WASHINGTON – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer, Ranking Member of the House Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Subcommittee, voiced support for the Fiscal Year 2026 FSGG Appropriations bill on the House Floor, despite acknowledging it wouldn’t be his preferred legislation. Hoyer’s remarks, delivered January 14, 2026, came as the bill moved through the conference process following passage in both the House and Senate.
Hoyer, representing Maryland’s 5th congressional district, highlighted several key increases within the bill, including a $13 million boost for entrepreneurial development programs at the Small Business Administration. He emphasized the importance of these programs to communities and the small business sector. The bill also includes a $30 million increase in funding for election security grants, a program Hoyer co-created with former Representative Bob Ney of Ohio through the Assist America Vote Act.
“We all want to make sure our elections are run well,” Hoyer stated on the House Floor, referencing the initial $3 billion distributed to states following the passage of the Help America Vote Act. He framed the current $45 million allocation for 50 states as a proper, albeit modest, federal contribution to locally administered elections that include federal offices.
The legislation allocates $584 million to the judiciary, a 6.2% increase over the previous fiscal year’s enacted level, meeting the judiciary’s request. Hoyer’s support for the bill followed earlier criticism of the appropriations process, which he described as “broken” during a subcommittee markup in July 2025, according to a press release from Quiver CongressRadar. At that time, he advocated for bipartisan cooperation and expressed concerns regarding proposed cuts to the Internal Revenue Service and a continued pay freeze for federal workers.
Hoyer’s remarks also touched on his general opposition to continuing resolutions (CRs), while acknowledging their necessity as a means of preventing government shutdowns. He indicated that while the FSGG bill wasn’t his ideal outcome, it represented an improvement through collaborative efforts in both chambers of Congress. A separate statement released by Hoyer following a vote to pass the FY 2026 appropriations package indicated the bill would fund more than 75% of the government through the end of the fiscal year.
As of March 22, 2026, further legislative action on remaining appropriations measures remains pending.
