Press Releases
Maryland Delegation Calls for NOAA to Expedite Distribution of Relief Funds for U.S. Fisheries
Team Maryland, the full Maryland congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin and David Trone, have written to Wilbur Ross, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and Chris Oliver, Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), urging coordination with states to quickly allocate assistance and inclusion of Maryland’s … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Democratic Colleagues Press Trump Administration to Ensure Workers Receive Unemployment Benefits
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today joined 32 Democratic Senate colleagues in pressing the Department of Labor to ensure workers Congress intended to be covered by the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program receive the benefits they deserve. “[P]arts of the guidance appear narrow or ambiguous, which could make states think they need to exclude workers who Congress clearly intended to receive unemployment compensation through the Pandemic Unemployment … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Van Hollen, Brown, Murkowski, Stabenow, Colleagues Press USDA in Bipartisan Letter to Provide Relief for Local Farmers During COVID-19 Pandemic
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AL), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), along with a bipartisan group of senators, in urging the Trump Administration to provide relief for local farmers who are struggling as the nation works to combat the spread of COVID-19. In a letter sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue, the senators urged USDA to ensure that a portion of the $9.5 billion they secured in the Coronavirus … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Van Hollen, Klobuchar, Murkowski, Casey, Colleagues Urge Support for Victims and Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Bob Casey (D-PA), and a bipartisan group of 37 colleagues in requesting that any future legislation to address COVID-19 includes support for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. The senators express concern that service providers are reporting that abusers are using COVID-19 to isolate their victims, withhold financial resources, and refuse medical aid; rape crisis … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Van Hollen, Democratic Senators Push for Critical Youth Mentoring Funding in Next Coronavirus Aid Package
As Congress deliberates additional emergency aid to help Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Tina Smith (D-MN) called on Senate leadership to ensure this includes at least $250 million in funding for youth mentoring programs. The Youth Mentoring Grant, managed by the Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, provides funds for mentoring … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces $170 Million in Federal Funding for Maryland Higher Education
The full Maryland congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin, and David Trone, today announced $170,544,958 in federal funding for Maryland’s institutes of higher education under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. Of this total, 50 percent of the funds are available first to provide direct assistance to students facing … Continue Reading
April 13, 2020
Senators Van Hollen and Markey Introduce Legislation to Significantly Expand National Service, Fully Utilize Peace Corps in Response to Coronavirus Crisis
Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) have announced the introduction of legislation to mobilize Americans in the fight against the coronavirus. The Undertaking National Initiatives to Tackle Epidemic Act (UNITE Act) would expand authorization of volunteer opportunities within AmeriCorps and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and directs them to prioritize projects related to the pandemic in order to enhance the response on the frontlines of the … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces $742 Million for Hospitals and Health Care Providers to Support COVID-19 Response
The full Maryland congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin and David Trone, today announced the award of $742,225,306 for Maryland hospitals and health care providers through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund (PHSSEF). Created through the CARES Act, this program … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Van Hollen, Menendez Call for Trump Administration to Do More to Help Minority Communities Seeing Higher Impacts from COVID-19
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and 24 Senate colleagues in calling on the Trump Administration to do more to help minority communities that are seeing a disproportionately higher impact from the coronavirus pandemic. The senators underscored the critical need for demographic and racial data, and that any COVID-19 vaccine or drug treatment trials include women, racial minorities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. “These disparities are exacerbated … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces $3.8 Million in Federal Funding for Maryland Public Health Emergency Response
The full Maryland congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin and David Trone, today announced the award of $3,808,516 for the Maryland Public Health Crisis Response to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This funding is awarded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Van Hollen Joins Peters, Hassan, Murphy & Kaine in Pressing Administration for Information on Distribution of Critical Medical Supplies, Personal Protective Equipment
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), along with the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, in raising serious concerns about the Trump Administration’s reliance on private companies to distribute desperately needed medical supplies during the Coronavirus pandemic. Although the President has declared a national emergency and mobilized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help distribute … Continue Reading
April 10, 2020
Maryland Delegation Members Press President Trump to Waive FEMA Cost-Sharing Requirements to Help States Handle COVID-19 Outbreak
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin and David Trone (all D-Md.) sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to swiftly approve a National Governors Association request from Governors Hogan of Maryland and Cuomo of New York to waive all cost-sharing requirements for assistance under the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration and Major Disaster Declarations. Team Maryland has … Continue Reading
April 09, 2020
Van Hollen Urges Senate Passage of Amendment to Provide Crucial Relief to Small Businesses, Healthcare Providers, and State & Local Governments
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) spoke on the Senate floor to urge Republican leadership to amend their proposed coronavirus relief package to include crucial provisions to substantially improve the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses and provide much-needed funding to our healthcare providers and local governments. In March, the Senate passed a phase three relief bill with broad bipartisan support, just like the previous two packages. Yet today, Leader McConnell … Continue Reading
April 09, 2020
Maryland Delegation Members Call on State to Provide Full Race, Ethnicity, and Zip Code Data on COVID-19 Patients
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin as well as Representatives Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone (all D-Md.) sent a letter to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan urging him to release complete COVID-19 demographic data on race and ethnicity, broken down by zip code. In their letter, the Members emphasize that the demographic data released today, showing COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on black Marylanders, only furthers … Continue Reading
April 09, 2020
Van Hollen, Brown, Senate Dems Urge Regulators to End Attempts to Weaken the Community Reinvestment Act
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), both members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, along with 41 Senate Democrats, called for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to rescind their Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) proposed rule, which would weaken this critical civil rights law. In their letter to regulators, the Senators called for the FDIC and OCC to listen to the … Continue Reading
April 09, 2020
Van Hollen, Udall, Senate Democrats Urge Trump Administration to Indefinitely Extend Public Comment Periods and Pause Unrelated Federal Rulemakings During COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and 20 Senate Democrats in sending a letter to Acting Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought, calling on the executive branch to protect Americans’ right to participate in thedemocratic policy-making process, at a time when millions are worried about their and their loved ones’ health, safety and economic security and are unable to fully participate in the public comment … Continue Reading
April 08, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin Host Call with School Superintendents Across Maryland
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) hosted a call with school superintendents from districts across Maryland to discuss the impact of coronavirus on their students and educators. Senators Van Hollen and Cardin fought to secure resources for schools within the recently passed CARES Act.“Today’s conversation was a chance to hear directly from our school superintendents on the challenges they’re facing and how we can help. They made one point clear: we need to close … Continue Reading
April 08, 2020
Maryland Delegation Urges Treasury to Provide State, Local Governments with Immediate, Flexible Relief
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, along with Representatives Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Andy Harris, M.D., Jamie Raskin, Anthony Brown, and David Trone wrote a bipartisan letter to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, urging the Department to immediately provide the funding passed within the CARES Act to state and local governments. In their letter, the Members stress the urgent need for the distribution of these funds and ask the Secretary to ensure … Continue Reading
April 08, 2020
Van Hollen, Senators Demand DHS Watchdog Launch Investigation into Reported Mistreatment of Pregnant Detainees by CBP amid COVID-19 Pandemic
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and a group of 12 senators in calling on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) to immediately investigate continued disturbing reports that pregnant detainees are severely mistreated while in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody amid the growing COVID-19 pandemic. Senators called on DHS OIG Joseph Cuffari to investigate complaints of Border Patrol agents delaying … Continue Reading
April 08, 2020
Maryland Delegation Members Call on FEMA to Immediately Provide More Medical Supplies to National Capital Region
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Representatives Steny Hoyer, Anthony Brown, David Trone, and Jamie Raskin (all D-Md.) wrote to FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor urging the Administration to increase the federal government’s allotment of emergency medical supplies and equipment to the National Capital Region. The bipartisan letter was also signed by U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Rob Wittman (R-VA), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Jennifer Wexton (D-VA), Congresswoman … Continue Reading
