Congressman Hoyer believes that a Member of Congress’s highest duty is to keep America safe, strengthen our national security, and protect our homeland from attack. He is a leader in Congress on national security issues, has advocated for smarter and stronger policies to step up the fight against terrorist organizations that would do us harm, and remains unwavering in his commitment to the members of our armed services. He is also a strong supporter of investing in programs that adequately equip our first responders for response to potential domestic attacks and increase protections at our ports and borders.
Congressman Hoyer has been the lead advocate for Southern Maryland’s military installations at the federal level and was instrumental in the BRAC process in preserving 9,000 jobs at Patuxent River Naval Air Station while adding over 5,000 new jobs; protecting 3,000 jobs at Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center; and securing the future of Webster Field, St. Inigoes. Hoyer has worked closely with the Southern Maryland Navy Alliance, the Indian Head Defense Alliance, the Patuxent Partnership, the Chambers of Commerce and local officials working to ensure that these three military installations are protected.
Congressman Hoyer is a strong advocate for our veterans, and has worked tirelessly to ensure that America’s veterans receive the respect, care, and benefits they earned through their service to our nation. While Congressman Hoyer has strongly supported historic increases in funding for the Veterans Administration, improving the quality and efficiency of care in our nation’s VA facilities, he is also a strong proponent of accountability in how the VA spends those resources.
Congressman Hoyer worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs Baltimore Regional Office on improving the claims process for Maryland veterans to ensure they receive their benefits in a timely manner and with fewer errors. He is also dedicated to eliminating homelessness among veterans. He worked to secure funding to assist nearly 200 veteran families who are homeless or at risk for homelessness in St. Mary's, Charles, and Calvert Counties. Additionally, he joined the Tri-County Council of Southern Maryland and other stakeholders to ensure an accurate count of the homeless population in the Fifth District, which was critical to receiving additional housing vouchers for homeless veterans.
Although the impact of sequestration will be felt over the coming weeks and months, the effects of these arbitrary, across-the-board spending cuts are already being felt here in Southern Maryland.
Maryland is proud to host world-class aerospace facilities like Goddard Space Flight Center, the Applied Physics Laboratory, NOAA, and Pax River Naval Air Station.
The Continuing Resolution passed by the House today does nothing to address the irrational cuts imposed by sequestration, which could be very harmful to our economy, our local defense community, and our national security over the coming weeks and months. While I do not believe we should allow our government to shut down and I would have liked to have voted for the defense funding included inthe package, this legislation did not stop the sequester or address the need to invest in our priorities in a thoughtful way.
The reckless, across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester could have a disproportionate impact on critical programs that serve our most vulnerable communities in Maryland and across the country.
Over the next few weeks and months, unless Congress takes action to replace sequestration, our national security will see severe reductions in funding, threatening jobs and impacting programs domestically and abroad.
As our economy continues to recover, Congress must remain focused on supporting sustained growth and job creation.
I know the automatic spending cuts known as sequestration, which could have a harmful impact on our economy and national security, are of great concern to our local defense community, including our contractors who support our men and women in uniform.
Unless Congress takes action, in just a few days, the irrational, automatic spending cuts imposed by sequestration will take effect. These cuts, which are arbitrary and do not reflect our national priorities, will harm our economy and our national security.
With less than a week until sequestration is set to take effect, we are calling on the House to take immediate action to prevent the irrational spending cuts it will impose, which could severely damage our economy and national security.