Press Releases
Van Hollen, Cardin, Hassan Call for Updated Energy Efficiency Standards
U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.), along with Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and seven Democratic colleagues wrote to Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette today in raising concerns over the Department of Energy’s (DOE) failure to update key national energy efficiency standards for consumer and commercial appliances. The DOE has yet to review 26 of the energy efficiency standards, despite the mandate of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.“Energy efficient appliances … Continue Reading
September 03, 2020
Van Hollen, Maryland Delegation Members Urge State to Prioritize Helping Marylanders Seeking Answers on Unemployment Benefits
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, joined by Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone (all D-Md.) urged Maryland Department of Labor (MDOL) Secretary Tiffany Robinson to swiftly resolve thousands of pending unemployment insurance claims. In their letter, the members urge MDOL to prioritize helping Marylanders whose applications for unemployment assistance remain unresolved or unanswered. As FEMA has now … Continue Reading
September 03, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Trone Announce Nearly $650,000 for Fire Departments Throughout Allegany County
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman David Trone (all D-Md.) announced the award of $646,666 to the Barton Hose Company No 1, Inc. in Allegany County. Together with last week’s award to Baltimore Pike Volunteer Fire, a total of $1,435,757 will go toward the purchase of 192 sets of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) units for 13 stations across Allegany County. SCBAs provide firefighters with fresh oxygen and prevent them from breathing harmful carcinogens … Continue Reading
September 02, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Trone Applaud More Than $4.1 Million in Federal Funding for Greater Cumberland Regional Airport
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman David Trone (D-Md.) today applaud the award of $4,122,800.00 in federal funding for the Greater Cumberland Regional Airport in Cumberland, Maryland. This award is disbursed by the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and appropriated through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).This new funding will go towards rehabilitating the airport’s runway, protecting the … Continue Reading
September 02, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Hoyer Applaud More than $5.5 Million in Federal Funding for St. Mary’s County Regional Airport
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman Steny Hoyer (all D-Md.) today announced an award of $5,560,023 in federal funds to St. Mary’s County Regional Airport in Leonardtown, Md. for the extension and reconstruction of the airport runway. The funding is awarded through the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. “The St. Mary’s County Regional Airport is a … Continue Reading
September 02, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Harris Applaud More than $4.4 Million in Federal Funding for Eastern Shore Airports
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman Andy Harris M.D. (all Md.) today announced an award of $4,457,609 in federal funds for airport improvement projects in Worcester, Talbot and Queen Anne’s Counties. The funding is awarded through the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.“The Eastern Shore’s airports provide a hub for local jobs and economic … Continue Reading
September 02, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, and Raskin Applaud More Than $232,000 in Federal Funding for Carroll County Airport
U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) today applaud the award of $232,222.00 in federal funding for Carroll County Regional/Jack B. Poage Field Airport in Westminster, Md. This award is disbursed by the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and appropriated through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). This new funding will go towards rehabilitating the airport’s runway, protecting … Continue Reading
September 02, 2020
Van Hollen, Senators to Defense Department: Reinstate Funding for Stars & Stripes
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), along with a bipartisan group of senators, today called on the Defense Department to reinstate funding for the Stars and Stripes newspaper. The Defense Department currently plans to stop publishing the newspaper at the end of this month and dissolve the organization by January 31, 2021.“Stars and Stripes is an essential part of our nation’s freedom of the press that serves the very population charged with defending that … Continue Reading
September 02, 2020
Van Hollen, Maryland Delegation Members Push for DOD to Reconsider Changes to Military Base Clinics
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen joined by Senator Ben Cardin and Representatives Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone urged House and Senate Armed Services Committee leaders to include a provision within the final defense authorization bill to require the Department of Defense (DOD) to closely examine recently proposed changes to military medical treatment facilities (MTFs). The members note … Continue Reading
September 01, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Democratic Senators Urge School Nutrition Program Extension for 2020-2021 School Year
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) and 27 colleagues are calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fully extend school meal waivers through the end of the 2020-2021 school year so that schools have the flexibility to fully serve students whether or not they are attending school in person. The senators initially made this request in July, and the USDA recently announced that it will agree to extend some of the school meal waivers. The USDA extended until … Continue Reading
September 01, 2020
Van Hollen, Brown, Colleagues Demand the Office of Special Counsel Investigate HUD Secretary Ben Carson for Possible Hatch Act Violation
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, joined Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs today in demanding the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) investigate whether Secretary Ben Carson of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), violated the Hatch Act. The Hatch Act limits the use of federal resources for certain political activities … Continue Reading
September 01, 2020
Maryland Delegation Members Applaud $4.5 Million in Federal Funding to Combat Opioid Crisis
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone (all Md.) applauded the award of $4,589,064 in federal funds to the Maryland Department of Labor as part of a pilot program to combat the opioid crisis through job training and recovery services.“This pilot program will help improve long-term economic and public health outcomes for communities across … Continue Reading
September 01, 2020
Baltimore Delegation Announces More Than $904,000 in Federal Funding for Baltimore Firefighters
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes and Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) today announced $904,545.45 in federal funding for firefighters and first responders in Baltimore, Md. through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant - COVID-19 Supplemental Program (AFG-S) program. The funding will help purchase new personal protective equipment (PPE) and related supplies for Baltimore City firefighters as they … Continue Reading
September 01, 2020
Van Hollen, Inhofe Lead Colleagues in Bipartisan Push to Expand Aviation Workforce Training
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) led a bipartisan group of over 20 of their colleagues in sending a letter to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urging them to fully implement two aviation workforce grant programs authorized in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization bill that invest in and expand the development of the next generation of aircraft pilots and maintenance technicians. As the Senators note in their … Continue Reading
August 31, 2020
Baltimore Delegation Announces More Than $1.6 Million for Johns Hopkins University STEM Programs
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) today announced $1,650,000 in federal funding for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education programs at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Funding comes from the National Science Foundation (NSF). It will help strengthen JHU’s foundations in data science, mathematics and statistics. Importantly, the funding will help diversify the STEM workforce by … Continue Reading
August 31, 2020
Van Hollen, Murray, Schumer Blast Trump Administration’s Dangerous Political Interference in COVID-19 Response
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sent a letter on Friday to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar criticizing the Trump Administration for their continued political interference in the COVID-19 response. Along with 30 of their colleagues, the Senators warned that decisions to pressure and overrule public health experts will erode public trust and hamper efforts to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.“The timing of this interference is … Continue Reading
August 28, 2020
Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces $3.4 Million in Funding for Small Businesses Impacted by the Coronavirus Pandemic
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all D-Md.) announced $3.4 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Recovery Assistance to support Maryland small businesses and entrepreneurs harmed by the … Continue Reading
August 25, 2020
Maryland Delegation Members Announce Nearly $580,000 in Federal Funding for Firefighters in Southern Maryland
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Representative Steny Hoyer (all D-Md.) today announced an award of $576,562.77 in federal funding for firefighters and first responders in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s Counties.“Maryland’s firefighters risk life and limb for our local communities. This funding means Southern Maryland firefighters can buy equipment to better protect themselves and the communities they serve,” said Senator Van Hollen. “I will keep fighting to ensure that … Continue Reading
August 25, 2020
Maryland Delegation Members Announce More than $115,000 in Federal Funding for Carroll County Fire Fighters and First Responders
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Representative Jamie Raskin (all D-Md.) today announced an award of $115,660.75 in federal funding for firefighters and first responders in Carroll County.“Maryland’s firefighters risk life and limb for our local communities. This funding means Carroll County firefighters can buy equipment to better protect themselves and the communities they serve,” said Senator Van Hollen. “I will keep fighting to ensure that Maryland’s first responders have … Continue Reading
August 25, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin Release Statements on USCIS Decision to Reverse Course, Cancel Furloughs
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) released the following statements in response to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) decision to cancel its previously announced employee furloughs. In early July, the Senators wrote a letter to USCIS urging the Agency to reconsider the planned furloughs and to eliminate the harmful policies that have undermined its budget, threatened employees’ livelihoods, and hurt U.S. immigration services at large.“I’m … Continue Reading
