Post by bot on Nov 18, 2014 22:25:57 GMT -5
Hoyer Remarks at Press Conference on House Democratic Caucus Leadership Elections
WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) delivered the following remarks today at a press conference following leadership elections within the House Democratic Caucus:
“Thank you very much, Madam Leader. Congratulations on your re-election. Congratulations to all of my colleagues on the expression of confidence the Caucus has given to all of you. I look forward to working closely with you. It was a tough election for the American people. The American people are apprehensive – a lot of angst about their future – and 435 of us share two things in common: a) we are all Americans; b) we have been sent here by our neighbors to make America work better. We have that responsibility.
“This leadership team will respond in a postive way to working together to build an economy that provides jobs for all of our people, so that all of our people, as you’ve heard me say so often, can make it in America.
“This 113th Congress has some work it still needs to do. We need to pass an omnibus appropriations bill. We need to pass a defense authorization bill to meet our challenge abroad. We need to pass the terrorism risk insurance bill so that construction can move forward on a number of projects. And we need to do other things as well to make sure that they do not lapse, tax extenders being one of them, so we give confidence to the economy so it can grow and can create more jobs.
“Leader Pelosi pointed out absolutely correctly: we are in far, far better shape today than we were in January 2009 when President Obama became President. But we are not where the American people want us to be, and we are not where we want to be. Therefore, we are going to work very, very hard to get there.
“I look forward to working with our Republican colleagues and seeking compromise and forward movement where we can find it. I would urge my Republican colleagues and urge my Democratic colleagues not to allow that on which we cannot agree to undermine that on which we can agree. That is what our American people expect of us; that’s what they want of us. And if we do that, we will re-instill the confidence in the Congress that our people ought to have and want to have.”
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