CARDIN JOINS ROCKEFELLER IN INTRODUCING BILL TO ALLOW INDIVIDUALS BETWEEN 55 AND 64 TO BUY INTO THE MEDICARE PROGRAM

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) has joined with U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) in introducing the Medicare Early Access Act , S. 3710, which would allow individuals between the ages of 55 and 64 to buy into the Medicare program. Medicare is the federal health insurance program for Americans age 65 and older and for the disabled.   It is estimated that approximately 5.1 million Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 do no have… Continue Reading

SENATE ENVIRONMENT & PUBLIC WORKS LEADERS INTRODUCE MAJOR LEGISLATION TO PROTECT AND MAINTAIN AMERICA'S WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S . Senators Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Water and Wildlife Subcommittee and EPW Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA), along with and EPW Ranking Member James Inhofe (R-OK), and subcommittee ranking member Mike Crapo (R-ID) joined together today to introduce The Water Infrastructure Financing Act, which provides the foundation for our nation's drinking water … Continue Reading

CARDIN URGES LEADERS OF AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN TO SEIZE HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), released the following statement today after he and other members of the SFRC met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. "Today's discussions reinforced the many positive signs that the Afghan and Pakistani governments are prepared to work with the United States in the fight against extremists that t… Continue Reading

CARDIN CALLS PASSAGE OF SENATE HOUSING BILL A STEP IN RIGHT DIRECTION IN HELPING PREVENT FORECLOSURES AND PROTECT RENTERS

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) today praised Senate passage of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, S. 896, calling it "another important step" in helping prevent foreclosures and increase the availability of credit for consumers and businesses. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 91 to 5, which will go to a conference committee to work out differences with a similar House measure.   "Every community in this nation is deali… Continue Reading

CARDIN JOINS SENATORS IN EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE OPTION

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) announced his support for the inclusion of a public health insurance option in comprehensive health care reform. Writing with Senators Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) Russ Feingold (D-WI), and Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Senator Cardin, joined 16 additional Senators in outlining how reform with a public health insurance option could lower health costs, improve quality of care, and ensure access in rural and other underserved… Continue Reading

CARDIN TESTIFIES BEFORE COMMERCE COMMITTEE ON THE FUTURE OF NEWSPAPERS AND LOCAL JOURNALISM

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) testified today before the Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet chaired by Senator John Kerry (D-MA). Commenting on the future of journalism and options to help salvage community newspapers that are disappearing across the country, Senator Cardin outlined his bill, The Newspaper Revitalization Act. The bill, S. 673, would create a new option under the Internal Revenue Code for a "qualified newspaper corporat… Continue Reading

THE FUTURE OF JOURNALISM

MR. CARDIN:  Chairman Kerry, Ranking Member Ensign, and members of this Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. Today, newspapers across the country are closing their doors, slashing their staff, and shuttering bureaus in the United States and around the world.  The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Seattle Post -Intelligencer, The Rocky Mountain News, the Philadelphia Daily News, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe and my own Baltimore Sun are either in… Continue Reading

CARDIN CHAIRS TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING THAT EXPOSES OPPORTUNITIES FOR PASSPORT FRAUD

Washington - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee, today expressed his concern over the significant vulnerabilities found in the issuance of U.S. passports.  Senator Cardin made his remarks during a subcommittee hearing he chaired entitled, "The Passport Issuance Process: Closing the Door to Fraud." Witnesses from the General Accountability Office (GAO), which investigated the ease of using fraudulent documents… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI SUBMIT APPROPRIATIONS REQUEST FOR FIRST YEAR OF DEDICATED METRO FUNDING

WASHINGTON , DC - U.S . Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (Both D-MD) today announced the submission of their formal request to the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee to provide federal matching funds of $150 million for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Last October, Congress adopted legislation authorizing $1.5… Continue Reading

SENATE PASSES BIPARTISAN RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

Washington, D.C. - In honor of World Press Freedom Day on Sunday, May 3 rd, the U.S. Senate has passed a resolution recognizing the threats to freedom of the press around the world and reaffirming the United States' commitment to promoting this essential right globally.  The resolution, S.Res.124, introduced by Senators Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Ted Kaufman (D-DE), Richard Lugar (R-IN), John Kerry (D-MA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Robert Casey (D… Continue Reading

SENATOR CARDIN MEETS WITH MARYLAND MEDICAL COMMUNITY TO DISCUSS SWINE FLU OUTBREAK

BALTIMORE - As the number of confirmed cases of swine flu continued to grow in the United States, U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), chairman of the Homeland Security and Terrorism Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today held an informational meeting to discuss the growing threat from the swine flu virus with his Health Advisory Committee and members of the Maryland health care community.     The Senator was joined by Jeff Rivest, CEO of the Univ… Continue Reading

CARDIN PRAISES BUDGET AS A BLUEPRINT FOR FIXING OUR ECONOMY AND TACKLING HEALTH CARE

Washington , DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, praised Congressional passage today of the Fiscal Year 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution, saying that it lays out important priorities for our nation's future economic health.  The Senate passed the measure 53-43.  It was passed 233-193 by the House of Representatives earlier in the day.   "America's economy is still in crisis, but the budget r… Continue Reading

SENATOR CARDIN PRAISES 25% INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR SBA IN BUDGET RESOLUTION

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Budget Committee and of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, today praised Senate passage of the FY 2010 Budget Resolution, which included his amendment to increase funding for the Small Business Administration (SBA) by $180 million, from $700 million to $880 million.     "The SBA has suffered severe budget cutbacks over the past eight years, and th… Continue Reading

CARDIN LAUDS SENATE CONFIRMATION OF KATHLEEN SEBELIUS AS SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

  Washington - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) today praised the 65-31 Senate vote to confirm Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). He released the following statement after the vote:   "As our nation begins to cope with a potential flu pandemic, it is increasingly urgent that the void of senior leadership at HHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention be filled quickly. … Continue Reading

BIPARTISAN SENATE COALITION SEEKS TO BROADEN PRESIDENT'S AUTHORITY TO SANCTION IRAN

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined a bipartisan coalition of 25 U.S. Senators introducing legislation to provide the president with expanded authority to stop Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons.  The Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act explicitly empowers the president to impose new economic sanctions on foreign firms involved in the export of gasoline and other refined petroleum products to the Islam… Continue Reading

CARDIN CALLS FOR AN END TO RACIAL DISPARITY IN DRUG SENTENCING GUIDELINES

Washington - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today called the sentencing disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine a civil rights injustice that unfairly punishes minorities. Senator Cardin made his remarks during a hearing of the Judiciary Crime and Drugs Subcommittee entitled "Restoring Fairness to Federal Sentencing: Addressing the Crack-Powder Disparity." "There is no excuse for breaking the law by using and/or sel… Continue Reading

CONFIRMATION HEARING FOR ANDRE DAVIS, THOMAS PEREZ, AND DAVID HAMILITON

            The Committee will come to order.   Let me thank Chairman Leahy for asking me to chair today's hearing.   Today we consider two judicial nominations: Judge Andre Davis of Maryland to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit, and Judge David Hamilton of Indiana to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit.               We also consider today an important nomination for a leadership position in the Department of Justic… Continue Reading

CARDIN, MIKULSKI PRAISE OBAMA NOMINEES FOR FOURTH CIRCUIT AND DOJ CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION

Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (Both D-MD), participated today in the nomination hearing for Judge Andre M. Davis, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit, and Thomas E. Perez, to be Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice (DOJ). Senator Cardin, a member of the Judiciary Committee that will consider the nomination, presided over the hearing. Senator Mikulski, along with former… Continue Reading

MARYLAND SENATORS, CONGRESSMEN ANNOUNCE RECOVERY ACT FUNDING FOR PORT OF BALTIMORE

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski  and Congressmen Elijah E. Cummings, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and Frank Kratovil (all D-Md.) praised the announcement today of $10.8 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue maintenance dredging of the Port of Baltimore and its shipping channels.    This funding will help clear the maintenance backlog at the … Continue Reading

SENATOR CARDIN APPLAUDS SECRETARY SALAZAR'S DETERMINATION TO REVERSE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S RULING THAT REMOVED STREAM PROTECTION FROM MOUNTAINTOP COAL MINING

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), today applauded Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar's announcement that he will reverse a Bush Administration rule allowing coal mine operators to dump mountaintop fill within 100 feet of a stream. The rule, issued by the Office of Surface Mining, was linked to a separate Bush Administration rule that allowed the waste to be dumped directly into streams.   In March, Senator Cardin joined with Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) to introduce th… Continue Reading