Press Releases
Van Hollen Introduces COAST Act in Response to Trump Executive Order to Expand Offshore Drilling
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and 14 Senate cosponsors to reintroduced the Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act that would ban offshore oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Ocean. Last Friday, President Trump signed an executive order that takes the first steps towards allowing offshore oil and gas drilling along the East Coast. "Maryland's coastline and waters belong to the people, not Big Oil," said Senator Van Hollen. "We must … Continue Reading
May 01, 2017
Cardin, Van Hollen Announce Funding for the Purple Line, WMATA
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen, member of the Senate Appropriations and Banking Committees, and Ben Cardin, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee (T&I), announced $275 million in funding for the region's public transportation systems in the Fiscal Year 2017 Omnibus Funding bill. The legislation includes $125 million in funding for the Purple Line project and instructs the Secretary of Transportation to move forward … Continue Reading
April 28, 2017
Cardin, Van Hollen Announce $415,900 in Funding to Expand Maryland’s Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) have announced $415,900 in federal funding to add an additional 126 acres of land to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. The grant is funded through the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund and was approved for disbursement this week by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Migratory Bird Conservation Commission. The funds were raised largely through the sale of Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, commonly known as … Continue Reading
April 28, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce New $147,479 Grant for UMES
Today U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen announced that the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) has been awarded a $147,479 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The money will be used to bring digital technology to classes where fashion design and merchandising are taught. About 90 UMES undergraduates major in fashion merchandising, and this funding will help expand the curriculum and grow the program. "This grant will … Continue Reading
April 27, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Call on Trump Administration to Protect Coastlines from Offshore Oil Drilling
As President Trump prepared to release a new executive order tomorrow that may call for opening up new areas offshore for oil exploration, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.)joined with more than two dozen senators calling on the Trump administration to protect the coastlines of the United States from offshore oil drilling. The senators sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke urging him not to revise the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing … Continue Reading
April 27, 2017
Van Hollen Leads Maryland Delegation in Effort to Protect Vital NASA Missions
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen led every Democratic member of the Maryland Congressional Delegation in urging National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to protect two missions vital to Maryland's leadership in earth and space science. In a letter to Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot, the lawmakers warned that cutting or eliminating the Restore-L satellite servicing mission and the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission, as proposed in President Trump's … Continue Reading
April 26, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Trump Tax Reform Proposal
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement on President Trump's outline of a tax reform proposal: "President Trump's tax reform proposal is a half-baked collection of ideas that add up to a huge giveaway to Donald Trump and his rich friends. If your last name is Trump, this plan is great for your bottom line. But if you're one of the millions of Americans who feels left behind by this economy, President Trump's plan only makes your problems worse. This plan … Continue Reading
April 26, 2017
Van Hollen Announces Bill to Raise Federal Minimum Wage to $15
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and 21 other Senators in announcing the Raise the Wage Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $15. By phasing in a pay raise for tens of millions of workers, the legislation will raise living standards, lift millions of Americans out of poverty, and provide a much-needed boost to our economy. "If you work full time in America, you should be able to support yourself and your family … Continue Reading
April 26, 2017
Van Hollen Condemns Trump Executive Orders Threatening National Monuments
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen joined Senator Tom Udall and a group of 30 Democratic senators in condemning President Trump's executive order which threatens national monuments by directing the Department of Interior to review, and possibly modify or rescind, prior monument designations. The senators noted that national monuments enjoy widespread public support and serve as economic drivers across the United States. Given the depth and significance of support in the communities, the … Continue Reading
April 26, 2017
Van Hollen to Newly Confirmed Deputy Attorney General: Appoint Special Prosecutor Immediately
Following Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's confirmation late yesterday, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and a group of 13 Senators urging him to immediately appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Since Attorney General Jeff Sessions' has recused himself, Rosenstein is now responsible for leading the Department of Justice's investigation. "We write to request that you take immediate … Continue Reading
April 26, 2017
Van Hollen, Shaheen Introduce Legislation to Ensure Women Servicemembers Have Access to Basic Health Care
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the Access to Contraception for Women Servicemembers and Dependents Act of 2017 to overhaul current Department of Defense policy on contraceptive coverage and family planning counseling. The bill would bring health care provided by the military in line with current law for civilian populations by ensuring that all women who receive health care through the United States military have access to all forms of … Continue Reading
April 26, 2017
Two Years After Unrest, Baltimore Congressional Delegation Continues Push for Greater Opportunities, Criminal Justice and Civil Rights Reforms for the People of Baltimore
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, along with Congressmen Elijah Cummings, Dutch Ruppersberger, and John Sarbanes (all D-Maryland) Wednesday released the following statement two years after the unrest that followed the death of Freddie Gray. "Two years ago, as the City of Baltimore grieved the loss of Mr. Freddie Gray, we asked our neighbors to honor him through peaceful means rather than violence. Freddie's death was a tragedy that forced a long-overdue conversation on race, … Continue Reading
April 26, 2017
Van Hollen Urges Leader McConnell and Speaker Ryan to Focus on Funding for Opioid Crisis and Medical Research
Washington, D.C.- Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and a group of 16 senators calling on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan to include a substantial increase in funds for the fight against the nation's opioid epidemic and additional investments in the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as part of the Continuing Resolution currently being negotiated in Congress to avert a government shutdown. The … Continue Reading
April 25, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Confirmation of Rod Rosenstein
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen released the following statement in support of the confirmation of Rod Rosenstein to serve as Deputy Attorney General: "Mr. President, I support Rod Rosenstein's nomination to become Deputy Attorney General. Throughout his 27-year career, Mr. Rosenstein has earned a reputation as a fair and focused administrator of justice. He has served in Maryland in both Republican and Democratic administrations and has earned the distinction of being the longest-serving U.S. … Continue Reading
April 25, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $10 Million in Funding to Combat Maryland Opioid Crisis
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) have announced $10,036,845 in federal funding to fight Maryland's opioid health crisis. The grant is funded by the 21st Century Cures Act, which was backed by both Senator Cardin and Senator Van Hollen and signed into law by President Obama in 2016. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will provide the funds through the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grants, which is administered by HHS' Substance Abuse and … Continue Reading
April 21, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $77,803 Grant for Havre de Grace Ambulance Corps
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), under the Department of Homeland Security, has awarded a $77,803 grant to Havre de Grace Ambulance Corps for operations and safety. "Making sure our first responders are well-prepared to keep our communities safe is one of government's highest priorities," said Senator Cardin. "I'm glad to see this investment in Havre de Grace's Ambulance Corp come to fruition. It … Continue Reading
April 21, 2017
Van Hollen Will Fight Any Effort to Make it Easier for Corporations to Invert
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen spoke out against President Trump's new executive order, which would review all tax regulations issued in the last year of the Obama Administration. A key regulation from that period curbed the practice of corporate inversions - when companies shift their tax obligations onto American workers and families simply by moving their mailing address overseas. Senator Van Hollen led the charge against inversions in the House of Representatives, introducing … Continue Reading
April 20, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $500,000 Grant for Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), under the Department of Homeland Security, has awarded a $500,000 grant to the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI). "This grant represents an investment both in Maryland first responders and in Marylanders' safety, which is exactly the type of investment the federal government should be making," said Senator Cardin. "I'm very pleased the Maryland Fire and … Continue Reading
April 19, 2017
Maryland Delegation Supports Community Group’s Resolution of NextGen Flight Issues at BWI, Urges FAA to Act
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin joined Congressmen Steny Hoyer, Elijah Cummings, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, John Delaney, Anthony Brown, and Jamie Raskin in support of the DC Metroplex BWI Community Roundtable's proposed resolution of the NextGen flight path issue at BWI Airport and urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to act. "This Resolution satisfies the FAA's request that a Community Roundtable reach a consensus position before the FAA will consider … Continue Reading
April 19, 2017
Van Hollen Calls for UN Ambassador Haley to Reverse Course, Reaffirm U.S. Commitment to Global Reproductive Rights
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) in a letter calling on United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley to reverse course and reaffirm the United States' commitment to global reproductive rights. The U.S. has long supported sexual and reproductive rights abroad through foreign aid and development programs, but the Trump Administration has taken actions recently to … Continue Reading
