Press Releases
Van Hollen Urges Senate Leadership to Protect Federal Employee Retirement Benefits
Today United States Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined a group of Senators in calling on Senate leadership to protect federal employee retirement benefits from further cuts, as proposed by the Trump Administration's FY 18 budget request. The President's proposal calls for $149 billion in cuts from federal employees and retirees, including a raise in Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) contributions from employees and the reduction or elimination of cost-of-living-adjustments. Nearly … Continue Reading
July 27, 2017
Van Hollen, Senators Send Bipartisan Letter Urging Secretary Mattis Not To Implement Transgender Ban
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)joined Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and a bipartisan group of Senators in sending a letter to Secretaryof Defense JamesN. Mattis, urging him to advise the President against implementing the announcement he made via Twitter Wednesday that transgender Americans can no longer serve in the military. This announcement contradicts existing Defense Department policies, undermines our military readiness, … Continue Reading
July 27, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on the Latest Republican Health Care Proposal
Van Hollen Statement on the Latest Republican Health Care Proposal Washington, DC - Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement on the latest Republican health care proposal: "We may have started this debate with Republicans refusing to say what their final health care legislation would be, but the result remains the same. Every proposal offered by our Republican colleagues - all of which were hammered out in secret - will result in millions of people losing their … Continue Reading
July 26, 2017
Van Hollen Calls on Federal Reserve to Investigate Deutsche Bank’s Conflicts of Interest with Trump
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, member of the Senate Banking Committee, today wrote to Janet Yellen, Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and William Dudley, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He is asking that the Federal Reserve investigate Deutsche Bank and the possible conflicts of interest it faces with the outstanding loans to President Trump and his family. The concern is that President Trump may have undue influence … Continue Reading
July 26, 2017
Van Hollen, Democratic Senators Call On President Trump To Protect Dreamers
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and 41 of his Democratic Senate colleagues asked President Donald Trump to use his executive authority to the greatest extent possible to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides temporary relief from deportation to immigrant students who arrived in the United States as children if they register with the government, pay a fee, and pass criminal and national-security background checks. Texas Attorney General Ken … Continue Reading
July 26, 2017
Van Hollen Statement in Support of the Countering America’s Adversaries Act
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen submitted the following statement to the congressional record in support ofthe Countering America's Adversaries Act: "Mr. President, I am strong supporter of H.R. 3364, the Countering America's Adversaries Act, which sanctions Russia, Iran, and North Korea. I call on President Trump to sign this package into law, without delay. "This Act imposes tough sanctions Russia for its interference in our elections, its attempts to undermine faith in the democratic … Continue Reading
July 26, 2017
Van Hollen Fights for Maryland in Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, voted to support the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. It will invest in national security, law enforcement, and American scientific innovation. It also provides funding for three agencies with a major presence in Maryland: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and National Oceanic … Continue Reading
July 25, 2017
Van Hollen, Senators Call for Reopening of U.S. Poultry Exports to China
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined a bipartisan group of 36 senators in urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to push the Chinese government to end its ban on the sale of American poultry products. The ban was instituted by China in 2015 due to the detection of a wild duck with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influence and continues to be enforced today, in contradiction of World Health Organization for Animal Health standards. "Poultry is produced in almost every state. For … Continue Reading
July 25, 2017
Van Hollen: Republicans Just Lit the Fuse to Blow Up Our Health Care System
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen released the following statement on Senate Republicans voting to begin debate on repealing the Affordable Care Act: "Senate Republicans just embarked on a very dangerous journey. If we don't stop them, the end of this journey will do incredible damage and harm to our health care system. What they've done is light the fuse, and now we need to make sure that the fire doesn't travel down and blow up the health care system - denying health care to tens of … Continue Reading
July 24, 2017
Van Hollen, Toomey Encourage Adoption of BRINK Act
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), members of the Senate Banking Committee, released the following statement on the importance of including secondary sanctions: "Our response to North Korea's recent ICBM test must be bold, decisive, and comprehensive. The Russia, Iran, and North Korea Sanctions Act falls short of the aggressive sanctions needed to sever North Korea's ties to the international financial system and create the leverage necessary for successful nuclear … Continue Reading
July 24, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Statement on Kent Island Tornado
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin(both D-Md.) released the following statement regarding the tornado that touched down on Kent Island overnight: "Our thoughts are with the people of Stevensville on Kent Island today as they recover from last night's storm and possible tornado. We appreciate the speed and skill of the first responders and all those working to return the community to a sense of normalcy in the aftermath of such sudden destruction. Our offices already have been in … Continue Reading
July 21, 2017
Van Hollen: Chaos in the White House Taking Attention Away from Important Issues Like Health Care & the Economy
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen joined CNN's Brianna Keilar to discuss President Trump's chaotic West Wing and his inability to focus on issues important to the American public. A transcript of the exchange is below, and video is available here: BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN: Sir, what is your reaction to this breaking news? U.S. SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Brianna, it'simpossible being the PressSecretary or the CommunicationsDirector in this Administration,because the chaos starts at thevery top.It … Continue Reading
July 21, 2017
Van Hollen Fights for Maryland in Agriculture Appropriations Bill
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, voted to support the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which passed unanimously yesterday in the Committee. It will support American agriculture, conservation, and nutrition programs. Through his work on the Appropriations Committee and as the first Maryland Senator in nearly 100 years to serve on the Senate Agriculture … Continue Reading
July 21, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $499,970 National Science Foundation Grant to University of Maryland Baltimore County to Advance Understanding of Earth’s Climate
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced that University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) will receive a $499,970 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to train graduate students, postdocs, as well as junior faculty in disciplines to advance knowledge of atmospheric radiation and the Earth's climate system. "This National Science Foundation grant will help UMBC scientists and researchers to unlock the secrets of our Earth's atmosphere,"said … Continue Reading
July 20, 2017
Van Hollen: Chaos in the White House Taking Attention Away from Important Issues Like Health Care & the Economy
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen joined CNN's Brianna Keilar to discuss President Trump's chaotic West Wing and his inability to focus on issues important to the American public. A transcript of the exchange is below, and video is available here: BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN: Sir, what is your reaction to this breaking news? U.S. SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Brianna, it'simpossible being the PressSecretary or the CommunicationsDirector in this Administration,because the chaos starts at thevery top.It … Continue Reading
July 20, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $53,226 AmeriCorps Grant to Combat Opioid Epidemic on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today announced that Salisbury University has been awarded a $53,226 AmeriCorps Grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to fund the ShoreCorps/Partnership for Adolescents on the Lower Shore (PALS) program to help combat the opioid epidemic on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. "We must use every tool at our disposal to fight the opioid epidemic that is devastating so many communities in our state. This … Continue Reading
July 20, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $37,203 AmeriCorps Grant to Combat Opioid Epidemic in Western Maryland
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today announced that Frostburg State University has been awarded a $37,203 AmeriCorps Grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to fund the Conquering Opiate Abuse Together (COAT) program to help combat the opioid epidemic in Western Maryland. "We must use every tool at our disposal to fight the opioid epidemic that is devastating so many communities in our state. This funding will expand education and … Continue Reading
July 19, 2017
Van Hollen Calls on President Trump’s Opioid Commission to End Delays and Act to Stop Addiction Crisis
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and a group of Democratic Senators sent a letter to the acting director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy expressing concern that the White House's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis - chaired by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie - is wasting valuable time by delaying steps that could provide immediate solutions to address the opioid crisis. Despite an abundance of actionable information, the commission has announced … Continue Reading
July 19, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Latest CBO Score of Republican Health Care Repeal Plan
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen released the following statement on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis of the Republican bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which would reduce the number of Americans with insurance by 32 million over the next ten years: "President Trump called the House 'health care' bill mean, and the Republican plans keep getting meaner by the day. The non-partisan CBO reports that the latest Senate proposal to repeal the ACA would double the cost of … Continue Reading
July 19, 2017
Van Hollen, Senate Democrats Press EPA, Army Corps to Extend Comment Period for Clean Water Rule Rewrite
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined 21 Senate Democrats in sending a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt and Army Corps of Engineers Deputy Assistant Secretary Douglas Lamont urging them to extend the 30-day public comment period for EPA's proposal to rescind the 2015 Clean Water Rule. In total, the Obama Administration allowed the public to comment on the original rule for 180 days in 2014 and responded to over one million public … Continue Reading
