WASHINGTON,DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) released the following statement today after the House passed the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2013:

“I was encouraged that this appropriations bill included full funding of $628 million for the  James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) at NASA Goddard Space
Flight Center. The JWST is critical to local job creation and the future science research, and I am committed to ensuring we make robust investments in
our space program.

“Unfortunately, I could not support this appropriations bill for several reasons, chief among them that it is not consistent with the bipartisan agreement reached in August on spending levels.  Breaking that agreement is just one more sign that this House Republican conference is simply unwilling to compromise or work with Democrats to find solutions to our challenges.

“Furthermore, this bill includes provisions that would prohibit the Department of Justice from defending in court the landmark health reform passed in 2010, from upholding decisions made by the National Labor Relations Board on secret ballot union elections, or from taking any action against state laws that make it harder for eligible Americans to vote. At the same time, Republicans included in the bill language supporting the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act, which denies same-sex spouses, in those states recognizing same-sex marriages, the full range of federal rights and benefits. The Justice Department has declined, correctly in my view, to defend DOMA in court after concluding that it is unconstitutional.

“I call on Republicans to set aside this partisanship and work with Democrats to make sure that the final version of the Commerce, Justice, and Science bill for Fiscal Year 2013 that goes into effect will be free of an extreme agenda and that adheres to the previously agreed upon spending level.”