Press Releases
As Seafood Processing Season Begins, Md. & Va. Senators Applaud Announcement By Biden Administration Releasing Additional H-2B Visas
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) along with Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-Va.) applauded an announcement by the Biden administration that it will release an additional 22,000 H-2B temporary non-agricultural worker visas, a move that will benefit the seafood processing industries in Maryland and Virginia. The Senators had previously called on the administration to make available the maximum number of congressionally-authorized H-2B visas in order to … Continue Reading
April 20, 2021
Van Hollen, Sullivan Introduce China Reciprocity Legislation
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) today introduced the True Reciprocity Act of 2021, legislation to address the substantial imbalance in the relationship between the United States and China across a number of sectors, including diplomacy, trade, communications, and education. Specifically, the legislation directs the Biden administration to develop an in-depth report to Congress detailing the obstacles put in place by China to obstruct the free work of U.S. … Continue Reading
April 19, 2021
Van Hollen, Cardin, Carper Introduce Legislation to Reconnect and Revitalize Communities Divided by Highways
Bill Text | One-PagerToday, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) joined Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) in introducing legislation to reconnect and revitalize areas that were harmed by the construction of the Interstate Highway System. The Reconnecting Communities Act would establish a grant program at the Department of Transportation to help communities identify … Continue Reading
April 19, 2021
Van Hollen, Blunt Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen the United States’ Global Competitive Edge
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) announced new bipartisan legislation to ensure U.S. leadership in discovery and innovation and to strengthen the United States’ competitive edge against China and across the global economy. Their legislation, the National Strategy to Ensure American Leadership (SEAL) Act, calls on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to identify the top emerging science and technology challenges and provide … Continue Reading
April 19, 2021
Van Hollen, Cardin, Sarbanes Announce $3 Million in Federal Funding to Support Annapolis City Dock Flood Mitigation Project
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman John Sarbanes (all D-Md.) today announced $3 million in federal funding to strengthen flood prevention and stormwater infrastructure in Annapolis.“The climate crisis poses an imminent threat to our environment and our economy,” said Senator Van Hollen, a member of the Appropriations Committee. “Coastal communities like Annapolis depend on effective stormwater management to protect their homes and businesses from flooding and natural … Continue Reading
April 16, 2021
Van Hollen, Durbin, Leahy, Senate Democrats Urge Biden to Finally Close Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and 21 Senate Democratic Colleagues in a letter to President Joe Biden expressing their support for finally closing the detention facility at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In their letter, the Senators wrote that as a symbol of lawlessness and human rights abuses, the detention … Continue Reading
April 16, 2021
Senators Van Hollen, Hassan and Wyden Push to Challenge Abusive Tax Deductions by Opioid Companies
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chairman of the Committee, and a group of colleagues in urging the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to challenge any abusive tax deductions that opioid companies may take for settlements that they are paying out related to their role in fueling the opioid epidemic.The Senators’ letter follows recent reporting indicating that, after being sued by state or … Continue Reading
April 16, 2021
Van Hollen, Heinrich, Senate Democrats Call On Biden Administration To Undo Unlawful Changes To National Monuments
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, along with 17 of their Senate colleagues, sent a letter to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland urging her recommend that President Biden undo any unlawful attacks on the Antiquities Act. Since 1906, sixteen presidents from both parties have used the Antiquities Act to protect places across the nation. "From Chaco Canyon in New Mexico to Harriet … Continue Reading
April 16, 2021
Van Hollen and Colleagues Urge Biden to Approve Vaccine Patent Waiver to Boost Production and End Pandemic
Ahead of a May 5 meeting of the World Trade Organization’s General Council, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined 9 other senators Friday in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to publicly support a temporary patent waiver for Covid-19 vaccines that would allow countries to manufacture treatments locally, expediting the global vaccination effort, saving countless lives and crushing the pandemic.“Your Administration has the opportunity to reverse the damage done by the Trump … Continue Reading
April 15, 2021
Van Hollen joins Sanders, Omar, and Colleagues in Introducing the End Polluter Welfare Act
Ahead of today’s Senate Budget Committee hearing on “The Cost of Inaction on Climate Change,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) in introducing the End Polluter Welfare Act to close tax loopholes and eliminate federal subsidies for the oil, gas, and coal industries. While the 20 largest fossil fuel companies account for more than a third of global greenhouse gas emissions in the modern era, all while raking in absurd profits, American … Continue Reading
April 15, 2021
Van Hollen, Warren, Casten, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill Requiring Public Companies to Disclose Climate-Related Risks
United States Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Sean Casten (D-Ill.) today in introducing the Climate Risk Disclosure Act of 2021 which would reduce the chances of environmental and financial catastrophe by requiring public companies to disclose more information about their exposure to climate-related risks. By increasing market transparency, this bill will empower investors to appropriately assess climate-related risks and accelerate … Continue Reading
April 15, 2021
Van Hollen, Cardin Renew Push to Ban High-Capacity Gun Magazines
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today reintroduced the Keep Americans Safe Act, renewing a concerted effort to ban the importation, sale, manufacturing, transfer, or possession of gun magazines that hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. These high-capacity magazines are designed for shooting and killing en masse and have been the accessory of choice in some of the bloodiest mass shootings in America.The introduction of this bill comes days before the 14th … Continue Reading
April 15, 2021
Van Hollen, Menendez, Colleagues Introduce Comprehensive International Climate Change Legislation
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) were joined by eight of their Senate Democratic colleagues in introducing new international climate change legislation in support of President Biden’s ambitious climate action agenda. Entitled the United States Climate Leadership in International Mitigation, Adaptation, and Technology Enhancement Act of 2021 (U.S. CLIMATE Act), … Continue Reading
April 14, 2021
Van Hollen, Carper, Collins Reintroduce Bill to Secure Federal Firefighters’ Benefits for Diseases Contracted in Line of Duty
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), both co-chairs of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, in reintroducing legislation to help ensure federal firefighters receive the financial support they deserve for diseases contracted in the line of duty. The Federal Firefighter Fairness Act of 2021 classifies a range of firefighting-linked illnesses, like lung diseases and certain cancers, contracted by federal firefighters as … Continue Reading
April 14, 2021
Van Hollen Joins Merkley, Huffman to Get the Federal Government out of the Fossil Fuel Business
Maryland’s U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen joined Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, Representative Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), and a group of 20 lawmakers in introducing the Keep It in the Ground Act—urgent legislation to stop new fossil fuel leases and put an end to nonproducing leases for extraction of coal, oil, gas, oil shale, and tar sands extraction on public lands and in public waters.The combustion of fossil fuels that have been extracted from America’s public lands and waters currently … Continue Reading
April 14, 2021
Senators Van Hollen, Markey, Rubio, and Warren Announce Reintroduction of Bipartisan Legislation to Counter Chinese Government Policy Coercively Preventing Americans from Leaving China
Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today announced the reintroduction of legislation to enhance accountability for Chinese officials involved in coercively banning American citizens from leaving China. In recent years, Chinese officials have prevented U.S. citizens from leaving China in order to pressure relatives wanted by the Chinese government to submit themselves to Chinese authorities. This unfair “exit ban” … Continue Reading
April 13, 2021
Van Hollen, Hagerty, Fortenberry, Schiff Introduce Resolution Commemorating Jordan Centennial
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Representatives Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced a resolution commemorating the centennial of the founding of the Jordanian state.The resolution begins, “Whereas the late King Abdullah bin Al Hussein arrived in Amman on March 2, 1921, and began working to establish a political system based on the Arab demand for independence, … Continue Reading
April 12, 2021
Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces More Than $182 Million to Help State Bring COVID-19 Pandemic Under Control, Strengthen Local Infectious Disease Response
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone (all Md.) today announced more than $182 million in federal funding to bolster Maryland’s COVID-19 pandemic response and expand the capacity of laboratories and local health departments to fight infectious diseases.“This significant infusion of federal funding will help strengthen Maryland’s pandemic … Continue Reading
April 12, 2021
Van Hollen, Cardin, Hoyer Virtually Meet with Federal Employee Unions and Employee Groups
This afternoon, Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin joined Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (All D-Md.) to host a virtual discussion with Members of the National Capital Region and representatives from National Treasury Employees Union, American Federation of Government Employees, National Federation of Federal Employees, National Active and Retired Federal Employees, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, National Association of Air … Continue Reading
April 09, 2021
Van Hollen Statement on Biden Budget Outline
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding President Biden’s initial budget outline:“As our state and nation begin to recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s time to invest boldly in our workforce, our economy, and our future. President Biden’s budget outline does just that - jump-starting our efforts to build back better with the necessary funding to tackle the most critical, fundamental challenges our country faces. “This proposal … Continue Reading
