Press Releases
Van Hollen, Young Urge Administration to Engage with Lebanon to Support On-Time, Free, & Fair Parliamentary Elections
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) sent a bipartisan letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging the Administration to engage with Lebanon to ensure fairness and transparency in its upcoming parliamentary elections on May 15. In light of the ongoing political, economic, and health crises in Lebanon, the Senators stressed the importance of maintaining the scheduled elections and ensuring they are conducted with integrity. The Senators begin, "We … Continue Reading
April 26, 2022
Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces Over $238,000 in American Rescue Plan Funding to Connect Maryland Students to Internet Service
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone (all D-Md.) announced $238,825 to help provide Maryland schools with the tools and services they need to enhance internet connectivity in their communities. These funds were provided by the Federal Communications Commission through the Emergency Connectivity Fund - a fund that the lawmakers helped establish in the … Continue Reading
April 26, 2022
Van Hollen, Warren, Warnock, Colleagues Ask Department of Education for its Plans to Provide a "Fresh Start" to Student Loan Borrowers in Default
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, asking the Department of Education (ED) for details about its plan to give a "fresh start" to student loan borrowers in default before loan payments resume after August 31, 2022. Their letter follows ED's recent … Continue Reading
April 25, 2022
Van Hollen, Cardin, Mfume, Mayor Scott, and Community Leaders Highlight New $2 Million Direct Federal Investment in the Revitalization of Pennsylvania Avenue Market
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) were joined by Mayor Brandon Scott and community leaders at the historic Pennsylvania Avenue Market to highlight a new federal investment of $2 million they worked to secure for the Market. These funds will go directly to revitalizing the market and will help provide access to healthy foods for area residents, support local entrepreneurs seeking to grow their businesses and provide more jobs, and … Continue Reading
April 25, 2022
Van Hollen, Warren Pushing Pentagon on Accountability for Civilian Harm
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), alongside Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-Ore.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in sending a letter to Secretary Lloyd J. Austin, III, urging the Department of Defense (DoD) to consider certain issues in its ongoing efforts to address systemic weaknesses regarding instances of civilian harm. After the Senators and bicameral colleagues called … Continue Reading
April 25, 2022
Van Hollen Statement on Midtown-Belvedere Starbucks Employees’ Vote to Unionize
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the followingstatement regarding the unanimous vote by the employees of the Baltimore Midtown-Belvedere Starbucks to unionize: "Workers deserve the right to organize to improve pay, working conditions, and more. Today, Baltimore Starbucks workers voted to do just that, becoming the first in a Maryland Starbucks to lead this charge. I applaud these trailblazing employees for their initiative, and I will continue to support all Maryland … Continue Reading
April 22, 2022
Baltimore Congressional Delegation Announces More than $6 Million in Reimbursement Funds for Baltimore City COVID-19 Emergency Sheltering
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) announced $6,425,646 in federal funding to reimburse the City of Baltimore for costs related to non-group, temporary housing during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding comes from the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as authorized through Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Act. The award of $6,421,134 … Continue Reading
April 21, 2022
Van Hollen, Cardin Introduce Bill to Honor Henrietta Lacks with Congressional Gold Medal
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced the introduction of a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to Henrietta Lacks in recognition of her extraordinary life and legacy. Lacks, a Black woman who lived in Baltimore, died of cervical cancer in 1951. During her cancer treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital, doctors took samples of her tumor, and from this the HeLa cell line was created - the first immortal line of human cells. Without her or … Continue Reading
April 15, 2022
Van Hollen Welcomes Biden Administration Action to Protect Cameroonians Fleeing Violence, Humanitarian Crisis
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) applauded the Biden Administration's Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation to Cameroon, which will provide lifesaving protections for Cameroonian nationals in the United States amid the current humanitarian crisis in the country. The Senator wrote twice to President Biden in recent months - in November and again last month - calling for TPS for Cameroon. "I have long advocated for this action and I applaud the Biden Administration's … Continue Reading
April 13, 2022
Baltimore Congressional Delegation Announces More than $170,000 in Federal Funding to Help Spur Economic Growth & Support Minority-Owned Businesses in Baltimore
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) announced $170,699 to help spur economic growth and support minority-owned businesses in communities and industries most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds from the U.S. Department of Treasury, under the Emergency Capital Investment Program (ECIP), will be directed to Harbor Bank of Maryland, a Baltimore-based Community Development Financial … Continue Reading
April 11, 2022
Van Hollen Lauds Biden Administration Executive Action to Crack Down on Ghost Guns and Reduce Gun Violence
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) applauded executive actions that President Biden announced this afternoon to address the epidemic of gun violence our nation is facing, including safeguards on the production and sale of unserialized firearm components - also known as "ghost guns" - that hepushed the administration to finalize earlier this year. "In Maryland, we've seen the toll these untraceable weapons have taken on our communities - and that's why our General Assembly stood … Continue Reading
April 11, 2022
Maryland Delegation Announces More than $3 Million in Pandemic Reimbursement Funds to Montgomery County Public Schools
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen John Sarbanes, Jamie B. Raskin and David Trone (all D-Md.) announced $3,582,069 in federal funding to reimburse the Montgomery County Education Department for pandemic-related expenses incurred by the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) system. Funding comes from the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as authorized through Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Act. The funding … Continue Reading
April 11, 2022
Van Hollen, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill Reforming Opportunity Zones
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and U.S. Representatives Ron Kind (D-Wis.) and Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) in introducing a bipartisan, bicameral bill reforming Opportunity Zones, the tax incentive for individuals who reinvest unrealized capital gains into high-impact projects in underserved communities. This legislation would improve and strengthen the Opportunity Zone program in several ways by making important fixes to the original … Continue Reading
April 08, 2022
Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces Over $340 Million in Infrastructure Funding to Bolster Public Transit Across the State
Today, 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.) announced $348,108,466 in federal funding for Maryland in fiscal year 2022 to strengthen public transit infrastructure across the state. The lawmakers helped secure this increased federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) - which can be used … Continue Reading
April 08, 2022
Van Hollen, Menendez, Risch Unveil Resolution Honoring Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) in introducing a resolution to celebrate the life, achievements, and legacy of former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright. In addition to commending Secretary Albright's patriotism and public service in the pursuit of a more peaceful, prosperous, and cooperative world order, the bipartisan resolution extends the Senate's sincere condolences and sympathies to Secretary Albright's … Continue Reading
April 07, 2022
Van Hollen Statement on the Senate Confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement on the Senate's vote to confirm President Biden's nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to be an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court: "With today's vote, both Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and the United States Senate made history. I was proud to vote to make her 'Justice Jackson' and to participate in this historic moment in our democracy. Over the past few weeks - and throughout her career - Judge … Continue Reading
April 07, 2022
Van Hollen Statement on the Senate Confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement on the Senate's vote to confirm President Biden's nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to be an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court: "With today's vote, both Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and the United States Senate made history. I was proud to vote to make her 'Justice Jackson' and to participate in this historic moment in our democracy. Over the past few weeks - and throughout her career - Judge … Continue Reading
April 06, 2022
Van Hollen, Tillis Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Spur Greater Research and Investment in local HBCUs
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) introduced new legislation aimed at spurring greater research investment in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), while strengthening our national defense research ecosystem. The Senator's HBCU Research, Innovation, Security, and Excellence (RISE) Act would help boost HBCUs to "very high research activity status," also known as "R1" status, which would provide both more opportunities to students and create … Continue Reading
April 06, 2022
Van Hollen, Cardin, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Extend School and Summer Meal Flexibilities to Feed Children
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) joined Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in introducing the Support Kids Not Red Tape Act. The bill extends USDA school meal flexibilities from June 30, 2022 to September 30, 2023. These flexibilities have been crucial to feeding children throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With 90% of our schools still facing many challenges as they return to normal operations, these flexibilities give our … Continue Reading
April 06, 2022
Van Hollen, Cardin, Hoyer, Harris Announce the Addition of Three Maryland Historical Sites to the National Underground Railroad Network
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer and Andy Harris (all Md.) announced the addition of three historical sites in Maryland as new listings to the National Park Service's National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. The new listings join over 700 sites, facilities, and programs already in the Network that provide insight into the experiences of those who bravely escaped slavery and those who assisted them. "We applaud the addition … Continue Reading