Press Releases
Van Hollen, Senators Condemn Malign Actions of the Putin Regime, Call for Release of Alexei Navalny
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced the bipartisan Holding Russia Accountable for Malign Activities Act of 2021, a targeted bill that would impose sanctions on Russian officials complicit in brazen violations of international law including the poisoning and imprisonment of opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny. The bill directs the … Continue Reading
February 03, 2021
Van Hollen, Cardin Praise Robert Hur’s Service as U.S. Attorney for District of Maryland
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today released the following statement on the announcement by Robert K. Hur, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, that he would leave his position later this month.“We thank U.S. Attorney Robert Hur for his excellent service as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. Rob upheld the finest traditions of the office and the U.S. Department of Justice, and faithfully followed the facts and the law. In particular, we … Continue Reading
February 03, 2021
Van Hollen, Cardin, Trone Introduce Bicameral TRUE EQUITY Act to Strengthen Federal-State-Local Educational Partnerships
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen David Trone, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony Brown and Jamie Raskin (all D-Md.) announced new legislation in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives that would provide an additional $1.4 billion in federal grant funding for states and local communities that commit to transformative policy changes and allocate significant additional resources to address education inequities. Purposefully aligning with … Continue Reading
February 03, 2021
Van Hollen, Murray, Senate Democrats Call for Continued Support of NASA Lander Program
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Patty Murray (D-WA), along with a number of their Senate Democratic colleagues, wrote to the White House in support of continued funding for NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS) program, which is critical to the Artemis Program of returning astronauts to the moon for the first time in half a century, and landing a woman on the moon for the first time in history. In April of last year, NASA selected three U.S. companies, Blue Origin, Space X, and … Continue Reading
February 03, 2021
Van Hollen, Brown Lead Maryland Delegation Calling for a Course Correction to Maryland’s Vaccine Distribution Approach
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and U.S. Congressman Anthony G. Brown led Maryland delegation members Senator Ben Cardin and Reps. Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all D-MD) in a letter to Governor Larry Hogan calling for his Administration to reform and improve vaccine distribution by adopting best practices from other states around the country. Maryland has consistently ranked in the bottom tier of states for vaccine distributions due … Continue Reading
February 03, 2021
Van Hollen Announces New Assignment to Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Today, U.S. Senator Van Hollen released the following statement regarding his Committee Assignments for the 117th Congress:“The COVID-19 pandemic — like climate change — has clearly shown that our nation is not an island. What happens in other parts of the world has a direct impact on our well-being here at home. Following four years of isolation and division, now more than ever, we must work to strengthen our democracy at home and rebuild our alliances abroad. I’m proud to join the Senate … Continue Reading
February 02, 2021
Van Hollen Statement in Support of Alejandro Mayorkas to Serve as Secretary of Homeland Security
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding his vote to confirm Alejandro Mayorkas to serve as the Secretary of Homeland Security:“Alejandro Mayorkas is the person we need to rebuild and restore the Department of Homeland Security. Not only is he regarded as one of the most knowledgeable homeland security experts in our nation, but he also has deep understanding of our nation’s immigration system. In fact, he’s known as the architect of the Deferred … Continue Reading
February 02, 2021
Van Hollen Statement in Support of Pete Buttigieg to Serve as Transportation Secretary
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding his vote to confirm Pete Buttigieg to serve as the Secretary of Transportation:“Today, I was proud to vote in support of Pete Buttigieg to serve as our next Secretary of Transportation. I know he’s an innovative problem solver who will help us repair and modernize our infrastructure, invest in local projects, work with other federal partners to expand access to broadband, address the climate crisis, and … Continue Reading
February 02, 2021
Van Hollen, Klobuchar, Duckworth Introduce Legislation to Keep Jobs in the United States
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced the Removing Incentives for Outsourcing Act to close a loophole that encourages U.S. companies to move jobs and operations overseas in order to minimize their tax liability. The bill, led by Senator Klobuchar, would eliminate an unfair incentive that allows U.S. companies to use excess foreign tax credits (FTCs) to shelter profits in tax havens.“Rather than focusing on generating new job … Continue Reading
February 02, 2021
Van Hollen, Klobuchar, Colleagues Express Urgency in Working with Biden Administration to Support Efforts to Help Women Return to the Workforce
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), along with Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), wrote a … Continue Reading
February 02, 2021
Van Hollen, Hirono Renew Efforts to Award Fred Korematsu the Congressional Gold Medal
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Representative Mark Takano (D-Calif.) in introducing bicameral legislation to award Fred Korematsu the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his legacy of fighting against the illegal incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and for being a staunch defender of civil rights. Senators Van Hollen and Hirono and Representative Takano first introduced legislation to award Fred Korematsu … Continue Reading
February 02, 2021
Van Hollen, Cardin Seek Critical LIHEAP Utility Assistance
With temperatures dropping, gas and electricity bills mounting, and COVID-19 infection rates still out of control, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) and 42 of their colleagues are seeking a significant boost for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in the next pandemic relief package. LIHEAP is a federally funded program that helps low-income households with their home energy bills by providing payment and/or energy crisis assistance. The program is … Continue Reading
February 02, 2021
Van Hollen, Cardin, Trone Announce $300,000 in Federal Funding for Water Main Replacement Project in Cumberland
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and U.S. Congressman David Trone (all D-Md.) announced $300,000 in federal funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to the City of Cumberland for the Decatur Street 24th Crosstown Water Main Replacement project.The project will replace 4,300 linear feet of water main in the Decatur Heights neighborhood and provide water service to the Baltimore Street and Cumberland Plaza areas of the city, improving water service to 29 … Continue Reading
February 02, 2021
Van Hollen Joins the Maryland Chamber of Commerce's Virtual Town Hall
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined the Maryland Chamber of Commerce yesterday for a virtual Town Hall to discuss the recently-passed COVID-19 relief package and new efforts in Congress to deliver additional relief for Maryland businesses. Senator Van Hollen provided an update on ongoing discussions with the Biden Administration to provide more support for Maryland local businesses.During the meeting, the Senator heard from members of the Chamber on the top issues they are facing as … Continue Reading
February 02, 2021
Van Hollen Again Calls on ICE to Immediately Halt Deportation Flights of Asylum-Seekers
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement calling on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to immediately halt the deportation of Cameroonian and other African asylum-seekers. This comes in the wake of a recent court ruling on a Texas lawsuit by a Republican Attorney General to block President Biden’s 100-day suspension on deportations. Despite the ongoing violence in Cameroon which directly endangers the lives of those being deported, and a current DHS … Continue Reading
February 01, 2021
Van Hollen, Cardin, Barragán Introduce Bicameral Effort to Guarantee Medicare Dental Coverage
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md) and Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.) have introduced legislation (S. 97/H.R. 502) that repeals the statutory exclusion on Medicare coverage of dental care and dental prostheses, while creating a specific dental benefit under Medicare Part B. Oral health also is directly related to COVID-19 risk, as poor oral health puts people at a higher risk of contracting and dying from the virus.Two-thirds of the elderly and … Continue Reading
February 01, 2021
Van Hollen, Cardin Seek $130B Nationwide Funding Boost for Local School Infrastructure
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-MD) joined Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and 24 of their Senate colleagues in introducing the Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act, legislation to invest $130 billion in modernizing classrooms across the country and would help schools upgrade their physical and digital infrastructure. “We can’t expect our students to learn when the walls are crumbling around them, the heat won’t turn on, and the technology in their classrooms is older … Continue Reading
January 29, 2021
Van Hollen Joins Shaheen in Bipartisan, Bicameral Push to Permanently Repeal the Global Gag Rule
Yesterday, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the only woman on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA) in a bipartisan, bicameral reintroduction of the Global Health, Empowerment, and Rights (HER) Act in both the Senate and House of Representatives. The legislation would permanently repeal the harmful Global … Continue Reading
January 29, 2021
Team Maryland Asks President Biden to Award Capital Gazette Shooting Victims the Medal of Freedom for their Sacrifices and Defense of the First Amendment
Members of Maryland’s congressional delegation are urging President Joe Biden to award the Medal of Freedom posthumously to the five men and women who were killed on June 28, 2018 at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis in what was the deadliest attack on journalists in the U.S. in our nation’s history. At a time when First Amendment rights are under constant duress, Senator Chris Van Hollen along with Senator Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi … Continue Reading
January 29, 2021
Maryland Congressional Delegation Strongly Urges Governor to Improve COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Across the State, Eliminate Inequities
Members of Maryland’s congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all D-Md.), wrote to Governor Larry Hogan and Acting Maryland Health Secretary Dennis Schrader on Friday urging them to increase outreach and communication surrounding the flawed rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine across the state. “Right now, there is dwindling confidence … Continue Reading
