Cardin to Chair Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) today was named as Chair of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure for the 117th Congress. Senator Cardin has been a member of the EPW Committee since arriving in the Senate in 2007. The Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee will be at the center of Senate action on President Joe Biden's Build Back Better plan for rebuilding America. "I am honored to have this opportunity to lead the Senate's… Continue Reading

Cardin, Boozman Spotlight Global Crisis in Education Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) today introduced updated legislation that would help identify the scope of one of the most significant secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic: education loss. The global health crisis has disrupted the education of an estimated 90 percent of students world-wide, meaning that 1.6 billion youth have been negatively affected. The implications are especially dire for up to 24 million students at risk of dropping out of schoo… Continue Reading

Cardin, Reed Outline Plan to Get Overdue, Targeted COVID-19 Relief to Small Businesses and Critical Community Services

WASHINGTON - The COVID-19 pandemic and economic disruption continues to wreak havoc on families, businesses, health systems, and our economy. Americans are still reeling from the Trump Administration's botched COVID-19 response, which left the nation with hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 deaths, over 10 million Americans out of work, and put nearly 100,000 small businesses permanently out of businesses. U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship Chair Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and… Continue Reading

Cardin Leads Senate in Marking Centennial Anniversary of NARFE

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, today helped commemorate the 100th anniversary of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) by formally recognizing the vital contributions its members have made to the United States. "Our current and retired federal employees are national treasures, and NARFE has been an invaluable ally working with and for them," said Senator Cardin. "Our civil servants make possible the … Continue Reading

Bipartisan Group of Senators Call on Houthis to Halt Their Marib Offensive

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) on Friday issued a bipartisan call for the Houthis to halt their offensive on Marib: "In 2018, the internat… Continue Reading

Baltimore Congressional Delegation Announces More Than $3.3 Million in Federal Funding to Reduce Health Disparities and Boost Affordable Housing Across the City

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) today announced $3,344,121 in federal funding to tackle racial and ethnic disparities in housing and healthcare services for underserved communities across Baltimore. "The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted systemic barriers that prevent communities of color from accessing housing and healthcare. This funding will provide quality healthcare to Baltimore wome… Continue Reading

Cardin Calls for Additional Magnitsky Sanctions for Jamal Khashoggi’s Murder

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and lead author of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, issued the following statement after the release of a report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence implicating Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and others involvement in Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi's murder and dismemberment at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. "Jamal Khashoggi… Continue Reading

Cardin, Blunt Urge Permanent Reauthorization for Tax Credit that has Promoted Growth in Underserved Communities

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) today introduced a measure to permanently extend the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC), which has created jobs and driven investment in neighborhoods with high poverty and unemployment rates. The New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act (S.456) will permanently authorize a 39 percent federal tax credit for businesses or economic development projects in areas with poverty rates of at least 20 percent, or median incomes at or below 80 per… Continue Reading

Cardin, Stabenow Seek to Close Important Gaps in Kids’ Dental Care

On anniversary of Deamonte Driver's death, senators introduce measure to eliminate annual and lifetime limits on dental coverage under Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Bill also requires and strengthens wrap-around coverage from CHIP for more children WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) today introduced new legislation that would significantly expand the dental insurance coverage available to vulnerable children nationwide through the Children… Continue Reading

Cardin, Menendez Lead Efforts to Increase COVID-19 Vaccination Rates in Underserved and Minority Communities

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) continue to drive a concerted effort in Congress to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and improve vaccination rates in underserved and minority communities. In Maryland, New Jersey and across the country, there are sharp racial and ethnic disparities related to COVID-19 vaccination, due to a number of confounding factors such as fear, language barriers, limited transit, and lack of health services. "Communities of color … Continue Reading

Cardin and Wicker Team with Clarke, Gosar, Simpson and Meng to Promote Loan Forgiveness to Recruit More Dentists

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) have reintroduced The Dental Loan Repayment Assistance Act (S. 449) to help increase the number of dental and dental hygiene faculty in the workforce by assisting dental and dental hygiene training programs to attract and retain faculty through loan forgiveness. There are nearly 6,500 dental health professional shortage areas nationwide. Nearly 60 million Americans, including 835,000 Marylanders, struggle to find a dental p… Continue Reading

Cardin Leads Senate Call for Restoring Voting Rights to Formerly Incarcerated Individuals

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) today introduced the Democracy Restoration Act (DRA/S. 481) that would end the permanent denial of voting rights for individuals with criminal convictions nationwide. The bill aims to eliminate the complicated patchwork of state laws that creates a lack of uniform standards for voting in federal elections, exacerbates racial disparities in access to the ballot box, and contributes to confusion and misinformation regarding voting rights. "Voting is a … Continue Reading

Small Business Committee Votes to Advance SBA Administrator Nominee Isabel Guzman

WASHINGTON -Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Ben Cardin (D-Md.) today issued the following statement after the committee advanced the nomination of Isabella Casillas Guzman to be U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator on a bipartisan vote of 15-5: "During her confirmation hearing earlier this month, Isabel Guzman showed that her experience working on small business policy at the federal and state level has prepared her to lead SBA's ongoing effort to… Continue Reading

Cardin, Van Hollen, Trone Announce More Than $4.5 Million for Early Childhood Education in Western Maryland

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressman David Trone (all D-Md.) today announced more than $4.5 million in federal funding for Head Start and Early Head Start programs to expand early learning, development, health services, and family well-being in Garrett and Washington counties. "Early childhood education is critical for preparing our children for future schooling and setting them up for success, particularly in light of the challenges brought on by the pande… Continue Reading

Maryland Delegation Members Applaud New FEMA-Supported Mass Vaccination Site in Waldorf

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny Hoyer and Anthony Brown (all D-Md.) applauded the announcement of a new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mass vaccination site in Waldorf, Md. The site will be located at the Regency Furniture Stadium, at 11765 St. Linus Dr., Waldorf, Md., 20602 and is expected to open for operation in early March. "Providing Marylanders access to vaccines and ensuring equitable distribution is our top priority. This new … Continue Reading

Cardin, Van Hollen Announce More Than $200,000 for Affordable Housing in Salisbury

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) today announced $230,000 for Salisbury Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. The funding will help develop and preserve affordable housing, revitalize and sustain neighborhoods, and create local jobs. "Salisbury Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. has been a life-line for residents and families in need of affordable housing assistance, even before COVID-19. This federal funding will equip them with additional resources to mee… Continue Reading

Cardin Lauds Biden-Harris Administration Actions to Increase Relief to Underserved and Underbanked Small Businesses

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship Chair Ben Cardin (D-Md.) today issued a statement lauding the Biden-Harris Administration for making changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to further target relief to the smallest businesses, including many Black-and Latino-owned small businesses, as well as small businesses in low-income communities. "The changes announced by the Biden-Harris Administration today will make PPP a much more equitable program… Continue Reading

Baltimore Congressional Delegation Announces More Than $750,000 for Affordable City Housing

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) announced $754,500 to help develop and preserve affordable housing, revitalize and sustain neighborhoods and create local good-paying jobs across the City of Baltimore. This latest round of federal funding includes $495,000 for Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore and $259,500 for St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center. "We must help Maryland families… Continue Reading

As WMATA Struggles Amid Covid-19 Crisis, Md. & Va. Senators Announce Bill to Renew Federal Funding for Next Ten Years

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) along with Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-Va.) today announced a bill to renew the federal funding commitment to Metro for the next ten years - legislation that comes at a critical time for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which continues to provide critical service to essential frontline and federal workers despite the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. "Maintaining a safe and reli… Continue Reading

One Year after Threatened Furloughs, Cardin, Van Hollen Spotlight Key Role Fort Detrick Researchers Have in Fighting COVID-19

BALTIMORE - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (Both D-Md.) lauded progress at Fort Detrick's U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) and U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) nearly one year after the Department of Defense threatened to withhold funds and furlough as many as 300 workers. Today, researchers at USAMRDC and USAMRIID are on the front lines of a rejuvenated effort to confront COVID-19 and successfully put an end to our… Continue Reading