Ben In The News
IRS phone service has left taxpayers on hold
by Jeff Barker
The Internal Revenue Service, which saw its workforce dwindle steadily from 2010 to 2015, says a modest budget increase has left it better equipped to respond to the tens of millions of Americans expected to call with questions during the just-opened tax season. But compared to what? The bar could hardly be lower, according to a recent General Accountability Office report that has elicited concern from lawmakers in Maryland and other states. The tax-collecting agency, which saw its funding cu… Continue Reading
September 04, 2015
I will vote against the Iran deal
by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.)
Throughout the process of evaluating the Iran nuclear agreement, I continuously returned to two fundamental questions: Is this deal more or less likely to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear weapons state? Would rejection increase or decrease the likelihood of the nightmare scenario of a nuclear-armed Iran? Despite the rhetoric coming from all sides, this is not a clear choice. Nobody possesses clairvoyance. The lobbying for and against the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiate… Continue Reading
July 21, 2015
America must lead the climate change fight or our leadership record is toast
by Senator Ben Cardin and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
The atmosphere is warming. Ice is melting. Droughts are worsening; seas are warming, rising and acidifying. We're past theory and well into measurement on those points. Pope Francis recently observed that "[n]ever have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last 200 years." The matter of climate change is urgent, and it commands a moral dimension. The United States has an especially strong responsibility to respond to this, the moral issue of our age. We have long been view… Continue Reading
June 18, 2015
Listen to the Pope about climate
by Senator Ben Cardin
(CNN)Pope Francis' new encyclical on climate change is a profound reminder that we have a shared moral obligation to address climate change and the immeasurable human suffering it is causing around the world. Climate change is causing irreparable harm to people who least can afford to adapt to the increasing instances and severity of extreme weather. To echo the encyclical, released Thursday, if you care about your fellow human beings, then you should support solutions that will help people s… Continue Reading
June 18, 2015
Listen to the Pope about climate
by Senator Ben Cardin
(CNN)Pope Francis' new encyclical on climate change is a profound reminder that we have a shared moral obligation to address climate change and the immeasurable human suffering it is causing around the world. Climate change is causing irreparable harm to people who least can afford to adapt to the increasing instances and severity of extreme weather. To echo the encyclical, released Thursday, if you care about your fellow human beings, then you should support solutions that will help people s… Continue Reading
May 19, 2015
Clear truth on clean water
by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.)
Americans need clean safe water to drink, bathe, run their businesses, keep schools open and function daily. Unfortunately, the waters that feed the drinking water supplies of 1 in 3 Americans could be dirtied by the outcome of legislation regarding the Clean Water Act. As the Senate recently began debating the Clean Water Rule drafted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers, I was surprised by the number and ferocity of the hyperbolic attacks on an initiativ… Continue Reading
June 06, 2013
Remembering Frank Lautenberg
by U.S. Senator Ben Cardin
Frank Lautenberg, the senior U.S. senator from New Jersey, was a friend and colleague. He was an outstanding senator, a patriot who served our country in World War II, an extraordinarily successful businessman, and a person whose life was the embodiment of the American Dream. We will miss him. Sen. Lautenberg's story is very familiar to the Jewish community. His parents were immigrants from Poland and Russia who were brought to the United States as infants. His family was poor when he was… Continue Reading
May 10, 2013
We Need To Remove The Deadline For Ratification Of The Equal Rights Amendment
by U.S. Senator Ben Cardin
As Americans celebrate Mother's Day, I have three words I want to say: "It is time." By those three words, I am referring to passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). To improve chances of its passage, I have introduced a resolution -- which has bipartisan support -- that would remove the deadline for state ratification of the ERA. I believe there should never be a deadline when it comes to ensuring the equal rights of any American. When the ERA passed Congress in 1972, it was required… Continue Reading
March 04, 2013
Women’s History Month: Looking Back On Domestic Violence
by U.S. Senator Ben Cardin
March is Women's History Month, a time we usually celebrate or honor a specific woman in history. This year, I would like to do something different. I would like to focus on domestic violence, an issue that has received a lot of attention in recent months because of legislation in Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. I want to use this opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the issue, the progress we have made since the 1980s and what still needs to be done. Until… Continue Reading
February 20, 2013
Sequestration Is Not The Solution
by U.S. Senator Ben Cardin
If Congress fails to deal with the looming threat of sequestration, March 1 will be devastating for millions of Americans. That will be the day that automatic, across-the-board spending cuts begin to take effect - cutting $1.2 trillion from defense and nondefense programs over the next 10 years. Sequestration was scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, but the American Taxpayer Relief Act delayed it until March 1. Time is running out, and we must find a way to work together to reduce our deficit… Continue Reading
August 07, 2012
THE PORT OF BALTIMORE IS ON THE UPSWING AND A GOOD INDICATOR OF ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR OUR NATION
by Senator Ben Cardin
PRECEDE: Senator Cardin is a member of five Senate committees: Environment & Public Works, Finance, Foreign Relations, Budget, and Small Business and Entrepreneurship. His web site is: cardin.senate.gov. You can follow him regularly on Twitter @SenatorCardin or look for the latest videos at YouTube.com/SenatorCardin. THE PORT OF BALTIMORE IS ON THE UPSWING AND A GOOD INDICATOR OF ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR OUR NATION By U.S. Senator Ben Cardin For those who believe the U.S. economy is… Continue Reading
July 31, 2012
Millions of Americans See Real Benefits, Savings from Affordable Care Act
by Senator Ben Cardin
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has changed the lives of millions of Americans and thousands of Marylanders. That's because many of its provisions are now taking effect and providing important financial savings for individuals and families. As I travel around Maryland, I hear from grateful constituents who have already benefited from many of the provisions in the law that are now in effect. More and more Marylanders are relieved that: Young adult children from ages 19-25 can remain on thei… Continue Reading
June 26, 2012
THE SENATE-PASSED FARM BILL PROTECTS THE BAY AND HELPS MARYLAND FARMERS
by U.S. Senator Ben Cardin
In our nation, the agriculture industry provides more than 16 million jobs for Americans and is Maryland's largest industry. For those reasons, I am pleased that the U.S. Senate once again overcame partisan differences to pass a new Farm Bill. The Agricultural Reform, Food and Jobs Act provides more effective agricultural support programs for family farmers while reducing the budget deficit by more than $23 billion over the next five years. It is my hope that the U.S. House of Representatives … Continue Reading
May 08, 2012
WE NEED TO REMOVE THE DEADLINE FOR RATIFICATION OF THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
by Senator Ben Cardin
As millions of Americans celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday, May 13, I propose we honor all the women of our nation by removing the deadline for state ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). I believe that there should be no deadline when it comes to ensuring the equal rights of any American. The ERA has an interesting legislative history. First enacted in 1972 by Congress, the legislation required that the measure be ratified by three-forths of the states (38) within seven years. Th… Continue Reading
May 01, 2012
CONGRESS NEEDS TO PREVENT STUDENT LOAN INTEREST RATES FROM DOUBLING
by Senator Ben Cardin
Today, millions of Americans are still struggling to recover from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. As we work to restart our economy, employers need highly skilled, educated workers who can fill the good paying jobs of the future, jobs that will help our nation prosper in the 21st Century. Unfortunately, the education that is needed to succeed for millions of Americans is unaffordable and out of reach for too many people. Millions of Americans are struggling economical… Continue Reading
April 19, 2012
WE NEED TO REMOVE THE DEADLINE FOR RATIFICATION OF THE ERA
by Senator Ben Cardin
As millions of Americans celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday, May 13, I propose we honor all the women of our nation by removing the deadline for state ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). I believe that there should be no deadline when it comes to ensuring the equal rights of any American. The ERA has an interesting legislative history. First enacted in 1972 by Congress, the legislation required that the measure be ratified by three-forths of the states (38) within seven years. … Continue Reading
April 18, 2012
EARTH DAY 2012: PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
by Senator Ben Cardin
Forty-two years ago, the late Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson had a vision of a world in which the environment was paramount. His vision led to the establishment of Earth Day -- April 22 -- a day in which we celebrate our planet and the environment that sustains us. On Earth Day we recommit ourselves to protecting the air we breathe, the water we drink and the land that nurtures us. Our planet has been entrusted to us for future generations, but today too many people suffer the consequences … Continue Reading
April 13, 2012
WE NEED DECISIVE ACTION TO STOP WALL STREEET SPECULATION THAT IS DRIVING UP GAS PRICES FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES
Millions of American families are feeling the burden of ever increasing gas prices. I join them in their anger and frustration over the rising price of gas, and I want to do something about it. I recently joined a group of my Senate colleagues in sponsoring a bill, S. 2222, which will give federal regulators immediate authority to invoke emergency powers to rein in speculators who are responsible for rapidly rising gasoline prices. There is broad agreement among energy experts and economists… Continue Reading
March 29, 2012
WE MUST PUT AN END TO RACIAL PROFILING IN AMERICA
by Senator Cardin
Racial profiling - the targeting of individuals because of race, ethnic identity, national origin or religion - has no place in our nation. The recent, tragic and avoidable shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African-American teenager in Florida, has focused national attention on the need to make sure minority communities are protected from hate crimes and racial profiling, a practice that is ineffective in crime prevention, undermines effective law enforcement, and erodes civil rights… Continue Reading
March 14, 2012
MARCH IS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
This month is National Women's History Month and the focus this year is on women's education and empowerment. Today, women have taken a dominant role in the ranks of higher education, comprising more than half the students enrolled in institutions of higher learning. Maryland women are faring even better: 58.8 percent of Marylanders enrolled in higher education are women and 54.6 percent of all higher education degrees in the state - which include associate, bachelor, master and doctoral degre… Continue Reading
