Press Releases
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $5 Million for UMD Cybersecurity Scholarships
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today announced that University of Maryland (UMD) College Park has been awarded a $5,046,316 grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service Program. This funding will provide scholarships and internship opportunities for 36 students in UMD's Advanced Cybersecurity Experience for Students (ACES) Program, the first undergraduate honors program in cybersecurity in the United States.The ACES … Continue Reading
December 06, 2017
Van Hollen, Markey, Collins, Capito Introduce Legislation to Extend Availability of New Alzheimer’s Semipostal Stamp
Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.),today introduced legislation with to authorize the recently-released United States Postal Service Alzheimer's research stamp for an additional six years, providing more time to raise additional Alzheimer's research funds for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Senators made the announcement alongside U.S. Representatives Elijah Cummings (MD-07) and Maxine Waters … Continue Reading
December 05, 2017
Van Hollen Urges EPA to Protect Strong Fuel Economy Standards
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), in calling on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt to not weaken light-duty vehicle emissions standards for model 2022 through 2025 and strenuously object to revisiting emissions standards for model year 2021, which were never supposed to be part of the EPA's midterm evaluation. Since reaching an historic agreement with … Continue Reading
December 05, 2017
Joining Hundreds of Thousands of Advocates and Patients, Van Hollen, Senate Democrats Demand Trump Administration Reinstate Birth Control Coverage for Millions of Women
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined a letter led by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), calling on Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Eric Hargan to rescind President Trump's interim final rules (IFRs) issued on October 13, 2017 which enables employers and universities to interfere with their employees' and students' access to preventive health care by allowing them to choose not to cover birth control for religious or moral reasons. In the letter, senators highlighted the … Continue Reading
December 04, 2017
Senator Van Hollen Statement on the Nomination of Kirstjen Nielsen to DHS
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) release the following statement regarding his vote to oppose the nomination of Kirstjen Nielsen to the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the nomination of Kirstjen Nielsen to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security. While I believe that Ms. Nielsen has a solid understanding of the department that she seeks to lead, I am not yet convinced that she will be a counterweight to the rabid anti-immigration policies coming out of … Continue Reading
December 04, 2017
Van Hollen Joins Senate Democrats in Urging President to Swiftly Nominate Aggressive Head of Consumer Watchdog
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Democratic Senators in a letter urging President Trump to follow the law and swiftly nominate apermanent director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) who will put working families ahead of Wall Street. The letter was led by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) In their letter, the Senators cited the CFPB's "aggressive enforcement and supervision," which has resulted in $12 billion in relief to 29 million … Continue Reading
December 04, 2017
Van Hollen, Senate Democrats Urge House Colleagues to Reject GOP Tax Bill
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen led a letter with his Senate colleagues from Maryland, California, New York, and New Jersey, urging the 29 House Republicans who represent these states to oppose the Republican tax bill in light of a study finding that residents of these four states would pay higher taxes under the plan. Senator Van Hollen was joined in this letter by Senators Cardin (D-Md.), Schumer (D-N.Y.), Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Menendez (D-N.J.), Booker (D-N.J.), Feinstein (D-Calif.), … Continue Reading
December 02, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Senate Passage of the GOP Tax Bill
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement today regarding Senate passage of the Republican tax legislation: "Tonight, Republicans put powerful corporate interests before their constituents - plain and simple. This bill hits the pocketbooks of millions of working families in Maryland and across the country. It is a huge giveaway to special interests and the uber rich, while so many middle class Americans are forced to foot the bill. What's more, this legislation adds over $1 … Continue Reading
November 30, 2017
Van Hollen,Cantwell, Menendez Offer 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), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), 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 their legislation, Republicans have eliminated the SALT deductions for taxpayers to help pay for their massive tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. Currently, taxpayers pay state and … Continue Reading
November 30, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn’s Guilty Plea
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement today regarding Michael Flynn's guilty plea in Special Counsel Mueller's Russia investigation. "Michael Flynn's guilty plea today throws a dark shadow on this Administration and the Trump campaign's actions throughout the election. I am deeply disturbed by the extent to which the Trump campaign was in contact with Russia. The American people deserve the facts. This plea demonstrates why it is so important to have Special Counsel … Continue Reading
November 29, 2017
Van Hollen, Senate Dems Urge Leadership to Protect Endangered Species Act in Spending Bill
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), joined 30 of his Democratic colleagues today in urging Senate leadership to protect endangered species in the end of year spending bill being negotiated ahead of next Friday's government funding deadline. The letter comes a week after the Senate Committee on Appropriations released its FY2018 recommendations for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, which included a number of provisions - such as funding cuts and court … Continue Reading
November 29, 2017
Van Hollen, Toomey Urge Action on North Korea, Passage of BRINK Act
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) released the following joint statement in response to North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile yesterday: "North Korea's continued provocations, including the launch of yet another ballistic missile, demand immediate action from Congress and this Administration. North Korea's nuclear ambitions threaten the United States and our allies, and their actions yesterday demonstrate we must finally put real teeth in economic sanctions … Continue Reading
November 28, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $30,000 Grant for the Sharptown Wastewater Treatment Plant in Wicomico County
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced a $30,000 grant for Sharptown, Maryland through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Agency's SEARCH - Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households Grant Program. This grant will fund a Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Report to address inflow and infiltration issues within Sharptown's wastewater system. "Maryland's success depends on the strength of every region of our … Continue Reading
November 27, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Senate Budget Committee Markup
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, member of the Senate Budget Committee, submitted the following statement for the record at the Budget Committee markup of the Republican's Fiscal Year 2018 Reconciliation Legislation: "Senate Republicans are discarding even the semblance of regular order in their mad dash to pass a partisan bill that gives huge tax cuts to big corporations, raises taxes on millions of middle-class families, makes it harder for Americans to get health insurance, and opens … Continue Reading
November 21, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Statement Ahead of Trial for Murder of Marylander Alex Villamayor in Paraguay
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) released the following joint statement Tuesday ahead of the Paraguayan trial in the murder of Marylander Alex Villamayor: "More than two years have passed since Alex Villamayor, a U.S. citizen and Marylander,was murdered in Encarnación, Paraguay. Alex was just 16 years old.After much perseverance by his family and contributions from both countries' governments, Alex's case will finally be tried in court. As we await the upcoming trial … Continue Reading
November 21, 2017
Van Hollen Announces Full Funding for the Chesapeake Bay Program in Interior, Environment Appropriations Bill
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the inclusion of several Maryland priorities within the Chairman's Mark of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The legislation invests in environmental protection and conservation and includes numerous programs vital to the Chesapeake Bay. Most notably, Senator Van Hollen worked to secure full funding of $73 million for the Chesapeake Bay Program, … Continue Reading
November 20, 2017
Van Hollen, Colleagues Write Mnuchin on SEC Oil, Gas, Mining Transparency Rule
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and 13 of their colleagues Tuesday in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, urging him to withdraw the Department's recent recommendation that a key extractive industry transparency provision be completely repealed by Congress. Earlier this year, Congressional Republicans halted the Securities and Exchange Commission's implementation of the rule but left the underlying rulemaking instructions in place. Section … Continue Reading
November 19, 2017
Van Hollen, Warren Seek Information from OCC on Dubious Bank of Tokyo License Conversion
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) today sent a letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) asking a series of questions about the questionable decision to allow the Bank of Tokyo to convert its license from a New York State license to a federal license in order to bypass a state investigation into whether the bank was allowing its clients to evade sanctions on countries like Iran and North Korea. Last week, the OCC approved the Bank of … Continue Reading
November 15, 2017
Van Hollen, Democratic Senators Ask DHS Nominee to Clarify Stance on DACA, The Dream Act, and TPS
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), ranking member of the Senate's Immigration Subcommittee, and 18 senators in sending a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Kirstjen Nielsen, calling on her to answer several immigration related questions prior to consideration of her nomination by the full Senate. During her confirmation hearing, when asked whether she agrees that legislation must be passed to protect Dreamers by the end of this … Continue Reading
November 15, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce More Than $600,000 in Federal Funding for Maryland Aquaculture Research
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-MD) have announced $642,149 in federal funding for the University of Maryland Baltimore County's (UMBC) aquaculture efforts. The funds will be issued through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which estimates that nearly two-thirds of fish consumed globally will be produced through aquaculture farms by 2030. "Supporting sustainable agriculture will help not only America's … Continue Reading
