Press Releases
Van Hollen Presses McConnell for Safety Plan to Protect Capitol Staff as Senators Return
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pressing the Majority Leader for details on how he will ensure the safety of Senate employees, contractors, and support staff - many of whom are Maryland residents - as the chamber goes into session next week. As the Senator mentions in his letter, he is prepared to return himself for much-needed work on our country’s COVID-19 response but has yet to hear a plan from Leader McConnell on … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Van Hollen, Cortez Masto, Colleagues Urge the CFPB to Reinstate Vital HMDA Data Collection
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), along with 17 of their Senate colleagues, sent a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Kathy Kraninger urging her to reverse her decisions to suspend the quarterly reporting of information under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) during the COVID-19 pandemic and halt reporting of all HMDA data for lenders. Eliminating these reporting requirements could allow discrimination in mortgage lending to … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Van Hollen, Smith, Warren, Colleagues Press to Include $50 Billion Childcare Bailout in Next Coronavirus Relief Package
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and 28 of their Senate colleagues in calling on Senate leadership to include their plan for a $50 billion childcare bailout in the next coronavirus relief package, saying it is indispensable part of the nation’s response to the pandemic.“We write to strongly urge you to prioritize funding childcare in the next legislative package that responds to the public health and economic effects of … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Ruppersberger, Sarbanes Announce $200,000 for Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Tracker
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger and John P. Sarbanes (all D-Md.) today announced $200,000 in federal funding to Johns Hopkins University (JHU) through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Rapid Response Research (RAPID) grant program to support the management and development of the COVID-19 online interactive dashboard hosted by the JHU Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE). The dashboard may be viewed here. Awarded through the … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce Over $10 Million for Maryland Chesapeake Bay Conservation Projects
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) have announced $10,774,013 for two conservation projects in Maryland through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). This first round of awards follows Senator Van Hollen’s introduction of legislation, that was cosponsored by Senator Cardin, to increase the RCPP funds available to the Bay region. Due to the Senators’ … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Sen. Van Hollen, Rep. Phillips Announce Eligibility of Peace Corps, AmeriCorps Volunteers for Unemployment Assistance
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and U.S. Representative Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) announced that theDepartment of Labor has put out guidance confirming the eligibility of Peace Corps and AmeriCorps participants for unemployment assistance due to the COVID-19 outbreak. In a bipartisan letter sent April 2, 2020, the Members urged Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia to clarify that the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program passed within the CARES Act covers Peace Corps and AmeriCorps … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Van Hollen, Klobuchar, Durbin, Colleagues Urge Bureau of Prisons to Release Critical Demographic Data as Country Confronts Coronavirus Pandemic
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with a group of 13 colleagues, sent a letter to Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Michael Carvajal urging him to release system-wide demographic data in the BOP’s public reporting of the number of incarcerated people and staff impacted by COVID-19—including data on the age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, pregnancy status, sexual orientation, and disability of all incarcerated people and BOP staff who … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Van Hollen, Warren, Colleagues Demand Answers from Trump Administration on Efforts to Protect Federal Workers During Coronavirus Pandemic
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary C. Peters (D-Mich.), and 18 of their Senate colleagues wrote to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regarding the safety of federal workers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The senators are requesting information on the agencies' efforts to ensure that agencies maximize telework across their workforce, collect and provide data on current … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Van Hollen, Senators Call for Robust CDC Data Modernization Initiative Funding to Ensure Public Health Preparedness
With the COVID-19 pandemic revealing dire deficiencies in the public health system, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) and a group of eight Senators in calling for increased funding for a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data modernization initiative. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the Senators stressed the need for this additional funding in … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Van Hollen, Schatz, Senators Call for More Funding for Social Service Nonprofits in Next Coronavirus Relief Bill
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawai?i), along with a group of 26 senators, urged Senate leadership to include additional emergency funding for nonprofit organizations in the next COVID-19 relief bill. Nonprofits are an essential part of the frontline coronavirus pandemic response, providing important social services such as nutrition assistance, shelter for those experiencing homelessness, child care and education programs, and care for victims of domestic … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Hoyer Welcome Expansion of Federal Second Chance Pell Experiment to Maryland HBCUs
U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (all D-Md.) welcomed the selection of two of Maryland’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Bowie State University (BSU) and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), to participate in the Second Chance Pell Experiment by the U.S. Department of Education. This experiment, established under the Obama administration, allows eligible incarcerated Americans to receive Pell Grants to fund their … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Colleagues Call on DeVos to Reverse Course and Allow DACA Students to Access Emergency Financial Aid Secured in CARES Act
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) joined colleagues in calling on U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to allow Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students to access emergency financial aid grant funding secured in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. “DACA recipients came to this country as children and make extraordinary contributions to our communities and our economy,” wrote the senators to Secretary DeVos. “During this … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Van Hollen Applauds Fed Decision to Expand COVID-19 Relief to More Cities, Counties
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) applauded the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) decision to reduce population requirements for cities and counties to receive relief from the Municipal Liquidity Facility. This program, created under the CARES Act, allows the Fed to purchase up to $500 billion of debt from eligible cities and counties. However, under the Fed’s previous guidance, only 15 counties and 10 cities across the United States would be eligible for the program. On April 17, Senator Van … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Van Hollen, Gardner Call for Establishing 9-8-8 Suicide Hotline in Next COVID-19 Relief Package in Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) and a number of their colleagues in a bipartisan, bicameral push to include S. 2661, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, in the next COVID-19 relief package. “We write to request the inclusion of S. 2661/ H.R. 4194, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, in the next COVID-19 relief package. The creation of this three-digit dialing code is essential in order to address the growing suicide crisis across the … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Maryland Delegation Members Announce More Than $664,000 to Help Anne Arundel Medical Center Expand Telehealth Capabilities and Fight COVID-19
Members of the Maryland congressional delegation, including Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, John P. Sarbanes, and Anthony G. Brown (all D-Md.) announced that Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) will receive $664,606 from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to invest in video telehealth services as part of AAMC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This federal funding will allow AAMC to deploy telehealth technology to diagnose and treat COVID-19 … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces More Than $200 Million in COVID-19 Relief for School Districts
The full Maryland congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin and David Trone, today announced $207,834,058 for Maryland school districts through the U.S. Department of Education Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief Fund (ESSER). The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act created this fund to allow … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Maryland Delegation Urges Administration to Release Nursing Home COVID-19 Response Funds
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin along with Representatives Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin, and David Trone urged Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma to immediately distribute funds included in the CARES Act to support efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes.“As you know, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act [P.L. … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Van Hollen, Cortez Masto, Colleagues Urge Congress to Provide Housing Support for Domestic Violence Survivors During Coronavirus Pandemic
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and 21 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Senate leaders, asking that future legislation to address the coronavirus pandemic also include resources to meet domestic and sexual violence survivors’ urgent housing needs, which have been exacerbated by stay-at-home orders, social distancing, and the ongoing economic upheaval caused by COVID-19. “Communities need a surge of resources to meet survivors’ … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Van Hollen Calls on HHS, CDC to Build Out System to Track Coronavirus
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Tom Carper (D-DE) have sent a bipartisan letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urging them to build on their existing reportable disease systems to better trace COVID-19 infections. In their letter, the Senators call on CDC and HHS to establish a system to receive data on who has developed antibodies to the virus and track immunity. In addition to … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Colleagues Call for Families to Receive Promised COVID-19 Stimulus Payments for Their Children as Quickly as Possible
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) joined colleagues in calling on the U.S. Treasury Department to ensure that families that are not required to file taxes and will automatically receive their COVID-19 stimulus payment do not need to wait until next year to receive the additional $500 payment per dependent child that they were promised. “We write to express our concern that without additional action from your agencies, many families who receive Social Security benefits … Continue Reading
