Press Releases
Van Hollen Reintroduces Legislation to Ensure Retroactive Pay to Government Employees
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen joined 25 of his Senate colleagues in the bipartisan introduction of legislation to protect government workers from the detrimental impacts of a government shutdown that was brought on through no fault of their own. The country is now two weeks into the Trump Shutdown - which has shuttered nine federal departments and ground services for American families to a halt. More than 450,000 civil servants are now working without pay - including the men and women … Continue Reading
January 03, 2019
Van Hollen Discusses Shutdown State of Play on MSNBC with Chris Hayes
Mitch McConnell "going to have a hell of a time explaining" Refusal to Bring House Bill to a Vote Last night, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) discussed the current status of the government shutdown, including legislation to reopen the government that is expected to pass the House today. In addition to his efforts to reopen the government, Senator Van Hollen has worked continuously to ensure that federal workers will receive retroactive pay following the shutdown, and to end President … Continue Reading
January 01, 2019
Van Hollen, Democratic Senators Urge Trump to Reverse Course, Raise Pay for Federal Employees
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) have sent a letter to President Donald Trump, urging him in the strongest possible terms to back off a pay freeze for civilian federal employees in 2019. The letter comes in addition to numerous efforts by Senator Van Hollen on behalf of federal employees. Prior to the shutdown, the Senator filed an amendment to the Senate's short-term Continuing … Continue Reading
December 21, 2018
Van Hollen, Cardin Lead Senate Passage of Measure to Ensure that Federal Workers Will Be Paid Following Trump Shutdown
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) are leading a bipartisan effort to guarantee that federal workers will be paid retroactively following the partial government shutdown that began at midnight Friday. By unanimous consent, the senators gained Senate passage of the Federal Employee Fair Treatment Act (S. 861), which replaces a discretionary decision with a guarantee that furloughed federal employees will be paid retroactively, stipulates that all employees shall be paid … Continue Reading
December 21, 2018
Van Hollen and Senate Colleagues Call on Trump Administration to Stop Pushing Health Insurance Plans That Weaken Pre-existing Condition Protections
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined a group of Senators in calling on the Trump Administration to withdraw recent changes that makes it easier for states to promote "junk" plans. These health care plans typically lack protections for people with pre-existing conditions and would increase costs for millions of Americans. Under the Administration's new guidance, states can use federal subsidies to pay for these subpar plans by utilizing a section of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) … Continue Reading
December 19, 2018
Van Hollen Joins Senate Colleagues in Urging President Trump to Condemn Texas v U.S. Decision
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) today joined a group of Senators in calling on President Trump to condemn the recent decision in Texas v. United States which declared the Affordable Care Act (ACA) unconstitutional. If the decision stands, 20 million Americans will be left without the health insurance they rely on. The 133 million Americans and 800,000 West Virginians with a pre-existing condition will be at risk of losing their access to health insurance and millions of families across … Continue Reading
December 19, 2018
Van Hollen Pushes for Federal Employee Pay Raise in Short-Term Funding Bill
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen announced that he will file an amendment to the short-term funding bill to provide federal employees with a 1.9 percent cost of living increase. President Trump announced a pay freeze for civil servants for 2019, which he can do unilaterally unless Congress acts. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Van Hollen secured the same pay increase as part of the Fiscal Year 2019 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, … Continue Reading
December 18, 2018
Van Hollen Statement on Passage of First Step Act
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen released the following statement regarding the passage of the First Step Act: Mr. President, I am proud that the Senate has passed the First Step Act. As a cosponsor of this bill, I am heartened that Republicans and Democrats came together to address an issue that affects millions of Americans and their families. Although one of my colleagues across the aisle has said that we have an "under-incarceration" problem, that is simply not the case. The United … Continue Reading
December 17, 2018
Senators: Pruitt Conflicts, Industry Capture of Trump Administration Renders EPA’s Proposed Methane Rule Invalid
Former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt lacked a sufficiently open mind to legally preside over changes to vital protections against the powerful greenhouse gas methane; his involvement in the proposal to tear down those protections violated federal ethics rules; and that proposal amounts to an egregious hand-over of an agency's rulemaking authority to an industry the same agency regulates. That is what Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sheldon Whitehouse … Continue Reading
December 14, 2018
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $4.1 Million for Lead Hazard Reduction in Baltimore
Today, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) announced $4.1 million in federal funding to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in Baltimore City housing units. The funding, awarded through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will allow the City to address lead hazards in 250 housing units, providing safer homes for low-income families. Baltimore City will also use the funding to perform healthy homes assessments to identify lead and other … Continue Reading
December 14, 2018
Van Hollen, Klobuchar, Duckworth Press GM for Answers on Taxes and Layoffs
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) wrote a letter to General Motors (GM) Chairman and CEO Mary Barra seeking answers on how GM is affected by new incentives for offshoring that were created by the Republican tax law and pressing GM to eliminate future stock buybacks, in light of recently announced layoffs in the United States. In addition to their letter, Senators Van Hollen and Duckworth have cosponsored Senator Klobuchar's … Continue Reading
December 13, 2018
Maryland Federal Delegation Receives $91 Million Commitment from CSX for Howard Street Tunnel Project
As the Port of Baltimore continues to see record growth in international cargo value and volume, upgrading the Howard Street Tunnel, for both safety and capacity, has the potential to transform the economics of freight in the region U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, along with Baltimore Mayor Catherine E. Pugh and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Elijah E. Cummings, Dutch Ruppersberger, Andy P. Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown and Jamie B. Raskin, met Thursday at the U.S. Capitol with … Continue Reading
December 13, 2018
Van Hollen Joins Senate Colleagues in Calling on President Trump to Preserve Nuclear Treaties
Senators: "Your Administration's Efforts to Double Down on New, Unnecessary Nuclear Weapons While Scrapping Mutually Beneficial Treaties Risks the United States Sliding Into Another Arms Race with Russia and Erodes U.S. Nonproliferation Efforts Around the World" Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined a group of 26 Senators in urging President Trump to uphold the longstanding bipartisan consensus on nuclear arms control. The Senators' letter follows President Trump's alarming … Continue Reading
December 13, 2018
Van Hollen Secures Provisions to Help Veteran, Socially Disadvantaged Farmers in Farm Bill
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) announced that much of his legislation to improve access to assistance for veteran and socially disadvantaged farmers has been included in the 2018 Farm Bill. The Senator's provisions, originally introduced in his Assist Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2018 would reauthorize, strengthen, and improve the Outreach to Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture … Continue Reading
December 13, 2018
Van Hollen, Warren Ask Senate Banking Committee to Investigate Deutsche Bank
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), both members of the Senate Banking Committee, wrote to Chairman Crapo asking the Banking Committee to launch a detailed, bipartisan investigation into Deutsche Bank. "Over the past several years, Deutsche Bank has been the subject of numerous enforcement actions in the in the United States and abroad, and just weeks ago the bank's head office and other locations in Frankfurt were raided by 170 police officers and tax … Continue Reading
December 12, 2018
Van Hollen, Klobuchar, Duckworth Press GM for Answers on Taxes and Layoffs
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) wrote a letter to General Motors (GM) Chairman and CEO Mary Barra seeking answers on how GM is affected by new incentives for offshoring that were created by the Republican tax law and pressing GM to eliminate future stock buybacks, in light of recently announced layoffs in the United States. In addition to their letter, Senators Van Hollen and Duckworth have cosponsored Senator Klobuchar's … Continue Reading
December 11, 2018
Van Hollen Joins Senators in Urging FAA to Implement and Improve Airport Contract Tower Program
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) signed a bipartisan letter of 35 Senators urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement a provision in this year's FAA spending bill allowing airports that utilize the contract tower program to become eligible for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants from the small airport fund. This provision, which was introduced and included in the recent FAA Reauthorization law will enhance air traffic safety at small, rural airports such as Boulder … Continue Reading
December 11, 2018
Van Hollen Secures Millions in Mandatory Funding to Help Chesapeake Bay in New Farm Bill
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) announced that the new Farm Bill contains major provisions from his Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancements Act, including: $300 million in mandatory funding for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), the successor to Senator Van Hollen's 2008 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative that provides funding to conservation partners and agricultural producers to work together to reduce pollution and improve water quality A higher percentage … Continue Reading
December 10, 2018
Van Hollen Joins Senate Resolution Recognizing the Need to Improve Disability Access & Infrastructure in Federally-Funded Buildings
13 Democratic senators join resolution reaffirming support for ensuring people with disabilities have equal access to federal buildings & government services Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined 13 Democratic colleagues to introduce a Senate resolution on the need for improvements in disability access and infrastructure in federally funded buildings. The resolution also reaffirms support for existing laws that work to ensure equal opportunity for individuals with … Continue Reading
December 07, 2018
Van Hollen, Democratic Senators Raise Alarm Over Human Rights in Cameroon
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) led a letter signed by a group of Democratic Senators to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo raising deep concerns about violations of human rights, the breakdown in the rule of law, and elections fraud in Cameroon. In addition to Senator Van Hollen, the letter was signed by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tim … Continue Reading
