Education

Educational Training

Congressman Hoyer voted for the Green Energy Education Act of 2007 (H.R. 1716). H.R. 1716 would have provided funding to support graduate education in energy related technologies. It would have also provided funding for undergraduate and graduate engeineering and architecture education for "high performance buildings."The bill was integrated into the America COMPETES Act (H.R. 2272) which is now law, but has not fully funded in the budget.

With a vote of 416-0 the House of Representative approved the Green Energy Education Act of 2007 (H.R. 1716) in June of 2007. The bill will allow the Secretary of Energy to contribute research and development funds to the National Science Foundation for the purpose of supporting graduate education that is related to energy technology. It also authorizes the Secretary to provide funds for the improvement of undergraduate and graduate engineering and architecture curriculum on the design and construction of "high performance buildings." Representative Hoyer voted for this bill. H.R. 1716 was ultimately integrated into the America COMPETES Act (H.R. 2272) which is now law, but was not fully funded in the budget.

Educational Funding

In an op-ed on February 15, 2007, Congressman Hoyer said that Democrats needed to develop "a plan to secure America’s continued leadership in innovation and unleash the next generation of discovery, invention, and growth." Furthermore, he said

As we transition to a more service-based U.S. economy, the imperative for building our STEM workforce grows stronger. The number of jobs requiring technical training is growing at five times the rate of other occupations, yet the average number of entrants is static or declining. If we do not act to reverse current trends, the demand for scientists and engineers will far outstrip supply^[1].

Representative Hoyer voted for the 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act (H.R. 362). Like the Green Energy Education Act, this bill was integrated into H.R. 2272.

Teaching Evolution/Intelligent Design

Nothing posted to date

Energy

Fuel Economy Standards

Congressman Hoyer introduced the Program for Real Energy Security Act (PROGRESS) Act of 2007 (H.R. 1300). This bill would have provided funding for research for high efficiency vehicles. Provisions for this bill were ultimately integrated into the Energy Independence and Security Act H.R. 6. In a press release, on H.R. 6 Rep. Hoyer said that "raising fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020 for new cars and trucks – the first increase in fuel economy standards since 1975. This provision alone will save American families an estimated $700 to $1,000 per year at the pump, and reduce oil consumption by 1.1 million gallons per day in 2020"^[2].

Nuclear Power

Representative Hoyer is a self-described "proponent" of nuclear energy. Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, which is located with in his district, is the largest employer in the area.

Renewable Energy

In January of 2007, the House of Representatives passed the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 (H.R. 6). This legislation is intended to address a royalties oversight that occurred when the Department of the Interior issued leases for off-shore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from 1998 to 1999. The bill would also deny income tax deductions for oil and gas companies. Revenues generated from these provisions would be used for the development of alternative fuels and renewable energy sources. Opponents of the bill claimed that the legislation would raise costs for the domestic production of oil and could increase foreign oil imports. Representative Hoyer voted for this legislation, which passed with a vote of 264-163.

During consideration of H.R. 6 in June of 2007, the Senate changed the focus of the legislation into developing a more comprehensive energy bill that focused on the development of renewable fuels, energy conservation, and increased Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. In the face of a veto threat from President Bush, the House passed the Senate version of H.R. 6 with amendments by a vote of 235-181 on December 6, 2007. Representative Hoyer voted for for this bill. The final Senate rendering of the bill, which passed with a vote of 86-8, still included language raising CAFE standards to 35 mpg by 2020. The final version of the bill passed in the House with a vote of 314-100 and was signed into law by President Bush on December 19, 2007.In August 2007, Representative Hoyer voted for the final passage of the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 (H.R. 3221). The legislation would provide tax incentives to promote the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency, including guaranteeing up to $1 billion in loans for the development of biorefineries and biofuel production facilities. The measure also would repeal tax deductions to income attributed to the domestic production of oil and natural gas. It passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 241-172 and was sent to the Senate.

A controversial amendment to the bill was H. Amdt. 748 sponsored by Representative Udall. This amendment would require retail electric suppliers to provide 15% of their electricity through a renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) by 2020. Representative Hoyer voted for the amendment, which was adopted with a vote of 220 to 190.

Environment

Nothing posted to date

Climate Change

Nothing posted to date

Health

In April of 2007, the House of Representatives passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2007 (H.R. 493) with a vote of 420-3. Representative Hoyer voted for this bill. If enacted, GINA will prevent health insurance companies from adjusting premiums on the basis of genetic information and forbid requiring individuals to undergo genetic tests. The bill will also prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of genetic information. This legislation was passed by the Senate in a vote of 95-0. The House passed the Senate amended version of the bill on May 1, 2008, by a vote of 415-1. Rep Ron Paul was the only representative to vote against the bill.

On September 25, 2007, the House passed the final version of the “Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act” (H.R. 976) with a vote of 265-169. This bill would have increased funding for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) by $50 billion dollars over five years. Opponents saw the bill as too costly and were critical of the funding methods for the program, including a cigarette tax increase (read the floor debate). Representative Hoyer voted for this legislation.On October 3, 2007, President Bush vetoed H.R. 976, citing that the bill moved too many children towards federally funded healthcare. The House attempted to override the President’s veto, but the measure failed to pass with a vote count of 273-156. Representative Hoyer voted for the veto override. On December 29, 2007, President Bush signed the Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (S. 2499) which extends funding for SCHIP through March of 2009, but does not significantly increase the program.

Innovation

On August 9, 2007, President Bush signed the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Act (H.R. 2272) into law. The law authorizes the doubling of funding for the National Science Foundation over the next seven years, increased funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology and competitive grants for teachers and schools with the goal of strengthening the quality of education in science, math, and critical foreign languages. The bill was passed with unanimous consent in the Senate and was agreed to by a vote of 367-57 by the House after being reconciled in a conference committee. Representative Hoyer voted for this legislation. The America COMPETES Act was not fully funded in 2008.

Research and Research Management

Funding

In May of 2007, Representative Hoyer voted for the final passage of the National Science Foundation Funding Authorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 1867), which authorizes appropriations for the National Science Foundation for the fiscal years 2008, 2009 and 2010. The final vote count was 399 to 17.

During debate on this legislation, H. Amdt. 128 was offered by Rep. Honda that will allow the NSF to support the creation of K-12 curriculum focused on global warming, climate change, and actions people can take to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Rep. Sullivan of Oklahoma offered a secondary amendment, H. Amdt. 129, that would have required the education materials referenced in Rep. Honda’s amendment to "reflect the diversity of scientific opinion, including the diversity of opinion regarding the impact of human activities on climate change." Congressional Democrats criticized the Sullivan amendment as seeming "to suggest that there is an equal weight of evidence against that perspective [that humans are causing climate change] as there is in favor of it" (read the full debate). The Sullivan amendment failed by a vote of 166 to 250. The Honda Amendment passed by a vote of 252 to 165.

Representative Hoyer voted against the Sullivan amendment and voted for the Honda Amendment.==== Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Research====In December 2005, Congress passed the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 (H.R. 2520), which President Bush signed on December 20, 2005. The law "creates a new Federal program to collect and store cord blood, and expands the current bone marrow registry program to also include cord blood." Representative Hoyer voted for this bill. The legislation passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 431-1 and passed the Senate by unanimous consent.

Embryonic Stem Cell Research

In April of 2007, Congress passed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 (S. 5), which would have overturned President Bush's ban on the use of federal funding for research on embryonic stem cell lines created after August 9, 2001. Representative Hoyer voted for the legislation. The bill passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 247-176 and the Senate with a vote of 63-34. President Bush vetoed both this legislation and an identical bill that was passed by Congress in 2006.

Endnotes

1. ↑ Steny Hoyer. Education the Key to American Competitiveness http://hoyer.house.gov/newsroom/index.asp?ID=861&DocumentType=Op-Ed&Issue=Education
2. ↑ New Policy Will Strengthen National Security. http://www.hoyer.house.gov/Newsroom/index.asp?ID=1074&DocumentType=Press+Release