Press Release
Tomorrow, on Veterans Day, we honor and thank the generations of men and women whose sacrifices have made our freedom possible. We celebrate those veterans fortunate enough to return home to their families and neighbors—and we gratefully remember all those who cannot be with us, whether they are standing guard around the world, or whether they lost their lives in our nation’s service...
Over the past several days, I have talked to most of my Democratic colleagues in the House. I have received support from across the breadth of our Caucus to remain in the second ranking position of our Democratic leadership team. In order to defend and build on our Democratic accomplishments, unify our Caucus, and immediately begin the hard work of winning back the majority, I will be running for Democratic Whip.
Speaker Pelosi has announced that she will be running for Democratic Leader in the next Congress. In the days since the election, I have received an outpouring of support from Democratic colleagues who have told me that I should remain in our party’s leadership, so that our Caucus can hit the ground running with a strong, tested leadership team.
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer released the following statement today in recognition of President Obama signing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law one year ago:
"Today President Obama signed into law the Intelligence Authorization Act, the first one to become law in six years. This law will strengthen our national security, and its enactment today demonstrates Democrats' unyielding commitment to keeping our nation safe...
“Today’s employment report shows that our private sector added 64,000 jobs last month and that our private sector has grown every month of this year. The fact remains that far too many Americans are out of work...
“I want to thank General Jones for his service to his country as National Security Advisor. General Jones is a good friend who I have known and respected for years...
“Today, Minority Leader John Boehner demonstrated to the American people that Republicans have no new ideas, and instead would return to the exact same failed economic policies of the past...
“The promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act was to open the doors of opportunity in a country that prides itself on being the land of opportunity. Twenty years after the passage of the ADA, major advancements in technology now provide opportunities for greater accessibility – and pose new challenges - for individuals with hearing or visual impairments...
“Today's ruling is another step toward equality for gays and lesbians in the military who serve our nation with great honor. The ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell’ policy has already caused the dismissal of 13,500 servicemen and women, many with important skills and experiences that are needed to keep our military strong and our country safe..