WASHINGTON — Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the longest-serving Democrat in Congress, announced Thursday that he will retire at the end of his term.
Hoyer made his announcement on the House floor, reflecting on how the Congress he entered in 1981 has changed. He said he is now “deeply concerned that this House is not living up to the Founders’ goals,” and he compared the current political climate with an earlier period when “most Republicans and Democrats worked together in a collegial and productive way.”
In remarks that lasted about 10 minutes, Hoyer at times choked up. He said he plans to remain engaged with lawmakers during the coming year, adding that in the next year he will have “much more to say about the issues we have grappled with and the ways this House has changed during my time.”
Hoyer also urged his colleagues to act. “I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to examine their conscience, renew their courage, and carry out the responsibilities that the first article of the Constitution demands,” he said. He added: “Only in that way can we insure that our 250 years will be a preface to a stronger, brighter beacon in a free and principled democracy.”
Lawmakers stood and applauded as he concluded. Republicans and Democrats went up to shake his hand or hug him as he finished his speech.
After Hoyer, Republican Rep. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania spoke and praised him as a “statesman.” Thompson said he offered “congratulations to his announced retirement and my thanks for his service as a statesman,” adding that it was “especially at a time of what we have been living through of growing divisiveness.”
Hoyer, 86, said he gradually decided not to seek another term and that he spoke with his wife and friends before reaching the decision. In an afternoon telephone interview with The Associated Press, Hoyer said that over the last three or four months he and his wife had been discussing it, and that he had also been discussing it with some friends before deciding Thursday that “now is the right time.”
Hoyer said he will spend his last year working on appropriation bills, including to avoid another federal government shutdown, and to “see if we can get some more bipartisanship.”
First elected to the House in 1981 after a special election, Hoyer rose through leadership ranks to become the No. 2 Democrat. The Associated Press described him as having served as majority leader after Democrats swept to power after the 2006 election and again in 2019 after they regained control during President Donald Trump’s first term.
The article also described Hoyer as a partner and sometimes rival to then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina as part of a trio of top Democrats. Hoyer helped steer Democrats through major legislative victories, and the Associated Press said he counts among his career achievements the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which he co-sponsored.
During the Trump era, the Associated Press said Hoyer campaigned to court blue-collar voters outside party strongholds and positioned himself as a potential alternative to Pelosi, championing a “Make it in America” agenda to boost industry, production and jobs.
The Associated Press said Hoyer represents a district that stretches from the suburbs of Washington to southern Maryland, a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 statewide. It said he won re-election in 2024 with about 68% of the vote.
Lisa Mascaro covers politics for The Associated Press.