CARDIN SAYS COMPROMISE ON GREAT APES PROTECTION ADVANCES ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) praised action today by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on S. 810, the Great Apes Protection and Cost Savings Act. This bill would end invasive research and testing on approximately 1,000 chimpanzees in U.S. laboratories and retire the approximately 500 federally-owned chimpanzees currently in laboratories to permanent sanctuary, while saving taxpayers an estimated $30 million every year. "I appreciate the careful consideration… Continue Reading

CARDIN BILL PROVIDES FAIR ACCESS TO CORN SUPPLIES FOR POULTRY AND OTHER FOOD PRODUCERS

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) has introduced a bill that would link the corn ethanol production mandate under the Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) to the amount of U.S. corn supplies. S. 3428 creates a simple process so that when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports on U.S. corn supplies towards the end of each year, based upon the ratio of corn stocks-to-expected use, there could be a reduction made to the RFS mandate for corn ethanol. "Domestic food production is… Continue Reading

CARDIN PRAISES SENATE PASSAGE OF MIDDLE CLASS TAX CUT EXTENSION, SAYS OUR ECONOMY CANNOT AFFORD TO LET MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES GET CAUGHT IN PARTISAN GRIDLOCK

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Finance and Budget Committees, made the following statement after the Senate approved the Democratic Middle Class Tax Cut Act of 2012 (S. 3412): "The Senate took positive action today to extend tax cuts for all Americans on their income under $250,000, which will help our economy continue its climb out from the depths of a deep recession. There are still too many Americans-12.7 million - who desperately want the opportu… Continue Reading

CARDIN JOINS SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION, OTHER MD OFFICIALS TO ANNOUNCE $45 MILLION TO REPAIR, UPGRADE TRANSIT VEHICLES, FACILTIIES

BALTIMORE - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today joined U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, U.S. Congressman Elijah Cummings and other Maryland officials to announce $45 million in federal funding for Maryland to replace aging buses and transit facilities that will improve service for thousands of people who take public transit every day. The five projects are among 255 projects in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico selected to receive a share of $787 million in funding. … Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI ANNOUNCE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT FOR BALTIMORE CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.) today announced the Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) has been awarded nearly $600,000 in grant funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to recruit and prepare minority college students for careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce. As Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science, Senator Mikulski puts money in the federal chec… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI ANNOUNCE $1 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS TO BUILD CHESAPEAKE BAY OYSTER POPULATION

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today announced the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released over $1 million to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to help restore the Chesapeake Bay's oyster population. The funding, secured by Senator Mikulski in the FY2012 Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) funding bill, will allow for targeted oyster restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay and… Continue Reading

MIKULSKI, CARDIN ANNOUNCE $2 MILLION IN THE FEDERAL CHECKBOOK TO IMPROVE OCEAN CITY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin, (both D-Md.) today announced that the Maryland Department of Transportation in Ocean City has been awarded a $2 million grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation's State of Good Repair Program. This program provides assistance for new and replacement buses, related equipment and facilities. Senator Mikulski is a senior member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee which funds… Continue Reading

CARDIN VISITS CARROLL CO. CLOTHING MANUFACTURER TO DISCUSS NEED TO SUPPORT U.S. MANUFACTURING, BRING JOBS HOME TO AMERICA

WESTMINSTER, MD -- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today visited the English American Tailoring Company in Westminster, which is one of the few remaining clothing manufacturers in Maryland. The Senator toured the plant and met with workers and management to discuss the need to keep jobs in the United States and to provide American companies with more support so they can compete in the global marketplace. In the last decade, approximately 2.4 million jobs were shipped overseas, with U.S. ta… Continue Reading

CARDIN STATEMENT ON TERRORIST ATTACK AGAINST ISRAELIS IN BULGARIA

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Chair of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, released the following statement on the airport bus attack in Bulgaria: "I am outraged by the senseless attack in Bulgaria directed toward Israeli tourists. My sincere thoughts and prayers go out to the Israeli and Bulgarian families of those killed and injured in the attack. Targeting innocent civilians is unacceptable under any circumstances in … Continue Reading

CARDIN LAUDS FINANCE COMMITTEE APPROVAL OF MAGNITSKY ACT AS PART OF RUSSIA TRADE BILL

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, applauded the unanimous committee approval today of his bill to urge Russia and other countries to hold accountable human rights violators within their borders, as part of legislation to establish Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Russia (PNTR). "Unanimous approval of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, by both the Senate Finance and Senate Foreign Relations Committees, sends a strong… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI, RUPPERSBERGER AND SARBANES ANNOUNCE FEDERAL FUNDING TO IMPROVE SAFTEY, CAPACITY OF BWI MARSHALL RUNWAYS

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski, and U.S. Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger and John Sarbanes (all D-MD) today announced a $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) to improve runway safety and upgrade runways at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The $12 million grant will be used for the first phase of improvements to bring Runway 10-28 up to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety standards, including a reh… Continue Reading

CARDIN URGES SENATE TO END GRIDLOCK OVER DISCLOSE ACT

Washington, DC - After the Senate was blocked for a second time in two days from proceeding to debate on the Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act (S. 3369), also known as the DISCLOSE Act, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) gave the following remarks. His full floor statement on this legislation, delivered Monday, is available here. "Democrats and Republicans used to agree that shining a light on our political process was a good thing. I don't know when that chang… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI, VAN HOLLEN, EDWARDS, METRO AND FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE FIRST-EVER FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARDS FOR METRO

WASHINGTON -U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski along with Congressman Chris Van Hollen and Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards (all D-Md.) today were joined by U. S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary John Porcari, Federal Transit Administration Administrator Peter M. Rogoff, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman and Metro Board Member Alvin Nichols to announce the first-ever federal safety standards for rail transit systems nationwide, including Metr… Continue Reading

Cardin, Ruppersberger Kick-Off New Hotel Program for Wounded Warriors

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (both D-MD) today officially kicked off a new nation-wide program allowing the American public to donate hotel reward points to wounded warriors and their families. Six major hotel companies are participating in "Hotels for Heroes," which will defray the travel costs of wounded warriors receiving care through the military health system, as well as family and friends visiting them. The program was created by bipartisan… Continue Reading

FLOOR SPEECH ON S. 3369, DISCLOSE ACT

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I wish to thank Senator Lautenberg. I was listening to Senator Mikulski and Senator Bingaman on their comments to try to bring some common sense to our election laws by basically disclosing who contributes to the political process. That is something Republicans and Democrats have been together on for a long time. I don't know what happened. This seems to be an issue that doesn't get bipartisan support. I particularly wish to thank Senator Whitehouse for his leader… Continue Reading

CARDIN ASKS COLLEAGUES TO SET ASIDE PARTISANSHIP TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES AND THE AMERICAN ECONOMY

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, urged his fellow senators to set their partisanship aside and support the backbone of the American economy by passing the Small Business Jobs Tax Act. A procedural vote Thursday blocked the Senate from moving forward with the legislation. "Small businesses create jobs. The best way to help our economy grow stronger and reduce our deficit is to have more Americans earn a paych… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI PRAISE ARC GRANT TO COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION OF ACCESS ROAD TO MT. AETNA TECHNOLOGY PARK

WASHINGTON -- U.S Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) today announced that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded Washington County an additional grant for $400,000 to complete construction of an access road to the Mt. Aetna Technology Park. The grant will be used to widen approximately .61 miles of Yale Drive to four lanes as part of the project to extend Yale Drive from its current terminus to Scholar Drive on the campus of Hagerstown Community College (HCC) … Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI ANNOUNCE NEARLY $4 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS TO FIGHT AND PREVENT CRIME ACROSS MARYLAND

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.) today announced that $3,966,756 in federal grant funding has been awarded from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention (GOCCP) through the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (BJAG) program. GOCCP will use this funding to support public safety activities and reduce violent crime as well as crimes against victims and children throughout Maryland. Senator Cardin is a member … Continue Reading

CARDIN PRAISES ACA FOR HELPING MILLIONS OF MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES RECEIVE FREE LIFESAVING PREVENTIVE SERVICES

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today praised the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) announcement that during 2011 the Affordable Care Act (ACA) helped approximately 32.5 million Medicare beneficiaries receive one or more preventive benefits free of charge. The HHS also announced that during the first six months of 2012, more than 16 million seniors nationwide - 346,441 seniors in Maryland -- have received at least one free preventive service. Senator Cardin, who … Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI APPLAUD GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS TO FOUR MARYLAND LOCALITIES

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) today lauded Environmental Protection Agency Administrator (EPA) Lisa Jackson's announcement that four Maryland localities would receive technical assistance under the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's (NFWF) Local Government Green Infrastructure Initiative. The EPA, along with the Chesapeake Bay Program and the Chesapeake Bay Local Government Advisory Committee, will engage local communities to help meet Chesapeake … Continue Reading