Press Releases
To Address Housing Crisis, Van Hollen, Colleagues Urge Appropriators to Provide Robust Funding for NeighborWorks America
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined 41 of his Senate colleagues in a letter to the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee urging them to provide at least $185 million in funding for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (NeighborWorks America) in order to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the letter, the Senators state that additional funding … Continue Reading
March 23, 2021
Van Hollen, Baltimore Delegation Announce More Than $18 Million for Essential Goods and Services Provided to Seniors During the COVID-19 Pandemic
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) today announced $18,395,149.50 in emergency federal funding to deliver essential goods, services, and resources to seniors across the city amid the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis.“This federal funding will allow the Salvation Army and Meals-On-Wheels to continue providing Baltimore seniors with critical goods and services - including groceries, household … Continue Reading
March 22, 2021
Van Hollen, Murphy, Senate Dems Urge Department of Education to Issue Guidance for Summer Enrichment Programs
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, on Monday joined nine other Senate Democrats in urging the U.S. Department of Education to issue guidance for how to use funding from the American Rescue Plan to provide summer enrichment programming for children and families. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, the senators stressed the importance of the Department’s leadership … Continue Reading
March 19, 2021
Van Hollen, Cardin, Hoyer Renew Push to Make Southern Maryland a New National Heritage Area
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (all D-Md.) today filed updated legislation to designate Southern Maryland as a National Heritage Area (NHA) to further commemorate, conserve and promote important natural, scenic, historic, cultural and recreational resources in St. Mary’s, Calvert, Charles and Prince George’s counties.National Heritage Areas are partnerships among the National Park Service, states and local communities in which the Park Service … Continue Reading
March 19, 2021
Van Hollen, Menendez, Colleagues Call on President Biden to Become First U.S. President to Officially Recognize the Armenian Genocide
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and 36 of their Senate colleagues in requesting the Biden administration join the U.S. Congress in officially recognizing the Ottoman Empire's genocide against the Armenian people. To date, no U.S. president has made it U.S. policy to affirm the historical facts of the Armenian Genocide, which lasted from 1915 to 1923 and resulted in the … Continue Reading
March 18, 2021
Maryland Delegation Members Announce More Than $3.1 Million for Early Childhood Education Programs
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer and John Sarbanes (all D-Md.) today announced $3,145,447 in federal funding to expand early childhood education programs and family health services at the YMCA of Central Maryland and the Southern Maryland Tri-County Community Action Committee, Inc.“This new federal funding will help strengthen early learning opportunities and enhance development programs for children in Maryland’s low-income families,” the lawmakers … Continue Reading
March 18, 2021
Van Hollen, Brown, Colleagues Slam Senate Republicans for Blocking Bill to Protect Relief Checks from Debt Collectors
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs joined Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) in slamming Senate Republicans for blocking their legislation to protect relief checks provided in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan from garnishment by private debt collectors.“While families struggle to put food on the table and pay their bills, … Continue Reading
March 18, 2021
Sens. Van Hollen, Carper, Collins, Tester & Rep. Sarbanes Reintroduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Support Federal Firefighters
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, along with Fire Services Caucus Co-Chairs Tom Carper (D-Del.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) reintroduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to support our federal firefighters. Their legislation, the Federal Firefighter Flexibility and Fairness Act, would allow federal firefighters to engage in trade time, enabling two firefighters to trade … Continue Reading
March 18, 2021
Van Hollen, Brown, Wyden, Menendez Introduce Bill to Protect Stimulus Checks from Debt Collectors
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) have introduced a bill to protect the stimulus checks provided in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan from garnishment by private debt collectors. “The direct payments included in the American Rescue Plan are meant to help families put food on the table and pay their bills. They are not intended to provide a windfall to private debt collectors or predatory lenders. This legislation will … Continue Reading
March 18, 2021
Van Hollen, Capito Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Support National Children’s Museum
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) introduced legislation to provide measured fiscal relief to the National Children’s Museum, through a GSA agreement to pay the Museum’s leasing fee. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) introduced the House version, H.R. 1703, on March 10, 2021.Founded as the Capital Children’s Museum in 1974, the Museum served children and families in the Washington region for thirty … Continue Reading
March 18, 2021
Van Hollen, Cardin, Senate Democrats Introduce For the People Act to Strengthen Democracy, Put Power Back in the Hands of the American People
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-MD) joined Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with a number of their colleagues, have introduced S.1., the For the People Act—a sweeping package of comprehensive reforms that would end special interest corruption of our politics and make government work for the people. The introduction comes as Republican lawmakers in 43 states continue to use unfounded election … Continue Reading
March 17, 2021
Van Hollen, Sanders, and Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Combat Corporate Greed and End Outrageous CEO Pay
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), along with Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) on Wednesday introduced the Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act to take on corporate greed by raising taxes on companies that pay their top executives at least 50 times more than the pay of a median worker.Americans across the political spectrum are outraged by the extreme gaps between CEO and worker pay. According to a … Continue Reading
March 17, 2021
Van Hollen, Wyden, Baldwin, Bennet, Booker Introduce Bill to Jumpstart Economic Recovery, Fund Six Months of Wages
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.), and Cory A. Booker (D-N.J.), today introduced legislation to jumpstart the economic recovery by immediately financing six months of wages and supportive services for eligible jobless workers. “Even before the pandemic hit, over a million Americans were looking for work for over six months and could not find a job. That number … Continue Reading
March 17, 2021
Van Hollen and Toomey Statement on State Department’s Hong Kong Sanctions Report
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) issued the following joint statement on the State Department’s report that named 24 individuals sanctioned under Senator Van Hollen and Senator Toomey's Hong Kong Autonomy Act:“We commend the Biden administration for using the authority under our Hong Kong Autonomy Act to hold accountable the CCP and Hong Kong officials working to eliminate Hong Kong’s autonomy. This is a necessary step to support the freedoms of the Hong Kong … Continue Reading
March 17, 2021
Van Hollen Joins Shaheen in Bipartisan Letter to President Biden Urging Funding for Energy Efficiency Programs to Combat Climate Change & Create Jobs
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in leading a bipartisan letter to President Biden urging him to prioritize robust investments in programs that promote energy efficiency in his upcoming budget proposal to Congress. In the letter, Van Hollen, Shaheen, and the Senators noted these investments would combat climate change by reducing harmful emissions and pollution and stimulate our economy by creating sustainable jobs and reducing energy costs for … Continue Reading
March 17, 2021
Van Hollen, Duckworth, Booker Ask Biden-Harris Health Equity Task Force to Release Guidance on Addressing Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccination Rates
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joined Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), along with a number of their colleagues, in sending a letter to Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, chair of the Biden-Harris COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, requesting guidance and recommendations be provided to states, localities, territories, and tribes on how to address disparities and reduce inequities in COVID-19 vaccination rates. Specifically, the Senators asked the Task Force to engage … Continue Reading
March 16, 2021
Van Hollen, Trone, Maryland Delegation Members Urge Biden Administration to Support Updating and Expanding I-81 Corridor in Western Maryland
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Member of the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, Urban Development, and Related Agencies joined U.S. Representative David Trone, a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation-Housing and Urban Development, and other Maryland delegation members in urging U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to approve the funding request for the I-81/Halfway Boulevard … Continue Reading
March 16, 2021
Van Hollen, Blumenthal, Himes Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Close Dangerous Loophole to Protect Domestic Abuse Survivors
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Jim Himes (D-CT) introduced strongly-supported bicameral legislation to protect domestic violence survivors from gun violence. The Lori Jackson Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act is narrowly crafted to close loopholes that allow domestic abusers to legally obtain weapons. The bill is named in memory of Lori Jackson, an Oxford, Connecticut mother of two who was tragically shot and killed by her … Continue Reading
March 16, 2021
Van Hollen Statement for the Record on the Confirmation of Isabel Guzman to Serve as Administrator of the Small Business Administration
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) submitted the following statement for the congressional record on his vote to confirm Isabel Guzman to serve as Administrator of the Small Business Administration:“I rise today to support the nomination of Isabel Guzman, a dedicated public servant, and successful small businesswoman, to lead the Small Business Administration.“Small businesses are a cornerstone of Maryland’s economy, creating jobs, driving innovation and anchoring communities. Isabel … Continue Reading
March 16, 2021
Van Hollen, Murphy, Cicilline, Bera Propose International Affairs Budget Increase to Compete With China, Prepare for the Next Pandemic, and Fight Climate Change
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), U.S. Representative David Cicilline (RI-01), and U.S. Representative Ami Bera (CA-07) on Tuesday proposed a significant increase to the international affairs budget for Fiscal Year 2022 to better address America’s national security challenges. Investing in 21st Century Diplomacy calls for a $12 billion increase, directing the funding toward three specific challenges: (1) competing with China; (2) preparing for the next … Continue Reading