Hoyer Remarks at Press Conference Following House Democratic Leadership Elections

WASHINGTON, DC – House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) spoke at a press conference today following House Democratic leadership elections for the 117^th Congress. Below is a transcript of his remarks:

“Thank you very much, Madam Speaker, and congratulations to you on your overwhelming re-nomination to be the Speaker of the House by the Democratic Caucus, which was based upon your performance over the years leading us so effectively.

“I am very honored, of course, to be re-elected as Majority Leader of the Democratic Party, the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives. The 117th Congress will have the leadership that you see in front of you on our side of the aisle, as well as some others to be elected tomorrow. It will be a leadership team that I think will be as successful, frankly, as I think the leadership team in the 116^th Congress was. We had a very, very successful term in the 116^th Congress as leadership. The product that we produced did not pass the Senate for the most part, and that’s to the detriment of the American people, to their health care, to their jobs, to their wages, and to the assistance they need in confronting COVID-19, on the health side or the economic side.

“We’re not through with the 116^th Congress yet, however, but I’m very hopeful that with the Speaker’s leadership and hopefully with the cooperation of Senator McConnell and others, we will pass a COVID-19 relief bill prior to December 11. I am very hopeful that we will pass an omnibus that will appropriate for all of the government to stay in operation without any kind of pause, without any kind of shutdown.

“Not only am I honored to be re-elected as Majority Leader, I am honored to serve with two people that I’ve known for a very, very long time. I mentioned in my acceptance speech that Nancy and I worked in Senator Brewster’s office together in 1964 and seeing how each one of us as attained the age of 52 – an extraordinary experience. [Laughs]

“And I’ve known Jim Clyburn since the ‘60s, when we were active in the Civil Rights Movement – Jim much more than I – and also when we were in the Young Democrats together. So, we’ve know each other for a very long time.

“Hakeem Jeffries, a younger Member but a dynamic Member and one of the best speakers in the country and a person that has brought great unity to our Caucus and great work ethic to our Caucus, [which] interpreted means he overworks us, but he keeps us focused.

“And Katherine Clark, as the Speaker indicated, has been in the leadership, she’s got a different hat on, but she’s going to be in the room in the leadership raising the kinds of issues that are critical to the American people. Katherine, congratulations to you.

“So I am pleased to look to the 117^th Congress, but I am focused on the 116^th Congress. We need to get work done for the American people that they need right now. And now, I want to yield to the person who counts the votes, but much more than that he gives inspiration to our Caucus, he gives us experience, he gives us history, he gives us a sense of purpose and of vision. Majority Whip in this Congress, Majority Whip in the next Congress, Jim Clyburn of South Carolina.”