WASHINGTON (May 19, 2010)—Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-Mechanicsville) will hold a telephone town hall meeting on Monday, May 24, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Hoyer's office says he wants to hear from his constituents on the issues important to them.
Citizens living in Maryland’s Fifth Congressional District (Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties and portions of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties) can participate by calling 877-269-7289 and using the pin number 12897.
The telephone town hall is similar to a large-scale conference call between Rep. Hoyer and participants, allowing citizens to participate from the convenience of their homes. Previous town halls have drawn up to 3,800 people, in contrast to traditional town halls where often no more than a few hundred citizens participate, according to Hoyer's office.
Hoyer's last non-virtual Town Hall was held on Sept. 1, 2009 in Waldorf to discuss the then-proposed health care reform. At the time, Hoyer said the meeting was the most attended to-date. The meeting was heated at times, commensurate with the divided and often-emotional public opinions on the health care issue.
Hoyer's seat is up for election this November 2nd. He may face his most formidable challenger yet if Republican Charles Lollar, of Charles County, wins the primary on Sept. 14. Lollar, in addition to serving as a Major in the USMC Reserves, has been a very popular speaker at Maryland Tea Party rallies.