A local friend recently wrote to Rep. Steny Hoyer (D – Md. 5) to express his dissatisfaction with his representative’s position on the issue. As is the practice, a response was sent out to “clarify” Hoyer’s position on the issue and to attempt to cast Hoyer as a middle of the road guy rather than a full fledged pro-abortion liberal.

The problem is, when it comes to abortion, nothing could be further from the truth for the House Majority Leader – he is well out of step with his St. Mary’s Constituents on this issue.

In Hoyer’s letter to my friend, the following was written: “I share your concerns about abortion, especially abortions occurring in the third trimester of pregnancy.  I oppose all late term abortions, except for the most serious and compelling of reasons, and I am specifically and adamantly opposed to what some refer to as "abortion-on-demand" after the time of viability” This sure sounds like a moderate view, as about 80 percent of Americans oppose partial birth abortion, and a substantial number oppose late term abortions, however, it is simply not true.

A quick look at Hoyer’s voting record exposes him for what he really is – a pro-abortion liberal who opposes any efforts to limit abortion in any way. Hoyer voted twice against the partial birth abortion ban on the House floor, first in 2000 and again in 2003. In addition, he also voted against making it a crime to harm a fetus during the commission of a crime when the measure was on the floor in 2001 and 2004. Further destroying the illusion that Hoyer attempts to create is his 100 percent rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America every year since 1996 that they have issued a rating for him. 100 percent!

On the other hand, Hoyer has consistently scored zero or near zero from the National Right to Life Committee (he did score as high as 7 out of 100 in1999 before zeroing out most of this decade) and was rated 0 by Democrats for Life of America between 2003 and 2004.

Were Hoyer the moderate he claims to be, it would be reasonable to expect scores from these organizations in the 35 – 65 range, a nice chunk right in the middle. However, he consistently scores perfect or near perfect from pro-abortion rights groups and near zero from pro-life groups. This is not the record of a moderate – it is the record of a clear-cut liberal ideologue.

So citizens of St. Mary’s, be aware that while Hoyer may be many things, a moderate on abortion is not one of them. He is among the worst when it comes to supporting unrestricted access to abortions despite his words to the contrary. It is easy to call him moderate on abortion, but anyone who looks over his voting record can easily see the truth.