CARDIN STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF ETHANOL AMENDMENT

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) made the following remarks after Senate passage of an amendment to the Economic Development Act that would repeal the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC). The provision, which passed 73-27, was based on S. 871, of which Senator Cardin is a key original co-sponsor. "We have moved a giant step closer to ending the duplicative and unnecessary Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit that is costing U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars a year. This … Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI ANNOUNCE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR FIRE PREVENTION IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) today announced the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service was awarded $59,456 in federal funding through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program (AFG) to help reduce the frequency and severity of fires caused by children and youth. As a member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Mikulski fights each year to increase federal funding for the fire grants program. Senator Cardin is a member … Continue Reading

CARDIN CALLS ON PRESIDENT TO SHIFT STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and 26 other senators sent a letter to President Obama today calling for a shift in strategy in Afghanistan ahead of next month's announced deadline to begin an accelerated transition to Afghan security forces. In the letter, the senators urge the President to use the deadline as an opportunity to begin a "sizable and sustained" drawdown of troops that puts the U.S. on a path toward removing all regular combat troops from the country. In their letter, the se… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI, CARPER AND COONS STATEMENT ON VOLUMETRIC ETHANOL EXCISE TAX CREDIT VOTE

WASHINGTON - Today, Sens. Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski (both D-MD), and Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-DE) released the following statement after the Senate procedural vote on the amendment to repeal the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit: "At a time when high gas and corn prices are hurting many people and businesses in Delaware and Maryland, particularly within our agriculture communities, and America is facing a massive federal deficit and debt, ending the subsidy for corn-based eth… Continue Reading

CARDIN INTRODUCES BILL TO IMPROVE HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE & REPAIR PROCESS

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today has introduced legislation to ensure that our nation's highways and bridges receive the appropriate maintenance and repair to ensure safety and meet America's transportation needs. "Investing in our nation's highways and infrastructure has been one the best federal investments we have ever made," said Senator Cardin, a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. "Our n… Continue Reading

CARDIN CALLS ON SOCIAL SECURITY TO CONTINUE PROVIDING AMERICANS WITH YEARLY EARNINGS STATEMENTS

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, has written a letter to Commissioner Michael Astrue urging him to reconsider the decision announced by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to suspend the production and mailing of Social Security Earnings Statements. "The annual earnings statement is an invaluable tool to help Americans plan for their retirement," said Senator Cardin, a member of the Social Security, Pensions and Family Policy Subcommitt… Continue Reading

CARDIN ATTENDS NEW COLMAR MANOR COMMUNITY CENTER RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Town of Colmar Manor's new Community Center. Construction of the $6 million, 22,000 ft. state-of-the-art facility was made possible in part due to almost $400,000 in federal funding that Senator Cardin and other members of the congressional delegation helped to facilitate. "Residents of Colmar Manor and surrounding communities will benefit greatly for years to come from this new, environmentally susta… Continue Reading

STATEMENT ON JUNETEENTH 2011

On June 19th, we celebrate the 146th anniversary of Juneteenth, the oldest commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth, or June 19, is the day Union soldiers enforced the Emancipation Proclamation and freed all remaining slaves in Texas on June 19, 1865. As we celebrate this day, all of us have an opportunity to reflect on the importance of our nation's ideals of liberty, equality and justice, and to rededicate ourselves to ensuring that all Americans enjoy the "inali… Continue Reading

CARDIN STANDS FIRM AGAINST DRASTIC CUTS TO MEDICAID PROGRAM

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) has joined 36 Senate Democrats in standing united against any efforts to slash Medicaid. In a letter to President Obama, the Senators stated their opposition to block grant, cap, or otherwise eliminate or slash Medicaid coverage for our nation's most vulnerable citizens. "Medicaid is a critical lifeline for the millions of Americans who depend on it for their health care needs," said Senator Cardin, a member of the Health Subcommittee of the Senate … Continue Reading

STATEMENT IN OPPOSITION TO THE TESTER INTERCHANGE AMENDMENT

Mr. President, earlier today, I voted against the interchange fee amendment (S. Amdt. 392) offered by the junior Senator from Montana and I would like to explain why. Before I do that, I would like to acknowledge two important points about Senator Tester. First, I appreciate the fact that he made significant changes to his amendment in an attempt to reach a middle ground on this issue. And the concern he has for small community banks and credit unions is beyond question. Having said that, I … Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI ANNOUNCE FUNDING TO BRING JOBS AND HIGH-TECH INDUSTRY TO WASHINGTON COUNTY

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) today applauded a $600,000 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant to Washington County to construct an access road to the Mt. Aetna Farm Technology Park. Construction of the road will open approximately 173-acres of the Technology Park for development and attract emerging technology businesses to Washington County. County officials expect the project to create approximately 2,000 new jobs over the next 15 years. … Continue Reading

CARDIN URGES EXTENSION OF PROTECTED STATUS FOR LIBERIANS LIVING IN UNITED STATES

WASHINGTON -- In an effort to preserve the status of Liberians living legally in the United States, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today wrote to President Obama urging an extension and expansion of Deferred Enforced Departure (DED). Thousands of Liberians could be deported if their temporary status is not extended beyond the September 30, 2011 deadline. Since 1989, thousands of Liberians legally came to the United States fleeing a brutal ci… Continue Reading

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION REAUTHORIZATION

Mr. President, I rise today to speak on the Economic Development Administration and the pending bill before the United States Senate to authorization this program. In both the 111th Congress and this Congress, I was fortunate to work with the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee's Chairman and Ranking Member to make improvements to this bill and report it out of Committee and am glad that he Senate is taking up this important measure. As the United States continues to recover from t… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI, ANNOUNCE FEDERAL FUNDS FOR VETERANS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN MARYLAND

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.), today announced the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded almost $1.9 million to Maryland programs that offer job training to veterans to help them succeed in civilian careers. The grants are part of the DOL's Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) and Veterans' Workforce Investment Program (VWIP). "Our veterans have sacrificed for our nation and we now have an opportunity to provide them with the tr… Continue Reading

CARDIN JOINS SENATE COLLEAGUES IN LETTER TO VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN URGING “UNWAVERING OPPOSITION” TO DISMANTLING OF MEDICARE

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Bill Nelson (D-FL) today said privatizing Medicare cannot be part of the bipartisan deficit reduction negotiations. In a letter to Vice President Joe Biden, who is leading these discussions, the Senators urged the administration to oppose any Republican efforts to insert their plan to dismantle Medicare into a deficit reduction package. "We are aware the Administration has re… Continue Reading

CARDIN VISITS CHARLES COUNTY; MEETS WITH SENIORS & RELIGIOUS LEADERS

LA PLATA, MD -- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today visited Charles County to talk with seniors about the importance of preserving the Medicare and Medicaid programs and to hold a roundtable discussion with religious leaders from the community. At the Richard R. Clark Senior Center, Senator Cardin called the defeat last week by the Senate of the budget plan proposed by Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) "a victory for seniors and a clear message that America will not tolerate the dismantling of th… Continue Reading

CARDIN, UDALL, WHITEHOUSE INTRODUCE BILL TO ADDRESS NATION’S WATER CHALLENGES

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), chairman of the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee of the Environment and Public Works Committee, along with Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), has introduced legislation to encourage the research, development and promotion of new green infrastructure technologies and designs that will help reduce polluted stormwater runoff. Companion legislation also has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Congresswoman Do… Continue Reading

CARDIN, BOXER, INHOFE CALL ON SENATE APPROPRIATORS TO SUPPORT WATER INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS THAT CREATE JOBS, PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), chairman of the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, was joined by U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and James Inhofe (R-OK) and a bipartisan group of 32 additional senators on a letter to leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee urging continued support for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. A nationwide investment in water infrastructure projects creates jobs, repairs crumbl… Continue Reading

CARDIN CO-SPONSORS LEGISLATION TO PROTECT RETIREE HEALTH COVERAGE

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) has co-sponsored legislation to protect and stabilize health care coverage for retirees. The Retiree Health Coverage Protection Act would provide an additional $5 billion to the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP) to help retirees afford health insurance and costly medical expenses. "This bill provides additional needed support for a program that helps retirees keep their comprehensive employer-based health coverage. I'm pleased that many Mary… Continue Reading

ON REAUTHORIZATION OF PATRIOT ACT

Mr. President, I rise to explain why I voted against the motion to invoke cloture on S. 990, the legislative vehicle for S. 1038, the reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT ACT. I opposed cloture because I believe the Senate has an obligation to consider substantive amendments to improve the Patriot Act. We are all aware that at the end of this week three provisions of the Patriot Act will expire. The three provisions are business records, roving wiretaps, and "lone wolf" terrorists. I understan… Continue Reading