House GOP Leader Cantor will discuss health policy differences with Democratic leader Hoyer

September 8th, 2009 Prospects dimming for gov't insurance planWASHINGTON — Prospects for a government insurance plan appeared to be sinking fast Tuesday as lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill a day ahead of a major health care speech by President Barack Obama. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters a Medicare-like plan for middle-class Americans and their families isn't essential for him to back legislation.

September 1st, 2009 Hoyer maintains support for public optionWALDORF, Md. — House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told cheering and jeering constituents Tuesday he still supports a public health insurance option as part of a health care overhaul.

August 21st, 2009 Senate negotiators aim to cut costs in health billWASHINGTON — Bipartisan health care negotiators are aiming to cut the costs of their bill after getting an earful from voters, a participant in the closed-door talks said Friday. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, a moderate whose support could be crucial if President Barack Obama is to realize his goal of a comprehensive health care overhaul, said contact with constituents "sharpened our focus on issues such as affordability and cost." "We keep reinventing the wheel in terms of our approach based on what we learn at home," Snowe told The Associated Press.

August 21st, 2009 Snowe: Challenge to break through 'chatter'WASHINGTON — Bipartisan health care negotiators are aiming to cut the costs of their bill after getting an earful from voters, a participant in the closed-door talks said Friday. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, a moderate whose support could be crucial if President Barack Obama is to realize his goal of a comprehensive health care overhaul, said contact with constituents "sharpened our focus on issues such as affordability and cost." "We keep reinventing the wheel in terms of our approach based on what we learn at home," Snowe told The Associated Press.

August 18th, 2009 Cantor: Stimulus not working as well as advertisedWASHINGTON — A member of the House Republican leadership says he doesn't think the $787 billion economic stimulus program the Obama administration pushed through Congress earlier this year has worked as advertised. House GOP Whip Eric Cantor of Richmond said Tuesday that no one should be touting the benefits of stimulus — as Vice President Joe Biden has — at a time when national unemployment is at 9.4 percent.

August 10th, 2009 Pelosi, Hoyer: Protesters' behavior 'un-American'WASHINGTON —The House's top two Democrats on Monday called some of the behavior of health care overhaul opponents "simply un-American." The White House disagreed. Protesters have disrupted town-hall meetings held by lawmakers, in some cases shouting down speakers at the events.

August 6th, 2009 Republicans 'troubled' by US policy on IsraelJERUSALEM — The Obama administration's policy on Israel is misguided, puts too much emphasis on the issue of settlements and ignores the bigger threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, a U.S. delegation of Republican congressmen visiting Israel said Thursday.

July 24th, 2009 Hoyer suggests delay in House vote on health careWASHINGTON — The second-ranking Democrat in the House says lawmakers may not be able to vote on a health care bill next week but might remain in Washington in August to complete President Barack Obama's top domestic priority. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland told lawmakers Friday that it might not be possible to finish the legislation, now bogged down in the Energy and Commerce Committee.

July 23rd, 2009 House GOP leader says don't expect plan by recessWASHINGTON — House Republican Whip Eric Cantor charged on Thursday that too much of the burden of bankrolling a new health care system would fall on small businesses at a time when job creation is virtually nonexistent. At the same time, the Virginia Republican said he doubts that a version of the plan in the House can win passage before members of Congress leave for their August recess.

July 21st, 2009 Senior Democrat says no consensus on health billWASHINGTON — House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says House Democrats are struggling to reach consensus on overhauling health care, a divide that could delay House approval of a plan beyond lawmakers' scheduled vacation in August. House leaders have said they wanted to pass a plan before they leave on a monthlong break.

July 5th, 2009 Senators say compromise key to health care billWASHINGTON — It will take a compromise on a government option for insurance if the Senate is to agree on a health care overall before next month's break, two senators said Sunday. President Barack Obama is pushing for an Aug.

June 11th, 2009 No. 2 House Republican compares Obama to PutinWASHINGTON — The No. 2 Republican in the House on Thursday compared President Barack Obama's plans for the auto industry to the policies of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, saying the White House has stripped credit holders of rights and given them to Democratic allies.

May 13th, 2009 Top Democrat calls for probe of interrogationsWASHINGTON — The House majority leader said Tuesday that Congress should investigate whether the Bush administration authorized the torture of terrorism detainees, and he contended that the Republican focus on what Speaker Nancy Pelosi learned about harsh interrogation methods was a distraction. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., was asked at a news conference about a controversy over what Pelosi was told during a 2002 intelligence briefing.

May 12th, 2009 House No. 2: Explore Pelosi interrogation briefingWASHINGTON — The House majority leader reluctantly agreed Tuesday that congressional hearings should investigate Speaker Nancy Pelosi's assertion that she wasn't informed, more than six years ago, that harsh interrogation methods were used on an al-Qaida leader. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., called Republican challenges to Pelosi's assertion a diversion from the real question of whether the Bush administration tortured terrorist suspects.

April 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank in Washington, has anointed Representative aul Ryan "the leader of the future of the conservative movement." According to Fox News, Ryan has sidelined Jindal, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia. At 39, Ryan has become the go-to-guy on policy.