Media

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded Maryland with nearly $40 million under the Emergency Homeowner Loan Program, to help responsible families who are at risk of foreclosure due to involuntary unemployment, underemployment, or a medical condition, pay their mortgages and stay in their homes while they seek employment.

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) and Congressman Michael E. McMahon (NY-13) joined colleagues in introducing the National Blue Alert Act of 2010, which would encourage the creation and integration of "Blue Alert" plans by State and local governments, and law enforcement agencies across the country. The Blue Alert system would operate like the "Amber Alert" system currently used to locate abducted children, and would provide the means to speed the apprehension of violent criminals who seriously injure or kill local, state, or federal law enforcement officers.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) and Marylands Secretary of Veterans Affairs Edward Chow, Jr., joined residents and staff from Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, and community leaders for a meeting and tour of the VA community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC) in Southern Maryland, and for a discussion on the health care needs of Southern Maryland Veterans.

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) spoke on the House Floor during the second Special Order Hour of the night to discuss Sudan and the upcoming referendum on independence for Southern Sudan. Congressman Hoyer has long been engaged on this issue, and led a bipartisan Congressional Delegation to Sudan in 2007 to meet with Sudanese government and Government of Southern Sudan officials and legislators...

In our work to recover from the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes, small businesses play a very important role. They are our economys job-creating engine: over the past year, 64% of new jobs came from small businesses. Keeping small businesses growing and creating jobs is essential to our recovery.

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) announced that starting on Thursday, September 23rd, key patient rights and protections included in the health insurance reform law will begin to take effect. The new "Patients Bill of Rights" is designed to put Maryland families and their doctors not the health insurance companies back in charge of their health care.

In fewer than four months, Southern Sudan will hold a referendum on independence, which was guaranteed by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The C.P.A. ended Africas bloodiest civil war, a war which took almost 2 million lives and displaced 4 millionyet the risk of descending into war again seems all too real.

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) reminded service members whose service was extended under stop loss orders in Iraq and Afghanistan that they have until October 21, 2010 to apply for retroactive pay. Troops eligible for retroactive pay will receive $500 a month for each month their service was extended. The Department of Defense estimates that 145,400 troops are eligible. However, only 58,000 claims have been paid out thus far.