Steny Hoyer: Who can Serve? The Rich
on Friday, May 29, 2015Minority Whip (D. Md) Steny Hoyer said: “This will be the seventh year in a row that we (Congress) have not done a cost-of-living adjustment. I think it was appropriate at the time of the recession. But to continue that on, we will dictate that….”
“the only people who can serve are the rich, and I don’t think that’s what the Founding Fathers had in mind” — Steny Hoyer
In this quote, Congressman Steny Hoyer is criticizing how expensive political campaigns have become due to their reliance on extensive fundraising. His view seems to be that the high costs of running for office nowadays mean the only individuals who can realistically mount competitive campaigns are the wealthy, since ordinary citizens lack means of self-financing or attracting large donations.
Hoyer implies this distorts the democratic process and limits it only to elites who can afford to participate, which goes against the Founders’ intentions of an open, representative system.
The quote conveys Hoyer’s belief that reforms are needed to curb the influence of money in politics and reduce barriers to entry so that those of all economic backgrounds – not just the rich – have a fair chance to serve the public through elected positions as the Founders envisioned.