Press Releases
Van Hollen, Murphy, Kaine, Senate Democrats Caution Israel Against Unilateral Annexation of West Bank Territory
On Thursday, 19 Senate Democrats, led by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), expressed grave concern regarding unilateral annexation of Palestinian territory potentially as early as July. In a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, the senators warned that such a move would mark a dramatic reversal of decades of shared understandings between the United States, Israel, the Palestinians and the … Continue Reading
May 21, 2020
Van Hollen, Duckworth Introduce Legislation to Ensure National Guard Troops Activated In Response to COVID-19 Get the Benefits They Earned During the Public Health Emergency
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with 17 of their Senate colleagues, introduced the National Guard COVID-19 Response Stability Act to ensure that all National Guard troops activated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic receive additional benefits and provide states with greater certainty.The Senators’ legislation would extend Title 32 authority for all troops activated in response to the crisis until the end of the public health emergency (PHE). By doing … Continue Reading
May 20, 2020
Maryland Delegation Members Press State for Plans to Address COVID-19 Racial Disparities, Expand Testing
Today, members of the Maryland congressional delegation, led by U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congressman Anthony G. Brown, and including Senator Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie B. Raskin, and David Trone (all D-Md.) sent a letter to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan urging him to use race and ethnicity data to develop a plan to address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color in Maryland. In their … Continue Reading
May 20, 2020
Van Hollen, Hirono Introduce Resolution to Honor May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), along with more than 20 of their Senate colleagues, introduced a resolution in honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month this May, noting the significant contributions to our nation made by generations of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.The resolution recognizes noteworthy milestones for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in 2020, including:The … Continue Reading
May 20, 2020
Van Hollen, Brown, Murray, Colleagues Demand Answers from CFPB Director on Agency’s Oversight Plans for the Student Loan Market
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), both member sof the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, joined U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Tina Smith (D-MN) in sending a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Kathy Kraninger requesting information from the agency regarding its examinations of the companies that service federally-held … Continue Reading
May 20, 2020
Senate Passes Van Hollen and Kennedy's Bill to Kick Deceitful Chinese Companies Off U.S. Exchanges
Today, the Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act by unanimous consent. U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) introduced the legislation to protect American investors and their retirement savings from foreign companies that have been operating on U.S. stock exchanges while flouting Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oversight.“As we continue to experience the economic fallout and volatility caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to … Continue Reading
May 19, 2020
Maryland Delegation Members Announce $876 Million in Federal Funding to Support WMATA During COVID-19 Crisis
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, John P. Sarbanes, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin, and David Trone (all D-Md.) announced that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and local transit partners will receive $876 million in federal funding through the CARES Act. Of that total, $41.1 million will be distributed to Montgomery and Prince George’s County local transit providers. “Metro is an essential service, central to the … Continue Reading
May 19, 2020
Cardin, Van Hollen, Trone Announce More Than $343,000 For Cumberland Pump Station Improvements
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman David Trone (all D-Md.) today announced a USDA Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal grant of $343,500 to Allegany County for updates to the North Branch Pump Station outside of Cumberland, Maryland. The efficient and functional operations of this pump station are critical to the local residents and industrial users it serves. These funds will be used for modernization of equipment which has not undergone any major improvements … Continue Reading
May 19, 2020
Van Hollen, Wyden, Rounds and Eshoo Call for Securing U.S. Capitol Phone Networks in Bipartisan Letter
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), along with Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and 20 members of the House and Senate requested to encrypt phone calls between the chambers to protect communications against foreign surveillance.“Congress must secure itself from the serious threat posed by foreign spies,” the members wrote. “Please take immediate action to encrypt, in bulk, all internal calls and other electronic communications between the Senate, … Continue Reading
May 19, 2020
Van Hollen, Coons, Collins Push for First Responders Support in Next Relief Package
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine), along with a number of their colleagues, sent a bipartisan letter to Senate Leadership encouraging additional support for first responders in the next COVID-19 relief package.The lawmakers detailed the following priorities for first responders:Bolster Assistance to Firefighter Grant, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER), and Department of Justice grant funding, including for the … Continue Reading
May 18, 2020
Van Hollen Statement on Decision by Bay States, Advocacy Groups to Sue EPA
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding the decision by Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia as well as Chesapeake Bay advocacy groups to sue the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their lack of enforcement of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) pollution reduction targets. “The Chesapeake Bay is not only a national treasure but a vital economic driver in our region. To protect and restore it, the EPA should use … Continue Reading
May 15, 2020
Van Hollen Statement on the House Passage of the Heroes Act
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement on the House of Representatives passage of the Heroes Act, legislation to provide more funds to support coronavirus relief and response:“The House has done its job, and now the Senate must act. Despite what Mitch McConnell thinks, our families, front-line workers, small businesses, and state and local governments have urgent needs now as our economy teeters on the brink. The Heroes Act focuses on the immediate … Continue Reading
May 15, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin Urge Trump Administration to Provide Relief for Seafood Industry
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.), along with U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-Va.) and Congressman Robert Wittman (R-Va.) have sent a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Secretary Chad Wolf, urging him to help Maryland and Virginia’s seafood industries resolve current labor shortages by issuing or re-allocating additional H-2B visas, while protecting the health and safety of seafood workers per CDC guidelines.The … Continue Reading
May 15, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin Call for Future COVID-19 Response Legislation to Protect Access to Dental Care for All Americans
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), along with a number of their colleagues, sent a letter to Senate leadership asking that any future COVID-19 response legislation includes strong measures to maintain dental coverage for Americans who have lost their employer-based benefits and to ensure access to pediatric and adult dental coverage through the Medicaid program. Joining Van Hollen and Cardin in sending the letter were U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Richard J. … Continue Reading
May 15, 2020
Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces $25 Million to Help Seniors and Individuals With Disabilities Live Independently
The Maryland congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin, and David Trone announced the award of $25,212,690 through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) for the continuation of the Money Follows the Person (RCMFTP) demonstration program. By making home and … Continue Reading
May 15, 2020
Van Hollen, Merkley, Collins, Murkowski, Tester Urge Congressional Leaders to Support Vulnerable Students Amid Coronavirus Crisis
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Jon Tester (D-MT), as well as a bipartisan group of almost 40 senators, pressed congressional leadership to include in the upcoming coronavirus relief package significant funding for the Federal TRIO Programs (TRIO), which are integral to supporting vulnerable students and their families that have been impacted by the virus.The senators’ letter comes as the economic fallout of the … Continue Reading
May 15, 2020
Van Hollen, Stabenow, Senators Urge Action to Ensure Worker Safety as the Trump Administration Pressures Meat Processing Plants to Open
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), along with a group of 27 Democratic Senators, raised new concerns about the Trump Administration’s Executive Order that has pressured meat processing plants to open without verifying the necessary safety measures to protect workers and the food supply. In a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, the Senators outlined recommendations for ways the Administration should improve worker safety.“While we … Continue Reading
May 15, 2020
Van Hollen, Schatz, Senators to Trump: Instead of Deflecting Blame for Failing COVID-19 Response, Fully Invoke Defense Production Act
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and three other senators in calling for President Trump to stop leveling blame on others for his mismanagement of the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and urging him invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA) to dramatically increase domestic production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing supplies. The president's decision to fire the Pentagon’s point person for the DPA yesterday … Continue Reading
May 14, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Colleagues Press Labor Department to Speed up Unemployment Disbursements and Address System Shortfalls
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today joined colleagues in urging the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to speed up Unemployment Insurance (UI) disbursements and to work to address system shortfalls that have contributed to the delays in workers getting their benefits. In a letter sent to DOL Secretary Eugene Scalia, the senators expressed serious concern regarding the significant delays in the processing of UI claims that are preventing workers from receiving their … Continue Reading
May 14, 2020
Van Hollen, Senators Introduce Legislation to Ban “Ghost” Guns as COVID-19 Pandemic Drives Demand for Untraceable Firearms
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), along with a group of their Senate colleagues, introduced legislation to ban “ghost” guns. Reports indicate that the public health and economic crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have spurred an increase in demand for and sale of these untraceable weapons.The Untraceable Firearms Act would include ghost guns and their core building blocks - unfinished frames and receivers - and the gun-making kits used to build … Continue Reading
