Last updated on: 8/30/2007 | Author: ProCon.org

Steny Hoyer, JD Biography

Title:
U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Whip (D-MD)
Position:
Not Clearly Pro or Con to the question "Do Electronic Voting Machines Improve the Voting Process?"
Reasoning:

“DREs were used in four of our counties last year, and almost uniformly the voters found it a very friendly, easy and verifiable way to vote. So I think the voter’s experience is a good one, but obviously the voter is very concerned, and properly so, and we’re all very concerned that the votes be accurately tallied and the person that in fact gets…most of the votes wins the election.”

From an interview with the Online NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, 2003
Theoretical Expertise Ranking:
    Experts
Individuals with JDs, or equivalent advanced degrees in fields relevant to electronic voting machine issues. Also top-level government officials (such as foreign leaders, US presidents, Founding Fathers, Supreme Court Justices, members of legislative bodies, cabinet members, military leaders, etc.) with positions relevant to electronic voting machine issues.
Involvement and Affiliations:
  • Democratic member of U.S. House of Representatives for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District, 1981-present
  • U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Whip, 2002-present
  • Introduced the Save America’s Vote Act (H.R. 3094) before the 109th Congress, 2005
  • House Democratic sponsor of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA)
  • Member of Maryland State Board of Higher Education, 1978-1981
  • President, Maryland State Senate, 1975-1978
  • Maryland State Senator, 1966-1978
  • Senior Member U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee
  • Member, U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Transport, Treasury, and Housing and Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
  • Member, Naval Academy Board of Visitors and St. Mary’s College Board of Trustees
Education:
  • JD, Georgetown University, 1966
  • BA, University of Maryland, 1963
Other:
  • Lead sponsor of Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), 1990
  • Lead sponsor of Federal Employee Pay Comparability Act, 1990
  • At age 36 becomes youngest President of the Maryland State Senate, 1975
Quoted in:
  1. Does the Help America Vote Act of 2002 in Effect Mandate the Use of Electronic Voting Machines?