Issues

Racial Equity & Equal Justice for All

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.

Criminal Justice

Racial Equity

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.
 

Gun Safety
 
Congressman Hoyer has always been a staunch supporter of gun safety laws that keep our communities safe. For years, he has supported universal background checks for gun carriers, and he brought H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act to the House Floor for a vote to tighten loopholes in current gun laws. He wants to put an end to the gun violence epidemic that has roiled communities across the country, including right here in Maryland. In 2022, Congressman Hoyer was critical to the enactment of the historic Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This package included important provisions such as closing the harmful 'boyfriend loophole,' measures to help implement ‘red-flag’ laws that empower law enforcement officers to keep guns out of the hands of people at risk of harming themselves or others, and making it a federal requirement that thorough background checks are conducted for Americans under the age of twenty-one who seek to purchase a firearm. Congressman Hoyer will continue advocating for measures that keep communities safe from this epidemic and save lives.