House Majority Leader Hoyer upbeat about Dems gaining seats in Congress
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer refuses to listen to the low approval ratings of Congress.
"Congress is really doing pretty well, but not as well we could be," he said Monday. "I think we're going to defy history" and "pick up another 10 seats" for the Democrats, the southern Maryland representative said. He gained the No. 2 post for his party in the House after Democrats regained control in 2006 after 12 years in the minority.
"While [voters] think that Congress is in stalemate, that's because the Senate is so often in stalemate," Hoyer said. Despite that, "we have been almost universally successful in passing the pieces of legislation that we've put on the floor."
He rattled off a list of significant legislation Congress has passed with Republican support, despite the threat of a presidential veto in some cases.
Hoyer cited the economic stimulus package, a Medicare improvement bill that reversed cuts to health care providers, the farm bill and the recently passed legislation for housing foreclosure relief.
Though there are five months left in the year, Congress has four days left to work this week then three more weeks in September before recessing for Jewish holy days and then the election. Hoyer expected action on some significant legislation such as a consumer protection bill and a higher-education measure.
But Congress is unlikely to finish work on all the appropriations bills due to roadblocks in the Senate, and the new president may come into office with much of the government running on a continuing resolution that would keep departments operating on the same budgets they have this year, Hoyer said.
Only two Democratic incumbents in the House are in danger, Hoyer said. He also expects Frank Kratovil, the Queen Anne's state's attorney, to defeat Republican Sen. Andy Harris in the First Congressional District.
The Harris campaign has tried to tie Kratovil to liberal Democrats - "Uncle Steny" and "Aunt Nancy," referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi - but Hoyer said Kratovil will win because he's "from the Eastern Shore," though he grew up in Prince George's County, and "he's a moderate Democrat" with good positions on the environment.
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