By JAMES MATHESON
CHICAGO – Just nine days after suffering a minor stroke, Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, addressed the Maryland delegation’s breakfast at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday.
The longtime Maryland politician and former House majority leader approached the stage in the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk Hotel in front of an already warmed-up delegation. Hoyer, 85, had his longtime friend, Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Maryland, to thank for that.
“(Hoyer) was the first person that I met when I got elected to Congress,” Mfume told Capital News Service. “(House Speaker Emerita) Nancy Pelosi, (the late Georgia Rep.) John Lewis, (Maryland Sen.) Ben Cardin, myself and (former Maryland Rep.) Tom McMillen from the University of Maryland all got elected in ‘86, we got sworn in in ‘87. Steny, from that day forward, has taken the time to make sure not just me, but any member coming into Congress has the benefit of his experiences and his wisdom.”
Mfume, throughout his 15-minute speech to the delegates, caused some to forget the scrambled eggs, sausage links and various quadrilaterally-shaped melons on which they were dining. He reminded delegates that there is a basic five point democratic reaffirmation to use to wake up each morning.
“Hello neighbor, hello friend, the father has brought us, through thick and thin,” Mfume said as he urged those in attendance to grab their neighbors’ hands and repeat after him. “And to our cause, he must be true, but I can’t help it, that I look better than you.”
The crowd laughed, reminisced and thanked Hoyer for his service to the party as well as the 14 consecutive conventions he’s attended.
“I’ve had immense, immense respect for him for all these many years,” Mfume said in his remarks. “I’m the only one that says, ‘Steny Hamilton Hoyer.’ Nobody else can. Steny, we’re just glad you’re here, you had a little scare. We all prayed for you, God has delivered you and you are here today.”
Hoyer’s scare came on Aug. 11, when he experienced a mild ischemic stroke, according to his deputy chief of staff and spokesperson, Margaret Mulkerrin.
Hoyer said he experienced the stroke in Cape Cod before being transported to a local hospital. He was later transported to Boston Medical Center.
When Hoyer took the podium in front of the Maryland blue crab backdrop and an audience that had risen to its feet, the veteran lawmaker used his health as a benchmark for the work and successes of Democrats in health care.
“I’m glad I can be here with all of you today,” Hoyer said. “As you can see, I’m the beneficiary of wonderful, wonderful health care. We Democrats have ensured that that health care system is available to almost every American, and we need to make sure it is available to every American.”
Hoyer thanked health care workers across the country and those who make health care accessible.
He transitioned to discussing Democratic success in education. Hoyer’s late wife, Judith P. Hoyer, was involved in education during her career. Hoyer has assisted in opening 86 early childhood learning centers throughout Maryland in her honor.
Judith P. Hoyer Center Early Learning Hubs, otherwise known as “Judy Centers,” benefit children and families throughout every county in Maryland by improving the quality of life for families, according to the organization’s website.
Hoyer has huge fans in the Maryland delegation.
“Just the belief that he has in the Democratic Party and the values that the Democrats still show forth to everyone, he’s the epitome of that,” Del. Sheree Sample-Hughes said of Hoyer. “Knowing that education, healthcare – those pillars – are important to communities across the entire state, not just in one specific region, he understands that.”
Sample-Hughes worked directly with Judy Centers when she served on the Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. She said her collaboration while working as the director of the Family Support Center in Salisbury, Maryland, alongside Judy Centers helped cater to not just children in Title I schools but their parents as well.
“The Judy Center, as well as the Family Support Center – we collaborated and put our resources together…We made sure we partnered together to make sure we were meeting the needs of both populations,” Sample-Hughes said. “We work with the same type of communities, persons that are in need of that extra level of support.”
During his speech, Hoyer acknowledged his second wife, Elaine Kamarck, for her support in and around the days of his stroke. Kamarck told CNS she advised her husband to skip the convention. He had other plans.
“He was still in the hospital, and he was saying, ‘Yeah, we’re going to Chicago,’” Kamarck said. “I voted against it, but the doctors actually sided with him and said, ‘You’re okay, just take it easy.’”
Hoyer’s speech came the morning after President Joe Biden delivered the keynote address to the convention. The speech served as a farewell of sorts.
“All I was thinking is that it’s nine days after a stroke, and the guy is speaking more forcefully and clearly than half the people we heard last night,” Kamarck said, comparing the two 80-plus-year-old politicians. “I was really pleased.”
Biden was pressured to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election by 38 members of Congress due to his shaky debate performance in late June. On July 21, the president announced his withdrawal from the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement.
Hoyer told CNS that Biden’s decision to step out of the race had no bearing on his own future in politics.
“As you know, I stepped down as majority leader after being the number two leader for 20 years in the House,” Hoyer said. “I did so because I think we had some extraordinary young people.”
One such young Democratic figure in attendance Tuesday morning was Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.
Scott said both Mfume and Hoyer have been influential in his political success and continue to serve as mentors in his career.
“I’ve known Steny since I was in college. He was on the Board of Trustees at (St Mary’s College of Baltimore) when I was a student leader,” Scott said. “We’ve had some good conversations over the years as well. I’m very appreciative. I always say that I have the best congressional delegation of any mayor in the country.”
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