Press Releases
Van Hollen Helps Introduce Legislation to More Than Double Investment in Universal Flu Vaccine
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), today helped introduce the Flu Vaccine Act, legislation to conduct or support comprehensive research for the creation of a universal influenza vaccine that could protect against multiple strains of the flu virus and offer longer lasting protection. The legislation is calling for a total investment of $1 billion - $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024 for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Senator Van Hollen and his colleagues were able … Continue Reading
February 25, 2019
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $202 Million Loan to Modernize Baltimore’s Wastewater Infrastructure
WIFIA loan to help finance water infrastructure upgrades that will better protect public health and water quality for 1.8 million Baltimore residents Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) joined Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler to announce a $202 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the City of Baltimore, Md., to help the city make system-wide upgrades to its aging wastewater infrastructure … Continue Reading
February 21, 2019
Van Hollen, Young Housing Bill Signed into Law
New Law Will Help Families Relocate to Greater Opportunity Areas Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) announced that the Senate voted to pass and provide funding for their housing legislation, which will incentivize greater choice and mobility in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)'s Housing Choice Voucher Program. The Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act was included in the larger government funding bill that passed the Senate … Continue Reading
February 20, 2019
Van Hollen Announces Bill to Halt Trump Administration’s Nuclear Escalation
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) announced legislation that would prevent the Trump Administration from taking any action to escalate nuclear tensions, by unconditionally restricting the use of funds for activities prohibited under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty during the six month withdrawal period. This legislation, the Preserving Arms Control Treaties (PACT) Act, will prohibit the Administration from any near-term steps to further exacerbate the INF crisis … Continue Reading
February 16, 2019
Van Hollen to Attend Munich Security Conference, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Winter Meeting
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen announced that he would be attending the Munich Security Conference from February 16th - 17th and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly Winter Meeting in Vienna from February 21st - 22nd as part of a bipartisan Congressional delegation. The trip will also include diplomatic meetings in France and Cyprus. Senator Van Hollen is a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and … Continue Reading
February 14, 2019
Van Hollen Statement on Trump Decision to Declare a National Emergency
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding reports of President Trump's plan to put forward a National Emergency Declaration to fund his border wall: "It is a gross abuse of power - and likely illegal - for President Trump to go around Congress to fund his border wall. Inventing an unnecessary emergency declaration to pay for his wall by redirecting funds already allocated to our military or domestic infrastructure sets a dangerous precedent. I am … Continue Reading
February 14, 2019
Van Hollen Statement on Government Funding Agreement
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen announced his support for the bipartisan government funding agreement. The plan contains multiple priorities the Senator has fought for - including a 1.9 percent cost of living adjustment for federal employees, retroactive to January 1, 2019. Throughout the partial government shutdown and its aftermath, Senator Van Hollen has worked to ensure federal workers are held harmless, including through the introduction and passage of the Government Employee Fair … Continue Reading
February 13, 2019
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce over $4.5 Million for Maryland Roads Damaged by Severe Weather
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) have announced over $4.5 million in federal funding for the Maryland State Highway Administration to repair damages caused by the heavy rains that hit Maryland in May and June 2018, including the devastating flooding in Ellicott City and Frederick and Washington Counties. Immediately following the severe weather events, the Maryland Congressional Delegation, led by Senators Cardin and Van Hollen, wrote two letters urging the President … Continue Reading
February 12, 2019
Van Hollen, Cardin Historical and Conservation Priorities Pass the Senate
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (Both D-Md.) lauded today's bipartisan Senate passage of a package of conservation and natural resources bills that will help preserve Maryland's rich historic sites and protect wildlife, such as the Baltimore Oriole. The Natural Resources Management Act (S. 47) passed 92-8 and now heads to the House of Representatives. The legislative package includes measures sponsored by Senators Cardin and Van Hollen to preserve President Street Station in … Continue Reading
February 11, 2019
Van Hollen, Napolitano, Katko Introduce Legislation to Protect Transit Workers and Pedestrians
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), U.S. Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA-32), and U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY-24) introduced the Transit Worker and Pedestrian Protection Act. "The men and women who work as transit operators across our county deserve a safe work environment - but far too often, that is not guaranteed. This legislation will lay out the changes needed to make this a reality and put a down payment on making it happen. It will improve our transportation systems for both … Continue Reading
February 11, 2019
Van Hollen, Murkowski Announce Bipartisan Support for 2.6% Pay Raise for Federal Workers
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) announced bipartisan support for legislation to provide federal employees with a 2.6 percent cost of living increase. The House of Representatives passed companion legislation to this measure last month. "Our federal workforce protects our nation, ensures the safety of our food and medicine, delivers Social Security and veterans' benefits, and carries out countless other responsibilities on behalf of our citizens. The … Continue Reading
February 08, 2019
Van Hollen Statement on the Passing of John Dingell
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) issued the following statement regarding the passing of former U.S. Congressman John Dingell: "I am deeply saddened by the passing of my friend and former colleague John Dingell, 'the Dean of the House.' John's long record of service to our nation speaks for itself -- he fought fiercely for civil rights, clean air and water, and his dream of universal health care, and had a wit and determination that couldn't be matched. John was one of our country's … Continue Reading
February 07, 2019
Van Hollen, Fischer, Sherman, & Loudermilk Reintroduce BUILD Act
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) along with Representatives Brad Sherman (D-Cali.) and Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) reintroduced the Building up Independent Lives and Dreams (BUILD) Act. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would allow nonprofits to once again use forms that are less complex when they are issuing 0% interest loans. This will help ensure the organizations can continue to make these loans to borrowers. "Habitat for Humanity and others groups … Continue Reading
February 07, 2019
Van Hollen, Warren Renew Call for Senate Banking Committee to Investigate Deutsche Bank
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo urging the Committee to engage in a thorough, detailed bipartisan investigation into Deutsche Bank's compliance history, followed by a report and hearing. This letter is a follow up to one they sent in December. The full text of the letter is available below and here. Dear Chairman Crapo: We are writing to renew our request that the Committee engage in a … Continue Reading
February 06, 2019
Van Hollen Statement on S.1, Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019
Mr. President - I come to the Senate Floor today with a sense of great disappointment - disappointment in what my colleague, the senior senator from Florida and the Republican Leader have done with the bill before us today. Because they have taken a bill that had broad - maybe unanimous -- bipartisan support and tried to turn it into a political weapon. As a result, they are doing a great disservice to the American people and to all of us who value the tradition of strong bipartisan support … Continue Reading
February 05, 2019
Van Hollen Statement on State of the Union Address
Tonight U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement on President Trump's State of the Union address: "The White House promised this State of the Union would be one of unity and a vision for bipartisan cooperation. But most of what we heard tonight was the same division and dishonesty that sadly has become the hallmark of this presidency. The President could have used this time to offer concrete plans on bipartisan economic priorities that actually help working people. … Continue Reading
February 05, 2019
Van Hollen, Democratic Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Help Prevent Housing Discrimination
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in introducing The Home Loan Quality Transparency Act to reinstate Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act … Continue Reading
February 05, 2019
Van Hollen, Rubio, Colleagues Re-Introduce Bill to Enforce Commerce Deal with Chinese Telecom Firm ZTE
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Doug Jones (D-AL) today re-introduced the ZTE Enforcement Review and Oversight (ZERO) Act, a bipartisan bill to enforce full compliance by ZTE, a Chinese state-directed telecommunications firm that repeatedly violated U.S. laws, with all probationary conditions in the Commerce Department's July 2018 deal to lift the denial order's seven-year ban … Continue Reading
February 04, 2019
Van Hollen, Jones Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter on Death of CPO Shannon Kent
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Congressman Walter Jones (R-N.C.) led a letter with Senators Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Congressmen C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) and Anthony Brown (D-Md.) to the Acting Secretary of Defense Shanahan and Secretary of the Navy Spencer about the case of Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Shannon Kent, a chief cryptologic technician in the United States Navy, who was recently killed in action while … Continue Reading
February 04, 2019
Van Hollen, Cardin to Announce Legislation to Improve Student Access to Federal Financial Aid
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) joined Congressman Elijah E. Cummings along with Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger and John Sarbanes to announce the introduction of the FAFSA Fairness Act of 2019. The legislation would simplify the process to apply for and receive federal student financial aid for students who do not have contact with their parents. Senators Van Hollen and Cardin will introduce companion legislation in the Senate. "Nobody should be denied the … Continue Reading
