Press Releases
Van Hollen, Cardin Call on HUD to Improve Oversight of Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs
U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-MD) joined Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with seven of their Senate colleagues, in sending a letter to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) urging the agency to immediately improve its oversight of lead-based paint hazards in federally-assisted housing to ensure that families and children are protected from exposure to lead. The letter comes on the heels of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report recommending … Continue Reading
November 28, 2018
Van Hollen, Cardin Applaud U.S. Army Corps of Engineers FY2019 Work Plan’s Focus on Critical Navigation, Restoration Projects in Maryland
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (Both D-Md.) today applauded the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) FY2019 Work Plan, which directs the investment of more than $10 million in additional federal funding for critical navigation and ecosystem restoration projects in Maryland. The annual Army Corps Work Plan defines where project money can be spent across the country, above and beyond the itemized funding in the FY2019 appropriations bills. Every year the Army Corps clears … Continue Reading
November 27, 2018
Van Hollen Statement on Nomination of Stephen Vaden for USDA General Counsel
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen released the following statement regarding the nomination of Stephen Vaden as the General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture: MR. PRESIDENT, President Trump has nominated Stephen Vaden to be General Counsel for the Department of Agriculture. In that role, Mr. Vaden will oversee all of the legal services for all operations and programs of the Department, and 250 attorneys nationwide. Most of Mr. Vaden's experience is not in agriculture or natural … Continue Reading
November 21, 2018
Van Hollen Urges Sri Lankan President to Respect Democracy and Rule of Law
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) wrote to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena raising deep concerns about his decision to remove Sri Lanka's prime minister and the ensuing political crisis. Senator Van Hollen has deep connections to Sri Lanka, having lived there for a period of time when his father, Chris Van Hollen Sr., served as U.S. Ambassador to the country. He is also the former co-chair of the Sri Lanka Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. "The actions taken … Continue Reading
November 20, 2018
Van Hollen, Cardin Praise the Naming of Salisbury Post Office After Sgt. Maj. Wardell B. Turner
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) praised Senate-passage of H.R. 4913, designating the United Postal Service Office at 816 East Salisbury Parkway in Salisbury, Maryland, as the "Sgt. Maj. Wardell B. Turner Post Office Building." Sgt. Maj. Wardell B. Turner admirably served multiple deployments with the U.S. Army, most notably as the senior enlisted advisor for the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan in Kabul. He was killed in 2014 after a convoy of … Continue Reading
November 19, 2018
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $144 Million for Clean Water in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) have announced $144 million in federal funding for the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority. The loan will be used to make extensive repairs and upgrades to the District's aging water infrastructure, which also services Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. Funds for the project come from the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 (WIFIA), which established the federal loan and guarantee program under the … Continue Reading
November 19, 2018
Van Hollen, Cardin, and Brown Effort to Name Wayne K. Curry Post Office Building in Largo Heads to President’s Desk
U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressman Anthony G. Brown praised Senate-passage late Thursday of H.R. 4890 that designates the United Postal Service Largo Post Office at 9801 Apollo Drive in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, as the "Wayne K. Curry Post Office Building." Wayne Curry was Prince George's County's first African-American County Executive and a true public servant who brought economic empowerment to the county. He passed away in 2014, at the age of 63, after a battle … Continue Reading
November 15, 2018
Van Hollen Statement on S.J.RES.65 and U.S. Arms Sales to Bahrain
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding S.J. Res 65, a Joint Resolution Relating to the Disapproval of the Proposed Export to the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain of Certain Defense Articles and Services: "Mr. President, as the late Senator John McCain once wrote, "We are a country with a conscience. We have long believed moral concerns must be an essential part of our foreign policy, not a departure from it." He believed, as I do, that … Continue Reading
November 14, 2018
Van Hollen Statement for the Record on Adoption of S.140, the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2018
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement on the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2018:"Today the Senate completed work on a new two year authorization for the U.S. Coast Guard, the Federal Maritime Commission and on regulations related to vessel discharges and other matters. "This bill is intended to give our Coast Guard the certainty it needs to operate in a constantly changing environment, and I appreciate the significant bipartisan work that has gone … Continue Reading
November 13, 2018
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $150,000 for Hagerstown Community College
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced $150,000 in federal funding through the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for the Hagerstown Community College Energy and Trades Training Center. This funding will allow the College to purchase workforce training equipment and technology for the newly-constructed Center, which will in turn provide hands-on experience for students enrolled in the Alternative Energy Technology and Industrial and Engineering … Continue Reading
October 28, 2018
Van Hollen Statement on Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has released the following statement regarding the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.“I am heartbroken and horrified by the brutal mass murders in Pittsburgh. This reprehensible anti-Semitic hate crime against people participating in Shabbat observance is painful beyond words.“We are grateful for the selfless heroism of the first responders who rushed into harm’s way to save lives. And we pray for those who lost their … Continue Reading
October 24, 2018
Van Hollen Statement on Suspicious Packages
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has released the following statement regarding the suspicious packages sent to public officials and the media. The Senator’s office has been in contact with the Sergeant at Arms and the Capitol Police regarding the situation at the Capitol Heights, Maryland facility, and the Senator continues to monitor the situation closely. “Acts of political violence targeted against anybody have no place in our country. We can have disagreements on policy … Continue Reading
October 24, 2018
Maryland, Virginia Senators Urge WMATA to Maintain Riders’ Advisory Council
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), joined by Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) sent a letter to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Board of Directors Chairman Jack Evans, opposing their proposal to terminate the Riders’ Advisory Council. Tomorrow, after previous assurances by the WMATA Board Chairman that the Council would continue to operate, the Board plans to vote on whether to eliminate the Council and instead … Continue Reading
October 23, 2018
Van Hollen Signs Bipartisan Letter to Pompeo Urging Trump Administration to Recommit to Refugee Admissions Program
Bipartisan Push Comes After Fiscal Year 2018 Admissions Hit the Lowest Amount in More than 40 Years Yesterday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen signed a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging him to reconsider the historic low set level in refugee admissions for fiscal year (FY) 2019 and to reaffirm the United States' commitment to a robust refugee admissions program. The Trump administration has set FY 2019 refugee admissions levels at just 30,000. The Senators wrote, "A … Continue Reading
October 18, 2018
Cardin and Van Hollen Join Effort to Give Workers a Greater Voice at Public Companies
U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-MD) are joining 11 of their Senate colleagues in calling on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to use its upcoming Staff Roundtable to consider implementing reforms that will promote worker engagement, drive long-term growth and investment, and give workers a greater voice in public companies by allowing workers to be elected as company board members. In the letter, the Senators note research has shown that company boards … Continue Reading
October 18, 2018
Van Hollen Presses Administration on Decision to End Support for Publicly Accessible Patient Care Guidelines
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen has sent a letter to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Director Gopal Khanna, regarding the Agency’s decision to end support for the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC). The NGC provides public access to evidence-based clinical practices that promote patient care. In the letter, Senator Van Hollen noted, “The NGC is an important tool for providers, patients, and others to inform health care and treatment decisions.” The Senator … Continue Reading
October 16, 2018
Van Hollen Joins Effort to Halt EPA Methane Standards Roll Back
Ahead of the public comment period that began this week for a proposal to weaken methane standards, Sen. Chris Van Hollen along with 21 Senate colleagues in a letter urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to extend the public comment period for the rule and provide adequate justification for modifying the national standards. In 2016, the EPA adopted the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for methane emissions from oil and gas sources following a 75-day comment period. The … Continue Reading
October 15, 2018
Van Hollen Statement on Trump Claims About Khashoggi Murder
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s comments on the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi: “President Trump’s suggestion that Khashoggi’s elaborately planned murder in the Saudi’s own consulate was orchestrated by ‘rogue killers’ defies reality. Orders must have come from the top. The U.S. must not be complicit in an effort to cover-up this heinous … Continue Reading
October 12, 2018
Sen. Van Hollen, Reps. Carson, Moulton Lead Bicameral Letter Seeking Answers on Trump Travel Ban
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and U.S. Representatives André Carson (D-IN-7) and Seth Moulton (D-MA-6) led a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen pressing the two Departments for more information on the implementation of President Trump’s travel ban. The Members write, “Despite repeated requests from the Congress, the Administration has not been forthcoming with Members of Congress or the American people about … Continue Reading
October 12, 2018
Van Hollen and 22 Senate Colleagues Call for Greater U.S. Efforts to Protect Freedom of Speech and Combat Growing Authoritarianism Globally
Letter Urges the Administration to Reassert U.S. Moral Leadership in Protecting Freedom of Expression U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), signed a letter yesterday with 22 Senate colleagues highlighting concern over growing authoritarian and anti-democratic actions around the world. The senators urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to evaluate how best the United States can use its full foreign policy toolkit, voice, and resources to forcefully oppose efforts to silence critics and curtail … Continue Reading
