Hoyer Says Mood of Country Reminds Him of 1994—When Democrats Lost Congress

(CNSNews.com) - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D.-Md.) told CNSNews.com at a pen-and-pad briefing today that the current mood of the country reminds him of 1994, a year when the Democrats lost majorities in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Hoyer said public opinion was mistaken in 1994 and suggested that it is mistaken again today.

Before 1994, the Democrats had controlled the House in every Congress since 1954. One of the major issues in 1994 was then-President Bill Clinton’s effort to enact a national health care plan. In late September 1994, a little more than a month before the election, then-Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (D.-Me.) announced he would not bring Clinton’s health care bill to a vote on the Senate floor in that Congress.

“I think the electorate, the American public, is very concerned about the direction of their country and that is a central, motivating factor for voters today,” said Hoyer on Tuesday. “And what does that mean? They’re looking for a change of direction.”