Press Releases & Statements
Cardin Brings Senate Small Business Committee to Bowie State
Bowie, Md. -- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, chaired a field hearing Monday exploring the successes and challenges of programs designed to support minority small businesses gain access to capital. Minorities make up just 22% of American businesses, despite representing more than 35% of the population. This achievement gap results in part from the significant obstacles that minority business owners face in accessing cap… Continue Reading
March 16, 2015
Cardin, Reid, Boxer Introduce New Grant Program to Upgrade America’s Crumbling Water Infrastructure
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Minority Leader, and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, have introduced a bill, S. 741, The Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act. This legislation aims to help local communities meet the challenges of upgrading water infrastructure systems to meet the hydrological changes we are seeing today. The bill directs the U.S. Environ… Continue Reading
March 16, 2015
Cardin Reinforces Unwavering Commitment to Civil Servants in Town Hall Meeting at U.S. Census Bureau
SUITLAND, Md. - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) today told the hundreds of federal employees at a town hall meeting at the U.S. Census Bureau that he would continue working to bring an end to the cycle of short-sighted and overly austere federal budgets of recent years. "No more shutdowns. No more sequestration. No more temporary Continuing Resolutions. Let's get a long-term budget that gives you the stability you need to deliver on program goals," said Senator Cardin. "We have got to find … Continue Reading
March 16, 2015
Cardin Offers Condolences to the People of Vanuatu
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations East Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee, issued the following statement regarding the destruction caused by Cyclone Pam to the archipelago nation of Vanuatu: "I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the people of Vanuatu over the tragic loss of life and terrible destruction caused by Cyclone Pam over the weekend. Many nations in the Pacific remain particularly exposed as more and more extre… Continue Reading
March 13, 2015
Cardin Discusses Progressive Tax Reform and Green Business with Business Leaders in Prince George’s County
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, today participated in events in Bowie and Landover to discuss his recently introduced tax reform proposal with county business leaders and to hear from local small businesses that are improving their bottom lines by successfully marketing their environmentally sustainable practices. "The Prince George's County bu… Continue Reading
March 13, 2015
Cardin Hosts Town Hall with Federal Employees at Census Bureau
SUITLAND, Md. - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) today told the hundreds of federal employees at a town hall meeting at the U.S. Census Bureau that he would continue working to bring an end to the cycle of short-sighted and overly austere federal budgets of recent years. "No more shutdowns. No more sequestration. No more temporary Continuing Resolutions. Let's get a long-term budget that gives you the stability you need to deliver on program goals," said Senator Cardin. "We have got to find way… Continue Reading
March 13, 2015
Cardin, Mikulski Continue Fight For Maryland’s Seafood Industry, Joined By 13 Bipartisan Senators In Calling On Secretaries Of Labor And Homeland Security To Work Together To Immediately Resume Processing Of H-2b Applications
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.), , today were joined by a group of 13 bipartisan Senators calling on Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson to immediately coordinate and resume accepting and processing H-2B visa applications. Seasonal workers returning to the United States under H-2B visas are critical to ensuring Maryland's seafood businesses have the labor force they need during peak harvest season. The departm… Continue Reading
March 13, 2015
Cardin Announces More Than $7.5 Million in Federal Funds to Support Maryland’s Small Business Growth
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, lauded news today that Maryland has received $7,598,484 in State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) funds to help small businesses access the capital they need to grow and create jobs. To date, more than $15 million in SSBCI funds have been disbursed to the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development to support businesses and the local economy. "When I tr… Continue Reading
March 12, 2015
Cardin Condemns Attack on Police Officers in Ferguson, Missouri
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding the shooting of two police officers at a protest outside the Ferguson, Mo. Police Station. "The cycle of violence in Ferguson must be broken. We can never accept or justify this type of violence in our society as commonplace or in any way justified. This heinous attack targeted two law enforcement officers and the rule of law they, and all men and women in uniform, swear to uphold. My prayers are with the t… Continue Reading
March 12, 2015
Cardin, Cochran Offer Bipartisan Plan to Preserve Local Transportation Authority
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) today announced that they are again working jointly to preserve local control over transportation dollars for priority, non-highway community projects. The Senators have introduced the Transportation Alternatives Program Improvement Act (S.705), which makes minor improvements to the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). These improvements would not change the structure of TAP, but instead address implementation issues… Continue Reading
March 11, 2015
Small Business Investment Company Capital Act Of 2015
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I am pleased join my colleague, Senator Risch, in introducing the Small Business Investment Company Capital (SBIC) Act of 2015. And I am pleased that Congressman Chabot, Chairman of the House Small Business Committee, is introducing the same bill on the House side today. This bipartisan legislation makes a common-sense change to the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program run by the Small Business Administration (SBA). This change will provide increas… Continue Reading
March 09, 2015
Cardin, Mikulski, 10 Senate Colleagues Push Obama Admin. to Reject East Coast Drilling
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin, a senior member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.), along with Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and nine Senate colleagues today pushed the Obama administration's Interior Department to protect the Atlantic coast from new offshore oil drilling that could ruin hundreds of miles of coastline from a BP-like spill. The recently released draft five-year offshore drilling program proposes holding an oil drilling leas… Continue Reading
March 09, 2015
Cardin seeks tougher penalties for ID thieves
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Federal lawmakers want tougher penalties on criminals who commit tax fraud using a stolen ID. U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and others have filed a new version of a bill aimed at combating identity-theft-related tax fraud. Such tax fraud crimes continue to grow in number and touch victims from all walks of life. Just last month, authorities indicted four Florida residents for stealing the identities of assisted-living residents and medical-facility patients and using t… Continue Reading
March 09, 2015
Cardin Named Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism and Intolerance for OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the senior Democratic Senator on the Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), has been named as the Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Intolerance for the 57-nation Organization Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly. Among Senator Cardin's responsibilities in this position will be to raise awareness in and re… Continue Reading
March 06, 2015
Cardin, Mikulski, Bipartisan Senate Coalition Introduce Resolution Recognizing International Women’s Day
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) together with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and a bipartisan coalition of Senators today announced that they have introduced a resolution to recognize March 8, 2015 as International Women's Day (IWD) and commemorate the achievements of women around the world. "International Women's Day reminds us to celebrate the contributions women make around the world and here at home," Senator Mikulski said. "Every day, women f… Continue Reading
March 04, 2015
Cardin Calls DOJ Report on Ferguson Police Deeply Troubling and Cause to Ban Racial Profiling By All Law Enforcement
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), author of legislation that would ban racial profiling by all law enforcement, issued the following statement in response to the Department of Justice (DOJ) report that the policies and practices of the Ferguson, Mo., police department "reflect and exacerbate existing racial bias." The investigation was launched following the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed African American teen killed by a Ferguson police officer. "DOJ's review of the Ferguson… Continue Reading
March 04, 2015
Cardin: Time to Move Past Keystone
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) issued the following statement after the Senate voted not to override President Obama's veto of S.1, a bill that would have circumvented the regulatory process and forced the approval of an extension of the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline: "For the entirety of this Congress, the Republican-controlled Senate has been focused on end running the normal regulatory process so that a Canadian oil company could export dirty oil through our heartland. I… Continue Reading
March 04, 2015
Cardin, Graham Introduce Bill to Create a National Blue Alert System to Protect the Public and Help Apprehend Criminals Who Harm or Threaten Law Enforcement Officers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) have introduced legislation (S. 665) that will create a nationwide alert system to apprehend violent criminals who have injured or killed police officers or who have made an imminent or credible threat to the cause serious injury or death of a law enforcement officer. Blue Alerts also could be issued when a suspect is wanted in connection with a law enforcement officer who has gone missing in connection with his or her of… Continue Reading
March 04, 2015
Rafael Ramos And Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act
Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act of 2015. Every day, more than 900,000 Federal, State and local law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe. Unfortunately these officers can become targets for criminals and those seeking to evade our justice system, and we must make sure our officers have all the tools they need to protect themselves and each other. Each year thousands… Continue Reading
March 04, 2015
50th Anniversary Of “Bloody Sunday”
Mr. President, next week the nation will celebrate the 50th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday," when we commemorate the series of marches of non-violent civil rights protestors from Selma to Montgomery, the Alabama state capitol. They were marching for the right to vote, which had been guaranteed by the adoption of the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1870. The first section of the amendment reads: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the… Continue Reading
