Press Releases
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $120,000 ARC Grant for Boonsboro Sewer Replacement
U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) announced a $120,000 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant for the Town of Boonsboro to upgrade a critical sewer line, which currently lacks the capacity needed to adequately serve the community and is prone to backups. The federal funding will be matched by $120,000 in local funds for a project total of $240,000. "Our infrastructure is in desperate need of repair, and this grant will help Boonsboro make sewer improvements that … Continue Reading
April 07, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on U.S. Military Strike in Syria
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement on the U.S. Military Strike in Syria: "I believe a limited, proportional response to Assad's abhorrent use of chemical weapons was the right thing to do, and any future use should be met with a similar response. But it would be a mistake to get dragged into a full scale military conflict in Syria. President Trump must consult with Congress about a comprehensive strategy that includes a political settlement to the … Continue Reading
April 07, 2017
Van Hollen Introduces Legislation to Close Environmental Loophole for Natural Gas Drillers
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and nine Democratic Senators to introduce the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals (FRAC) Act, which would increase environmental protections for communities where natural gas drilling takes place. Specifically, the bill would require drillers to disclose the chemicals that go into the ground during the hydraulic fracturing process and close a 2005 loophole that prevents the Environmental Protection Agency … Continue Reading
April 06, 2017
Van Hollen: Today is a Sad Day in the United States Senate
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement on the change in Senate precedent to end the 60-vote threshold on Supreme Court nominees: "Today is a sad day in the United States Senate. I regret that my Republican colleagues did not have the courage of their convictions and failed to stand up to President Trump's demand to undermine the Senate in order to confirm a Supreme Court nominee who is outside the mainstream. Instead of rising to the challenge and upholding the … Continue Reading
April 06, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Call for Continued Funding of Essential Air Service to Support Hagerstown Regional Airport
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) are urging the Appropriations Committee to ignore President Trump's budget and provide robust funding for the Essential Air Service Program (EAS). The EAS Program, funded through the U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT), provides critical air service that connects rural and remote areas to major hubs, helping to grow area businesses and support economic growth. In 2016, it provided $1.7 million to Hagerstown Regional Airport (HGR). … Continue Reading
April 05, 2017
Van Hollen, National Capital Region Delegration Calls for Federal Investment in WMATA Safety Improvements
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Mark Warner (D-MD), along with Representatives Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), John P. Sarbanes (D-MD), John Delaney (D-MD), Don Beyer (D-VA), Barbara Comstock (R-VA), Anthony Brown (D-MD), and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) have sent a letter to Congressional appropriators calling for continued federal investment in the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for safety … Continue Reading
April 05, 2017
Van Hollen, Markey Introduce Legislation During National Public Health Week to Reduce Gun Violence
As community advocates, doctors, elected officials, and public health professionals gather for National Public Health Week, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) introduced legislation today to address the issue of gun violence across the United States. The bill would set aside $10 million in funding each year for FY2018-2023 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct or support research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention. Last year, … Continue Reading
April 05, 2017
Van Hollen Questions Major Broadband Providers About Privacy Rules
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass) and six other Senate Democrats in sending a letter questioning the nation's largest broadband internet providers on their rules to protect the privacy and security of their subscribers. This week, President Donald Trump signed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution formally rescinding the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) broadband privacy rules, which required broadband providers to get consent … Continue Reading
April 05, 2017
Van Hollen Applauds Court Decision Denying DOJ Effort to Delay Baltimore Consent Decree
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement applauding today's court decision to deny the Department of Justice's (DOJ) request to delay the Baltimore consent decree: "I applaud Judge Bredar for stepping in at this critical moment for Baltimore. The Department of Justice's effort to delay the consent decree with the Baltimore City Police Department was deeply misguided and was met with immediate opposition from the Congressional Delegation, Mayor Pugh, the Police … Continue Reading
April 04, 2017
Van Hollen Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Expand ABLE Accounts
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Richard Burr (R-NC), and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced a package of bills aimed at enhancing the ABLE Act. The ABLE to Work Act builds on the success of the ABLE Act by making it possible for disabled people who work to save a portion of their income in an ABLE account without risking loss of benefits. These bills will also allow rollovers from 529 college savings plans as well as raise the age for eligibility from 26 to 46. Representatives Cathy … Continue Reading
April 04, 2017
Van Hollen, Baltimore Delegation Call on Attorney General Sessions to Rescind Request to Delay Baltimore Consent Decree
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin with Congressmen Elijah E. Cummings, Dutch Ruppersberger and John Sarbanes (all D-Md.) have written to Attorney General Jeff Sessions objecting to the request by the U.S. Department of Justice to delay finalizing the consent decree that was agreed to by DOJ and the City of Baltimore to address systemic civil rights violations. The agreement followed an exhaustive federal pattern-and-practice investigation. "We are gravely concerned that the … Continue Reading
April 03, 2017
Van Hollen, Booker Demand Answers from DOJ on Private Prisons
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) wrote to Attorney General Jeff Sessions about the Department of Justice's decision to continue to use private prisons. The Senators are deeply concerned about the decision and are asking a series of questions to foster transparency and to ensure scrutiny of the issue doesn't stop. "We write to seek clarity about your recent decision to rescind former Attorney General Sally Yates's order to the federal Bureau of Prisons to reduce … Continue Reading
April 03, 2017
Van Hollen, Schatz, Cardin, Senators Call on EPA to Enforce Clean Water Rule and Protect Drinking Water
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i), and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) were joined by eight of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt to demand answers on how the EPA plans to comply with President Trump's executive order on the Clean Water Rule. The order calls on the EPA to weaken the Clean Water Rule significantly, a move that would undermine the Clean Water Act, and directly contradict the … Continue Reading
March 31, 2017
Van Hollen, Brown Urges Court to Preserve Consumer Watchdog’s Independence
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) helped lead an amicus brief filed today with a federal appeals court in support of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's current structure as an independent agency. The brief outlines how Congress decided after the 2008 financial crisis to design the CFPB as an independent agency with a single director to protect consumers' interests and respond quickly to changes in the marketplace. The brief also emphasizes that Congress … Continue Reading
March 30, 2017
Van Hollen Introduces Bill to Rescind President’s Anti-Climate Executive Order
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Michael Bennet and 30 U.S. Senators today in the introduction of legislation to rescind President Trump's Executive Order to reverse several landmark U.S. initiatives to combat climate change. "Climate change is harming our economy, our health and our environment -- but the Trump Administration is turning a blind eye to the clear and present danger it poses. Americans are already paying the price in the form of destruction to property and … Continue Reading
March 30, 2017
Van Hollen Demands Trump Abandon Harmful DOE Cuts
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and 16 Democratic Senators in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to reverse course on his plan to cut the Department of Energy's fiscal year 2018 budget. "The Department of Energy is a science and technology leader, with an unrivaled network of national laboratories, accelerating innovation in energy, … Continue Reading
March 30, 2017
Van Hollen, Duckworth Call on President Trump to Use American Made Steel in Pipeline Construction, Support U.S. Jobs
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led a letter with nine other Senators urging President Trump to protect American jobs by ensuring all new pipelines - if approved - are constructed and maintained with American made products and equipment. The President recently issued a memorandum requiring all new pipelines to be constructed with American made materials, but made an exception for the Keystone XL pipeline, posing a threat to American manufacturing and U.S. jobs. … Continue Reading
March 30, 2017
Van Hollen, Duckworth Call on President Trump to Use American Made Steel in Pipeline Construction, Support U.S. Jobs
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led a letter with nine other Senators urging President Trump to protect American jobs by ensuring all new pipelines - if approved - are constructed and maintained with American made products and equipment. The President recently issued a memorandum requiring all new pipelines to be constructed with American made materials, but made an exception for the Keystone XL pipeline, posing a threat to American manufacturing and U.S. jobs. … Continue Reading
March 30, 2017
Senate Democrats to President Trump: Veto Misguided Resolution That Eliminates Privacy Rules Designed to Protect Americans’ Most Sensitive Personal Information Stored on Computers or Phones – Such As Social Security Numbers, Browser History, And Precise G
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen joined Senate Democrats today to release a new letter to President Trump urging him to veto a resolution - passed by both the House and the Senate this week - that would undo consumer privacy rules enacted by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) designed to prohibit internet service providers (ISPs) from selling or sharing the sensitive personal data of their customers without first obtaining consent. The letter -- signed by 46 Senate Democrats -- notes … Continue Reading
March 29, 2017
Van Hollen, Bipartisan Group of Senators Urge President Trump to Restore Funding to Appalachian Regional Commission
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and nine Senators representing six states and both political parties are urging President Donald Trump to reverse his proposal to eliminate federal funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). Since ARC was created in 1965, the federal-state partnership has worked with states, localities, and the business community to support the creation of thousands of new jobs and helped leverage billions of dollars in new economic investments across the Appalachian … Continue Reading
