Steny Hoyer Draws A Credible Primary Opponent

The best thing about my Memorial Day weekend was meeting a young woman in Maryland who's decided to take on Steny Hoyer. Briana Urbina was born in AOC's district in the Bronx. Replacing Hoyer will be even more difficult than it was replacing Crowley but after spending some time speaking with Briana, I'm convinced she's got the makings of another great congresswoman, like Alexandria. She wrote on her campaign website that "as both a lawyer and a teacher Briana witnessed the impact of failed policies at the state, local and federal level. As a mother and a caregiver she has experienced the failure of our federal government to provide for people with disabilities. As a Black Latina woman raising an African American child, she is constantly made aware of the impacts of systemic discrimination on communities of color. As a woman with 14 years sober, she has a unique understanding of the addiction crisis facing our country. And as a member of the LGBT community, she is inspired by the progress achieved over the last decade while acknowledging that progress is not permanent if it is not protected. Briana wants to represent [her district] in Congress because she is connected to community and has the energy to take on the challenges of the 21st century. Briana is eager to put forth new ideas, propose new initiatives and amplify the voices of the people in our community."

She supports the kinds of cutting edge progressive legislation Hoyer wants nothing to do with, from Medicare for All and the Green New Deal to meaningful criminal justice reform and meaningful campaign finance reform.

Briana authored her first Letter to the Editor at age 12, about the bigotry of low expectations by the teachers at her alma matter elementary school and actively participated in political activities throughout her youth. This is an open letter to Steny Hoyer she sent me last night:


Dear Congressman,

I am a proud Marylander. As a millennial with massive student loan debt and a middle-income salary, I was blessed to find a home 9 miles from the center of Washington, DC and just 30 miles from the beaches of Calvert County. My 9-mile commute to work is accessible by metro or by car. The train is definitely a more practical way to commute into DC. You don't have to worry about parking, and you can read the Express newspaper along the way. However, any DMV commuter will tell you that practical does not mean reliable. On a good day, my metro ride is about 45 minutes. But on a normal day it can take an hour. When WMATA came up with their motto "Back to Good," I could not help but laugh that the goal was to upgrade to mediocre.

Driving, however, is a different story. On a good day, my drive is about an hour during rush hour. But if there is even one event in DC, you can plan for a 90-minute drive. Traveling nine miles should not take an hour. Ask any DMV resident and they will tell you that traffic and time spent commuting shapes their lives. This is one of many reasonsI support the Green New Deal.

The Green New Deal calls for the "overhauling" of our transportation systems in order to remove pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. It calls for, "(i) zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and manufacturing; (ii) clean, affordable, and accessible public transit; and (iii) high-speed rail." This could include projects like fixing the metro, expanding MARC rail service to Waldorf, connecting Montgomery and Prince George's counties by constructing the Purple Line, and providing rail access to Ocean City!

Congressman Hoyer, you are a fellow DMV commuter. You live in Mechanicsville, MD. You have been known to "go hard" for what you believe in. You spent the better part of this winter attacking progressive members of our caucus. You were one of the first Democrats to announce that you didn't think the House would move to impeach before reading the full Mueller report. You are certainly a man who speaks his mind, and over the course of your 52-year career in elected office, you have not been known to mince words.

So naturally, I would expect that you would support a bill that not only aims to save the planet from excess greenhouse emissions, but at minimum, could help our respective commutes. Nah. In fact, you actually worked to limit the legislative and subpoena powers from the new Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Could this have anything to do with the $409,470 in campaign contributions from PACs and individuals affiliated with the oil and gas industry you accepted over the course of your career? Or the $43,750 you received in the 2018 election? Your top donor in the 2018 election was Exelon, a massive energy company that operates dozens of fossil fuel plants. You've also been complicit on helping Calvert County fight against the dangerous LNG plant near Cove Point. However, you are not alone. None of the top 25 Democratic recipients of fossil fuel linked contributions in the last election cycle are among those co-sponsoring the Green New Deal.

I am writing this in hopes that you change your mind and decide to lead alongside young innovative, non-corporate funded representatives, like Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez. I know you have the capacity to speak out for the things you find important, since you were more than willing to join the Republicans at AIPAC in attacking the first woman to wear a hijab in Congress. Were you just trying to secure another $106,000 in Pro-Israel PAC money to fund your next election?

I support the Green New Deal for moral and practical reasons. I plan to be around for another 50+ years, and I would like to have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and access to public transit. My son is 11 years old, and I hope for a better future for him. Coastal communities and many other parts of our country are in jeopardy of lethal storms due to environmental issues associated with climate change. Congressman, I know you have grandchildren; don't you want the same for them? Aren't you tired of sitting in traffic? Aren't you worried about our coastlines, the welfare of Puerto Rico, or the fire ravaged communities of California? Doesn't your title require that you lead our party instead of micro-managing it? Leadership requires the courage to act, its not a title, it's a calling.

Sincerely,

The Progressive Choice for Congress from the Maryland 5th district, Briana Urbina