Steny Hoyer

Steny Hoyer is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Maryland's 5th congressional district since 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he has held several top leadership positions, including House Majority Leader and House Majority Whip. Hoyer is known as a pragmatic legislator and a key ally of speakers like Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner.

Early life and education

Steny Hoyer was born in New York City and raised in New Rochelle, New York. He attended Suitland High School in Prince George's County, Maryland, after his family relocated. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he was student body president. Hoyer subsequently received a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.. His early political involvement included serving as president of the Young Democrats of Maryland and working as an aide to U.S. Senator Daniel Brewster.

U.S. House of Representatives

Hoyer was first elected to the United States Congress in a 1981 special election to succeed the ailing Gladys Spellman. He quickly gained a seat on the influential House Appropriations Committee. Hoyer was elected Democratic Caucus Chairman in 1989. He served as House Minority Whip from 2003 to 2007 and again from 2011 to 2019. Following the 2006 elections, he became House Majority Leader under Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a role he held until 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023 following the 2018 Democratic takeover. He stepped down from elected leadership after the 2022 elections.

Political positions and legislation

Hoyer is considered a centrist or New Democrat, often working on bipartisan legislation. He was a principal author of the Help America Vote Act of 2002. He played a key role in passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Affordable Care Act, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. A strong supporter of the Israel-U.S. relationship, he co-founded the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus. He has also been a leading advocate for Chesapeake Bay restoration funding and was instrumental in establishing the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Electoral history

Hoyer has consistently won re-election in his Southern Maryland district, which includes Prince George's County, Charles County, and parts of Anne Arundel County. His most competitive primary challenge came in 1992 from former Representative Roy Dyson. In the 2008 election, he faced a well-funded challenge from Republican Jimmy Charles Lollar but won decisively. He has routinely received endorsements from major labor unions like the AFL–CIO and the Maryland State Education Association.

Personal life

Hoyer was married to Judith Hoyer from 1962 until her death in 1997; the Judith P. Hoyer Early Child Care Centers are named in her honor. He has three daughters. A member of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, Hoyer is an avid reader of history. His daughter Stefany Hoyer served as a staffer for the House Committee on Appropriations. In 2021, he was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer and successfully underwent treatment at the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

Category:1939 births Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives