Representative Steny Hoyer, Democrat from Maryland, is finally hanging up his congressional lanyard after 23 terms in the House. That is not a typo. Twenty three terms. The man entered Congress in 1981, back when Ronald Reagan was still figuring out where they kept the good china in the White House, and he just kept winning. As The American Tribune reported, the news of his retirement has predictably reignited calls for term limits from people who think maybe, just maybe, Congress was not designed to be a 45 year career.
Hoyer announced on January 8th during a House floor speech that he would not seek a 24th term. "I stand here now after some 60 years in public service, including nearly 45 years as a Member of this House," he said. "I have decided not to seek another term in the People's House." He added that the decision came with sadness because of his affection for the institution. Which, fair enough. If you spent six decades somewhere, you would probably be sad to leave too. That is basically a hostage situation with a pension.
Hoyer's career in elected government actually stretches back even further than his congressional tenure. He won a seat in the Maryland State Senate in 1966 at the ripe age of 27. For context, that was 59 years ago. He eventually became president of the Maryland Senate before winning a special election to the U.S. House. Once in Washington, he climbed through the Democratic leadership ranks like a man who had absolutely nowhere else to be. He served as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, Democratic whip, and House majority leader during four separate Congresses. As majority leader, he was the number two Democrat behind then Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Hoyer thanked his constituents for giving him "a majority of their votes 23 times" and confirmed he will stick around until his current term ends in January 2027. Because why leave a day early after nearly half a century.
The reaction online was about what you would expect. An X post highlighting the length of his tenure drew a flood of commenters demanding term limits and criticizing a system that allows incumbents to essentially hold office for life. The frustration is understandable. Some of Hoyer's constituents were not even born when he first took office. Their parents might not have been born when he first took office.
There is actually a proposal on the table right now. House Joint Resolution 12 would amend the Constitution to limit representatives to three terms and senators to two terms. It picked up more than 100 cosponsors after being introduced on January 6, 2025. It is currently sitting in the House Judiciary Committee without a vote scheduled, which is fitting. A term limits bill stuck in committee, surrounded by people who have been in Congress since the Carter administration. You cannot write better irony than that.
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