Press Releases
Van Hollen, Blumenthal, Beyer, Colleagues Push in Bicameral Letter for Boost of Health Care System Research Funding in Next Congressional COVID-19 Relief Package
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-VA), along with a group of 31 Members of Congress, urged Congressional leadership to include $71 million in funding for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in the next COVID-19 relief package. This funding would give AHRQ the capacity to evaluate the U.S. health care system’s response to the pandemic, pinpoint shortcomings, and improve national preparedness for future … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
Van Hollen, Merkley, Young Push in Bipartisan Letter for United Nations Plan to Protect Human Rights During COVID-19 Pandemic
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Todd Young (R-IN) today pressed the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in a bipartisan letter for a strategy to protect human rights around the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic. The senators’ push comes as many of the traditional human rights monitoring activities—such as on-the-ground, in-person monitors in nations around the world—have ground to a halt amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The senators also expressed … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Colleagues Tell Trump Administration: Stop Playing Politics with the U.S. Postal Service
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) joined colleagues in urging Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin to reject politically motivated conditions on financial relief for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), which is a critical lifeline for many Americans, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The senators also expressed their strong opposition to the use of coronavirus as a pretext to pursue privatization of USPS, which is widely unpopular with the American people. The … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Hoyer Announce More Than $110,000 for COVID-19 Research at University of Maryland, College Park
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (all D-Md.) today announced $110,399 in federal funding to the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Rapid Response Research (RAPID) grant program for research into the social consequences of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, this project will assess how state and local governments’ social … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces More Than $17 Million in AmeriCorps Funding
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Andy Harris, M.D., Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin and David Trone (all Md.) announced that Maryland received an award of $17,133,477 in state and national AmeriCorps funding. The award comes from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency responsible for AmeriCorps, and will place more than 1,200 AmeriCorps volunteers … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
Van Hollen, Durbin, Merkley, Colleagues Urge SBA and Treasury to Reject Payday Lenders From Paycheck Protection Program
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), along with Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), urged the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Treasury Department to reject requests from payday lenders to gain eligibility for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In a letter to SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the Senators warned that payday lenders target the most … Continue Reading
May 07, 2020
Baltimore Congressional Delegation Announces $500,000 for Morgan State University Historical Preservation
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) today announced $500,000 for Morgan State University’s work to preserve its University Memorial Chapel Window through the National Parks Service (NPS) Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). Nationwide, NPS will allocate $7.7 million in competitive grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for the preservation of historic structures. “Morgan State … Continue Reading
May 06, 2020
Maryland Delegation Members Urge Negotiators to Strengthen SNAP in COVID-19 Relief Package
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin and David Trone (all D-Md.) sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging them to prioritize important policies for the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) in the next COVID-19 relief legislative package. As the COVID-19 crisis has devastated the economy and left many out of work in Maryland and nationwide, food assistance programs … Continue Reading
May 06, 2020
Van Hollen, Warren Urge HHS to Fully Utilize Public Health Service Commissioned Corps to Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic
United States Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to the Surgeon General and the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding efforts to fully utilize the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officers to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and urging the Department to expeditiously implement the Ready Reserve Corps program in order to increase the nation's testing capacity.The … Continue Reading
May 06, 2020
Van Hollen Secures Maryland Priorities in Legislation Passed by Key Environment and Public Works Committee
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) announced the passage of key provisions for Maryland within the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s package of water infrastructure legislation. The Senator, a member of the Committee, fought to include provisions that will allow federal assistance in dredging the Inner Harbor in Baltimore and increase authorized funding for Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts. The two bills passed by the Committee, and supported by the Senator, invest in … Continue Reading
May 06, 2020
Van Hollen, Colleagues Urge Trump to Immediately Use DPA to Manufacture PPE, COVID-19 Testing Supplies
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) led eight of his Senate colleagues in a letter to President Donald J. Trump urging him to expand his use of Title III of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to dramatically increase domestic production capacity for personal protective equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 testing supplies. In Maryland, the state is still lacking over 2 million requested surgical masks, over 1.8 million requested N-95 masks, and over 52,000 requested swabs. “An analysis by … Continue Reading
May 06, 2020
Van Hollen Joins Merkley, Daines In Bipartisan Push to Boost Credit Counseling Services for American Consumers
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) along with a bipartisan group of Senators in pushing Senate leadership to include $700 million in funding over two years for non-profit credit counseling services—critical services that would help consumers and small businesses with debt avoid bankruptcy amid the economic fallout of the pandemic—in upcoming coronavirus relief legislation. “With another 4.4 million Americans filing for … Continue Reading
May 06, 2020
Van Hollen, Klobuchar, Warren, Colleagues Urge Federal Trade Commission to Protect Against Scams Targeting Small Businesses
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), along with a group of their colleagues, expressed concern to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Joseph Simons about the recent increase in scams targeting small businesses and requesting information on measures the FTC is taking to address the issue to better protect small businesses. The launch of the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program has prompted a major increase in the … Continue Reading
May 06, 2020
Van Hollen, Bennet, Senate Democrats Call on VA to Develop COVID-19 Testing Strategy at Facilities Nationwide
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and 16 Senate colleagues in calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ramp up Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing at VA facilities nationwide and establish a framework for a large-scale strategy for national testing.“In support of a nationwide testing strategy, VA can be a great asset in achieving the kind of testing scale-up necessary to safely open the economy successfully and stave off or address a second … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
Maryland Congressional Delegation Urges Attorney General Barr to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 in Federal Correctional Facilities
The Maryland congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin, and David Trone, wrote to Attorney General Barr urging him to take action to stop the spread of COVID-19 in federal correctional facilities in order to protect incarcerated individuals, federal employees, and the surrounding communities. “We urge you to direct the Bureau of … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces More Than $46 Million in Additional Funding for Maryland Colleges, Including $44 Million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities
The Maryland congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin and David Trone, today announced $46,702,104 for Maryland’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and colleges serving large populations of low-income students through the U.S. Department of Education Higher Education and … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
Van Hollen, Collins Lead Bipartisan Call for Hazard Pay, Increased Safety Measures for Federal Employees and Contractors
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) led 17 of their colleagues in a bipartisan letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Acting Director Russell T. Vought and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Acting Director Michael J. Rigas, urging them to take immediate steps to support federal employees and contractors during the COVID-19 crisis. The Senators’ letter emphasizes several actions that the Administration should take now to support these crucial … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
Van Hollen, Hassan, Colleagues Call for Greater Support for Students With Disabilities
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and 23 of their colleagues in calling for greater support for students who experience disabilities in upcoming COVID-19 response legislation. The funding would give school districts more resources to continue to provide students who experience disabilities with a free and appropriate public education as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).“As we grapple with the impacts of … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
Van Hollen, Coons Legislation to Dramatically Expand National Service Amid COVID-19 Garners Support as Senate Returns
Support is building for an effort by U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) and a working group of senators to significantly expand national service programs as the country works to respond and recover from COVID-19. Today, the Pandemic Response and Opportunity Through National Service Act was introduced in the Senate with seven additional cosponsors: Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Debbie Stabenow … Continue Reading
May 04, 2020
Van Hollen, Brown, Colleagues Urge the CFPB to Halt Work on the Payday Rule and Restart the Rulemaking Process
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), both members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, today joined 10 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Kathy Kraninger urging her to immediately halt work on the Payday Rule. The Senators cited press reports that extensively detail improper interference and manipulation of the rulemaking process for the Payday Rule by political … Continue Reading
