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.
Truth and Tragedy
Dear Fellow Marylanders, To date, in the short time since Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton struck the Southeast, the federal government led by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris has provided more than $1.8 billion in assistance to states, local governments, small businesses, and individuals or families. In addition to thousands of workers helping to rescue residents, clear debris and provide emergency services, funding has been available for emergency housing, food, baby formula, safe drinking water and more. And according to The White House, “The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has offered over $48 million in tentatively approved disaster loan funding to...
Truth and Tragedy
Dear Fellow Marylanders, To date, in the short time since Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton struck the Southeast, the federal government led by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris has provided more than $1.8 billion in assistance to states, local...
October 7
This weekend is bittersweet for me. Today, Saturday, is my birthday, which brings with it precious opportunities to spend quality time with family and good friends. Birthday celebrations may change over the years, but the joy of my family is a gift. Monday, however,...
Putting the IVF in Reproductive Freedom
Dear Fellow Marylanders, After over five decades in public service as Maryland’s Speaker of the House of Delegates, Congressman and U.S. Senator, my life’s greatest accomplishment will always be becoming a father. Raising our children has been the most difficult but...
Just Say No
Dear Fellow Marylanders, Maryland is home to over 150,000 federal civilian workers and I am proud to represent them every day in the United States Senate. These are dedicated individuals who are not at their jobs for fame or fortune but because they believe in public...
Hateful Rhetoric
Dear Fellow Marylanders, I don’t know about you, but I am sick and tired of people attacking immigrant or ethnic communities with make-believe stories intent on scaring Americans and distracting them from other issues they might care about or that have more impact on...
Childcare Today
Dear Fellow Marylanders, There’s been a good deal of talk lately about quality, affordable childcare – and for good reason. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nationwide there are over 15 million children under the age of six in this country who require childcare...
Class in Session
Dear Fellow Marylanders, It is that time of year. This weekend marks the unofficial end of summer. Many of our students went back to school last week with the remainder returning to classrooms next week after the Labor Day holiday. Stores are awash with back-to-school...
Freedom is Fundamental
Dear Fellow Marylanders, Earlier this month, I wrote to you about freedom when Americans Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, and Alsu Kurmasheva, as well as U.S. Green Card holder Vladimir Kara-Murza, were released from being wrongly detained in Russia. Physically...
The First Ten
Dear Fellow Marylanders, Buying in bulk to save money or negotiating for a better price is second nature to many Americans. Anyone who has ever shopped at Costco or BJs, bought a car, ordered uniforms for their kid’s sports team, or even browsed through a flea market...
Team Maryland. Team USA.
Dear Fellow Marylanders, There is something special about the Summer Olympics. For two weeks, every four years, the world comes together to compete at the highest levels in an incredible array of sports. From swimming and track and field to equestrian and water polo –...
Freedom
Dear Fellow Marylander, Thursday morning, news broke that 16 people, including wrongfully detained Americans and other political prisoners, were released from Russian custody. Americans like Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, and Alsu Kurmasheva, as well as my friend,...
Thank You, Joe
Dear Fellow Marylanders, So much to say this week, but I want to use this space to thank my friend Joe Biden for being an incredible American patriot who made a selfless decision. Call it OG or a throwback, but when President Biden announced that he would not run for...
Political Violence
Dear Fellow Marylanders, From Alexander Hamilton’s and Aaron Burr’s duel 220 years ago this month, to the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to the more recent murder of Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew...
NATO Summit
Dear Fellow Marylanders, This week, Washington, D.C. was buzzing as leaders from Europe converged here for the NATO Summit. It’s a big deal, and I want to share why this meeting is so important for all of us. Let's take a trip back in time to 75 years ago, when the...
Worst Fears Realized
Dear Fellow Marylanders, Days before the United States of America celebrated the 248th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence from a tyrannical British monarchy, our highest court, the Supreme Court of the United States, opened the door to an American monarchy...
From Riots to Rainbows
Dear Fellow Marylanders, This weekend, we wrap up Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month. Marylanders have packed a lot into these 30 days – from the June 1 Westminster Pride Festival to the June 30 Pride in the Plaza in Silver Spring. In...
A Solemn Anniversary
Dear Fellow Marylanders, “There is nothing more terrifying than hearing multiple people get shot while you’re under your desk and then hear the gunman reload.” Outside the United States, the terror of this scenario primarily exists for those in the throngs of war....
Old Glory
Dear Fellow Marylanders, The history books say that in the midst of the War of 1812, Baltimore resident Mary Pickersgill was asked by General Samuel Smith to make a flag “so large that the British will have no difficulty seeing it from a distance.” That flag – 30-feet...
D-Day 80 Years Later
Dear Fellow Marylanders, Thursday marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the major Allied landing on the beaches of Normandy, France, that turned the tide of war against Nazi Germany. The Allied forces, consisting of soldiers and sailors from 12 countries,...
Unprecedented
History. Unprecedented. Remarkable. Unthinkable. Whatever you want to call it, Thursday, May 30, 2024 marked a sad day in nearly 250 years of American history as a former president was convicted on felony criminal charges. No one is above the law. Not Donald Trump....
Women’s Health
May is Women’s Health Month. June is Men’s Health Month. I would argue that every month should be a time to focus on physical and mental health and encourage everyone to pay attention to the signs their body is sending them. Take advantage of early screenings and...
Graduation Season
Dear Fellow Marylanders, Maryland weather can be epic. As you know, often we can experience at least three of the four major seasons, maybe Winter, Spring and Summer, all in one day. I will tell you, though, one of my favorite seasons is graduation season and we are...
The Past is Prologue
Dear Fellow Marylanders, The 1960s and 70s were defined by incredible turmoil, yet monumental progress for civil rights and equity. Student-led protests and other demonstrations and civil unrest led to landmark legislation expanding civil rights and transformational...
Public Service
Dear Fellow Marylanders, When the cargo ship Dali lost control and slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and others were on the scene immediately, working...
Full Steam Ahead
Dear Fellow Marylanders, It’s hard to believe it’s been one month since we awoke to the horrific news that the Francis Scott Key Bridge had collapsed into the Patapsco River. As the cargo ship Dali lost power and all control, it slammed into one of the bridge’s...
Plastic vs. World
Dear Fellow Marylanders, The miracle of plastic is that “it takes between 500 and 1000 years to break down,” and can protect food and other items from bacteria. It has been life changing and lifesaving. Plastic is used nearly everywhere due to its relatively cheap...
Letters to Vladimir
Dear Fellow Marylanders, This week marks two years since the arrest and jailing of Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition leader, historian, and journalist. He was arrested just days after testifying in Washington before the U.S. Helsinki Commission, which I...
A Total Eclipse
Dear Fellow Marylanders, We’re just days away from the next total solar eclipse. On Monday, April 8, using appropriate safety glasses, we’ll watch together as the moon crosses the sun’s path and block its light. Those in what is called the path of totality will...