CARDIN INTRODUCES BILL TO ENCOURAGE USE OF PROPANE AS ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCE

WASHINGTON - U. S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today joined U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in introducing a bipartisan bill to encourage greater use of propane as an alternative transportation fuel, especially for large fleets of trucks and buses. Propane is a reliable, domestically produced fuel with lower greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline. Additionally, propane supply is expected to increase over the next several decades, which would result in increased price st… Continue Reading

CARDIN CALLS ARREST OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL AN IMPORTANT STEP FOR INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), co-chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, issued the following statement on the arrest of Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb general accused of masterminding the massacre at Srebrenica in 1995. Mladic had been considered one of the world's most wanted fugitives for more than 15 years. Serbian President Boris Tadic has announced that Mladic will be turned over to the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague. "I am enormously pleased to hear that S… Continue Reading

THE PROPANE GREEN AUTOGAS SOLUTIONS ACT OF 2011

MR. CARDIN. Mr. President, I rise today introduce the Propane Green Autogas Solutions Act of 2011. I am pleased to note that the junior Senators from Missouri (Mr. Blunt) and Michigan (Ms. Stabenow) are original co-sponsors of this measure. Our bill extends for five years Federal Alternative Fuel Tax Credits for Propane Used as a Motor Fuel, Propane Vehicles, and Propane Refueling Infrastructure. Propane "autogas" is a reliable, domestically produced alternative fuel with lower greenhouse ga… Continue Reading

CARDIN CALLS SENATE’S REJECTION OF RYAN BUDGET PLAN A VICTORY FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today called the defeat of the Ryan budget in the U.S. Senate by a vote of 57-to-40 "a victory for America's seniors and a clear message that Americans will not tolerate dismantling of the Medicare and Medicaid programs." The budget proposed by Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI), which passed the House of Representatives in April, would jeopardize the health of seniors by reinstating the Medicare Part D coverage gap, and eliminating Medicare as we know it.… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI APPLAUD FEDERAL FUNDING TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO CREDIT FOR MARYLAND SMALL BUSINESSES

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski, both (D-Md.), today applauded the U.S. Department of Treasury's announcement that Maryland will receive $23 million in federal funding to improve access to credit for small businesses in the state. The Senators voted for the Small Business Jobs Act, which President Obama signed into law in October 2010. This law created the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) at Treasury. This program will provide $1.5 billion to st… Continue Reading

STATEMENT BY U.S. SENATOR BEN CARDIN ON ISRAEL AND THE PEACE PROCESS

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Co-chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, today issued the following statement regarding President Obama's speeches on the Middle East peace process and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to a Joint Session of Congress: During the past few days, President Obama addressed the world on the challenges facing the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also address… Continue Reading

SENATOR CARDIN ANNOUNCES SERVICE ACADEMY APPOINTMENTS

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), today announced that 15 Marylanders have accepted appointments to the U.S. Service Academies for the 2011-2012 academic year. The five U.S. service academies -- the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy -- recruit top-notch young American men and women who will appreciate an excellent education and a chance to serve their country. "Every year, it is m… Continue Reading

CARDIN HOLDS FAITH-BASED SUMMIT FOR BALTIMORE AREA RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Baltimore Faith-based Summit BALTIMORE-- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today sponsored a Faith-based Summit for more than 100 Baltimore area religious leaders to discuss job opportunities and economic empowerment. Josh DuBois of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnership participated in the Summit and discussed ways in which the federal government can assist the faith-based community. "I have organized today's Summit because the leaders of the Baltimore religio… Continue Reading

CARDIN HOLDS HEALTH CARE JOBS EXPO

LARGO, MD -- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today held a Health Care Jobs Expo at Prince George's Community College to connect Marylanders with jobs in the health care field. Maryland is one of the nation's leaders in health care, currently employing more than 290,000 Marylanders in the health care industry. The Affordable Care Act will bring approximately 30 million Americans - who currently have no health coverage -- into our health care system by 2014. The Governor's Workforce Investment Bo… Continue Reading

CARDIN ATTENDS OPENING OF WAYLAND VILLAGE SENIOR APARTMENTS

BALTIMORE - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today joined local officials, including Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, to celebrate the grand opening of the Wayland Village Senior Apartments. The brand new development consists of 89 affordable rental apartments for low- and moderate-income seniors and adults with disabilities. The apartments are green and sustainable with features that meet LEED standards and Enterprise Green Communities Criteria. "The Wayland Village Senior… Continue Reading

CARDIN MOVES TO SANCTION HUMAN-RIGHTS VIOLATORS IN RUSSIA

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), today joined 15 other senators to introduce a bill that would freeze assets and block visas of individuals who commit gross human-rights violations against whistleblowers and activists in the Russian Federation. Other co-sponsors of the bill include: Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Mark Begich (D-AK), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bob Case… Continue Reading

CARDIN APPLAUDS EXPANSION OF TRICARE COVERAGE TO INCLUDE HPV DNA TESTING FOR CERVICAL CANCER

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today applauded the Department of Defense for its decision to expand TRICARE coverage to include HPV DNA testing for cervical cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that over the past 40 years the number of cervical cancer deaths has decreased as a result of regular cervical cancer screening. According to information provided by the Department of Defense, preauthorization for the HPV test will not be required and beneficiaries… Continue Reading

STATEMENT IN RECOGNITION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY

Mr. President, tomorrow, on the sixth annual Endangered Species Day, we as a nation have a two-fold opportunity. First, we have the chance to celebrate the successful recovery of a remarkable number of plant and animal species worldwide. Second, we have the opportunity to pause in acknowledgement of the hard work that still lies ahead of us on behalf of the nearly two thousand species that are endangered or threatened today. Since its enactment in 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) … Continue Reading

ON THE NOMINATION OF GOODWIN LIU TO BE UNITED STATES CIRCUIT JUDGE FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

On Judge Liu's Nomination to 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Mr. President, I rise in strong support of the nomination of Goodwin Liu to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. I urge my colleagues to invoke cloture on this nomination. I am disappointed we had to file a cloture motion. I hope my colleagues would want to vote up or down on this nomination, and I hope they would vote for his confirmation. As we begin the debate on the nomination… Continue Reading

CARDIN AUTHORS LETTER TO CEQ CALLING FOR MODERNIZATION OF “PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES” IN PLANNING FOR FUTURE WATER PROJECTS

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), chairman of the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee of the Environment and Public Works Committee, has authored a letter to Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), urging the Council to modernize its Economic and Environmental Principles & Guidelines (P&G) to reflect the needs of the 21st Century in the planning of future water projects. In 2007, Congress established a national water resources planning poli… Continue Reading

SENATE PASSES CARDIN RESOLUTION FOCUSING NATIONAL ATTENTION ON RACIAL AND ETHNIC HEALTH DISPARITIES

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today praised Senate passage of his resolution, S.Res. 187, to bring attention to the severe health disparities affecting minority populations in our nation such as African Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, Hispanics, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. Co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Mark Begich (D-AK), the bipartisan measure unanimously passed the Senate. "I want to thank Senators Murkowski and B… Continue Reading

CARDIN HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE TO CALL FOR END OF $4 BILLION IN SUBSIDIES TO OIL COMPANIES

BALTIMORE -As area gas prices top $4 a gallon, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) held a press conference today with Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler to discuss efforts to protect Maryland consumers from high gas prices. The Senator has called for the passage of legislation that would end $4 billion a year in subsidies and tax breaks for the five biggest oil companies. The big five oil companies -- Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, BP and Conoco Phillips -- made nearly $1 trillion in profits in t… Continue Reading

CARDIN, COLLINS INTRODUCE RESOLUTION OPPOSING PALESTINIAN EFFORTS TO SEEK UNILATERAL RECOGNITION AT U.N.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Susan Collins, (R-ME) today introduced a resolution in the Senate that expresses opposition to Palestinian efforts to seek unilateral recognition at the United Nations and states its firm belief that any Palestinian unity government must publicly and formally forswear terrorism, accept Israel's right to exist, and reaffirm previous agreements made with Israel. The resolution also supports the position taken by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton… Continue Reading

CARDIN PLEDGES TO PROTECT MEDICARE, SOCIAL SECURITY AS GUARANTEED BENEFITS AT UNITED SENIORS OF MD ANNUAL MEETING

ANNAPOLIS - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today discussed the importance of protecting Medicare and Social Security as a "guaranteed benefit" at the United Seniors of Maryland's annual meeting. He addressed seniors' concerns about Congressman Paul Ryan's (R-WI) plan to turn Medicare into a voucher program, which the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed. "I believe that Congressman Ryan's plan to make Medicare a voucher program would ultim… Continue Reading

CARDIN, SECRETARY LOCKE ANNOUNCE DIGITAL LITERACY INITIATIVE

BALTIMORE - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today joined with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski to announce an initiative to expand economic and educational opportunities by increasing digital literacy skills in America. At a public computing center at Coppin State University, the officials unveiled www.DigitalLiteracy.gov, a new Web site that provides libraries, community colleges, schools and workforce training centers a variety of resources and tools for teachi… Continue Reading