Hoyer Holds Telephone Town Hall Meeting With More Than 3,800 5th CD Constituents

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) held his second telephone town hall on the evening of Tuesday, September 25, with the participation of more than 3,800 constituents from the 5th Congressional District. During the 45-minute town hall session, Rep. Hoyer gave an update on recent Congressional action and addressed a variety of questions, ranging in topic from local traffic congestion to the war in Iraq.

"As the Representative of Maryland's 5th Congressional District, it is among my highest priorities to provide opportunities to speak with and listen to the citizens I represent," stated Rep. Hoyer. "I was pleased with the overwhelming response to my telephone town hall, which proved once again the power of this technology to connect citizens with their elected representatives."

Utilizing a relatively new computer-generated conference call technology, the telephone town hall - which operates like a large-scale conference call - takes a modern approach to the traditional town hall meeting. The technology has quickly become popular among Members of Congress looking for ways to enhance constituent communications and engage citizens who might not otherwise be able to attend a town hall meeting.

"I know that family, work, school, and other obligations often make it difficult for people to come to a town hall meeting, which is why I have begun to conduct these meetings by phone, so people can participate without leaving the comfort of their own homes," stated Rep. Hoyer. "I am appreciative of all those who took time out of their evening to participate in the meeting. Our ongoing dialogue is an essential part of the process and very informative for me."

In his opening remarks, Rep. Hoyer highlighted the accomplishments of the 110th Congress: "The 9/11 Commission recommendations to strengthen the homeland have been enacted into law, the minimum wage increase has taken effect, we have made the largest investment in college student aid in 60 years, and we are changing the Iraq debate in a critical way. And – I am pleased to report - we are nearing completion on other key issues, such as energy independence, children's healthcare, and help for homeowners caught in the subprime mortgage crisis."

Rep. Hoyer also touched on one of the core issues of the new Congressional majority - fiscal responsibility: "We are making these investments within a budget that works to reverse years of record deficits and exploding debt and that restores fiscal discipline once again to Washington. The new majority in Congress has shown and will continue to show in deed, not just word, that we are serious about fiscal responsibility. We are serious about moving forward with the people's business. And we are serious about moving this country in a new direction."

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