Press Releases
Van Hollen, Cardin to DHS IG: Investigate Whistleblower Complaint of Forced Hysterectomies at ICE Facility
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) and 40 Senate colleagues today called on the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general to expeditiously investigate a whistleblower complaint alleging forced hysterectomies at the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Ocilla, Ga.“Forced sterilizations infringe on reproductive rights and autonomy,” the senators wrote. “To understand whether such violations may have been committed against immigrants in our federal government’s … Continue Reading
September 18, 2020
Van Hollen, Klobuchar, Colleagues Urge Online Platforms to Take Additional Measures to Stop Voting Related Misinformation and Disinformation
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight over federal elections, along with 15 colleagues sent a letter to Facebook, Instagram, Google, Twitter and YouTube, urging executives to take further measures to stop voting related misinformation and disinformation. The Intelligence Community has confirmed that Russia is trying to influence and undermine the election through social media and the Department of … Continue Reading
September 17, 2020
Van Hollen, Senate Democrats Unveil the America LEADS Act to Make Comprehensive Investments in American Workers, Competitiveness, Alliances, and Diplomacy to Confront the Rise of China
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in introducing the America Labor, Economic competitiveness, Alliances, Democracy and Security (America LEADS) Act, Senate Democrats’ proposal for a new U.S.-China policy. The most comprehensive China legislation to date, the America LEADS Act seeks to recognize that only when we have a vibrant economy here at home can … Continue Reading
September 17, 2020
Van Hollen, Menendez, and Crapo Applaud Passage of Prostate Cancer Resolution
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) applauded passage of a bipartisan Senate resolution declaring September 2020 National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. More than 3.1 million American men are living with prostate cancer, the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer and second-leading cause of cancer-related death among men in the United States. The resolution is aimed at increasing awareness of prostate cancer, promoting early detection, and … Continue Reading
September 17, 2020
Van Hollen, Brown Push Back on Administration’s Efforts to Weaken Protections Against Predatory Lending
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), the Ranking Member of the Banking Committee, led six Senate colleagues in expressing strong opposition to the “true lender” rule proposed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). In their letter to Acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks, the Senators emphasize that this proposed rule would serve as a boon to … Continue Reading
September 17, 2020
As School Year Begins, Van Hollen, Markey Lead Colleagues in Demanding Urgent Action by FCC to Connect Students to Online Learning
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass) were joined by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and over 30 of their colleagues in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging it to immediately utilize the E-Rate program to provide internet connectivity to students at home. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, students across the country are increasingly attending virtual classrooms. Yet, studies … Continue Reading
September 17, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin Laud Senate Passage of Key Measures for Chesapeake Bay, Including Historic $92 Million Authorization, New Grant Program
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.), members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, today praised the passage of a bipartisan package of wildlife conservation legislation, the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act, that includes several measures to benefit the Chesapeake Bay watershed and Maryland’s fish and wildlife habitats. Foremost among the legislation was a provision authored by Senator Cardin and Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), and … Continue Reading
September 16, 2020
Van Hollen Requests CDC Review of COVID-19 Impact on Young Adults with Chronic Health Conditions
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) sent a letter to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield requesting that the agency review evidence of the impact of the COVID-19 disease on young adults with chronic health conditions. As our country continues to gather data and uncover more evidence about the novel coronavirus, Senator Van Hollen is urging Dr. Redfield to use this evidence to update the CDC’s risk designations, which currently do not explicitly … Continue Reading
September 16, 2020
Maryland Delegation Members Announce More Than $14.7 Million for Fire Departments in Washington, Frederick, and Garrett Counties
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all D-Md.) announced $14,760,223.60 in federal funding for Washington, Frederick, and Garrett County firefighters through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. Awards were allocated as follows:$8,080,776 to the Washington County Board of Commissioners to hire 33 full-time … Continue Reading
September 16, 2020
Van Hollen, Trone Press President Trump to Posthumously Award Medal of Honor to Marylander Cpl. Waverly Woodson, Jr. for Heroism During WWII
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and U.S. Representative David Trone (both D-Md.) led over 15 of their colleagues in sending a bipartisan, bicameral letter urging President Donald Trump to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to the late World War II Corporal Waverly B. Woodson, Jr., a former resident of Clarksburg, Maryland. The letter follows the introduction of legislation authored by Van Hollen and Trone last week that would authorize the President to award Corporal Woodson the Medal … Continue Reading
September 16, 2020
Van Hollen, Blumenthal Demand that Pharmaceutical Companies Allow Low-Income Patients Access to Lifesaving, Discounted 340B Drugs and Care
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), along with 20 of their Senate colleagues, demanded that pharmaceutical manufacturers stop withholding medications discounted under the 340B Drug Pricing Program from qualified providers that use contract pharmacies - locking out low-income patients from accessing lifesaving drugs and care. In a letter to the drug industry trade group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the senators pointed to … Continue Reading
September 15, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Democratic Senators Call on Postmaster General to Immediately Reverse Operational Changes to the U.S. Postal Service Causing Delays of Critical Medications to Americans
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.), along with Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Special Committee on Aging Ranking Member Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and Committee on Finance Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and more than two dozen of their Senate Colleagues wrote to Postmaster General … Continue Reading
September 15, 2020
Van Hollen, Cardin, Trone Announce Western Maryland Area Health Education Center to Receive More Than $160,000 in Funding to Combat the Effects of the Opioid Crisis on Newborns
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and U.S. Representative David Trone (all D-Md.) announced that the Western Maryland Area Health Education Center will receive $166,666 in funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration to help combat the prevalence of opioid-related illnesses in newborns.The Western Maryland Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to improve access and quality of care in Western Maryland. The … Continue Reading
September 15, 2020
Maryland Delegation Announces $100,000 for Maryland Sea Grant Program
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris M.D., Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all-Md.) today announced the award of $100,000 for the Maryland Sea Grant (MDSG) program to address the impacts of COVID-19 on local aquaculture industries and assist educators through the creation of new, interactive educational content.“Maryland Sea Grant has played a key role in preserving our local … Continue Reading
September 14, 2020
Van Hollen, Menendez, Engel Call on USAGM to Renew Foreign National Journalist Visa Extensions
Today, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-M.D.), Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Representative Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sent a letter to U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) CEO Michael Pack seeking answers to his reported decision not to renew visa extensions for foreign nationals working as journalists in the United States for USAGM networks and grantees including the Voice of America … Continue Reading
September 14, 2020
Van Hollen Statement on 9th Circuit TPS Decision
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding the decision by the Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit allowing the Trump Administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for recipients from El Salvador, Sudan, Nicaragua, and Haiti. Established in 1990, TPS is a renewable program that allows foreign nationals to legally live and work in the United States if they are unable to safely return to their home country due to natural disasters, armed … Continue Reading
September 14, 2020
As 9th Circuit Court Deals Blow To Many TPS Recipients, Van Hollen, Cardin, Feinstein Urge Leadership to Include Employment Protections for TPS Recipients in Next Relief Package
Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) urged Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to include employment protections for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients in the next coronavirus relief package. Following today’s ruling by the 9th Circuit Court allowing the Trump Administration to end Temporary Protected Status for recipients from El Salvador, Sudan, Nicaragua, and Haiti, Congressional … Continue Reading
September 14, 2020
Van Hollen, Shaheen Call for Prioritizing Funding & Policy Initiatives to Combat PFAS Exposure in FY 21 Government Funding Legislation
On Friday, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who are both members of the Senate Appropriations Committee - sent a letter to the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee leadership, requesting that policies and funding to combat per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination be prioritized in upcoming government funding legislation for fiscal year (FY) 2021. The Senators wrote, “As you work to finalize appropriations for … Continue Reading
September 14, 2020
Maryland Delegation Announces $1.5 Million for Nanotechnology Training and Research at the University of Maryland, College Park
U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone today announced $1.5 million in federal funding to expand nanotechnology research and training at the University of Maryland, College Park. Funding comes from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology. It will advance the work of the NIST Nanoscale Science and … Continue Reading
September 11, 2020
The Baltimore Congressional Delegation Announces More Than $12 Million for Global Health Security Programs at Johns Hopkins University
The Baltimore congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.), announced $12,424,361 in federal funding for global health security initiatives at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). The funding comes through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Center for Global Health (CGH) and will help JHU expand research programs that detect, prevent and respond to global health … Continue Reading
