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.
From the 200 teacher and aide jobs at risk to the 46,000 civilian Department of Defense employees who face furloughs, thousands of Marylanders will experience the painful impact of the extreme, arbitrary spending cuts imposed by the sequester.
Our families and businesses here in Maryland cannot afford inaction.
Republicans would have us return to our districts with nothing to show our constituents, notwithstanding the fact we have been here for six weeks this year, who are deeply concerned about how the sequester will make their lives more difficult and their communities less safe....
I join in saluting the men and women who have served our nation in uniform.
Today, I met with local defense contractors to continue working together to resolve the implementation of new directives that could impact our defense community.
In order to boost our economic competitiveness and help put more Marylanders back to work, we must continue building a highly-skilled workforce.
I was pleased to join the Indian Head community today for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a world-class facility that will support the important work they do.
As one of the school districts in our nation with the largest number of military-connected students, Im pleased St. Marys County Public Schools has received this $2.5 million grant from the Department of Defense.