Washington, D.C. — Congressman G. K. Butterfield applauded today’s House Leadership elections of House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Majority Whip James Clyburn.
“I’m very pleased with the results of today’s leadership elections,” Butterfield said. “This is the team that helped steer the successes of last week’s elections across the country. Now the House can move forward and onto making progress for the American people.”
Butterfield, who helped with Hoyer’s bid and ran Clyburn’s campaign, said that the leadership positions represent the No. 2 and No. 3 positions in leadership, respectively. He also explained that the two will assume their positions when the House reconvenes for the start of the next session of Congress in January.
Butterfield also pointed out that Clyburn will be only the second African-American in the history of the House to hold this leadership position, following former Pennsylvania Congressman William H. Gray who held the position between 1989 and 1991.
Butterfield said that he is hopeful that Congress will operate in a bi-partisan manner and that it will quickly tackle a number of important issues such as raising the minimum wage, reducing interest rates on student loans, passing the 9/11 Commission recommendations and reducing the so-called Medicare Part D “donut hole.”