CARDIN, MIKULSKI PRAISE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE’S APPROVAL OF NOMINEE GRIMM FOR MARYLAND DISTRICT COURT SEAT

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.) today praised the Senate Judiciary Committee's vote to approve Judge Paul William Grimm to fill a vacancy on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division, located in Baltimore. Senators Cardin and Mikulski recommended Judge Grimm to President Obama for the position on the federal bench. The nomination of Judge Grimm, who currently serves as Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District o… Continue Reading

CARDIN STATEMENT ON THE ANNOUNCED RETIREMENT OF AFGE’S JOHN GAGE

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) released the following statement on the announced summer retirement of John Gage who has served as president of the American Federation of Government Employees for nearly a decade: "John Gage has worked to protect the rights and benefits of federal workers for more than 25 years. He has been on the front lines of the current war against public employees and I have been proud to stand with him in the fight to ensure our federal workers in Maryland … Continue Reading

STATEMENT BY U.S. SENATOR BEN CARDIN ON DEATH OF LORETTA CARR

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today issued the following statement on the death of Loretta Carr, a retired union activist with the United Auto Workers Local 239. "Loretta's dedication to protecting the rights of working men and woman was truly inspiring. As a strong labor leader and the first woman to hold a seat on the bargaining committee, she had a keen understanding of the needs of workers and she never tired of advocating for better working conditions and benefits that wou… Continue Reading

PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT

Madam President, I rise to support the Paycheck Fairness Act that we are going to have a chance to vote on tomorrow. I hope my colleagues will support the effort of my colleague Senator Mikulski in allowing S. 3220 to move forward. I congratulate my colleague Senator Mikulski for her incredible leadership on behalf of women's issues. She has done that throughout her entire career, and we knew she would be in the forefront of this effort for paycheck fairness. I am proud to stand shoulder to shou… Continue Reading

SENATOR CARDIN, PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY SHERIFF HIGH, STATE’S ATTORNEY ALSOBROOKS LEAD CALL TO PASS REAUTHORIZATION OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Prince George's Sheriff Melvin High, Prince George's County State's Attorney Angela Alsobrooks, Prince George's County Police Chief Mark Magaw, along with representatives of the Family Crisis Center, Maryland Crime Victims Resource Center and the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence, House of Ruth, and other members of the Prince George's community who are involved with support for victims of domestic violence were united today in their call… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI ANNOUNCE GRANT TO CONSTRUCT MEADOW MOUNTAIN TRAIL IN GARRETT CO

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (Both D-MD) today applauded a $250,000 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant to Garrett County for construction of the Meadow Mountain Trail (MMT). The 10-mile, multi-user trail will build on the county's efforts to expand its outdoor recreation industry, and is projected to have an economic impact of more than $3 million. "Garrett County's scenic treasures are also economic treasures, drawing thousands of tourists to Mar… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI STATEMENT ON SPARROWS POINT MILL

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today issued the following statement on the Sparrows Point Mill in Baltimore: "We are deeply discouraged about the news of large job losses and possible closure of Sparrows Point. "For more than 100 years, the workers at Sparrows Point have produced the steel that built America. From forging the trusses for the Golden Gate Bridge to building the ships that took America to war, no mill has played a larger role in the his… Continue Reading

BIPARTISAN SENATE STATEMENT ON P-5+1 MEETING WITH IRAN IN BAGHDAD

WASHINGTON, DC- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin joined a bipartisan group of Senators in issuing the following statement today about the meeting that will take place in Baghdad tomorrow of the permanent five members of the UN Security Council plus Germany -- the P-5+1 -- with Iran. Including Senator Cardin, Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Charles Schumer (D-NY), John McCain (R-AZ), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT),James Risch (R-ID), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Marco R… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL TO HELP FAMILIES AND STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THE TRUE COST OF COLLEGE

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (Both D-MD) today joined with colleagues to say that families and students should have a more accurate picture of exactly how much college will cost them before deciding which school to attend under bipartisan legislation introduced today. Led by Senator Al Franken (D-MN), Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Ron Wyden (D-OR) also sponsored the bill.… Continue Reading

SENATE PASSES CARDIN-PRYOR MEASURE TO INCREASE PRODUCT SAFETY RESEARCH

WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Mark Pryor (D-AR) today said they are pleased the Senate approved their legislation to address potential health and safety risks of products regulated by the FDA that contain nanomaterials. The provision is part of the FDA Safety and Innovation Act, which passed the Senate by a vote of 96-1. "Nanotechnology has become increasingly indispensable in our daily lives but as this burgeoning technology continues to power more of our consumer pro… Continue Reading

CARDIN SAYS IT IS TIME FOR THE U.S. TO BECOME A PARTY TO THE U.N. CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, emphasized today at a hearing, "The Law of the Sea Convention," the need to ratify the Treaty in order to enhance our national security, strengthen international alliance and create economic opportunities. "The United States is perhaps the most significant player in Maritime security and economic activities. Yet our interests are not being represented as other member countries debate changes to… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI, SENATE DEMOCRATS AND ADVOCACY GROUPS URGE SENATE PASSAGE OF PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT

WASHINGTON - At a press conference today in the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), and Al Franken (D-Minn.) along with representatives of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Partnership for Women and Families (NPWF) and the National Women's Law Center (NWLC) urged the Senate to… Continue Reading

CARDIN INTRODUCES NEW BILL TO INCREASE FEDERAL SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES

Washington, DC - At the start of National Small Business Week, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, has introduced new bill that would help more small businesses compete for federal contracts by raising the government-wide small business prime goal from 23 percent to 25 percent. Government-wide subcontracting goals would be increased from 35.9 percent to 40 percent. "Across the United States, small businesses are responsible for … Continue Reading

INTRODUCTION OF SMALL BUSINESS GOALING ACT OF 2012 AND NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

I take this time to bring to the attention of my colleagues that we are celebrating National Small Business Week, which is a very important occasion because, as the Senator from New Hampshire understands, the growth engine for America is our small businesses. When we are looking at job growth, which we all know we need in order to get our economy moving again, we know there will be more jobs created from small companies than from large companies. About two out of every three jobs created in Amer… Continue Reading

100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FREDERICK COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Mr. President, I wish to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, the first chartered chamber in the United States. When the United States Chamber of Commerce was formed at a conference held by President Taft in April 1912, four delegates from the Maryland's Frederick County Board of Trade were in attendance. Inspired by the conference, the Frederick County Board of Trade applied for membership to the newly formed chamber the very next day. The newly renam… Continue Reading

FOOD SECURITY AND THE G8

I rise today to express my enthusiastic support for our efforts to elevate international food security commitments through the G8, which is being held this weekend in Maryland. I understand that President Obama has invited the Presidents of Benin, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Tanzania to participate in the summit and strategize on ways in which we can all work together to accelerate progress on food security. With over 1 billion poor and hungry people around the world, there is no time to wait. Just … Continue Reading

CARDIN COMMENDS SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FOR PROVIDING AMERICANS WITH COMPLETE YEARLY EARNINGS STATEMENTS ON WEB SITE

WASHINGTON - At today's Senate Finance Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) commended Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Michael Astrue for establishing secure web site access to annual earnings statements so that all Americans "can now have full access to information regarding their Social Security benefits." The Senator also commended the Commissioner on SSA's resumption of mailing annual statements to all individuals over age 60. Last year, the SSA suspended pr… Continue Reading

CARDIN, GILLIBRAND PUSH DEFENSE DEPARTMENT TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY AMONG SENIOR MILITARY RANKS

Washington, DC - As the Senate Armed Services Committee begins debate on the defense budget, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), have introduced legislation to promote diversity in the ranks of military leadership that better reflects the demographics of the U.S. military and the public it serves. Following up on concerns expressed by service members at a recent Forum on Military Diversity hosted by Senator Cardin, the bill introduced (S. 3181) would require the Secr… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI CALL FOR IMMEDIATE PASSAGE OF NATIONAL METRO SAFETY STANDARDS FOLLOWING POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING MALFUNCTION OF METRO DOOR

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.) today called for immediate passage of legislation establishing federal safety standards for transit systems nationwide following a life-threatening malfunction today where the doors on two metro rail cars opened while passengers traveled on the Red Line between the Van Ness and American University stations. Legislation establishing the first federal safety standards for transit systems nationwide passed the Senate in Marc… Continue Reading

ON THE NOMINATION OF JUDGE GEORGE LEVI RUSSELL, III TO BE US DISTRICT JUDGE, DISTRICT OF MARYLAND

I rise today to urge the Senate to confirm Judge George Levi Russell III of Maryland to be a US District Judge for the District of Maryland. Judge Russell was reported by voice vote of the Judiciary Committee on February 16. Judge Russell currently sits as a trial judge in the Baltimore City Circuit Court. The Constitution provides for lifetime appointments for federal judges, which is unique in our federal government. I take this obligation very seriously in terms of the advice and c… Continue Reading