Letters from Ben
Capital Wheel, National Harbor, Maryland
These are regular letters to constituents about what's happening in Maryland, nationally and around the world. Beginning as a way to share information during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have become a must-read for Marylanders to connect happenings in our nation's capital to daily life.
Maryland Has a New Governor
Dear Fellow Marylanders, We have a new governor, and it feels wonderful. On Wednesday, I had the honor of witnessing history as Wes Moore was sworn in as the 63rd governor of the State of Maryland and Aruna Miller sworn in as Lieutenant Governor. It was a large and electric crowd in Annapolis on a bright and sunny afternoon. This was a day eagerly anticipated by so many, me included. Wes is a man of character who values public service, family and community. The son of an immigrant, he has served our nation in uniform, been a Rhodes Scholar, and has worked to support families and neighborhoods in need. Taking his oath with one hand on a bible owned by Frederick Douglass and standing in the...
Maryland Has a New Governor
Dear Fellow Marylanders, We have a new governor, and it feels wonderful. On Wednesday, I had the honor of witnessing history as Wes Moore was sworn in as the 63rd governor of the State of Maryland and Aruna Miller sworn in as Lieutenant Governor. It was a large and...
A Life of Purpose
Dear Fellow Marylanders, On November 2, 1983, the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday was signed into law. This day came only after an intense lobbying effort by the Congressional Black Caucus and so many others. The first national commemoration took place in...
Indelible History
Dear Fellow Marylanders: There are key dates in American history that will always have deeper meaning besides the number on a calendar. July 4 (Independence Day). June 19 (Juneteenth/End of slavery). December 7 (Pearl Harbor). November 22 (President Kennedy...
Epic Progress for Maryland – Part Two
Dear Fellow Marylanders. I hope you had a joyous and safe holiday with family and friends. For those who are first responders, frontline workers, and all who keep things running 24/7 regardless of holidays, I thank you for your service to our communities. We could not...
Epic Accomplishments – Part One
At the start of the 117th Congress, with a 50-50 Senate and a slim Democratic majority in the House, many predicted that gridlock would remain the norm on Capitol Hill. As we near the end of the 117th Congress, I am pleased to report that not only did we overcome...
Clear and Present Danger
Dear Fellow Marylanders, As the holiday season kicks into high gear, it is natural to focus on the incredible displays of compassion and charity that we see across Maryland and nationwide. Clothing drives, food drives, toy drives and more keep up our faith that...
It’s Been 10 Years
Dear Fellow Marylanders, Daniel Barden should be in his junior year of high school right now, perhaps stressed out about his recent PSAT scores but excited about the approaching winter break and holiday season. But that isn’t happening. Ten years ago, on December 14,...
Marriage Equality for All.
Dear Fellow Marylanders, The moment Myrna and I were married in November 1964, we immediately were eligible for hundreds of new benefits as a couple. From taxes to health care, banking, insurance, even rental cars, and more. The legally binding changes were...
Go Shopping Today
Dear Fellow Marylanders, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, spending time with family, friends or however you chose to spend the holiday. I loved being with family and eating too much turkey. Today, however, really is one of my favorite days of the year: Small...
Laying the Foundation
Dear Fellow Marylanders, Let’s talk about infrastructure. I know, it sounds a bit wonky, but hear me out. Infrastructure is everything all around us. We all use it every day, often without thinking about it. Infrastructure is roads; bridges; tunnels; high-speed...
Defending Democracy, Battling Climate Change, Thanking Veterans
Dear Fellow Marylanders: Democracy for the win! For weeks – months – I’ve been talking about how important this midterm election is for the future of our state and our nation. This last Tuesday, Marylanders and voters all across the country cast their ballots and made...
Democracy on the Line
Dear Fellow Marylander, We’re now down to the wire. Three days stand between our choice for the 118th Congress and a new Maryland governor – not to mention hundreds of other state and local races and numerous ballot questions for Maryland voters. You can look at your...
Make A Plan To Vote
Dear Fellow Marylander, Have you voted yet? Maryland’s in-person early voting period started Thursday and mail-in ballots were sent out in early October to those who requested. So far, more than 200,000 Marylanders have returned mail-in ballots for...
Stopping Domestic Violence
Dear Fellow Marylanders, During the COVID-19 pandemic, as many offices and schools shifted overnight to telework, Marylanders and others across the country were forced to stay at home for work, studies and nearly everything else. For many, home became a safe space or...
Think Before You Click
Dear Fellow Marylanders, Hopefully, you’ve heard the warnings: don’t open attachments or click on links from sources you don’t know. Read emails carefully – are they really from who you think they are? Use strong passwords and enable multi-factor authentication for an...
Joy and Trepidation
Dear Fellow Marylanders, Since 1917, the Supreme Court of the United States has begun its term on the first Monday of October. This week was no exception. What made this year special was the presence of new associate justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson – the first...
Storm Surges
Dear Fellow Marylanders, This weekend is going to be a rainy one, so please stay safe and find somewhere warm and dry to avoid the remnants of Hurricane Ian. Check on your neighbors – and your pets – and avoid driving through standing water. Rain may be heavy,...
Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant
Dear Fellow Marylanders, As you’ve seen from my letters lately, the Senate has been on a roll. We have been getting major legislation passed, like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, and clearing President...
They Won’t Stop With Abortion
Dear Fellow Marylanders, This week, South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and dozens of House members introduced legislation that would ban abortions nationwide. A federal ban. This would overturn the will of people in states like Maryland. For years,...
A Life of Service
Dear Fellow Marylanders, Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch who served as the head of state for the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for a remarkable 70 years, has died.America fought two bloody wars against England so that we could become and remain a young...
America is Working Again
Dear Fellow Marylanders, At 8:30am ET, on the first Friday of every month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases what it calls the “Employment Situation Summary.” This is a snapshot in time of how many people are working during the previous month, how...
No Deadline on Equality
Dear Fellow Marylanders: On August 26, 1920 – a mere eight days after Tennessee became the last state needed to ratify what would become the 19th amendment to our Constitution – the amendment was certified and women in the United States of America legally were granted...
A Republic, If You Can Keep It
Dear Fellow Marylanders: James McHenry, a Maryland delegate to the Constitutional Convention, recorded in his journal on the last day of convention that “a lady [Elizabeth Willing Powel] asked Dr. [Benjamin] Franklin, ‘Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic...
Shattering Predictions
Dear Fellow Marylanders: This has been a historically productive Congress.This is not a statement I make lightly, nor did I predict this many legislative accomplishments when we began the current session in January of last year.We have a 50-50 Senate. There are...
Insult After Injury
Dear Fellow Marylanders: Over the past several months, countless small business owners across Maryland have been reaching out to my office, and to me directly, requesting help with their COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program loans. After weeks, and...
Water Resources
Dear Fellow Marylanders: The Senate passed legislation with a 93-1 vote this week that will create and maintain jobs across Maryland and the nation. I bring this to your attention because our economy needs support across the board to keep unemployment low, but also...
National 9-8-8
Dear Fellow Marylanders, This week, I spent time in Montgomery County with U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Congressman David Trone and Senator Chris Van Hollen talking about mental health and substance use disorders. It was an important...
Intergalactic Inspiration
Dear Fellow Marylanders, It’s been a big week for the Free State: We had Early Voting for the Gubernatorial Primary Elections. The Orioles are back to .500 for the first time in forever. And the amazing crew at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt...
