CARDIN, MIKULSKI PRAISE SENATE PASSAGE OF $492,000 FOR MARYLAND FOOD BANK

      WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) today praised Senate passage of an omnibus appropriations measure that includes $492,000 in funding to the Maryland Food Bank. The funding will enable the Food Bank to meet its highest-priority capital needs, including the purchase of three refrigerated trucks, upgrades to office spaces and the installation of a new roof at the Maryland Food Bank's 87,000-square foot distribution center in Bal… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI ANNOUNCE FINAL SENATE APPROVAL OF FUNDS TO COMPLETE FDA CONSOLIDATION AT WHITE OAK

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin, a member of the Budget Committee, and Barbara A. Mikulski, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, and (both-D-Md.) today announced a critical step forward in putting $138.7 million in the federal checkbook for the consolidation of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) campus at White Oak, Maryland.   The funds are included in the Financial Services Appropriations Bill, which was approved Sunday … Continue Reading

CARDIN ANNOUNCES $116,000 IN FUNDING FOR THE CHESAPEAKE BAY TRUST FOR NEW CLEAN WATER JOBS INITIATIVE

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) announced today that the omnibus appropriations measure that has passed Congress includes $116,000 for the Chesapeake Bay Trust's new Clean Water Jobs Training Initiative. The new program will help clean up the Bay while training hundreds of Marylanders for careers in the "green" job market.   "This is an exciting program because it will tackle two of Maryland's most pressing needs: cleaning up the Chesapeake … Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI KEEP UP FIGHT TO BRAC-READY MARYLAND

    WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD ) today announced four Maryland military installations are on track to receive federal funding for intersections improvements that will greatly improve safety and access to military bases in Maryland and ease traffic congestion stemming from BRAC-related growth in the area.    The funds are included in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI ANNOUNCE $150 MILLION FOR METRO IN CONFERENCE REPORT

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (b oth D-MD) today announced the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) rail transit system is on track to receive $150 million in federal funds to make urgent safety upgrades. It is the first time WMATA has received funding through a dedicated federal funding stream.   The funds are included in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill… Continue Reading

CARDIN CALLS FOR ENHANCED COORDINATION AGAINST CYBERATTACKS AND BIOTERRORISM

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), chairman of the Judiciary Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee, today expressed his concerns to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano about the level of coordination among agencies responsible for protecting Americans from the threats of cyber-attacks and bioterrorism. Secretary Napolitano testified today before the full Senate Judiciary Committee.   … Continue Reading

OVERSIGHT ON FEDERAL DRINKING WATER PROGRAMS

Madame Chairman, my highest priority as Chairman of the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee, is to ensure that all Americans have clean and safe drinking water.  Thank you for holding this important hearing on the safety of our drinking water.   Water is an essential and precious resource that we all too often take for granted. Most Americans expect the water flowing from their faucets to be safe to cook with and to drink. In some jurisdictions that slight chlorinated smell leads people to think… Continue Reading

CARDIN HAILS SENATE VOTE TO PRESERVE ABORTION NEUTRALITY IN THE HEALTH CARE REFORM LEGISLATION

Washington, DC - U .S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) praised the Senate today for defeating an amendment by Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) that would have undermined privacy and discriminated against women by restricting the use of private funds for abortion services or insurance coverage with abortion coverage.   "Today's vote is a sign that the Senate is serious about health care reform. Families and small businesses today are being crushed by the ever-i… Continue Reading

CARDIN CALLS FOR GREATER INVESTMENT IN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENSURE SAFE, CLEAN DRINKING WATER

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Water and Wildlife Subcommittee, today renewed his call for greater federal investment in water infrastructure to help states and local jurisdictions keep our drinking water safe and clean. Senator Cardin made his remarks at an EPW Hearing on " Oversight of Federal Drinking Water Programs. "   "Water is an essential and precious resource that we all too often t… Continue Reading

FLOOR STATEMENT BY U.S. SENATOR BENJAMIN L. CARDIN IN OPPOSITION TO THE NELSON-HATCH AMENDMENT TO THE PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

I rise in strong opposition to the Nelson-Hatch amendment. Let me start off by saying that I support a woman's right of choice. It's a constitutionally affirmed right. I understand how difficult and divisive this issue is and that is why the underlying bill that we have before us carries out the compromise that has already been reached between the pro-choice and pro-life supporters. It represents maintaining the federal p rohibition on funds, federal funds fo… Continue Reading

CARDIN STATEMENT ON COMMITTEE APPROVAL OF DR. RAJIV SHAH TO BE USAID ADMINISTRATOR

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations International Development and Foreign Assistance Subcommittee, released the following statement after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the nomination of Dr. Rajiv Shah to be the next Administrator of United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  President Obama's nominee will now be considered by the full Senate.   During his conf… Continue Reading

CARDIN CALLS EPA RULING ON GREENHOUSE GASES IMPORTANT FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and chairman of its Water and Wildlife Subcommittee, released the following statement upon the final determination by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that "greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten the public health and welfare of the American people."   Senator Cardin: "Today's endangerment finding is a critical step in our country's… Continue Reading

SENATE PASSES CARDIN-LUGAR RESOLUTION URGING INCREASED FOCUS ON YEMEN TO PROTECT AMERICA, STOP HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

    Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, released the following statement after unanimous passage of Senate Resolution 341 - supporting peace, security, and innocent civilians affected by conflict in Yemen. Senator Cardin introduced the resolution with Senator Lugar last month:   "The Senate has united to express our concern over the prospects o… Continue Reading

SENATOR CARDIN TELLS FARMERS THAT HIS NEW BAY BILL WILL GIVE THEM MORE RESOURCES TO HELP SAVE THE BAY

OCEAN CITY, MD -- U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) today addressed the annual meeting of the Maryland Farm Bureau about his newly introduced Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem Restoration Act , S.1816.   He told farmers that, "The Bay is a National Treasure that we are committed to restoring and protecting and this new legislation will provide farmers with substantially more resources to help them implement conservation practices that will bring the Bay back to health." … Continue Reading

CARDIN LAUDS NIH FOR ACTION ON STEM CELL RESEARCH

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) today commended the National Institutes of Health, headquartered in Maryland, for its announcement of the first 13 human embryonic stem cell lines available for use in NIH-funded research under new guidelines adopted in July 2009. Senator Cardin has long supported efforts to overturn the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research and was pleased to join President Obama at the White House this March when he signed an executive or… Continue Reading

SENATOR CARDIN SPONSORS LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT GLOBAL CLIMATE DEAL

   WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations (SFRC) and Environment and Public Works (EPW) committees, Thursday joined SFRC Chairman Senator John Kerry (D-MA), fellow Foreign Relations Committee members Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ted Kaufman (D-DE), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), in introducing the International Climate Change Investment Act of 2009 .  This legislation addresses the global security risks of climate change and promotes o… Continue Reading

CARDIN CHAIRS HEARING ON LEGISLATION TO PROTECT WILDLIFE AND HABITATS

      Washington, DC -- U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), chairman of the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), today chaired a legislative hearing to consider nine bills aimed at controlling invasive species and conserving wildlife across the country. The bills discussed during the hearing included: S. 1519, Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2009 H.R. 2188, Joint Ventures in Bird Habitat Conservatio… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI ANNOUNCE MORE THAN $65,000 FOR DIGITAL MAPPING SYSTEM IN WASHINGTON COUNTY

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.) today announced the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded a $65,694 grant to the Washington County Board of Commissioners to develop a geographic information system (GIS) to map the county's tax parcels. This project will help the County streamline future economic development growth, advance delivery of Web-based services for taxpayers and support disaster preparedness. "I am very plea… Continue Reading

CARDIN LAUDS RENEWED FOCUS ON AL-QAEDA, QUESTIONS WHETHER THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN FOR AFGHANISTAN CAN ACCOMPLISH ITS STATED GOALS

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement during today's hearing, " Afghanistan: Assessing the Road Ahead ." Featuring testimony from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen, the hearing followed President Obama's announcement Tuesday of an increased U.S. commitment in Afghanistan. … Continue Reading

SENATOR CARDIN PRAISES EPA FOR ITS DECISION TO CONTINUE TESTING ETHANOL BLENDS

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today praised the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its decision to conduct further testing on fuel blends with higher concentrations of ethanol before allowing these fuels into the marketplace. EPA denied a petition waiver by Growth Energy to allow the use of up to 15 percent ethanol in gasoline (E15).    Senator Cardin praised EPA's announcement, statin… Continue Reading