Press Releases
In Response to Van Hollen-Led Letter, Social Security Administration Reveals Devastating Impact of Permanently Eliminating Payroll Tax
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) released the letter they received from the Social Security Administration (SSA) Chief Actuary Stephen Goss in response to their request for an analysis on the impact of eliminating the payroll tax that funds Social Security’s Old Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund and Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund. In recent remarks, … Continue Reading
August 24, 2020
Van Hollen, Hirono, Capito, Whitehouse Call on CMS to Make All Recommended Vaccines Accessible to Medicare Beneficiaries
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) sent a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma requesting CMS make all recommended vaccines accessible to Medicare beneficiaries. Under current law, Medicare immunization coverage varies by vaccine. Some vaccines, like those that protect against influenza and pneumococcal infection, are available with no additional … Continue Reading
August 24, 2020
Van Hollen, Gillibrand, Senators Submit Amicus Brief on Ending Discrimination in Foster Care and Adoption
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) submitted an amicus brief in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, an impending Supreme Court case focused on anti-LGBTQ discrimination in the foster care and adoption system. In March 2018, the City of Philadelphia learned that two of the agencies it partners with to provide foster care services to children in the public child welfare system would not allow same-sex couples to be foster parents, based on the agencies’ religious … Continue Reading
August 21, 2020
Maryland Delegation Announces More Than $840,000 to Baltimore City for Pandemic Preparedness
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Representatives Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) today announced $843,988 in federal funding for the City of Baltimore through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Fiscal Year 2020 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grants. This new funding will be used to develop innovative regional solutions in response to catastrophic events, including preparing for pandemics. “This new federal funding will help … Continue Reading
August 21, 2020
Van Hollen, Senators Demand FCC Increase Funding For Health Providers, Help Expand Telehealth Services During Pandemic
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) and a group of 15 Senators in urging Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Ajit Pai to increase funding for and improve the operations of the Rural Health Care (RHC) program, which helps expand access to telehealth services to underserved communities.Demand for telehealth services as an alternative to in-person care has dramatically increased due to the pandemic — resulting in increased costs and stretched … Continue Reading
August 21, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Mfume Announce Nearly $1 Million in Federal Funding for Morgan State University STEM Programs
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Representative Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) today announced an award of $999,531.00 in federal grant funding for Morgan State University (MSU) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education programs through the National Science Foundation (NSF). “To create a robust and diverse STEM pipeline in this country, we must tap into the power of our nation’s HBCUs. We can cultivate a vibrant, 21st century economy in Baltimore and … Continue Reading
August 21, 2020
Van Hollen, Blumenthal, Senators to DeJoy: USPS Operational Changes Harm Deployed Servicemembers
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) raised concerns over the heightened impact of harmful United States Postal Service (USPS) policy and operational changes to servicemembers and their families. Because USPS is the only service that can deliver to the Army Post Office (APO) and Fleet Post Office (FPO) addresses used by our military overseas, deployed servicemembers and their families are uniquely impacted by changes that have left USPS “intentionally … Continue Reading
August 20, 2020
Maryland Delegation Members Announce Nearly $900,000 for STEM Education in Frederick, Montgomery Counties
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all D-Md.) announced that Mount St. Mary’s University, in partnership with Montgomery College and Frederick Community College, will receive $899,926 to support Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) degree completion and job placement for low-income, high-achieving undergraduates. The program will focus on transfer student success, providing scholarships and academic, social, and … Continue Reading
August 19, 2020
Support Grows for Van Hollen, Bennet’s National Emergency Student Vote Act
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) cosponsored legislation by Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.). Their National Emergency Student Vote Act is legislation to help college students exercise their right to vote in the 2020 elections even as millions are displaced from campus due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Since the bill’s introduction last month, 14 additional senators have cosponsored the bill and 10 … Continue Reading
August 19, 2020
Van Hollen, Schumer, Wyden, & Sanders Request Analysis from Social Security Administration on the Impact of Eliminating the Payroll Tax
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a letter to the Social Security Administration’s Chief Actuary Stephen Goss requesting an analysis on the impact of eliminating the payroll tax that funds Social Security’s Old Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund and Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund.The Senators begin their letter asking Chief Actuary Goss to provide an … Continue Reading
August 19, 2020
Van Hollen, Bipartisan Group of Senators Press for Answers on Saudi Arabia’s Nuclear Capabilities
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) led a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Donald Trump pressing for more information on Saudi Arabia’s reported efforts to build secret nuclear facilities. The Senators expressed deep concern with this development, which threatens to undermine the international nonproliferation regime and U.S. objectives in the Middle East. In their letter, the Senators laid out specific questions they’d like answers to - including … Continue Reading
August 17, 2020
Van Hollen, Senate Democrats Demand Answers, Fixes from Postmaster General on Mail Delays
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) demanded answers from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on significant operational changes he directed that have caused serious delays for postal customers in Maryland and across the country. In a letter, the Senators called on DeJoy to testify before Congress and provide clear, transparent answers on service delays that have caused seniors and veterans to miss their prescription medications, small businesses to lose money … Continue Reading
August 17, 2020
Van Hollen, Shaheen Call for GAO Assessment of Census Count
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and the other Democratic members of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies subcommittee, which is charged with funding the Census Bureau and Census operations, in calling for the Government Accountability Office to thoroughly assess and compile a report on the “completeness and quality” of the 2020 Census.The letter, also signed by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jack Reed … Continue Reading
August 17, 2020
Maryland Delegation Announces Nearly $954,000 to Improve Readiness, Response for Hazardous Materials Spills
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Andy Harris, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, David Trone and Kweisi Mfume (all Md.) today announced $953,854 in new federal funds for Maryland to further invest in emergency preparedness plans, inspecting pipelines and training for managing bulk transportation of petroleum products and other hazardous materials. $622,776 was awarded to the Maryland Public Service Commission. This … Continue Reading
August 17, 2020
Van Hollen, Coons, Murray Urge HHS, CDC to Offer COVID-19 Guidance to Childcare Providers
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) along with House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-Va.), and Representative Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa) sent a letter to the Office of Child Care at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requesting more detailed public health guidance to support the child care sector during and following the COVID-19 public health … Continue Reading
August 17, 2020
Members of Maryland Delegation Urge USDA Secretary Perdue to Extend School Nutrition Waivers for Children and Families During COVID-19 Pandemic
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, and U.S. Representatives Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone (all D-Md.) wrote to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue urging the extension of school nutrition waivers for the 2020-2021 school year to ensure children have access to healthy meals during the COVID-19 pandemic.For the upcoming school year, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools to transition to online or … Continue Reading
August 14, 2020
Baltimore Congressional Delegation Presses Postmaster General to Develop Plan to Fix Mail Delays in Baltimore Region and Across Maryland
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, and Kweisi Mfume today asked Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to address the widespread mail delays affecting residents across the Baltimore region and take immediate steps to deliver mail on time.In a letter to DeJoy, the delegation described complaints from constituents who have not received mail for weeks, including seniors who have been waiting for prescriptions and small businesses … Continue Reading
August 14, 2020
Maryland Delegation Members Announce More Than $2.5 Million in Federal Funding for the National Association of Community Health Centers
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman Jamie B. Raskin (all D-Md.), announced $2,565,447 in federal funding for the National Association of Community Health Centers headquartered in Bethesda, Md.“Community health centers are a vital component of our health care safety net and are on the front lines of our nation’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These federal funds will help provide high-quality, community-based health services to families and … Continue Reading
August 13, 2020
Van Hollen, Colleagues Call on Trump Administration to Stop Blocking International Students from Entering the Country
Today, U.S Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ed Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) joined 75 of their colleagues in the Senate and House in sending a letter to Acting Secretary of the Department ofHomeland Security (DHS) Chad Wolf calling on him to revise recent guidance that would prohibit new international college and university students with a full-time online course load from entering the U.S.. The letter follows a … Continue Reading
August 13, 2020
Menendez, Van Hollen Call for Sanctions in Response to Turkish Aggression in the Eastern Mediterranean
Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, today sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in advance of his meeting with the Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias scheduled for Friday. Citing Turkey’s recent deployment of naval vessels to shadow a drilling ship into Greece’s exclusive economic zone … Continue Reading
