Press Releases
Van Hollen Statement on Confirmation of Governor Nikki Haley
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen submitted the following statement to the congressional record on the vote to confirm Governor Nikki Haley as Ambassador to the U.N.: "Mr. President, in 1945, at the close of World War II, the 50 Allied nations formed the United Nations to help prevent another world war. Since its founding, the U.N. has grown to 193 nations. While it has many serious flaws, it has been an important tool for promoting peace, protecting human rights, providing humanitarian … Continue Reading
January 24, 2017
Van Hollen Statement in Opposition to Confirmation of Treasury Nominee Steve Mnuchin
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement announcing his opposition to the confirmation of Steve Mnuchin to serve as the next Secretary of the Treasury: "When we review each of President Trump's nominees, we must consider the question of experience. Unlike some of the men and women up for consideration, Steve Mnuchin has experience working with banks. But that experience is some of the most troubling part of his record. "Last week, I had the opportunity to listen to … Continue Reading
January 23, 2017
Van Hollen Statement in Opposition to Confirmation of Mike Pompeo
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen submitted the following statement to the congressional record on the vote to confirm Congressman Mike Pompeo to be Director of the CIA: "Mr. President, President Trump has repeatedly called into question the integrity and professionalism of the brave men and women in our Intelligence Community. In addition, throughout the campaign, his statements revealed a dangerous propensity to ignore important principles of civil and religious liberty. "Under these … Continue Reading
January 23, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Trump Administration’s Federal Hiring Freeze
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement on the Trump Administration's federal hiring freeze: "President Trump's decision to enact an arbitrary hiring freeze on federal agencies is short-sighted and may ultimately cost taxpayers more as that work is shifted to federal contractors. Rather than take the time to understand agency budgets and make informed decisions, the President has decided to forbid agencies from bringing new talent into the civilian workforce. This … Continue Reading
January 20, 2017
Van Hollen Statement in Opposition to Confirmation of General John Kelly
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen submitted the following statement to the congressional record on the vote to confirm General John Kelly as Homeland Security Secretary: "Mr. President, President Trump ran a divisive campaign that engaged in fear-mongering against many immigrants and scapegoated Muslim Americans. To the extent that he attempts to act on that irresponsible rhetoric, I will strongly oppose him. "Thus I appreciated many of General Kelly's comments in his confirmation hearing before … Continue Reading
January 20, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Confirmation of General James Mattis
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen submitted the following statement to the congressional record on the vote to confirm General James Mattis to serve as Secretary of Defense: "Mr. President, I support the nomination of General James Mattis to serve as Secretary of Defense. "I voted against enacting an exception to the National Security Act for a recently-retired General to serve as Secretary of Defense, but that vote was in support of our Nation's tradition of civilian leadership of the military. … Continue Reading
January 19, 2017
Van Hollen Statement in Opposition to Confirmation of Attorney General Nominee Senator Jeff Sessions
Washington, DC - Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement announcing his opposition to the confirmation of Senator Jeff Sessions to serve as the next Attorney General of the United States: "The Attorney General holds a very special position in our democracy, serving as a champion for the people and a defender of those whose only power lies in their rights under the law and in our Constitution. Nominees must be judged based on whether their life's work demonstrates a … Continue Reading
January 19, 2017
Van Hollen Statement in Opposition to Confirmation of EPA Nominee Scott Pruitt
Washington, DC - Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement announcing his opposition to the confirmation of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to serve as the next Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): "Scott Pruitt has spent his career attacking the EPA and its mission to protect our air, our water, and vital ecosystems like our beloved Chesapeake Bay. He has been a puppet for Big Oil and rejects the basic science of climate change. … Continue Reading
January 19, 2017
Van Hollen Statement in Opposition to Confirmation of Secretary of Education Nominee Betsy DeVos
Washington, DC -Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement announcing his opposition to the confirmation of Betsy DeVos to serve as the next Secretary of Education: "The education and success of our children is central to the hopes and dreams of every family in Maryland and across the country, and it is integral to our nation's future. With that in mind, the Department of Education is charged with one of America's most critical tasks - providing all children, in every … Continue Reading
January 11, 2017
Baltimore Delegation Statement on Consent Decree Between BPD and the Department of Justice
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator's Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin were joined by Congressmen Elijah E. Cummings, John Sarbanes, and Dutch Ruppersberger (all D-MD) in issuing the following statement after Baltimore City Mayor Catherine Pugh and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced the finalization of a consent decree between the U.S. Department of Justice and Baltimore City Police Department: "Last summer's DOJ report-which detailed systemic, repeated violations of the constitutional … Continue Reading
January 10, 2017
Van Hollen Calls for Disclosure of Trump Cabinet Nominees’ Golden Parachute Bonus Payouts
As President-elect Trump holds press conference, Senators urge his cabinet nominees to disclose their potential conflicts of interest "The American people cannot afford to have industry insiders writing their own rules to make a rigged system worse." WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and a group of colleagues in sending President-elect Trump a letter calling for his cabinet nominees to disclose any payments they may receive from former employers … Continue Reading
January 08, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce Maryland Online Groceries to Begin New SNAP Pilot Program
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) have announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has chosen Maryland as 1 of 7 states to take part in a pilot program that will allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to purchase their groceries online. Three Maryland retailers - Amazon, Safeway and ShopRite - will participate in the program, putting them - and Maryland - at the head of a new and more efficient SNAP program. The … Continue Reading
January 05, 2017
Van Hollen Delivers First Speech on the Senate Floor
Washington, DC -U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen delivered his first speech on the Senate floor, thanking Marylanders for their support and pledging to fight efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Video of his speech is availablehere, and a transcript is below: "This is the first time I have risen to speak on the Senate floor and I want to start by thanking my fellow Marylanders for the honor of representing them in this great United States Senate. "I want to thank my colleague, Senator … Continue Reading
January 05, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin, Hoyer Announce Advancement of the Proposed Mallows Bay National Marine Sanctuary Designation
WASHINGTON- Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen joined Senator Ben Cardin and Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (both D-MD) in releasing the following statement today after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the release of a proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on the designation of the Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary: "Today, NOAA announced a proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Mallows … Continue Reading
January 04, 2017
Van Hollen Delivers First Speech on the Senate Floor
Washington, DC -U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen delivered his first speech on the Senate floor, thanking Marylanders for their support and pledging to fight efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Video of his speech is availablehere, and a transcript is below: "This is the first time I have risen to speak on the Senate floor and I want to start by thanking my fellow Marylanders for the honor of representing them in this great United States Senate. "I want to thank my colleague, Senator … Continue Reading
January 02, 2017
Van Hollen Sworn In as U.S. Senator for Maryland
Introduces First Bill to Combat Income Inequality Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen released the following statement after taking the oath of office to serve Maryland in the U.S. Senate: "Today I took an oath to the serve our great nation and the values of freedom, justice, and opportunity so beautifully articulated in the Constitution. I am humbled by the confidence the people of Maryland have placed in me, and I am ready to get to work to tackle our many pressing … Continue Reading
December 20, 2016
Van Hollen Announces New Senate Staff
Washington, DC- Today Maryland Senator-elect Chris Van Hollen announced the hiring of new senior staff in his Capitol Hill office. Karen Robb will serve as Chief of Staff, Yvette Lewis will serve as Director of External Relations and Community Outreach, and BillDausterwill serve as Director of Policy. "I am pleased to announce three top staff members of our Capitol Hill team,"said Senator-elect Van Hollen."They will help support my efforts to serve the people of Maryland in the United States … Continue Reading
December 18, 2016
Van Hollen Announces Senate Committee Assignments
Will Serve on Appropriations, Banking, Agriculture, and Budget Committees Washington, DC -Today Maryland Senator-elect Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement oncommitteeassignments. He will be serving on four committees in the U.S. Senate: the AppropriationsCommittee, the Banking, Housing, and Urban AffairsCommittee, the Agriculture, Nutrition, and ForestryCommittee, and the BudgetCommittee. "As Maryland's next U.S. Senator, I will work every day to help the people of our great … Continue Reading
January 11, 2012
Van Hollen, Senate Democrats Urge DHS To Reverse Decision To End TPS For El Salvador
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen joined Senate Democrats in sending a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Nielsen urging DHS to reverse its decision to end Temporary Protection Status (TPS) designation for El Salvador. Earlier this week, DHS announced it would be ending TPS designation for the nearly 200,000 Salvadorans working and living under TPS protections in the United States today. Ending the TPS designation will not only uproot thousands of lives, disrupt … Continue Reading
