their products here in America, it in turn helps create opportunities for more of our people to Make It In America.

“President Obama announced a series of new actions today that will help make U.S. manufacturers more competitive and boost exports.  I agree with the President that reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank is critical so we can make sure that America’s manufacturers have the financing they need to sell their goods all over the world and create jobs here at home, and I strongly support prompt passage of legislation reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank.  I also applaud the President’s commitment to use existing authority to aggressively counter foreign non-competitive financing from foreign governments that gives foreign manufacturers an unfair edge.

I am very disappointed that the proposed UI extension will be paid for by increasing the retirement contributions made by new federal workers. When we work to protect the middle class, it is only right to protect them all, and federal workers are hardworking Americans who have already contributed $60 billion to deficit reduction over the next decade. Our deficit problems were not created by these men and women, and they will not be solved by only asking them to contribute. If we are going to address our deficit in a big, bold and balanced way, we must look beyond just federal workers and ask others to share in the contributions our deficit problems demand.

Today, President Obama laid out his budget proposal for the next fiscal year, and I am pleased that it places a strong emphasis on investments in education, innovation, and infrastructure.  His budget builds on the blueprint he laid out during his State of the Union address last month – a blueprint that reflects the core commitment to job creation and the middle class in House Democrats’ Make It In America jobs plan.  Manufacturing will be key to our long-term recovery, and I am glad that the President’s budget includes provisions that will help us remain the world’s manufacturing leader and a place where innovation fuels the creation of middle class jobs for years to come.

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) discussed Republicans’ lack of a jobs plan and the need to extend payroll tax cuts, unemployment insurance and the Medicare physician payment rate before they expire on The Bill Press Show today.

Today’s report showed our economy added 257,000 private sector jobs in January, lowering our unemployment rate to 8.3%.   While it is a welcome sign that the pace of hiring has increased, and our economy experienced the twenty-third month of consecutive private sector job growth, 13 million Americans remain out of work and looking for jobs as we continue our still fragile recovery.