Hoyer at “United not Divided” in Baltimore

BALTIMORE, MD – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer addressed the “United not Divided: Economic Inequality and Opportunity Gap” public forum in Baltimore, MD, March 30-31, 2016, organized by the Center for the Study of Democracy at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives.

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer,  a trustee for St. Mary’s College, created the Democratic Whip Task Force on Poverty, Income Inequality, and Opportunity in 2013. The task force promotes policies helping low-income individuals and families access opportunities to move into the middle class. This access is the key to a successful America. Mr. Hoyer is not alone in this assessment.

The prevailing theme of the two-day forum was the growing opportunity gap in the United States. The consensus of economic and social science scholars is that without a strong middle class, America cannot succeed globally or at home. But traditional routes for workers to raise their incomes to middle class standards, such as through manufacturing jobs, are disappearing. More and more families are slipping out of the financial security of the middle class and the results are showing economically and politically.

“Economic inequality and the opportunity gap have emerged as one of the most salient issues of the 2016 election, which is fitting,” Rep. Hoyer said. “A widening of inequality in wealth, income, and opportunity poses a serious threat to the long-term success of our nation to live up to its founding mission. And that mission has always been to enable each and every individual to work hard and build a better life for himself or herself and for the next generation.”

“We call it the American Dream,” Rep. Hoyer said, before breaking away from his prepared notes.

“All countries have rich and poor,” he said. “The genius of the United States is its large middle class. Globalization has undermined growth and maintenance of the middle incomes. The challenge is that the middle class is stuck in the mud and sinking.”

The policies promoted through the Democratic Whip Task Force on Poverty, Income Inequality, and Opportunity include raising the minimum wage, making child care more affordable, enacting paid family and medical leave, and investing in public education so children can learn in safe schools and graduate well-prepared for college and careers.

“It’s a hand up, not a hand-out,” he said.

Rep. Hoyer praised bipartisan talk to achieve these goals, a bipartisan recognition that the opportunity gap did exist and that it posed an economic and an achievement gap for the entire nation. But, Rep. Hoyer said, action had not been forthcoming from the GOP.

The ongoing presidential campaign, he said, was “demeaning” for the Republican Party and had shut out “real debate” regarding how the nation can close the opportunity gap. Instead the rhetoric has emphasized anger and fear, generating greater anxiety.

“When you are fearful,” Rep. Hoyer said, “you are not thinking rationally.”

That is happening at the congressional level, he said, and has led to the gridlock and ineffectiveness fueling a campaign of anger.

“The Board of Directors of the United States of America is not working very well,” Rep. Hoyer said. “We will ignore the inequality gap at our peril.”

Noting the need to expand the earned income tax credit, he drew applause from the forum attendees.

“We believe that the best way to reduce inequality of income and wealth is to eliminate inequality of access to opportunity,” Rep. Hoyer concluded.

“Part of any effort to reduce inequality is strengthening our education system. The best way to root out inequality is to do so from the earliest ages,” referencing his long advocacy of early childhood education. He is also a strong supporter of full-service community schools that seek to address family, health, and nutrition issues that face students and make it more difficult for them to learn.

Everyone needs full access to a good education, he said.

“Globalization has happened,” Rep. Hoyer told the forum. “Now … you will compete with people around the world. This has a profound impact and we need to deal with it.”

For more information about House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer, visit his Leader Page.