Press Releases
Van Hollen, Senators Blast EPA’s NAAQS Proposal and Urge EPA to Set More Protective Standards
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has joined Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) in urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to pursue stronger standards to protect Americans from particulate matter (PM). PM pollution is made up of a mixture of small particles and liquid droplets, and is often created by fossil fuel combustion or industrial processes. This form of air pollution has been found to be particularly dangerous and deadly for low-income communities, communities of color and … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Van Hollen, Menendez, Brown Introduce Bill to Support Homeowners, Renters Struggling Amid COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Fallout
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced the Coronavirus Housing Counseling Improvement Act to expand access to critical information, assistance programs and services for millions of families struggling to remain in their homes because of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout. “Millions of Americans continue to face financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Sen. Van Hollen. “The Congress must do … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Van Hollen Presses Clayton, SEC on Fraudulent Comment Letters
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has sent a letter to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton pressing him to report on the status of the SEC’s investigation into apparently fraudulent comment letters that Clayton cited as showing public support for the Commission’s proposed rule on proxy voting advice. Proxy Advisory firms provide services to institutional shareholders, like pension funds, so that they can make informed decisions on behalf of their investors … Continue Reading
June 29, 2020
Maryland Delegation Presses FEMA for Approval of Additional Federal Disaster Assistance Resources to Support COVID-19 Recovery
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin and David Trone (all Md.) wrote to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor urging the approval of Maryland’s request for federal disaster assistance through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). These federal resources would support the state’s ongoing recovery from the … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Van Hollen, Baldwin Call for HIV/AIDS Treatment and Prevention Funding in Next COVID-19 Response Package
In recognizing and honoring the 25th anniversary of National HIV Testing Day tomorrow, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) are calling on Senate leadership to include federal funding for HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, and housing programs in the next COVID-19 pandemic response package to continue providing life-saving services to people living with and at risk of HIV and AIDS.In their letter to Senate leadership, the Senators are urging Congressional leadership to … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Van Hollen Statement on Historic House Passage of D.C. Statehood
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding the House of Representatives’ passage of the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, legislation granting Washington, D.C. statehood, making it the 51st state, and giving its citizens full representation in Congress. “Today is a historic day in our nation’s capital. For far too long the people of the District of Columbia have faced taxation without representation. The District has been denied the basic right of … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Van Hollen, Sasse Push to Punish Companies, Individuals who Steal U.S. Intellectual Property
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) have filed a bipartisan amendment to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to mandate strong economic penalties on foreign firms and individuals involved in stealing American intellectual property.The amendment mirrors the Senators’ bill, the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act, which would levy sanctions on individuals and firms found to engage in, benefit from, or enable the significant and serial theft of … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Van Hollen, Klobuchar, Colleagues Urge Intelligence Agencies to Take Further Action to Combat Disinformation Campaigns Aimed at Disenfranchising Voters
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) sent a letter to the Department of Defense, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and U.S. Cyber Command urging them to take additional measures to combat influence campaigns aimed at disenfranchising voters, especially voters of color, ahead of the 2020 election. Sophisticated influence campaigns like the one the Russian … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Senate Passes Van Hollen, Durbin Resolution to Reaffirm U.S. Commitment to Global Effort to Find COVID-19 Vaccine
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with 38 of their colleagues, raised the unanimous passage of their resolution encouraging U.S. engagement with the international community on the COVID-19 response to research, develop, and distribute vaccines and therapeutics. The resolution noted the historic international effort to eradicate smallpox as an example of why concerted global collaboration and coordination is needed for the COVID-19 pandemic.President Donald … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Van Hollen, Senators Press Pompeo to Extend Emergency Refugee Protections for Afghan Sikh, Hindu Communities Facing Persecution
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), joined by 18 of their Senate colleagues, urged the Trump Administration to grant emergency refugee protections to Sikh and Hindu communities in Afghanistan facing persecution as religious minorities. In a bipartisan letter addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the senators called on the State Department to prioritize resettlement opportunities under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program allocation ceilings for Afghan Sikh … Continue Reading
June 26, 2020
Van Hollen, Rubio Press for Action on Bipartisan DETER Act
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) have filed their Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing Redlines (DETER) Act as a bipartisan amendment to the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Provisions of this bipartisan legislation were included in the Fiscal Year 2020 House-passed NDAA, and the Senate later unanimously passed a resolution urging NDAA conferees to include the DETER Act in the conference report. The DETER Act sends a clear … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Van Hollen Statement on House Passage of Justice in Policing Act
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding the House of Representatives’ passage of the Justice in Policing Act:“Tonight the House took meaningful action to provide desperately-needed transparency and accountability in our police systems. The Justice in Policing Act holds police accountable, bans the abusive practices that led to the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, requires public reporting of misconduct, and ends immunity protections for … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Baltimore Congressional Delegation Announces More Than $450,000 to Support Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses and Underserved Community Entrepreneurs
Members of the Baltimore congressional delegation including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) announced $450,228 to support minority- and women-owned businesses, lift up underserved community entrepreneurs, spur economic growth and create jobs across the Baltimore metro region.Through funds from the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) Economic Development Administration (EDA) Opportunity Zones … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Van Hollen, Udall, Leahy Announce GAO Report Revealing Trump’s 4th of July Event Doubled Costs to Taxpayers in 2019
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee; Tom Udall (D-N.M.), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing the Department of Interior’s budget; and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the results of an investigation they requested that that the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) perform regarding the costs and impacts associated with President Trump’s decision to … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Van Hollen, Kennedy Introduce Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act as NDAA Amendment
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) have introduced the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill passed the Senate unanimously this May. Senators Van Hollen and Kennedy introduced the legislation to protect American investors and their retirement savings from foreign companies that have been operating on U.S. stock exchanges while flouting Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oversight. … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Van Hollen, Pocan, & Colleagues Introduce Bicameral Work Share Proposal to Help Employers and Workers Weather COVID-19 Economic Storm
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) along with Representative Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and a number of House members introduced the Rebuilding Main Street Act, legislation to help small businesses, nonprofits, and workers weather the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and support safe reopening. The legislation expands the existing work share program to allow employers to share their payroll costs with the … Continue Reading
June 25, 2020
Senate Unanimously Passes Van Hollen, Toomey Hong Kong Autonomy Act
Today, the United States Senate unanimously approved the bipartisan Hong Kong Autonomy Act, authored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). The Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which was introduced in response to the increasingly brazen interference of the Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong, would impose mandatory sanctions on entities that violate China's obligations to Hong Kong under the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. The legislation would also impose mandatory … Continue Reading
June 24, 2020
Van Hollen, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Cut Energy Costs for Homeowners and Save Energy Efficiency Jobs
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.), along with U.S. Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and David McKinley (R-W.Va) today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help save energy efficiency jobs during and after the coronavirus pandemic. The bill also includes rebates to help homeowners retrofit their homes to cut their monthly energy costs, stimulate the energy efficiency market for jobs and suppliers, and help protect the … Continue Reading
June 24, 2020
Van Hollen Statement on Inadequate Republican-Proposed Police Legislation
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement on his vote against Senate consideration of the Republican Justice Act: “Our nation is facing a moment of reckoning. Yet the proposal put forward by Senate Republicans today does not meet the need for real, systemic change. Unfortunately, it is ultimately a maneuver to subvert meaningful change in police accountability. If Senator McConnell were serious about addressing the urgency of the moment and movement, he … Continue Reading
June 23, 2020
Van Hollen, Colleagues Press for Robust Funding for Background Checks, Gun Safety in Next Coronavirus Relief Package
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), along with nine of his colleagues, urged Senate leadership to provide robust funding for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Instant Criminal Background System (NICS) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in future coronavirus relief packages to ensure the continued processing of background checks and to uphold gun safety laws. Despite efforts by Senator Van Hollen and others to change this loophole and … Continue Reading
