Press Releases
Van Hollen, Kennedy Ask SEC to Educate Investors About High-Risk Chinese Companies
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and John Kennedy (R-La.), members of the Senate Banking Committee, sent a letter to Investor Advocate Rick Flaming of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) asking that he alert SEC leadership and the general public about the risk of investing in many Chinese companies.“The fact that a Chinese company can be included in an index to avoid the SEC’s rigorous company-specific disclosure and audit regulations seems to fly in the face of the investor … Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin Statement on Maryland Cases of Novel Coronavirus
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.), released the following joint statement on the announcement that three individuals in Maryland have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). “We are closely monitoring the newly announced cases of novel coronavirus in Maryland, and we stand ready to support the state in any way we can. The state has been preparing for this possibility, and federal resources are already on the way to help. The first tranche of funding … Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces $500,000 in Federal Funding to Support State-Level Coronavirus Response
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Andy Harris, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone today announced $500,000 in federal funding to support Maryland’s response to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Funding comes from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These resources will help public health officials in Maryland monitor and assess … Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
Van Hollen Announces Unanimous Senate Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Child Care Protection
Today, the Senate unanimously passed the Child Care Protection Improvement Act, authored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Richard Burr (R-NC). This bipartisan legislation would create a task force to assist states in the process of implementing federal work requirements for child care workers.“As we work to make sure childcare is affordable, we must also ensure that it’s safe and that parents have peace of mind about who is watching their children,” said Senator Van Hollen. “Right now, … Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
Van Hollen Statement on Senate Passage of Coronavirus Supplemental Funding
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding the Senate’s passage of a bipartisan supplemental funding package to address the coronavirus: “I was proud to support this funding package to ensure Maryland and our country have the resources necessary to immediately and more effectively respond to the coronavirus. I’m pleased that Congress was able to come together on a bipartisan basis to provide this significant investment to immediately boost our … Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
Van Hollen Statement on Release of H-2B Visas
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding the Administration’s release of an additional 35,000 H-2B visas.“Maryland crabs are a central part of our state’s economy and culture - from the watermen who harvest them, to the crab houses that process them, to restaurants across the state who sell the iconic blue crabs to locals and visitors alike. To maintain this thriving industry, our crab houses have been in desperate need for the Administration to … Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
Van Hollen, Cortez Masto, Senators Introduce Legislation to Increase Diversity in Corporate Leadership
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) introduced the Diversity in Corporate Leadership Act of 2020 to ensure transparency and encourage corporate leadership so that corporate boards reflect our nation’s diversity. Despite a strong business case for diverse leadership, corporate boards have not reflected the gender, racial and ethnic … Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
Van Hollen, Young, Leahy Urge Pompeo to Immediately Sanction Turkey Over the Wrongful Detention of Locally Employed Staff of U.S. Diplomatic Missions
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging the State Department to sanction Turkey over the wrongful detention of locally employed staff at U.S. diplomatic missions in Turkey, as required by law. The letter points to their recently passed appropriations language mandating visa bans on foreign officials involved in the wrongful detentions of these staff. The Senators write, “The State … Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
Van Hollen, Senators Call on Employers to Offer Flexibility in the Event of Coronavirus Outbreak
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and twelve other Senators in urging major U.S. employers to commit that workers will not be penalized for following recommended health procedures to protect the public from further spread of the coronavirus. In a letter to major industry groups, which together represent thousands of major companies employing millions of Americans, the Senators wrote, "As the United States mobilizes to respond to the recent outbreak and … Continue Reading
March 05, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Trone, Ruppersberger, and Raskin Meet with DOD and Army Civilian Leadership to Discuss USAMRIID, USAMRICD
Yesterday, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin as well as U.S. Representatives David Trone, Dutch Ruppersberger, and Jamie Raskin (all D-Md.) met with Department of Defense and Army Futures Command civilian leadership to discuss USAMRIID at Fort Detrick and USAMRICD at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Upon learning that the Department of Defense had been withholding funds from the two research facilities earlier this year, the Members wrote a letter seeking more information and the release … Continue Reading
March 04, 2020
Van Hollen, Markey Lead Legislation to Promote Affordable, Safe, and Healthy Transportation Options
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) introduced theConnecting America’s Active Transportation System Act, legislation that would dedicate $500 million in federal funds annually for grants to local, regional and state government entities to connect walking and biking infrastructure into active transportation networks that allow people to reach destinations within a community, as well as active transportation spines that allow people to travel between … Continue Reading
March 04, 2020
Maryland Congressional Team Announces Nearly $1.2 Million for Bowie State University to Support Diverse STEM Teacher Pipeline
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer and Anthony G. Brown (all D-Md.) today announced $1,194,815 for Bowie State University to help to build the diverse science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teacher workforce in Prince George’s County. Awarded through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, this federal funding will be administered over the next five years in partnership with Prince George’s … Continue Reading
March 04, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Colleagues Send Letter to Azar: Trump Administration’s Health Care Sabotage Undermines Coronavirus Response
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-MD) joined Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), along with 35 other Democratic Senators in demanding that Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar take immediate action to address the many ways the Trump Administration’s health care sabotage has undermined our preparedness for and ability to respond to the novel coronavirus outbreak. Specifically, the Senators asked Secretary Azar to commit to making any … Continue Reading
March 03, 2020
Van Hollen, Colleagues Sign Bipartisan Letter Calling for UK to Reconsider Huawei Decision
Ahead of the House of Commons’ debate on Huawei, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE), along with a bipartisan group of their Senate colleagues, in urging Parliament to reconsider the Johnson government’s decision to allow Huawei to supply some of the United Kingdom’s 5G telecommunications structure. “Given the significant security, privacy, and economic threats posed by Huawei, we strongly urge the United … Continue Reading
March 03, 2020
Van Hollen Joins Colleagues in Demanding Answers about Trump Administration's Practice of Sharing Immigrant Children’s Confidential Psychotherapy Notes with ICE
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and ten other colleagues in decrying the reported practice of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) sharing the confidential therapy notes of unaccompanied immigrant children in its custody with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who then uses the information against the minors in removal proceedings. At a recent Senate hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar acknowledged that the … Continue Reading
March 02, 2020
Van Hollen, Schumer, Cotton, and Young Urge Secretary Pompeo and President Trump to Oppose China’s Bid to Lead U.N. World Intellectual Property Organization
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Todd Young (R-IN) today in sending a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging the Secretary to vigorously oppose China’s leadership in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), given China’s persistent violations of intellectual property protections, including through trade secret theft, corporate espionage, and forced transfer of technology. … Continue Reading
February 28, 2020
Van Hollen, Colleagues Urge FDA to Provide Answers on Coronavirus Impact on Inspections, Employees
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) wrote a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn seeking information on the FDA’s plans for inspections in China, in light of the coronavirus outbreak. The FDA conducts a number of inspections in China to ensure the quality and safety of food, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices entering the United … Continue Reading
February 28, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin Join Senate Dems to Introduce Bill to Reverse & Restore Military Funding After President Trump Repeatedly Raids Defense Department for His Border Wall
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) have joined 31 Senate Democratic colleagues to introduce the Restoring Military Priorities Act of 2020. The bill would reverse and restore the Department of Defense’s (DoD) recent short sighted and dangerous transfer of $3.8 billion to be used to build part of President Donald Trump’s ineffective border wall. The bill also reduces DoD’s transfer authority so that DoD cannot turn around and try to divert additional funding … Continue Reading
February 28, 2020
Van Hollen, Colleagues Ask FDA About Potential Drug Shortages Related to Coronavirus
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent a letter Friday to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn questioning the FDA’s plans to address potential drug shortages due to the outbreak of COVID-19, or Novel Human Coronavirus, first identified in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Many manufacturers in China are the primary producers of ingredients found in hundreds of common generic drugs, … Continue Reading
February 28, 2020
Van Hollen Introduces Legislation to Address the Homework Gap
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has announced the introduction of the Homework Gap Trust Fund Act, legislation to eliminate the homework gap and ensure children have access to the internet at home. According to the Senate Joint Economic Committee, as many as 12 million students do not have access to the internet at home. Data also suggests that while 70 percent of teachers assign homework that requires internet access, almost 20 percent of students don’t have home internet access to … Continue Reading
