Cardin, Van Hollen, Trone Announce $260,000 in AmeriCorps Funding to Support Seniors in Frederick

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressman David Trone (all D-Md.) today announced $260,000 in federal funding to the Asian American Center of Frederick. Funding comes from FY21 AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion Program and will provide social support for low-income individuals 55 and older. "AmeriCorps and their volunteers play a vital role in delivering quality and supportive care, meeting the basic needs of seniors in Maryland and across the nation," said Se… Continue Reading

Maryland Congressional Delegation Secures Additional $727 Million for Students Missing Meals Due to COVID-19 School Closures

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all D-Md.) today announced that Maryland can extend its Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) nutrition and meals assistance program for eligible Maryland children through June 2021. From August 2020 and with the June extension, the State will issue an estimated $727 million in benefits to help families pu… Continue Reading

On World Press Freedom Day, Cardin Calls for the U.S. to Be a Leader Once Again in Protections for a Free Media

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee released the following statement marking World Press Freedom Day. "This is not an easy time to be a journalist in the U.S. or around the world. A deadly pandemic, authoritarian regimes, and malicious actors in some democracies have placed roadblocks in the way of presenting the truth while highly placed officials and some media outlets are vigorously promoting misinformation and propaganda. Th… Continue Reading

Cardin, Scott Lead Senate Resolution Marking National Minority Health Month

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) have introduced a resolution marking April as Minority Health Month, to highlight the ongoing disparities in health care and health outcomes for minority populations including American Indians, Alaska Natives, African Americans, Hispanics, Native Hawaiians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. As we enter the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has taken a disproportionate toll on people of color and raised awareness … Continue Reading

Maryland, Virginia Senators Urge President Biden to Resume Selection of a New, Secure and Consolidated FBI Headquarters

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (Both D-Md.) and Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (Both D-Va.) are urging President Joe Biden to resume the process of selecting a new home for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that meets the stringent security and logistical needs for our nation's premier law enforcement agency. In a letter to the president Friday, the lawmakers press for the General Services Administration and FBI to pick up where they left off before the Trump admin… Continue Reading

Cardin and Rubio Reintroduce World Press Freedom Protection and Reciprocity Act Ahead of World Press Freedom Day

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) have reintroduced the World Press Freedom Protection and Reciprocity Act, which seeks to protect and promote worldwide press freedom and enhance reciprocity for U.S. news and media outlets. The bill was introduced ahead of World Press Freedom Day, May 3. "We extend our thanks to the countless journalists in the U.S. and across the globe who safeguard the values of truth, democracy and justice through their work despite the r… Continue Reading

Senators Detail Urgency in Ethiopia, Ahead of Regional Travel by the Biden’s Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), along with Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Cory A. Booker (D-N.J.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), are urging Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, to use his upcoming first trip to the region to encourage stability, accountability and a holistic approach to the devolving situation in Ethiopia. "We are all deeply disturbed by the humanitarian and human rights consequences of the conflict occurring in the T… Continue Reading

Cardin Says Investing in Clean Water is an Investment in Protecting Public Health

"This bipartisan legislation takes important steps toward maintaining critical infrastructure networks and shoring up America's aging drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure against the costly threat of climate change." WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure (Environment and Public Works Committee) praised Senate passage today of S. 914, Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021. The package, … Continue Reading

Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces More Than $90 Million in Emergency Funding to Boost Maryland’s COVID-19 Response

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all Md.) today announced that Maryland will receive more than $90 million in emergency federal funding to support the state's ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response. "This critical federal funding will reimburse Maryland for a wide array of COVID-19 response and mitigation efforts," the lawmakers … Continue Reading

Cardin Responds to the President’s Speech to the Nation

"President Biden's optimism for our country was front and center, along with his desire to work with Congress to do right by the American people." WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee and a senior member of the Senate committees on Finance, Foreign Relations and Environment and Public Works, responded to President Joe Biden's first address to a Joint Session of Congress with the following remarks. "Being in the audienc… Continue Reading

Cardin Statement on President Biden’s American Families Plan

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee and a senior member of the Senate committees on Finance, Foreign Relations and Environment & Public Works, today issued the following reaction to the Biden administration's newly unveiled America's Families Plan. "The American Families Plan further illustrates the strength of the Biden administration's commitment to providing this country a pathway out of the pandemic and moving u… Continue Reading

Cardin, Van Hollen Urge President Biden to Increase Refugee Admissions Target

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) joined Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and a group of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to issue an updated presidential determination with an increased refugee admissions target for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 as soon as possible. The Senators also urged President Biden to set a target of at least 125,000 refugee admissions in FY 2022 and to set the refugee admissions ta… Continue Reading

Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces Nearly $5.2 Million in Supplemental Early Childhood Education Funding

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all Md.) today announced nearly $5.2 million in supplemental federal funding to bolster early childhood programs for low-income families across the state. "Closing the learning gap, which was made significantly worse by the COVID-19 crisis, is essential as we start to turn the corner on this p… Continue Reading

Cardin, Cortez Masto & Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Upgrade Schools and Public Buildings

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) today introduced the Public Buildings Renewal Act, bipartisan legislation that incentivizes private investment to rebuild schools and other public buildings through public-private partnerships. Implementing public-private partnerships to fund repairs in just 20% of all government buildings would create 1.3 million jobs nati… Continue Reading

Cardin, Van Hollen, Trone Announce More Than $800,000 for New Luke Water Distribution Lines

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressman David Trone (all D-Md.) today announced $802,000 in federal funding to replace the water distribution lines in the Town of Luke. Funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development mission area as a part of the Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants Program. "Closing the paper mill in Luke had an incredible impact on basic services for the town. In this day and age, they should not have to worry ab… Continue Reading

Cardin, Collins, Marshall, Shaheen Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Access to Home Health Care Furnished By Telehealth Amid Public Health Emergencies

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced the Home Health Emergency Access to Telehealth (HEAT) Act. Their bipartisan bill would provide Medicare reimbursement for audio and video telehealth services furnished by home health agencies during the COVID-19 public health crisis and future public health emergencies. "The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how healthcare providers treat their patients. Now, mor… Continue Reading

Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces More Than $12.8 Million from American Rescue Plan Funding to Support Homeless Students

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all Md.) today announced more than $12.8 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan to meet the academic, emotional, social and mental health needs of homeless students across the state. "The COVID-19 pandemic took a massive toll on children and families, with vulnerable communit… Continue Reading

Senators Ask Biden to Include Medicare Expansion in American Families Plan

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) joined 16 of his Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden asking him to include proposals to expand Medicare in his forthcoming American Families Plan. "We write to ask that, as part of the American Families Plan, you propose reducing the Medicare eligibility age, expanding Medicare benefits to include hearing, dental, and vision care, implementing a cap on out-of-pocket expenses under traditional Medicare, and negotiating lower dru… Continue Reading

Maryland Congressional Delegation Announces More Than $2.8 Million to Strengthen Rural Water Infrastructure

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer and Andy Harris, M.D., (all Md.) today announced more than $2.8 million in federal funding to modernize critical water infrastructure across the state. "As we redouble our efforts to strengthen our nation's critical infrastructure, this new round of federal funding will revitalize water distribution lines and expand water treatment facilities, providing affordable and clean drinking water and sanitation fo… Continue Reading

Cardin Welcomes New State Department Envoy to Horn of Africa

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chair of the State Department Operations Subcommittee, issued the following statement on the appointment of Jeffrey Feltman as U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa. Earlier this year, Senator Cardin and Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) led a bipartisan resolution calling on the government of Ethiopia, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, and other belligerents to cease all hostilities, pr… Continue Reading