Hoyer Remarks at Press Conference on GOP's “Do-Nothing” Cong

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Hoyer Remarks at Press Conference on GOP's “Do-Nothing” Congress


WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) delivered remarks at a press conference today on House Republicans' “do-nothing” Congress. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:
“The 112th Congress, so far, has been truly a ‘do-nothing Congress.’ When comparing this year to the year Democrats took over the House in 2007, the numbers speak for themselves.
“This year, Republicans passed 165 bills, and 62 were signed into law. In 2007, Democrats passed 478 bills, with 131 signed into law. That is more than double the number under Republicans this year. Of course, those laws were signed by George W. Bush, a Republican president, and we were able to work with him and with Republicans to make progress for our country as Americans expect us to do.
“As the Leader has said, it is not just a difference in quantity but also in substance. The bills we have seen this year, have not addressed the serious challenges we face as a nation.
“The most disappointing statistic from this Congress is zero. That is the number of jobs bills the Republicans have put forward or called up for consideration. Democrats have proposed our Make It In America plan, which would create jobs right away for working families and invest in our economy over the long term. We passed six Make It In America bills under the last Congress, and they have helped us make progress, but we still need to do more. Instead, we have been engrossed in a year of manufactured crises, with multiple threats of a government shutdown and an increase of uncertainty for businesses and our markets as a result of the debt-ceiling held hostage this summer.
“That said, Democrats are still committed to working with our Republicans colleagues to restore the American Dream. We believe in the American Dream. We are the party of the American Dream and enabling more of our people to achieve it. We want to do it by building ladders of opportunity and tearing down barriers to success for those willing to work hard, play by the rules, and take responsibility. This means strengthening the middle rungs and widening them to help more of our people make it in America. It means a focus on manufacturing and doing what we need to do to out-build, out-innovate, and out-educate our overseas competitors.
“The clock is ticking on a number of items that will help us do so, and I hope we can find a way to work together to strengthen the middle class as we move into the next session of Congress.”



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