Press Releases
Van Hollen Calls on President Trump’s Opioid Commission to End Delays and Act to Stop Addiction Crisis
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and a group of Democratic Senators sent a letter to the acting director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy expressing concern that the White House's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis - chaired by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie - is wasting valuable time by delaying steps that could provide immediate solutions to address the opioid crisis. Despite an abundance of actionable information, the commission has announced … Continue Reading
July 19, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Latest CBO Score of Republican Health Care Repeal Plan
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen released the following statement on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis of the Republican bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which would reduce the number of Americans with insurance by 32 million over the next ten years: "President Trump called the House 'health care' bill mean, and the Republican plans keep getting meaner by the day. The non-partisan CBO reports that the latest Senate proposal to repeal the ACA would double the cost of … Continue Reading
July 19, 2017
Van Hollen, Senate Democrats Press EPA, Army Corps to Extend Comment Period for Clean Water Rule Rewrite
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined 21 Senate Democrats in sending a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt and Army Corps of Engineers Deputy Assistant Secretary Douglas Lamont urging them to extend the 30-day public comment period for EPA's proposal to rescind the 2015 Clean Water Rule. In total, the Obama Administration allowed the public to comment on the original rule for 180 days in 2014 and responded to over one million public … Continue Reading
July 19, 2017
Van Hollen: Even Those Who Supported Trump See Trumpcare as a Betrayal
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen joined MSNBC's Craig Melvin to discuss continued attempts by President Trump and Senate Republicans to pass legislation that would cause turmoil in our health care system. A transcript of the exchange is below, and video is available here: CRAIG MELVIN, MSNBC:I want to bring in Senator Chris Van Hollen, Democrat from Maryland. Senator, were you able to hear the President's comments there? U.S. SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: I was, and it's very clear the … Continue Reading
July 18, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $140,000 for Eastern Shore Economic Development
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin(both D-Md.) have announced that the Economic Development Administration (EDA) will award $140,000 to the Eastern Shore for the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS). Both the Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore and the Mid-Shore Regional Council for the Eastern Shore will receive $70,000, benefiting Somerset, Wicomico, Worcester, Caroline, Dorchester and Talbot counties. Each CEDS plan … Continue Reading
July 18, 2017
Van Hollen Introduces Legislation to Honor Frederick Douglass
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen will introduce the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission Act. The legislation would establish a commission to honor and celebrate Frederick Douglass in 2018 as we mark the 200th anniversary of his birth. It is the companion bill to legislation introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Congressman Andy Harris (R-MD). "Two hundred years after Douglass' birth, it is important to reflect upon his great … Continue Reading
July 18, 2017
Van Hollen Joins 25 Senate Colleagues to Urge State Department and DHS to Extend Temporary Protected Status for Individuals from 10 TPS-Designated Countries
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined 25 Senate colleagues in writing a letter to the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) urging Secretaries Rex Tillerson and John Kelly to extend the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of nationals currently residing in the United States. The TPS designation is a temporary benefit aimed at providing relief to foreign nationals in the United States and countries devastated by natural disasters, armed conflict, … Continue Reading
July 18, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $143,888 Grant for Bay Bridge Airport
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today announced a $143,888 Department of Transportation (DOT) grant for the Bay Bridge Airport in Stevensville, Md. The funding will help repair lighting and approach surfaces on the runway. "Regional airports serve as an important resource to communities in our state and are vital to maintaining a strong economy - we must ensure their safety," said Senator Van Hollen. "I'm committed to making sure Maryland has the funding it needs to … Continue Reading
July 17, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $300,000 Grant for Western Maryland Rural Health Care Development
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced that the Health Resources and Services Administration has awarded a $300,000 grant to the Maryland Area Health Education Center (AHEC) West in Cumberland, Maryland. AHEC West serves Appalachian counties in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia on health care issues. Their mission is to support healthcare practice transformation through increased collaboration among hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers, … Continue Reading
July 13, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $175,965 for Preservation of African American History and Culture in Maryland
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced that the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS) has awarded $175,965 in federal funding to two Maryland institutions. The Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center has been awarded $31,515, and the University of Maryland, David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans has been awarded $144,450. The grants are available through IMLS's Museum Grants … Continue Reading
July 13, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on Revised Senate Republican Health Care Plan
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement on the revised health care proposal from Senate Republicans: "Senate Republicans claim they have 'fixed' their 'health care' bill - but they only made it worse. This plan guts protections for people with pre-existing conditions and leaves them with insurance so expensive they could never afford it. It kicks millions of kids, seniors, and struggling families in Maryland and across the country off of Medicaid. And it turns back … Continue Reading
July 13, 2017
Van Hollen Fights for Maryland in Military Construction-VA Appropriations Bill
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, voted to support the Fiscal Year 2018 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs (VA), and Related Agencies appropriations bill. It supports critical housing, infrastructure, and facilities for U.S. military forces and their families, and provides increased funding for veterans' health care and benefits. "This bill makes important investments in our service members, veterans, and infrastructure necessary to keep … Continue Reading
July 13, 2017
Van Hollen Statement on CBO Analysis of Trump Budget
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis of President Trump's Fiscal Year 2018 budget: "This CBO score proves what we've suspected all along: President Trump's budget balances only if you ignore basic math. But the real problem with his budget is that it betrays his campaign promises to create an economy that helps working families, to protect vulnerable Americans, and to strengthen rural America. Marylanders would be … Continue Reading
July 12, 2017
Van Hollen, Toomey Announce BRINK Act on New North Korea Sanctions
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Pat Toomey (R-PA), members of the Senate Banking Committee, announced they would soon introduce new bipartisan North Korea sanctions legislation-the Banking Restrictions Involving North Korea (BRINK) Act of 2017. With Kim Jong Un now capable of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach Alaska, the senators said the United States needed to exert maximum pressure on North Korea and its enablers. The bill is designed to offer … Continue Reading
July 12, 2017
Van Hollen, Bennet, Rubio, Gardner Applaud House Passage of RACE for Children Act
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Cory Gardner (R-CO) today applauded the passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of the RACE for Children Act as part of the FDA User Fees reauthorization bill. In February, Senators Van Hollen, Bennet, Rubio, and Gardner, along with Representatives Michael T. McCaul (R-TX), G. K. Butterfield (D-NC), Sean Duffy (R-WI), and Yvette Clarke (D-NY), introduced the Research to Accelerate Cures and Equity … Continue Reading
July 12, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $1.8 million ARC Grant for Washington County
Today U.S. SenatorsChris Van Hollenand Ben Cardin? (both D-Md.) announced a $1.8 million Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant for the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County to construct the first phase of the Halfway Boulevard Extension - extending the road west to Route 63. The project will spur commercial development in the surrounding area, alleviate traffic congestion, and improve connectivity between I-70, I-81, and existing nearby commercial and industrial … Continue Reading
July 11, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $809,000 in Grants to Help Veterans Find Jobs
Today U.S. SenatorsChris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced two federal grants totaling $809,000 for Easter Seals serving Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia to provide comprehensive support to homeless and incarcerated veterans on their path to long-term civilian employment. "Veterans and their families sacrifice greatly for our nation, and they should have every opportunity to succeed in the workforce," said Senator Van Hollen, a member of the Senate … Continue Reading
July 11, 2017
Team Maryland Calls Trump Administration’s Decision to Cancel FBI Headquarters Consolidation Procurement Wasteful, Urges Immediate Restart
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, along with Congressmen Steny Hoyer and Anthony G. Brown (all D-Md.) released the following joint statement of disapproval in response to the announcement from the Trump Administration, through the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), that they are canceling the current request for proposals to construct a new fully consolidated FBI headquarters. Prince George's County, Md., was home to two of the … Continue Reading
July 11, 2017
Van Hollen on FBI: This is a Reckless Decision Made by the Trump Administration
Today U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke at a press conference about the announcement that the Trump Administration,through the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is canceling the current request for proposals to construct a new fully consolidated FBI headquarters. Prince George's County, Md., was home to two of the three finalist locations for the fully consolidated FBI headquarters. Below is a … Continue Reading
July 10, 2017
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce $1 Million Grant for the American Physical Society
Today U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen amd Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced that the National Science Foundation has awarded the American Physical Society (APS) a grant to address the severe shortage of qualified science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teachers. APS is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. The situation in physics is particularly alarming: fewer than half of all high school physics classrooms are led by a teacher with a degree in physics, and physics is the number … Continue Reading
