Issues

Congressman Hoyer knows that climate change is the existential threat facing current and future generations. He believes that we must take bold steps to address the worsening climate crisis, which is a threat to our environment, including the Chesapeake Bay; to public health; to our economy; and to our national security. He is focused on reducing carbon pollution, advancing renewable energy technologies, and improving energy efficiency, all of which will help families and businesses save money, spur innovation, create good-paying jobs, and improve public health.

Recent enactment of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will mean substantial investments in tackling the climate crisis and a cleaner, more sustainable environment for Marylanders. The infrastructure bill includes historic investments in transit and intercity passenger rail, the largest single investment in water infrastructure, and $238 million dollars to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. Complementing it, the Build Back Better Act includes $555 billion, and it would be the largest investment by any nation, in order to address the climate crisis. That legislation passed the House in November, and it is awaiting action by the U.S. Senate.

Congressman Hoyer introduced legislation that would curb carbon emissions from deforestation while helping the global community meet the goals of the Paris Climate Accord. H.R. 5830, the America Mitigating and Achieving Zero-emissions Originating from Nature for the 21st Century Act, or AMAZON21, will help end deforestation by 2030 around the world, support reforestation efforts in developing countries, protect the rights of women and indigenous peoples, and take additional steps to save our planet’s critical carbon sinks.

Congressman Hoyer strongly supports environmental standards that keep our land, air, and water clean. He has supported every major environmental bill since he was elected to Congress. He has also secured federal dollars to clean up the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent, Potomac, Anacostia, and St. Mary's Rivers, and he has worked to replenish the oyster population of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. In addition, Congressman Hoyer has been an advocate for the clean up of toxic PFAS chemicals in the Fifth District and brought H.R. 2467, the PFAS Action Act, to the House Floor to address these ‘forever chemicals’ in communities in Maryland and across the country.

Congressman Hoyer has also worked to protect Maryland’s open spaces and secured federal funds to add 8,000 acres to the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge, to expand and protect Piscataway Park, and to help acquire 6,000 acres in Charles County for the Douglas Point Project.

For Congressman Hoyer, ensuring that more Marylanders have access to affordable, quality health insurance coverage is a top priority. For the past decade, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has helped bring coverage to millions more Americans, significantly slowed the growth in costs, and brought an end to discriminatory practices that left many suddenly without coverage or access to care when they needed it most. That law, which Congressman Hoyer brought to the Floor as Majority Leader in 2010, ended the practice of denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions and banned annual and lifetime limits on health coverage benefits.

The COVID-19 pandemic made it clear why measures like the Affordable Care Act’s reforms are so critical to preserve and expand. Congressman Hoyer has fought vigorously to lower the cost of prescription drugs and strengthen the Affordable Care Act in Congress. He is focused on working with his colleagues and the Biden-Harris Administration to expand access to affordable health care to all Marylanders with the Build Back Better Act. This legislation will lower the cost of health care for Marylanders. It will make sure that no Marylander pays more than $35 a month for insulin and bring down the costs of prescription drugs by allowing Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs.

Congressman Hoyer knows that, for far too long, Black Americans have been denied equal and fair opportunities in our country and access to a better quality of life. He has continued to be a champion for fairness and equality for all. Having begun his public-service career advocating for fair housing for Black residents in Maryland, throughout his time in office Congressman Hoyer has worked closely with his colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus to advance legislation that ensures minority populations are fully enfranchised in Maryland and across our country while receiving equal treatment and equitable access to opportunities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the urgent need for addressing our country’s long-standing racial inequities, particularly in the economy and in public health. In addition to ensuring passage and enactment of critical COVID-19 emergency legislation to address these disparities, Congressman Hoyer has continued to advocate for an equitable response to this pandemic. He urged that data be collected so policymakers can fully understand how this pandemic has impacted African Americans and Latinos. When vaccines were distributed, Congressman Hoyer led the charge to secure the FEMA mass vaccination site at the Greenbelt Metro Station, ensuring that Prince George’s County residents, who statistically had lower vaccination rates, could access vaccines equitably and easily.

Congressman Hoyer has also been a leader on the national level to stamp out hatred and bigotry. Following demands for police accountability, Congressman Hoyer helped bring the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to the House Floor and twice secured its passage, affirming that Black Lives Matter. He has also worked to eliminate symbols of hate and bigotry in our United States Capitol and joined the fight to make lynching a federal hate crime. In the face of rising violence against Asian Americans, Congressman Hoyer helped secure passage of a resolution to denounce hate crimes specifically targeting these communities.