Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.)

Iraq and FISA

Hoyer is not afraid to vote for what he believes in, something that has gotten him into hot water with Democrats. The biggest point of contention with his colleagues was his initial support for the Iraq war.

In October 2002, Hoyer voted to authorize military action in Iraq with the goal of starting an independent democracy in the region, and he has consistently taken a more moderate view than his Democratic colleagues on the war.

In May 2007, he opposed much of his party in voting to provide funding for the war without requiring a timeline for U.S. withdrawal. He was also the lead Democratic negotiator for the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, empowering the attorney general and director of national intelligence to authorize electronic surveillance of terrorist suspects. Hoyer said he did not support giving immunity to telecommunications companies, a provision that was ultimately included in the final bill. But he argued that Democrats needed to cut a deal to avoid being accused of weakness on national security during the 2008 elections.

Despite Hoyer's reputation as a pro-war moderate, he worked with both Pelosi and Murtha to get Democrats to oppose President Bush's 2007 troop surge while continuing funding for the war. In recent years, Hoyer has become a more aggressive advocate of redeployment to begin bringing troops home and transfer more responsibility to Iraqi forces.

The Economy

Hoyer supported President Obama's first major legislative victory in February 2009 with the passage of an $787 billion economic stimulus package, despite the spending and tax cuts being scaled back by Senate leaders. But he reportedly urged Speaker Pelosi to stand up to Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) in future legislative battles and force those opposed to legislation to follow through on threats to filibuster.

In fall 2008, Hoyer's moderate views and fiscal conservatism put him in a difficult position. He reluctantly supported the Bush administration's $700 billion bailout package, saying he and other fiscally-conservative Democrats were angry about provisions to extend an array of tax breaks worth $100 billion. "Frankly, we really don't have much flexibility, and this is important to do," he said.

Hoyer worked hard to make sure the bill passed and criticized the Republican leadership for not contributing enough votes. He described the bill as "essential" while saying he had reservations about the magnitude of it.

The Budget and Trade

Hoyer is a staunch advocate of reducing the budget deficit and has called the Bush administration "the most fiscally irresponsible administration in history" because of its tax policies. "We have undermined our ability to invest in things that have a big payoff," he said.

Hoyer broke with most Democrats in 1995 to vote for President Clinton's balanced budget amendment and again in 2007 to vote against a patch for the alternative minimum tax (AMT), which taxes wealthy individuals but has increasingly hit the middle class. Hoyer voted against the patch, which would have raised the income level at which people were taxed, because the patch did not determine how to pay for the lost revenu. "It is a loss for the country if we don't pay for it," Hoyer told The Washington Post. "I think you are right to rake us over the coals for passing an unpaid-for AMT."

Locally, Hoyer has pushed for funding for the Chesapeake Bay cleanup, dredging of the bay for Baltimore harbor and more spending for the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., as a member of the Appropriations Committee.

As a believer in free trade, he supported the North American Free Trade Agreement, and has been an advocate of normal trade relations with China. He has also supported trade agreements with Chile, Singapore, Australia and Bahrain.

Health-Care Reform

Hoyer has been a bit coy about his positions on health care reform, but at a townhall meeting in September 2009, he came out forcefully in favor of the public option.

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