Steny H. Hoyer
Representative for Maryland · Democratic · United States
“The fact of the matter is that my friend mentioned a Chamberlain moment or a Churchill moment. Let me suggest to you that if we believe the enemy in this case is Trump, it will be a Chamberlain moment.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, my friend, who cosponsored the Ukraine Support Act with me. I am sorry that the Senate won't pass that bill, and I am sorry the President won't sign that bill. The President will sign this bill. This is something we can do. I rise in very strong support of the passage of this legislation.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“A firefighter right out of high school, Kenny was forced into early retirement because of a midcareer injury, but Kenny couldn't walk away from the cause he loved. For 37 years, he served in elected leadership roles in the International Association of Fire Fighters, including as its president.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“On behalf of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus leadership, I extend my condolences to his son, Ken Jr.; his sister, Karen Hallman; and his entire family.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“It was never Congress' intent in writing the ADA that accommodating people with disabilities should be used as an excuse to limit Americans' right to vote, just as it should not be issuing a rule penalizing Americans with disabilities for living at home with their families and caregivers and slashing Medicaid funding, upon which so many i…”
House of Representatives21 July 2026Source ↗
“Among the findings expressly listed in the text of the ADA was that, ``Society has tended to isolate and segregate individuals with disabilities, and, despite some improvements, such forms of discrimination against individuals with disabilities continue to be a serious and pervasive social problem,'' according to the Olmstead case.”
House of Representatives21 July 2026Source ↗
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“I disagree with the President, but I agree strongly that it is time for the Members of this House to stand up and say to Russia: You will not continue with this without our adverse action. Mr. Speaker, this is an anti-Russia/pro-Ukraine bill. Let us pass it.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“The fact of the matter is that my friend mentioned a Chamberlain moment or a Churchill moment. Let me suggest to you that if we believe the enemy in this case is Trump, it will be a Chamberlain moment. If we vote for this bill, it will be a Churchill moment because we will tell the President he needs to do something that he doesn't want to do. He may not do it, and we can't force him to do it--I would like to force him to do it--but we can say to him to do it because the Congress wants to do it. We have been unanimous on this side, and the Republicans have had the majority of votes on your side almost every time we voted to support Ukraine. If we fail to pass this bill, there will be cheers in the Kremlin and tears in Kyiv. This is a moment when we stand up and say where we are. We can't control where the President is.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“I disagree with my dear friend that it opens up any country. France just endorsed this bill within the last 24 hours. They would be one of those countries subject to adverse action. We must pass this bill because if we do not pass this bill--”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, my friend, who cosponsored the Ukraine Support Act with me. I am sorry that the Senate won't pass that bill, and I am sorry the President won't sign that bill. The President will sign this bill. This is something we can do. I rise in very strong support of the passage of this legislation. I am, very frankly, in disagreement with the people who have spoken about giving Trump this unfettered power. Trump believes he has unfettered power right now without this bill or any action by the House of Representatives. That is an irrelevant argument. Three-quarters of the Democrats and 87 Members of the Senate--it was 86 votes but McConnell is back--believe that it simply limits to those who are aiding Russia's war effort to additional tariffs under this bill.”
House of Representatives16 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, during Roll Call Vote No. 295 on H.R. 4795 I mistakenly recorded my vote as NAY when I should have voted YEA. ____________________”
House of Representatives3 September 2026Source ↗
“On behalf of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus leadership, I extend my condolences to his son, Ken Jr.; his sister, Karen Hallman; and his entire family. Kenny's wife sadly passed away after 61 years of marriage last year, and their beloved daughter, Michelle, who sang so beautifully at the annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service that so many Members have attended, lost her battle to cancer in 2020. May Kenny's memory be a blessing and comfort to all who serve on the fire line and the emergency response teams. ____________________”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“A firefighter right out of high school, Kenny was forced into early retirement because of a midcareer injury, but Kenny couldn't walk away from the cause he loved. For 37 years, he served in elected leadership roles in the International Association of Fire Fighters, including as its president. Kenny was the longest-serving elected official in the union's history, recipient of the District of Columbia's Silver Medal for Valor, and the IAFF's unofficial press secretary. He valued service to others and love of community and country, and both of these informed his work as a firefighter and as an organizer. As I noted at the dedication ceremony naming the IAFF Local 36 building in his honor, his hallmark was a profound care for his local members, their families, and the quality of training needed to keep our communities and firefighters safe.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“We cannot turn the clock back to the time before the ADA, when those with disabilities were ostracized, isolated, and locked away. I am proud of the part I played in changing that. All of us should be proud that this institution came through and delivered in both promise and practice. Let us continue to do so today. ____________________”
House of Representatives21 July 2026Source ↗
“It was never Congress' intent in writing the ADA that accommodating people with disabilities should be used as an excuse to limit Americans' right to vote, just as it should not be issuing a rule penalizing Americans with disabilities for living at home with their families and caregivers and slashing Medicaid funding, upon which so many in the disability community rely. I certainly hope statements like this one--from someone who was intimately involved in the writing of the ADA and stated from the floor--will serve as a reminder of the legislative intent of the ADA and of the Congress: It is truly all about nondiscrimination, public accommodation, equal access, and, yes, integration as much as possible within communities.”
House of Representatives21 July 2026Source ↗
“Among the findings expressly listed in the text of the ADA was that, ``Society has tended to isolate and segregate individuals with disabilities, and, despite some improvements, such forms of discrimination against individuals with disabilities continue to be a serious and pervasive social problem,'' according to the Olmstead case. The Department of Justice is wrong and ought to retract its new guidance to States and communities. At the same time, we have also seen the Trump administration use disability rights as an excuse to undermine ballot access and trample on the Help America Vote Act, which I also had the honor of sponsoring. The same principle just outlined about Olmstead applies here as well.”
House of Representatives21 July 2026Source ↗
“Unlike when we speculate on what our Founders' intent was in paraphrasing certain parts of our Constitution, when it comes to laws enacted 36 years ago, we can go right to the source. Let me be absolutely and unambiguously clear, as the House sponsor of the ADA: An integration mandate, as outlined correctly in the Olmstead ruling, was our intent. Senators Dole, Kennedy, and Hatch may no longer be here to state it, but I am sure former Senator Harkin and former Representative Coelho, Bartlett, and others, who were involved in drafting and enacting the law, will affirm the same.”
House of Representatives21 July 2026Source ↗
“This month, we celebrate the 36th anniversary of the ADA. In those 36 years, that law has made a transformative difference for millions of Americans. It did so not only for physical access to public and private spaces of public accommodations but also in ensuring reasonable accommodations in workplaces and nondiscrimination in every facet of American life. We have seen it strengthened through legislation like the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 and through the courts with decisions like Olmstead v. L.C. in 1999. That decision concerned the ADA's nondiscrimination rule and applied it to the forced segregation of disabled people away from their communities, a historic tragedy in centuries past.”
House of Representatives21 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, one of the proudest moments of my time in public service was sponsoring the Americans with Disabilities Act and seeing it through to enactment. I was honored to work closely with House and Senate colleagues, leaders like Bob Dole, Tom Harkin, Tony Coelho, Steve Bartlett, Orrin Hatch, and Ted Kennedy, just to name a few. We passed it on a bipartisan basis, and it was signed into law by President George Bush in 1990.”
House of Representatives21 July 2026Source ↗
“However, this amendment would embolden the enemies of peace, those pursuing the complete elimination of Israel and those who seek the death of Jews. Madam Chair, it is a vote to weaken our ability to engage in the region and a vote against American security, interest, and safety. Vote ``no.''”
House of Representatives15 July 2026Source ↗
“Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment, which would dangerously undermine American national security. As Leader Jeffries rightly pointed out, if adopted, it would limit our ability to confront terrorist organizations, like Hamas and Hezbollah, that expressly target American citizens and military personnel. It would make it harder for America to use our relationships with Israel and regional partners to promote a negotiated two-state solution, the only realistic path to deliver on the promise of peace, security, and self-determination for both Israel and Palestine. I understand the frustration that many Members feel with some of the policies and actions of the current Israeli Government, as well as their concerns about its commitment to the peace process and a two- state solution.”
House of Representatives15 July 2026Source ↗
“Let us be clear: America does not abandon our allies. America does not shrink from the fight. Democracy will not yield 1 inch to tyranny. We should be saying that in this bill. I do not yield my opposition to tyranny.”
House of Representatives15 July 2026Source ↗
“Now, it is the Senate's turn to act. Over the weekend, America lost a champion in the effort to stand with Ukraine. Senator Graham understood that America's responsibility was to ensure that Ukraine has every resource it needs, but none in this bill. Not just to survive but to win. Senator Graham died just hours after returning from Ukraine and securing bipartisan agreement on a new punishing sanction bill. I hope that all of us in the House and Senate will honor his memory by continuing to vigorously support Ukraine. Its drone strategy is creating space on the battlefield for real movement. Something is in the air, and it is the feeling that victory is not only achievable but increasingly within reach. This bill does not send a strong message of that objective.”
House of Representatives15 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Chair, sadly, I cannot agree with Chairman Cole. This bill does not send a strong message to our friends, nor does it send an unmistakable message to our adversaries. Sadly, this bill has zero for Ukraine, our ally fighting the Russian invader. That is a grave mistake and absolutely the wrong approach. It is a dangerous signal at a time when we ought to show unwavering support for Ukraine's defense of its homeland. Yesterday marked 40 days since the House passed the Ukraine Support Act. That bipartisan legislation would provide Ukraine with an additional $8 billion in loans for military procurement as well as $1.3 billion in direct security assistance. It also would impose new sanctions that will further erode Vladimir Putin's ability to continue this illegal, immoral, and unjust war.”
House of Representatives15 July 2026Source ↗