Press Releases
Baltimore Delegation Members Announce $8 Million in Federal Funding for Amtrak
Today, 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 $8 million in new federal funding to upgrade Amtrak’s primary line in Baltimore, a critical hub for commuters and travelers. The funding is part of a grant from the 2019 Federal-State Partnership for the State of Good Repair Program and follows a December 20, 2019 letter of support to Transportation … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Hoyer, Brown Praise Honorary Promotion for Murdered Bowie State ROTC Student Richard Collins III
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny Hoyer and Anthony Brown today praised the Army’s decision to recognize bravery “in the face of evil” as demonstrated by Bowie State ROTC student and Second Lieutenant Richard W. Collins III, who was killed two days after his commissioning in 2017. The lawmakers were notified Wednesday of the Secretary of the Army’s decision to grant him an honorary promotion to First Lieutenant. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has concurred … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Van Hollen, Brown, Colleagues Seek Answers from Trump Administration on the Borrower Protection Program
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, joined Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and 6 of their Senate colleagues in a letter requesting additional information on the Borrower Protection Program that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced in April. The agencies’ announcement stated that the CFPB and FHFA would share data under the program but did not say … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Van Hollen, Wyden, Harris, Colleagues Press Trump Administration on the Health and Safety of Youth in Juvenile Detention During COVID-19
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) pressed the Trump administration for answers regarding the health and safety of young people detained in juvenile facilities across the country.In a letter to Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Administrator Caren Harp, the senators requested the agency make public the measures it has taken to protect incarcerated youth from COVID-19, as well as the ways OJJDP is meeting … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Harris Announce Coast Guard Station-Oxford Will Remain Open
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman Andy Harris were notified Tuesday that the Coast Guard will not close down the U.S. Coast Guard Station Oxford. The news comes almost one month after the lawmakers wrote to Coast Guard leadership in defense of the installation.“The U.S. Coast Guard Station Oxford, the only Coast Guard site on the Eastern Shore of the Bay in Maryland, is critical for the region’s safety and security. We are pleased to see that the Coast Guard … Continue Reading
May 26, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin Announce More Than $350,000 to Support Eastern Shore Workers Displaced by COVID-19
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced the award of a $356,909 Employment Recovery Dislocated Workforce Grant (DWG) to the Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board (USWIB) through the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The USWIB will use these federal funds to support self-employed and gig-economy workers whose employment has been interrupted due to the pandemic. Approximately 170 beneficiaries will receive financial support either for apprenticeship/skills-training to … Continue Reading
May 26, 2020
Van Hollen, National Capital Region Delegation Strongly Oppose Trump Plans For July Fourth Military Parade In D.C. During Pandemic
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) joined their fellow members of Congress representing the National Capital Region today in writing to the Secretaries of Defense and the Interior to state their strong opposition to President Trump’s plans to hold a second military parade in Washington D.C. on July 4th. Despite public health and social distancing precautions in the nation’s capital, which has seen one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the country, the … Continue Reading
May 22, 2020
Van Hollen, Cortez Masto Urge DoD to Enhance COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for Federal Contractors Working on Military Bases
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) in sending a letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper requesting enhanced enforcement of COVID-19 safety guidelines for federal contractors working on Department of Defense (DoD) military instillations, including guidance on who is responsible for the enforcement of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DoD COVID-19 procedures for quarantine, telework, social distancing, and the use of PPE. The … Continue Reading
May 22, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin Call on ICE to Answer Critical Questions on Plans on COVID-19 in Maryland
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) are calling on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to answer critical questions on their plans to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among detainees currently being held in Howard and Worchester Counties.“In Maryland, we have received troubling reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees are at grave risk,” wrote the senators. “Half of the ICE detainees tested nationwide thus far are positive for … Continue Reading
May 22, 2020
Van Hollen, Peters, McSally Push in Bipartisan Letter to Increase Funding for Programs Protecting Survivors of Domestic Violence & Pets in Next COVID-19 Relief Bill
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Martha McSally (R-AZ) called for increased funding for programs that support domestic violence survivors and their pets that were established under the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act. In a letter to Senate leaders and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Appropriations, the Senators highlighted how reports of domestic violence have risen during this pandemic, and that domestic violence shelters that harbor pets - or … Continue Reading
May 22, 2020
Van Hollen, Smith, Colleagues Urge Help for Children’s Hospitals and Health Providers
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told Senate leaders that hospitals serving children cannot continue to sustain the expected $10 billion in losses in the next several months and they pressed Senate leaders to include relief specifically for children’s hospitals and pediatric health care providers in the next COVID-19 relief package.Starting in January, children’s hospitals sustained deep … Continue Reading
May 22, 2020
Van Hollen, Harris, McBath Demand Independent DOJ Investigation into Breonna Taylor Case
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-06) on Friday demanded that Assistant Attorney General Eric S. Dreiband launch an independent investigation into the killing of Breonna Taylor, and into whether the Louisville Police Department has engaged in a pattern or practice of constitutional violations.On March 13, the Louisville Police Department entered Breonna Taylor’s apartment to execute a drug search warrant, and allegedly fired … Continue Reading
May 22, 2020
Van Hollen, Bennet, Gardner, and Bipartisan Group of 125 Members of Congress Call on Administration to Ensure National Guard Receives Benefits Earned on COVID-19 Front Lines
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and U.S. Representatives Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), along with a bipartisan group of 125 Members of Congress in a letter to President Donald Trump, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor calling on the administration to ensure National Guard personnel who are serving on the front lines of … Continue Reading
May 22, 2020
Van Hollen, Senate Democrats Release Plan to Expand Health Care Coverage & Affordability During COVID-19
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Tina Smith (D-MN) alongside Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), today released a Senate Democratic plan to expand health care coverage and affordability during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a white paper, the senators outline a series of common sense legislative priorities that the Senate should take up … Continue Reading
May 21, 2020
Van Hollen Statement on Passage of Resolution Recognizing National Foreign Service Day
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement on the passage of his and Senator Dan Sullivan’s (R-Alaska) bipartisan resolution honoring American foreign service members and commemorating Foreign Service Day.“Our Foreign Service Officers are dedicated to protecting and pursuing America’s best interests across the globe. They are committed to representing democratic values and promoting the rule of law. We’ve faced new challenges brought on by the coronavirus, … Continue Reading
May 21, 2020
Van Hollen, Warren, Markey, Colleagues Urge Trump Administration to Prepare for Simultaneous Peaks of 2020 Flu Season, COVID-19 Outbreak
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence, head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, regarding the Trump Administration's efforts to prepare for a resurgence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during this year's seasonal influenza, which Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield warned could create unprecedented strain on our health care system. The … Continue Reading
May 21, 2020
Van Hollen, Cornyn, Carper Urge Support for Independent Music Venues During Pandemic
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Tom Carper (D-DE), along with a number of their Senate colleagues, sent a letter today to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) asking them to include funding for independent live music venues in any upcoming coronavirus relief legislation.They wrote: “Live event venues were among the first to close as COVID-19 spread across the country, and they are likely to be among the last to reopen. … Continue Reading
May 21, 2020
Van Hollen, Durbin, Duckworth, Kelly Introduce Resolution Establishing “national Gun Violence Awareness Day"
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today introduced a resolution in the Senate establishing June 5, 2020, as “National Gun Violence Awareness Day” and designating June as “National Gun Violence Awareness Month.” U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) will introduce a companion resolution in the House. Every day in America, an average of around 300 men, women, and children are shot, nearly one-third of them fatally. Designating a day to … Continue Reading
May 21, 2020
Van Hollen, Toomey Introduce Sanctions Bill to Defend Hong Kong’s Autonomy
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) have introduced bipartisan legislation to defend Hong Kong’s autonomy against increasingly brazen interference from the Chinese Community Party.READ: China Signals Plan to Take Full Control of Hong Kong, Realigning City’s StatusThe Van Hollen/Toomey measure 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 … Continue Reading
May 21, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Hoyer Announce Nearly $366,000 for COVID-19 Research at University of Maryland, College Park
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (all D-Md.) today announced three additional Rapid Research Response (RAPID) awards for the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) to conduct research related to the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The funding was authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act through the National Science Foundation (NSF). Projects include:$187,871 for a project to accelerate research into … Continue Reading
