Press Releases
As Concerns with Secrecy Mount, Senators Call on Trump to Release White House Visitor Logs
The President and the Secret Service should continue the previous administration's policy of releasing White House complex visitor logs so that the American people can know who is influencing their government, write Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and a group of Senators in a pair of letters sent Monday to President Donald Trump and the head of the Secret Service. Under the policy established by President Barack Obama, the White House and the Secret Service released visitor logs 90 to 120 days … Continue Reading
March 06, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Resolution To Disapprove of the Fair Pay Rule
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen submitted the following statement to the congressional record in opposition to the Resolution to Disapprove of the Fair Pay Rule: "Mr. President, over the years, Congress has enacted laws to make workplaces safer and fairer and to raise wages for American workers. These laws protect American workers. These laws make America more productive. And these laws help to preserve good, safe, middle-class jobs. "The Fair Labor Standards Act introduced the 40-hour … Continue Reading
March 03, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $200,000 in Grants and Funding for Frostburg State University’s Nursing Skills Lab
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced new federal funding for the Nursing Skills Lab and Simulation Center at Frostburg State University. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) will provide $100,000 for the project and that will be matched by local sources, bringing the total funding to $200,000. "This grant is a win-win for Maryland families. The men and women looking to looking to enter the nursing field will have a strong training program at … Continue Reading
March 03, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Offer Resolution Urging Trump to Comply with Constitution by Severing Relationship with Private Business
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) have joined 31 Senators to introduce a resolution calling upon President Trump to follow the precedent established by prior Presidents and convert his assets to simple, conflict-free holdings, adopt blind trusts managed by an independent trustee with no relationship to the President or his businesses, or take other equivalent measures in order to avoid a potential violation of the Constitution of the United States. Article I, Section … Continue Reading
March 03, 2017
Van Hollen Urges Trump Administration to Make Fighting Hate Crimes a Major Priority
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and a group of Senators in sending a letter to the Trump Administration, urging Attorney General Jeff Sessions to make combating hate crimes a major focus at the Department of Justice and request full funding for the Justice Department's Community Relations Service and Civil Rights Division. "We write to urge you to make combatting hate crimes a major focus at the … Continue Reading
March 02, 2017
Van Hollen Calls for Sessions to Resign
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement calling on Attorney General Sessions to resign: "The Attorney General holds a special position as top law enforcement officer in our country. Anyone serving in that position must have the confidence of the American people to be an honest and independent broker who protects the fundamentals of our democracy. In failing to tell the truth - under oath - about his conversations with Russia at a time when so many questions surround … Continue Reading
March 02, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin, Delaney Welcome Fanta Jawara Home to Maryland
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen andBen Cardin(both D-Md.) and Representative John K. Delaney (D-Md.-06) released the following joint statement Thursday after their constituent, Fanta Jawara, arrived in the United States following imprisonment in The Gambia during political unrest in that country last year. As her Federal elected officials, the Senators and Congressman had consistently advocated for her release from prison: "Fanta's return home to Maryland today closes a difficult, almost … Continue Reading
March 02, 2017
Team Maryland Works to Defend Marylanders from the Repercussions of Repealing the Affordable Care Act
As Republicans continue to flounder publicly and behind closed doors in their attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, members of Maryland's Congressional delegation gathered Wednesday to hear from state officials and health care experts how Marylanders would be affected. U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, with Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Anthony Brown, John K. Delaney, Jamie Raskin, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and John P. Sarbanes held an in-depth discussion with Maryland … Continue Reading
March 02, 2017
Van Hollen Statement in Opposition to Confirmation of Dr. Ben Carson
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen submitted the following statement to the congressional record in opposition to the confirmation of Dr.Ben Carson to be Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development: "Mr. President, Congress created the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 1965 to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all Americans. During last year's Presidential campaign, however, President Trump often called into question … Continue Reading
March 02, 2017
Van Hollen Statement in Opposition to Confirmation of Gov. Rick Perry to be Energy Secretary
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen submitted the following statement to the congressional record in opposition to the confirmation ofGovernor Rick Perry to be Secretary of the Department of Energy: "Mr. President, I oppose the nomination of Governor Rick Perry to be Secretary of the Department of Energy, a Department that he called for eliminating in 2011. After briefings on the Department's mission and programs, Governor Perry came to "regret" that position. But his short education on his … Continue Reading
March 01, 2017
Team Maryland Calls on U.S. Attorney, FBI to Investigate Hate Crimes in Maryland, Following Local and National Anti-Semitic Threats and Incidents
Maryland's bipartisan Congressional delegation, led by Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, with Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Anthony Brown, Elijah E. Cummings, John K. Delaney, Andy Harris, Jamie Raskin, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and John P. Sarbanes have written to Rod Rosenstein, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, and his counterpart at the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Gordon B. Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, Baltimore, to use "the full resources of the Justice … Continue Reading
March 01, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $450,000 Infrastructure Grant for Frostburg
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced new federal funding for the City of Frostburg. The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) will provide $450,000 to make infrastructure improvements to Frostburg Gateway at the terminus of Braddock Road. It will create approximately 64 new jobs, retain 40 existing jobs, and ultimately improve connections between Interstate 68, Frostburg State University, and the city center. "Investing in our nation's infrastructure is a … Continue Reading
March 01, 2017
Cardin, Van Hollen and Fellow Senators Call On Mitch McConnell to Drop Republican Efforts to Gut Family Planning Centers
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (Both D-Md.) and fellow senators today sent a letter to Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) calling on him to "protect the health and wellbeing of millions of women" by committing not to bring to the Senate floor legislation passed by House Republicans seeking to overturn rules protecting Title X health centers. "For women in every U.S. state and especially in rural and struggling communities, Title X health centers are a vital resource for … Continue Reading
February 28, 2017
Van Hollen Introduces Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) to introduce legislation to lower the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs by allowing Americans to import safe, low-cost medicine from Canada. Reps. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) and Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) introduced a companion bill in the House. Both measures would authorize the secretary of Health and Human Services in two years to allow importation from other … Continue Reading
February 28, 2017
Van Hollen Condemns Recent Anti-Semitic and Hateful Incidents
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen released the following statement condemning recent threats to Jewish community centers and otherhateful and discriminatory acts: "In Maryland and across the country, Americans are being threatened and attacked for what they believe and where they are from. There's no doubt that this epidemic of anti-Semitism and racism stems from the so-called leaders who have emboldened those who preach hate and stoke fear. We will not waver in our commitment to protect … Continue Reading
February 28, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Trump’s Address to Congress
TodayU.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement on President Trump's address to the Joint Session of Congress: "As he said tonight, President Trump has had a busy first month in office - but his actions have not kept his promises to put working families first. "He has failed to put forward an economic plan or offer a concrete proposal for sustained job creation. And he failed to drain the swamp in Washington, instead installing Wall Street billionaires in his Cabinet and … Continue Reading
February 28, 2017
Van Hollen, Tester, Franken, Hassan, Klobuchar Introduce Bill to Strengthen Education for America’s Troops and Veterans
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen joined Senator Jon Tester, Ranking Member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, and Senators Al Franken (D-Minn.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) in introducing legislation to ensure that America's veterans have access to educational opportunities. The Senators' Educational Development (ED) for Troops and Veterans Act will provide education benefits to service members who often have to leave behind schools, jobs, and homes to serve their … Continue Reading
February 27, 2017
Van Hollen, Bennet Reintroduce RACE for Children Act to Boost Pediatric Cancer Research
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Cory Gardner (R-CO), along with Representatives Michael T. McCaul (R-TX-10), G. K. Butterfield (D-NC-01), Sean Duffy (R-WI-07), and Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09) today reintroduced theRACE for Children Act (Research to Accelerate Cures and Equity for Children Act) to support the development of innovative and promising cancer drugs for children. The bipartisan bill, first introduced in the 114th Congress, would … Continue Reading
February 27, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Trump Budget Blueprint
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committees, released the following statement on President Trump's FY 2018 budget guidance to federal agencies: "President Trump's first budget blueprint puts our nation on a collision course that will hurt working families, undermine job growth, and threaten America's future. It is basic math. Prioritizing military spending above all else means less funding for important domestic priorities - from supporting … Continue Reading
February 20, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce Legislation to Bring Harriet Tubman Statue to the U.S. Capitol Building
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (Both D-Md.) announced new legislation to bring a statue ofHarrietTubmanto the U.S. Capitol Building. In 2012, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation creating theHarrietTubmanStatue Commission to fundraise and commission an artist to sculpt a statue to donate for display in the U.S. Capitol Building. Congress must pass legislation in order to accept the donation, and this bill is the critical next step in the process. It will direct … Continue Reading
