CARDIN REITERATES CALL FOR MAKING CREDIT MORE AVAILABLE TO SMALL BUSINESSES

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) today joined colleagues from the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, including Chairman Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), on the Senate floor to highlight the urgent need to help America's small businesses get the credit and resources they need to thrive and create new jobs. Senator Cardin's full remarks can be found at cardin.senate.gov … Continue Reading

STATEMENT BY THE HONORABLE BENJAMIN L. CARDINCOMMEMORATING TRANSPARENCY AND SUNSHINE WEEK

     This week we celebrate Sunshine Week, not as a seasonal way to welcome the spring weather, but as a time to mark the importance of transparency in our government.        At the U.S. Helsinki Commission we monitor 56 countries, including the United States , to ensure compliance with human rights and other commitments made under the Helsinki Final Act.        A major part of that compliance rests on governments being open and acting t… Continue Reading

CARDIN STATEMENT ON ISRAELI ANNOUNCEMENT OF HOUSING EXPANSION IN EAST JERUSALEM

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement in response to Israel's announcement last week, during a visit of Vice President Biden, of plans to expand Ramat Shlomo neighborhood in East Jerusalem.   "There is no excuse for Israel's announcement of plans to expand housing units in East Jerusalem when Vice President Biden … Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI APPLAUD SENATE PASSAGE OF RESOLUTION HONORING HARRIET TUBMAN

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) today praised unanimous Senate passage of a resolution honoring the life, heroism and service of Harriet Ross Tubman, the most famous "conductor" of the anti-slavery resistance network known as the Underground Railroad.     Harriet Tubman was born in Dorchester County , Maryland , where she spent nearly 30 years as a slave.   She escaped slavery in 1849, but returned fo… Continue Reading

APPLAUDING STATE DEPARTMENT HUMAN RIGHTS REPORTS

This month's release of the State Department's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices shows the value of consistently monitoring human rights around the globe.    As Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission charged with monitoring international human rights commitments in 56 countries from the U.S. and Canada to Europe and Central Asia, this annual report is a key tool that we, and others, use to track progress being made on universal freedoms.   This year's reports have increased … Continue Reading

CARDIN APPLAUDS JUDICIARY COMMITTEE FOR MOVING CLOSER TO SENTENCING EQUITY

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today praised the committee for unanimously moving forward legislation that will significantly reduce the inequity in sentencing for crack and powder cocaine, helping to correct an enormous racial disparity in our criminal justice system. Senator Cardin is an original cosponsor of the bill, the Fair Sentencing Act, and has worked closely on this issue with Senator Dick Durbi… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI AND KRATOVIL ANNOUNCE $1.17 MILLION IN FEDERAL GRANT FOR SALISBURY AIRPORT

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) today joined U.S. Congressman Frank Kratovil (MD-1 st) in announcing $1,175,000 from the Department of Transportation for improvements to the Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport .   Salisbury Airport will use the funds for construction that will extend the runway and make air traffic safer for the residents of Wicomic… Continue Reading

CARDIN STATEMENT ON 'WE THE PEOPLE? CORPORATE SPENDING IN AMERICAN ELECTIONS AFTER CITIZENS UNITED'

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today voiced his concerns that the Supreme Court, in its decision Citizens United v. FEC will give corporations an outsized influence on elections and damage our electoral process.   "My view of the Citizens United decision is clear.   A very activist Supreme Court has tipped the scales of justice further against American voters, which will only exacerbate the gr… Continue Reading

SENATOR CARDIN APPLAUDS SENATE PASSAGE OF AMENDMENT TO ENSURE FUNDING FOR DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) today praised Senate passage of an amendment he authored with Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) that will encourage companies to continue their defined benefit pension programs by giving them greater flexibility in managing their pension obligations during this difficult economic downturn.    "Defined benefits plans are an important part of retirement planning and it is important to ensure the viability of … Continue Reading

WE THE PEOPLE? CORPORATE SPENDING IN AMERICAN ELECTIONS AFTER CITIZENS UNITED

        Mr. Chairman, I thank you for calling this very important hearing today.           My view of the Citizens United decision is clear. A very activist Supreme Court has tipped the scales of justice further against American voters, which will only exacerbate the great imbalance that currently exists in U.S. campaigns. By effectively legislating in areas that Congress has set reasonable guidelines, the Supreme Court is swinging the door wide open for s… Continue Reading

CARDIN STATEMENT ON IRAQI ELECTIONS

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today expressed his support for Iraq's commitment to a free and fair democratic election and offered his condolences for those who lost their lives. Iraq held national elections on Sunday amid continued party infighting that had delayed the election well beyond the original target date.              "The outcome of this election highlights how far Iraq has come in its determina… Continue Reading

CARDIN PRAISES SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACTING REVITALIZATION ACT APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY BY COMMITTEE

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) applauded action by the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Thursday, unanimously approving S. 2989, the Small Business Contracting Revitalization Act of 2010. The bill includes key provisions authored by Senator Cardin designed to maximize contracting opportunities for small businesses and create jobs.   "Ensuring that small businesses have access to government … Continue Reading

SENATORS HONOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced a resolution honoring the achievements of women around the world in advance of International Women's Day, which takes place every year on March 8. International Women's Day celebrates the economic, political, and social achievements of women, while acknowledging the obstacles that women still face in the struggle for equal rights and opportunities.… Continue Reading

SENATOR CARDIN ISSUES STATEMENT ON NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE REPORT ON FT. DETRICK

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) today issued the following statement regarding the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) of the health and safety risks to the community of the proposed new United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) high-containment facilities at Ft. Detrick .     "Public safety and environmental concerns must be a top priority. T… Continue Reading

CARDIN SIGNS ON AS ORIGINAL COSPONSOR OF BILL TO REPEAL DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) has announced his support as an original cosponsor for legislation introduced Wednesday to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.   The Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010 , authored by Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT),  contains three main provisions: (1) it will repeal the law that prevents gay Americans from openly serving in the military, (2) prohibit discrimination against cu… Continue Reading

SENATOR CARDIN APPLAUDS DEPT. OF COMMERCE'S DECISION TO IMPOSE TARIFFS ON FOREIGN PAPER COMPANIES FOR UNFAIR DUMPING

  WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) today praised the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) for imposing tariffs against foreign paper manufacturers who have been unfairly dumping coated paper products on the U.S. market. The DoC action targets China and Indonesia, which has been dumping certain coated paper in the United States.       NewPage Corp. of Luke, MD has been affected by these unfair trading practices. In October, Senator Cardin sent a letter the U.S. Interna… Continue Reading

COMMEMORATING THE 49th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PEACE CORPS

Today I rise to celebrate service - specifically the dedication of Americans volunteering in the Peace Corps, which this week marks its 49th year of connecting committed volunteers with meaningful work around the globe.   There are a lot of ways to give of our selves. We donate food. We donate money. We donate time. But the Peace Corps takes community service - global service, really -- to another level, with volunteers committing 27 months to improve the quality of life in develop… Continue Reading

SENATORS CARDIN, MIKULSKI APPLAUD MORE THAN $8.4 MILLION FOR MARYLAND IN FISH AND WILDLIFE RESTORATION FUNDING

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) applauded today's announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of more than $8.4 million for Maryland to support hunting, sport-fishing, and fish and wildlife conservation and education programs. The funding, through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, is derived from excise taxes and import duties on sporting firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, sport-fishing equipment, electric outb… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI, WYDEN, DODD, CANTWELL AND MERKLEY FIGHT FOR LOCAL CONTROL OVER LNG TERMINAL SITING

WASHINGTON, DC - Working to give state entities the power to determine both the need for - and the location of - liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in their states, U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (Both D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Dodd (D-CT.), Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced legislation today to repeal portions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which gave that authority to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Prior to the passa… Continue Reading

CARDIN URGES SENATE COLLEAGUE TO END BLOCKADE OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND COBRA BENEFITS

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) took to the floor of the U.S. Senate today urging the single Republican senator blocking action on a temporary extension of unemployment and COBRA benefits, as well as a temporary fix to Medicare reimbursements and a continuation of federal highway funds, to let the orderly process of the Senate move forward. There has been a gap in such benefits since they expired Sunday, February 28. Thousands of workers on federal highways construction p… Continue Reading