Press Releases
Van Hollen, Senators Slam Regulators For ‘Rent-A-Bank’ Arrangement
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and four of their colleagues wrote a letter opposing a proposed rule by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) that could eviscerate state laws that limit the interest rates on loans and allow unregulated predatory lending across the nation. In a letter to OCC Comptroller Joseph Otting and FDIC Chairman Jelena McWilliams, the Senators pushed back against the … Continue Reading
November 21, 2019
Van Hollen, Sarbanes Lead Bicameral Letter Urging House and Senate Conference Negotiators to Include Increased Funds for Chesapeake Bay Program
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and U.S. Representative John Sarbanes (both D-Md.) led a letter to House and Senate leadership, urging conference negotiators to include significant increases in funding to the Chesapeake Bay Program within the final Fiscal Year 2020 funding bill. Senator Van Hollen, a member of the Appropriations Committee, and his Bay colleagues fought to pass an increase of $5.28 million - for a total $78.28 million - in the Republican-led Senate’s funding … Continue Reading
November 21, 2019
Van Hollen Leads Letter Opposing Potential Cuts to Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) wrote to Defense Secretary Mark Esper to raise serious objections to any proposed cuts to the budget of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). Based in Bethesda, Md., USU is a part of the military academy system and is the only medical and nursing school in the country that is dedicated to military and combat medicine. Educating military medical … Continue Reading
November 21, 2019
Van Hollen, Cardin, Hoyer, Sarbanes, Brown, Raskin, Trone Announce more than $11 Million for Metrobus Upgrades
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny Hoyer, John Sarbanes, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone (all-Md.) today announced the award of $11,040,000 for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for Metrobus system improvements from the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program (49 U.S.C. 5339). Part of a nearly $14 million statewide investment, this federal funding will support the … Continue Reading
November 21, 2019
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce more than $1 Million for Eastern Shore Bus Upgrades
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today announced the award of nearly $1.1 million to the Maryland Transit Authority (MTA) for Eastern Shore bus system improvements from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program (49 U.S.C. 5339). Part of a nearly $14 million statewide investment, this federal funding will support the replacement of vehicles. The Shore Transit Project (Tri-County Council) will receive $850,000 and Delmarva … Continue Reading
November 21, 2019
Van Hollen, Cardin, Hoyer Announce $76,500 for St. Mary’s County Bus Maintenance Facilities
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman Steny Hoyer (all D-Md.) today announced the award of $76,500 to the Maryland Transit Authority (MTA) for St. Mary's County bus system improvements from the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program (49 U.S.C. 5339). Part of a nearly $14 million statewide investment, this federal funding will be used to expand vehicle maintenance facilities. "Modernizing our infrastructure and … Continue Reading
November 21, 2019
Van Hollen, Cardin, Maryland Congressional Delegation Announce nearly $14 Million for Bus System Improvements Statewide
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone (all D-Md.) today announced the award of more than $13,866,000 for the improvement and modernization of bus systems throughout Maryland from the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program (49 U.S.C. 5339). This federal funding will support the replacement, rehabilitation, purchase, or … Continue Reading
November 21, 2019
Baltimore Congressional Delegation Announces $1.65 Million for New Towson Circulator
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger and John Sarbanes (all D-Md.) today announced the award of more than $1.65 million for Baltimore County to fund the Towson Circulator with a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program (49 U.S.C. 5339). Part of a nearly $14 million statewide investment, this federal funding will support the purchase of new buses and infrastructure for the Towson … Continue Reading
November 20, 2019
Van Hollen Introduces the Shutdown Guidance for Financial Institutions Act
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) introduced the Shutdown Guidance for Financial Institutions Act. This legislation requires federal financial industry regulators to immediately issue guidance encouraging financial institutions to work with individuals and small businesses impacted by a government shutdown. Right now, this is happening far too slowly. During the last Trump Shutdown, it took 20 days for that guidance to be released - all while civil servants, federal contractors, … Continue Reading
November 20, 2019
Van Hollen, Cardin Urge MDTA to Support Nice Bridge Protected Bike/Pedestrian Lane
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) sent a letter to Maryland Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Chairman of the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Pete Rahn, urging the Board's support of a bike/pedestrian path in the contract for the proposed replacement of the Nice Bridge. The MDTA Board plans to vote on this proposal at tomorrow's meeting. The Senators write, "The Nice Bridge is vital to the economy of Charles County, Southern Maryland, … Continue Reading
November 20, 2019
Van Hollen, Brown, Warren Underscore Support of “FedNow” Real-Time Payments System in letter to Fed
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), all members of the Senate Banking Committee, have written to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to underscore their support of the proposed "FedNow" service to support real-time payments. The Senators write, "Real-time payments would result in significant economic benefits for working families and small businesses. Currently, the largest Wall Street and foreign banks control the only … Continue Reading
November 19, 2019
Van Hollen, Cardin, Casey Call on USDA to Target Unspent Funds Toward Helping Farmers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Reduce Runoff Pollution
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.) have written to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue urging him to use his authority to transfer unspent funds to conservation programs that will help agricultural producers and landowners voluntarily improve their farms and private forests by reducing runoff pollution. The senators are asking that previously non-expended funds from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) be directed within … Continue Reading
November 19, 2019
Van Hollen Legislation to Reauthorize ARPA-E, Increase Funding for Advanced Energy Research and Development Passes Key Senate Committee
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) announced the passage of his bipartisan legislation to reauthorize funding for the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) out of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. ARPA-E works to advance high-potential, high-impact energy technologies in the early stages of development. The bill, co-authored by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), would increase funding levels from $428 million in Fiscal Year 2020 … Continue Reading
November 19, 2019
Van Hollen, Scott Urge NASEM to Study Role of NIH in Drug Development and Patient Access
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) wrote to the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) asking them to issue a report on its recent workshop examining the role of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the development of new drug treatments and the impact on patient access and pricing and issue a report. The Senators have introduced the We PAID Act, which would ensure that the prices of drugs developed using federally funded … Continue Reading
November 19, 2019
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $1.1 Million for Anti-Heroin Task Force in Maryland
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) have announced $1,100,576 in federal funding for the Maryland State Police to combat the illegal manufacturing and distribution of heroin and other opioids. The funding, awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) program, will be used to conduct investigations and other activities related to the unlawful distribution of heroin and prescription opioids. "The opioid epidemic has left no Maryland … Continue Reading
November 19, 2019
Van Hollen, Democrats Slam DeVos’ Decision to Mask Educational Inequities by Halting Critical Elements of Civil Rights Data Collection
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), along with a group of Democratic Senators slammed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' decision to stop collecting critical civil rights data. Since 1968, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Education has conducted Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) on key civil rights issues facing our nation's schools. The DeVos administration has proposed to eliminate several critical data elements-including school discipline, harassment and bullying, … Continue Reading
November 18, 2019
Van Hollen, Cardin, EPW Democrats Announce GAO Report: Climate Change Poses Real Threat To Our Nation’s Superfund Sites
Senators Van Hollen and Cardin join other Members of Congress in announcing GAO Report that finds Superfund sites across the country - including 7 in Maryland - are unprepared for climate impacts. U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.), both members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, joined EPW ranking member Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) to announce a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that concludes our nation's Superfund sites are woefully … Continue Reading
November 18, 2019
Baltimore Delegation Announces $2.5 Million for the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, along with Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger and John Sarbanes (all D-Md.) announced $2,550,000 for the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, based in Baltimore, Md. The funding, awarded though the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative, will go towards the Foundation's Badges for Baseball program - a nationwide youth mentorship program in which at-risk youth are paired with law enforcement, public safety, and … Continue Reading
November 18, 2019
Ahead of Chamber Meeting on Climate, Van Hollen, Schatz, Whitehouse, Senators Demand Answers from Board Members on Chamber’s Anti-climate Agenda, Funding
Member Companies Publicly Claiming to Support Climate Action Have Remained Silent on Chamber's Anti-Climate Activities U.S. Chamber of Commerce Members Set To Meet on Tuesday To Discuss Climate Policy Today, ahead of a meeting at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce centered on climate policy, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) called on board members to explain their support for the Chamber's anti-climate agenda, how its activities to … Continue Reading
November 15, 2019
Van Hollen Names Baltimore Child Abuse Center as 2019 “Angel in Adoption”
Van Hollen meets with Adam Rosenberg, Baltimore Child Abuse Center Executive Director and their staff in his Washington, DC office U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has named the Baltimore Child Abuse Center (BCAC) as his 2019 Angels in Adoption Honoree. BCAC, one of Maryland's leading child welfare resources, was given this award as part of the annual Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) event. BCAC's Board-certified child abuse pediatricians and other medical … Continue Reading
