Prince George's Gazette Endorsement
The Prince George's Gazette The 5th District race for the U.S. House of Representatives features two longtime politicians and elected legislators — House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D) the incumbent and Maryland House of Delegates Minority Leader Anthony J. O’Donnell (R). They are joined on the ballot by a Libertarian candidate Arvin Vohra and Green Party candidate Bob Auerbach. The 5th District with its high concentration of federal workers and military installations needs an experienced and effective advocate in Congress. Both Hoyer in Washington and O’Donnell in Annapolis have been chosen by their party colleagues for high leadership positions. Both of them have served as spokesmen for their party’s position on the issues of the day. The nature of that makes them partisan figures in some quarters. But both Hoyer and O’Donnell have made it clear in this campaign that they believe Congress cannot afford to remain deadlocked; by inaction and brinksmanship not only failing to solve problems but creating crises that have shaken the confidence of the nation and the world in the ability of the United States to put the federal government on a sound financial footing. We agree and our hope is that after this election there will be at least a temporary cease-fire in the ideological wars and there will come a period of compromise in which solutions even imperfect ones can be crafted to deal with the federal deficit and other problems that our country faces. If that time comes Hoyer is the best person to help facilitate it. In addition Hoyer is the best person to protect the interests of his district whose economy is as closely tied to federal spending as any in the country. Let’s acknowledge that in the last four years no one has been able to broker a resolution to the stalemate in the House of Representatives including Hoyer and this is a disappointment. But Hoyer’s reputation in Congress prior to this current divisive term according to his colleagues who are interested in making government work is of someone who not only is willing but eager to work with members of the opposition party to craft legislation that can move forward. During most of his long career he has been effective at doing that. Following an election that should send a message to all members of Congress that compromise is needed the 5th District will benefit from Hoyer’s ability to reach across the aisle to reach solutions to the deficit challenges without decimating the 5th District’s economy. Close to home Hoyer has proven time and again that he is an effective advocate and a tireless worker for his district. His efforts to protect and expand the work at the 5th District’s military bases continue to bear fruit. In the last two years he has orchestrated visits to these bases and briefings about the work done at them by high-ranking Pentagon officials including the secretary of defense. And throughout his career he has stood up for the legitimate interests of federal workers. Talk to him as many of his constituents do because he spends so much time at events in the district and it is clear that he hasn’t lost a step. He is actively engaged in district issues and intimately familiar with all of the efforts to tackle the big problems Congress faces. He remains hopeful that a shift in mood will enable Congress to begin acting constructively and responsibly again.