Press Releases
Van Hollen, Brown Introduce Bill to Secure Service Academy Nominations of Congressional Districts, States Without Representation
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congressman Anthony Brown (both D-Md.) have introduced new bicameral legislation to secure the U.S. Service Academy nominations of states and congressional districts that lack representation in Congress due to the death, resignation, or removal from office of a sitting member of Congress. After the passing of Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings in 2019, the delegation was dismayed to learn that the Congressional District's allotted service academy openings … Continue Reading
October 29, 2021
Van Hollen, Heinrich Applaud Inclusion of Key Provisions to Help Americans Reduce Their Energy Costs & Improve their At-Home Energy Efficiency in Build Back Better Framework
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) applauded the inclusion of their provisions to help American families reduce their energy costs and improve energy efficiency in their homes within the Build Back Better Framework. The legislation includes key provisions of Senator Van Hollen's HOPE for HOMES Act and Senator Heinrich's Zero-Emission Homes Act. "Addressing the climate emergency is not just an urgent challenge - it's also an opportunity to create jobs and … Continue Reading
October 29, 2021
Van Hollen, Cardin, Schatz Reintroduce Legislation to Promote Educational Opportunities for Incarcerated Americans
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) reintroduced legislation to expand access to education for Americans in federal prisons. The Promoting Reentry through Education in Prisons Act (PREP) Act would create an office within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) focused on correctional education and fund a new program to address the lack of educational opportunities currently offered. "When I visited Maryland's Jessup Correctional Institution for … Continue Reading
October 28, 2021
Van Hollen, Markey, Dingell Applaud Inclusion Of Clean Energy Accelerator In Build Back Better Framework
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Representative Debbie Dingell (MI-12) applauded the inclusion of their Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator within the Build Back Better framework announced by President Joseph R. Biden. The Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator will leverage private money using an initial capitalization and create a new revolving financing structure for emissions-reducing projects across the country, while … Continue Reading
October 28, 2021
Van Hollen, Brown, Thune Push Biden-Harris Administration to Adopt Bipartisan Plan to Improve Prior Authorization in Medicare Advantage Plans
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and John Thune (R-S.D.) in requesting an update on the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) efforts to streamline prior authorization protocols across programs, including Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. The senators commended the Biden-Harris administration's commitment to ensuring timely access to health care and are encouraging the administration to take additional steps to strengthen prior … Continue Reading
October 28, 2021
Van Hollen, Booker, Peters Urge Interior Department to Place Emergency Protections on Gray Wolves
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) in urging the U.S. Department of Interior to issue an emergency listing to restore temporary federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections to the gray wolf in the western United States. The letter comes on the heels of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service initiation of a comprehensive status review of the gray wolf in the western United States as well as the recent enactment of … Continue Reading
October 28, 2021
Van Hollen, Durbin, Feinstein Call on USDA OIG to Audit Oversight of Dog Breeders
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) to conduct a more in-depth audit to properly examine the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) oversight of dog breeders regulated under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The request comes after the USDA OIG noted in a recent report that the COVID-19 pandemic hindered efforts to conduct … Continue Reading
October 28, 2021
Van Hollen, Durbin, Feinstein Call on USDA OIG to Audit Oversight of Dog Breeders
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) to conduct a more in-depth audit to properly examine the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) oversight of dog breeders regulated under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The request comes after the USDA OIG noted in a recent report that the COVID-19 pandemic hindered efforts to conduct … Continue Reading
October 28, 2021
Van Hollen, Beyer Applaud Inclusion of Millionaires Surtax in Build Back Better Framework
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Representative Don Beyer (D-Va.) applauded the inclusion of their millionaires surtax within the Build Back Better Framework. Senator Van Hollen and Representative Beyer initially introduced this concept in their Millionaires Surtax Act in November 2019 and reintroduced this legislation in June of this year. This provision had already received broad support, having been included in the House Ways & Means Committee's reconciliation … Continue Reading
October 27, 2021
Maryland Congressional Delegation Thanks Health Care Workers
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin and David Trone (all D-Md.) released a video thanking health care workers in Maryland and across America for their service during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 20 million people work in the health care industry in the United States, including health care technicians, practitioners, physicians, surgeons, registered nurses, nursing … Continue Reading
October 26, 2021
Van Hollen, Schatz Introduce Legislation To Promote Educational Opportunities for Incarcerated Americans
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) in reintroducing legislation to expand access to education for Americans in federal prisons. The Promoting Reentry through Education in Prisons Act (PREP) Act would create an office within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) focused on correctional education and fund a new program to address the lack of educational opportunities currently offered. Education programs in prison can dramatically help formerly … Continue Reading
October 26, 2021
Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces More Than $2 Million for Local Government Crime Prevention Programs
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin and David Trone (all Md.) today announced $2,076,666 in federal funding to bolster crime prevention programs for local governments across the state. This funding comes from the U.S. Department of Justice's Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program and will be used for crime prevention through drug … Continue Reading
October 25, 2021
Van Hollen, Cardin Call For Job Training Investments In Build Back Better Bill
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) joined Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) in urging President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to invest in job training in the upcoming Build Back Better bill, as negotiations on the legislation continue in Congress. In the letter, the Senators stress the need to grow a workforce with the necessary skills to match the jobs that will be created by the bipartisan infrastructure … Continue Reading
October 22, 2021
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Passes Van Hollen, Rounds, Bass Legislation To Strengthen U.S. Partnership With African Nations
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Congresswoman Karen Bass applauded the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's passage this week of their bipartisan Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Act of 2021. This legislation would make permanent the State Department's Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and was passed by the House of Representatives on April 20, 2021. Senator Van Hollen and Senator Rounds are Chair and Ranking Member, respectively, of the U.S. … Continue Reading
October 22, 2021
Van Hollen, Markey, and Omar Lead Bicameral Letter to President Biden Urging Bold Climate Action in Budget Reconciliation
In three weeks, President Joe Biden will attend the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 26th Conference of Parties (COP26), where he will be expected to advocate for global climate cooperation, secure additional emission reduction commitments, and catalyze bold action from world leaders to prevent a global temperature rise greater than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Today, ahead of COP26, Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) andEdward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (Minn.-05) led … Continue Reading
October 22, 2021
Maryland and Virginia Senators Call for WMATA’s Full Cooperation to Address Safety Issues
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) and Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-Va.) wrote to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) CEO Paul Wiedefeld Thursday urging cooperation, transparency, and action to address safety concerns and restore public confidence in the transit agency. The senators called for WMATA's full cooperation with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission in the effort to identify the … Continue Reading
October 21, 2021
Van Hollen, Rubio Introduce Resolution Commemorating Operation Provide Comfort and Reiterating the Important Partnership Between the U.S. and Iraqi Kurdistan
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced a resolution commemorating Operation Provide Comfort and reiterating the partnership between the U.S. and Iraqi Kurdistan. Through Operation Provide Comfort, the largest humanitarian operation of its kind, the United States delivered key humanitarian relief and enforced a no-fly zone in order to protect the citizens of Iraqi Kurdistan from the Saddam Hussein regime. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the … Continue Reading
October 20, 2021
Van Hollen, Trone Introduce the Bipartisan Fresh Start Act to Remove Barriers for Justice-Impacted Individuals
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congressman David Trone (both D-Md.) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to increase funding for automated record expungement processes to help justice-impacted individuals find employment opportunities. After decades of overcriminalization, between 70 million and 100 million Americans have criminal records that appear in routine background checks, preventing many individuals from obtaining jobs, housing, and educational opportunities. … Continue Reading
October 20, 2021
Van Hollen, Wyden, Blumenthal, Durbin and Markey Ask FCC to Act on National Security Risks from Foreign Telecommunications Services Companies
Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin, (D-Ill.), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), asked the Federal Communications Commission to take action in response to national security risks posed by foreign companies that manage and service U.S. wireless phone networks. Although the U.S. government has responded forcefully to risks from Chinese hardware manufacturers, including Huawei and ZTE, it has not yet accounted for risks from foreign … Continue Reading
October 19, 2021
Van Hollen, Meeks, McCaul Support Biden’s Plans to Welcome Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
Today, Senator Chris Van Hollen joined Representatives Gregory W. Meeks and Michael McCaul in supporting President Biden's plans to welcome His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew this month. The bipartisan letter was addressed to the President with 180 additional co-signers. The letter can be found here and the text below: Dear President Biden,With our many constituents in the Orthodox Christian community across the country, we are looking forward to your welcome of His All … Continue Reading
