National Security & Veterans

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.

A Navy Day Salute to Southern Maryland's Bases

Already, in the first eight months of the 110th Congress, the new majority has followed through with our pledge to honor the nations commitment to our veterans, stated Rep. Hoyer. "For the first time in years the Congress has provided the VA with the requisite funding to fulfill our nations obligation to Americas servicemen and women, their families, and our veterans. These proud men and women to which we owe so much have fulfilled their duties bravely and honorably, and they deserve nothing less than the support of a nation that recognizes the heroic deeds they have undertaken to protect and promote the freedoms all Americans enjoy."________________________________________________________________________

Hoyer Statement on Signing of Landmark College Aid Bill

WASHINGTON, DC Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) issued the following statement below on President George W. Bushs signing of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act.________________________________________________________________________

Hoyer & House VA Committee Chairman Meet with Maryland Veterans

WALDORF, MD At the VFW Post 8810, in Waldorf on Saturday, September 8, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) hosted a Veterans Luncheon with the Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Congressman Bob Filner (D-CA), and leaders of the veterans community from across the State of Maryland.________________________________________________________________________

Hoyer Hails Passage of Landmark College Aid Bill

WASHINGTON, DC The U.S. House today approved final legislation to reduce the cost of college for thousands of Maryland students and their families by boosting the Pell Scholarship and cutting student loan rates in half.________________________________________________________________________

September 11: A Nation Remembers, A Nation Recovers

On this, the sixth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, our nation pauses once again to remember the innocent men, women and children who senselessly perished that dark day.________________________________________________________________________

House Passes Single Largest Investment in College Aid Since GI Bill, Including $204 Million for Maryland Students & Families

In 1944, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the GI Bill into law, launching the greatest government led initiative in our nations history to invest in higher or continuing education. The original law enabled 7.8 million veterans of World War II to participate in education or job training programs and is credited for its redeeming impact on the post-war national economy and in building a sustained American middle-class.________________________________________________________________________

Hoyer, House Pass Single Largest Investment in College Aid Since GI Bill, Including $204 Million for Maryland Students & Families

WASHINGTON, DC Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) today voted to approve legislation that would make the single largest investment in college financial aid since the 1944 GI Bill, with $204 million to help Maryland students and families pay for college and doing so at no new cost to U.S. taxpayers.________________________________________________________________________

Hoyer, Senator Cardin & Rep. Sam Johnson Introduce Bipartisan Bill

WASHINGTON On the 57th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) today introduced bipartisan legislation to grant a federal charter to the Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA), a non-profit fraternal veterans organization.________________________________________________________________________