Press Releases
Van Hollen Calls on DHS to Take Concrete Steps to Ensure Accurate Accounting of Deceased Victims of Hurricane Maria
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) urged the Department of Homeland Security to ensure the accuracy of the official fatality count in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria, echoing similar calls from Representatives Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) and Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Catherine Cortez Masto … Continue Reading
October 18, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Urge Trump Administration to Extend Temporary Protected Status for Honduras and El Salvador
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin(both D-Md.) led 20 colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Elaine Duke urging the Trump Administration to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals from Honduras and El Salvador living in the United States, who are contributing to the U.S. economy, paying taxes, and supporting their families. Temporary Protected Status allows individuals from … Continue Reading
October 18, 2017
Van Hollen Legislation Honoring Frederick Douglass Passes Senate
Last night the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission Act, legislation led by U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) to commemorate Frederick Douglass. The bill would establish a commission to honor and celebrate Frederick Douglass in 2018 as we mark the 200th anniversary of his birth. The legislation was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on October 11, 2017, after it was introduced by Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and Andy … Continue Reading
October 18, 2017
Van Hollen, Cantwell Introduce Amendment to Ensure Tax Fairness, Protect Middle Class from Being Taxed Twice on Their Paychecks
Today, as tax reform takes center stage in Congress, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) offered a provision to keep in place the State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions, protecting taxpayers from paying taxes twice on every dollar they earn. As part of the FY2018 Budget Resolution - which sets up Republicans' tax reform efforts - Republicans have proposed eliminating the SALT deductions for taxpayers to help pay for their massive tax cuts for corporations and the … Continue Reading
October 17, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $45 Million in Federal Funding for Public School Literacy Program
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) have announced $45 million in federal funding for Maryland public schools. The funding is designated for the Striving Readers Comprehension Literacy Grant Program, a public school initiative designed to advance literacy skills for students from birth through grade 12, most notably for students with disabilities and limited English proficiency. "Giving our kids the best education from day one is central to growing our economy and … Continue Reading
October 17, 2017
Van Hollen, Democratic Senators Introduce Bill to Block Trump Travel Ban 3.0
Wednesday, just hours after President Trump's harmful travel restrictions on foreigners from eight countries were set to go into effect,Senator Chris Van Hollen(D-Md.) joined in introducing legislation to reverse Trump's executive order and block its implementation. Specifically, the bill would withhold funding to enforce the executive order. The bill also declares the executive order illegal based on the1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which banned discrimination against immigrants on … Continue Reading
October 17, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Clashes Between Iraqi Government and Kurdish Peshmerga Forces
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement on clashes between the Iraqi government and Kurdish Peshmerga forces: "I am deeply disturbed by reports of the Iraqi government's military assault on Kirkuk and surrounding Kurdish territory and call on Prime Minister Abadi to immediately cease hostilities against Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Kurdish forces in Iraq and Syria are vital partners of the United States and have played an essential role in the fight against the Islamic … Continue Reading
October 16, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Present $25 Million Federal Grant to Prince George’s County Public Schools
U.S.Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardintoday joined Prince George's County officials and students at Greenbelt Middle School to announce a three-year, $25 million grant for Prince George's County Public Schools. The grant will bolster the county's "Great Teachers, Great Leaders, Great Schools" project under the Teacher Incentive Fund Program. The grant will invest in Prince George's County students by investing in teacher and principal effectiveness at high-needs schools. "Teachers in … Continue Reading
October 16, 2017
Van Hollen, Senate Banking Democrats Urge Treasury IG to Investigate Noreika’s SGE Status
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) led a letter with Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) asking the Department of the Treasury's Office of the Inspector General initiate an investigation into the misapplication of Special Government Employee (SGE) status with regard to Acting Comptroller of the Currency Keith Noreika. "We've expressed … Continue Reading
October 16, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $15 Million in Federal Funding to Expand Baltimore County’s Public Magnet Schools
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) have announced $15 million in federal funding for Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS). The Magnet Schools Assistance Program funds - awarded by the U.S. Department of Education - will be utilized by the county's Office of Magnet Programs to convert six public schools across the county into whole-school magnet schools and serve nearly 4,600 students. In addition, the grant aims to further integrate minority students in the … Continue Reading
October 13, 2017
Van Hollen, Senate Democrats File Amicus Brief in Support of Planned Parenthood; Stand Up for Women’s Health & Rights in Texas
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined a group of Senate Democrats in filing anamicus briefwith the U.S.Court of Appealsfor theFifth Circuitin the case ofPlanned Parenthood of Greater Texas Family Planning and Preventive Health Services, Inc. et al v. Charles Smith et al. In 2016, Texas revoked Planned Parenthood's status as a qualified medical provider for Texans on Medicaid. While the move was blocked by a federal judge, the state appealed the injunction and their arguments will soon … Continue Reading
October 13, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $240,139 Grant for University of Maryland Libraries
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen andBen Cardin(both D-Md.)have announced a $240,139 National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (ILMS) for the University of Maryland Digital Curation Innovation Center. This grant will allow the University to research and improve the online database system Fedora Repository, which is integral to the access and preservation of digital libraries and archives. The project will strengthen the Repository, which will give students and … Continue Reading
October 13, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $43,300 Grant for Public Chesapeake Charter Alliance in Lexington Park
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) have announced a $43,300 grant for the Chesapeake Charter Alliance, a public charter school operator, to purchase new furniture and equipment for the school's kindergarten and second grade classrooms.Located in Lexington Park, it is the only charter school in the southern Maryland tri-county area. Funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Economic Initiative Grant Program. "For our state and … Continue Reading
October 13, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Trump’s Iran Announcement
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement on President Trump's announcement that he will not certify Iran's compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA): "President Trump's decision today increases the likelihood that Iran will restart its nuclear weapons program, decreases the chances that we'll come to a diplomatic solution in the North Korea crisis, and dangerously undermines American credibility and leadership worldwide. The 2015 nuclear … Continue Reading
October 11, 2017
Van Hollen Calls for Congressional Action to Renew Career and Technical Education Programs
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined a bipartisan group of 59 Senators in calling on Senate leaders to renew the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, which provides funding for critical career and technical education. "It is crucial that the Senate work in a bipartisan effort to help our nation's students acquire the skills needed to be successful in today's work environment," wrote the Senators in a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, … Continue Reading
October 10, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce a Half Million Dollars for University of Maryland Program to Invest in Startups, STEAM Education
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.)have announced a $500,000 grant to the University of Maryland awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration. The funding will help launch the University of Maryland's Mixed/Augmented/Virtual Reality Innovation Center (MAVRIC) program, which will provide innovative resources, training, and support to students and entrepreneurs in Immersive Media (IM) technology. "This investment will continue to propel … Continue Reading
October 10, 2017
Van Hollen Opens Eastern Shore Office
Last night U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen hosted a grand opening event at his Eastern Shore office, which will be responsible for community outreach and constituent services. The office is located at 204 Cedar Street, Suite 200C in Cambridge, Maryland. The office will be led by Eastern Shore Regional Director Melissa Kelly. "I want to thank everyone who came to the opening of our new Eastern Shore Office in Cambridge last night. Our offices are there for people across Maryland to get help with … Continue Reading
October 10, 2017
Van Hollen, Democrats Urge NIH to Renew Funding for Firearm Violence Research
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) today joined colleagues in urging the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to renew a recently-lapsed funding opportunity for firearm violence research. Following the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, President Obama directed the Department of Health and Human Services to research the causes of gun violence and how it can be prevented, resulting in the creation of a new funding opportunity to support research at the … Continue Reading
October 09, 2017
Senator Van Hollen Joins Colleagues in Calling on Trump for Sustained American Diplomatic Campaign to Defuse Current Korean Crisis
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) today sent a letter with his colleagues calling on President Donald Trump to lead a vigorous, sustained American diplomatic campaign to defuse the current Korean Crisis and resolve its underlying causes without starting a war. In the letter, the Senators indicate their support for the kind of direct negotiations with North Korea that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reported during his recent trip to China. The Senators also expressed concern that the … Continue Reading
October 05, 2017
Van Hollen Joins in Introducing Three Pieces of Legislation to Reduce Gun Violence
This week, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has joined his Democratic colleagues to introduce three bills to reduce gun violence in the United States -- the Automatic Gun Fire Prevention Act; the Handgun Trigger Safety Act; and the Background Check Completion Act. "In the wake of the shooting in Las Vegas, our country has united to grieve the lives we've lost. But it's also time for us to work together to stop the terrible toll of gun violence in our country." said Senator Van … Continue Reading
