Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who is known for his close relationship with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and staunch pro-Israel stance, announced Thursday that he will not be running for reelection.
“I did not want to be one of those members who clearly stayed, outstayed his or her ability to do the job,” he told The Washington Post on Wednesday.
Hoyer, 86, formally announced his retirement plan on Thursday morning on the House floor after 45 years in the United States Congress, making him the longest-serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives in Maryland history.
“Shakespeare advised us all, ‘this above all else to thine own self be true, and it must follow as night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man or to any woman.’ In that vein, Mr. Speaker, I have decided not to seek another term in the people’s house,” Hoyer said on the House floor.
In 2022, Hoyer, who served as House majority leader at the time, announced he would be stepping down from leadership in Congress on the same day that Baltimore native and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also announced her leave from leadership.
Hoyer has shown solidarity with Israel for years, leading trips to Israel for freshman Democrats under the AIPAC’s educational affiliate, the American Israel Educational Foundation.
He also led a show of solidarity at the AIPAC conferences, often appearing with a counterpart from Republican leadership.
In October 2023, Hoyer showed his support for House Resolution 771 — “Standing with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists” — urging in his remarks on the House floor to pass the resolution.
“This brutal terrorist organization will pursue its genocidal, antisemitic mission to fight and kill Jews. That’s their purpose. The Jewish state of Israel will cease to exist if their objectives are achieved. Hamas will not yield, and neither can we. As the resolution makes clear, we will stand by our ally, Israel, have their back,” he stated at the time.
Months prior to the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Hoyer released a statement reaffirming his support for the Jewish state.
“Whether in America or Israel, people can disagree with a nation’s government and government officials without disparaging the state and its people as a whole. I do not always agree with every leader in America or Israel. I am fully committed, however, to ensuring that Israel remains a Jewish state and a beacon of democracy, equality, and prosperity in the region and the world,” he continued.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown issued a statement Thursday about Hoyer’s decision to retire.
“For more than four decades, Congressman Steny Hoyer has fought for Maryland and for the nation,” he said. “His work strengthening our economy, protecting workers, and delivering federal investments has touched every corner of our State. Through his landmark ‘Make It In America’ initiative, which he launched in 2010, he championed American manufacturing and job creation, resulting in twenty-two bipartisan bills becoming law — including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the CHIPS and Science Act. Because of the laws he helped pass, millions of Americans with disabilities joined the workforce, countless lives were saved through expanded health coverage, and our elections became more accessible and secure.”
Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland’s junior senator, shared similar sentiments upon learning of Hoyer’s retirement: “To summarize the legacy of accomplishments that Congressman Steny Hoyer achieved would require an entire novel — his impact on the people of Maryland’s fifth district — and people across this nation — over his storied career is as profound as it is enduring. He is the consummate statesman. A political tactician of the first order. A savvy policymaker. And, most importantly, a man who put service to the people above all else. I know I join the entire state of Maryland when I say ‘Thank you for a lifetime of service.’”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said, “Steny Hoyer’s fingerprints have been on countless pieces of historic policy achievements over a career that has spanned nearly six decades — from making health care more affordable at home to standing up for human rights around the world. But his true genius resides not simply in the grand American story he has helped to write, but in the many quiet moments of service and support he has given to all of us.”
