Press Releases & Statements
Cardin, McCain File Legislation to Add Sergei Magnitsky Law to CAATSA
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) introduced legislation Thursday to add the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act to the Russia sanctions review section of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Senators Cardin and McCain, the co-authors of the 2012 Magnitsky Act, remain concerned about the Administration's posture toward Russia, particularly after the Helsinki Summit between President Trump and Vladimir Putin. The l… Continue Reading
July 26, 2018
Cardin, Portman Introduce Protecting Taxpayers Act to Make IRS More Responsive & Accountable to Taxpayers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today unveiled bipartisan legislation - the Protecting Taxpayers Act - to reform a number of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) functions and administrative practices in order to make the agency more responsive and accountable to taxpayers. Specifically, the bill is designed to (1) revitalize the IRS organizational structure and management; (2) increase taxpayer protections and modernize enforcement procedures; (3) improve small… Continue Reading
July 25, 2018
Cardin, Van Hollen Call on Republicans to Drop Harmful Plan Discriminating Against Potential Foster or Adoptive Parents and Youth in Foster Care
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Van Hollen (both D-Md.) today joined 38 of their Senate colleagues in an effort to stop congressional Republicans from promoting discrimination against LGBTQ Americans seeking to be foster or adoptive parents. In a letter to Senate appropriators, the senators slammed a House Republican proposal passed earlier this month that would shield taxpayer funded adoption and child welfare agencies that refuse to provide services to children and parents on the ba… Continue Reading
July 25, 2018
Cardin, Van Hollen Announce Nearly $2 Million in Federal Funding to Combat Maryland Opioid Crisis
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) have announced $1,975,085 in federal funding to fight Maryland's opioid health crisis. The National Health Emergency (NHE) Dislocated Worker Demonstration Grant is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, and will be used to assist Marylanders who have been impacted by the epidemic to find and secure gainful employment. "The opioid and heroin epidemic is a public health crisis that hurts every state in our country, and every… Continue Reading
July 25, 2018
Cardin Welcomes Path Forward for Maryland, D.C. Emoluments Lawsuit against Trump
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Wednesday after a federal judge permitted an Emoluments Clause-related lawsuit filed by Maryland and the District of Columbia against President Trump to move forward: "I applaud the Attorneys General of Maryland and the District of Columbia for pursuing this important case. Lawmakers, law enforcement officials, and good governance and ethics experts have warn… Continue Reading
July 24, 2018
Maryland Congressional Delegation Urges EPA to Reconsider Good Neighbor Petition, Provide Air Pollution Relief
WASHINGTON - The Maryland congressional delegation is calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider its denial of Maryland's petition requesting that action be taken to provide relief against out-of-state air pollution stemming from neighboring states. In particular, the delegation's letter to the EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler noted 36 electric generating units located upwind of Maryland's border that - due to prevailing wind patterns - are disproportionately … Continue Reading
July 23, 2018
Cardin, Van Hollen Announce $6.4 Million for Western Maryland Airports
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) have announced $6,400,000 million in funding for Western Maryland regional airports. A $1,000,000 Department of Transportation (DOT) grant is being awarded to Hagerstown Regional Airport, Richard A. Henson Field in Hagerstown, Md. Authorities will use the funds to rehabilitate and enhance 5,500 feet of runway, as well as begin expanding the terminal building to accommodate a greater number of passengers and luggage. A $5,4… Continue Reading
July 20, 2018
Cardin, Van Hollen Announce $94,132 in Funding to the Clear Spring Volunteer Fire Company
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) have announced $94,132 in federal funding for the Clear Spring Volunteer Fire Company of Washington County through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG). This funding will allow the Clear Spring Volunteer Fire Company to install a sprinkler system in the station, bringing it into compliance with National Fire Protection Association standards. "Our first responders deserv… Continue Reading
July 20, 2018
Cardin, Van Hollen Announce $500,000 Grant for Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) have announced $500,000 in federal funding for the University of Maryland's Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. This funding will allow MFRI to purchase crucial equipment, including 25 sets of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, 25 sets of turnout gear, breathing air compressors, hazmat spill materials, and a simulation tr… Continue Reading
July 19, 2018
Cardin, Boozman Lead Bipartisan Bill to Empower Women-Led Enterprises Around the World
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), John Boozman (R-AR), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced legislation that aims to eliminate global gender-related barriers and empower female entrepreneurs around the world. Women make up the majority of the world's poor. They are often held back by gender-specific constraints to economic empowerment, such as lack of access to financial services and credit. The Women's Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act aims to addr… Continue Reading
July 19, 2018
Maryland Congressional Delegation Urges DHS to Evaluate Statewide Electoral Systems
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Chris Van Hollen and all members of the Maryland delegation in the House of Representatives, Steny H. Hoyer, Elijah E. Cummings, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Andy Harris, M.D., John K. Delaney, Anthony G. Brown and Jamie B. Raskin, today urged Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to respond favorably to Maryland's request for technical assistance to review and protect t… Continue Reading
July 18, 2018
Cardin Introduces Legislation to Encourage Police Departments to Improve Training and Standards
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) has re-introduced the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act (LETIA), S. 3195, which is designed to address the issue of police accountability and build trust between police departments and the communities they serve. This legislation provides incentives for local police organizations to voluntarily adopt performance-based standards to ensure that incidents of misconduct will be reduced through appropriate management, training and oversight protocols… Continue Reading
July 18, 2018
Cardin, Van Hollen Announce More Than $300,000 in Funding for Allegany and Garrett Counties
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) have announced $317,000 in grant funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for Allegany and Garrett counties. A $242,000 grant is being awarded to the Maryland Broadband Cooperative to improve Allegany and Garrett Counties' internet infrastructure. The funds will be used to construct or light more than 60 miles of fiber cable, expanding bandwidth capabilities and bringing increased internet speeds to the region… Continue Reading
July 16, 2018
Cardin calls Trump-Putin Summit, Foreign Trip Detrimental to U.S. National Security Interests, Values
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who earlier this year commissioned a major report on Vladimir Putin's attacks against democracy, universal values, and the rule of law in Russia and throughout Europe, released the following statement Monday after the conclusion of a summit between President Trump and Mr. Putin in Helsinki, Finland: "President Trump's conduct in Helsinki was dangerous and flies in the face of how the leader o… Continue Reading
July 16, 2018
Team Maryland Urges Trump to Consider Capital Gazette Hero for Presidential Medal of Freedom
WASHINGTON - Today, members of Maryland's Democratic Congressional delegation urged President Donald Trump to consider Wendi Winters - a victim of the mass shooting in the Capital Gazette newsroom last month - for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The nation's highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom is awarded by the President to men and women who have made meritorious contributions to the security of the United States, to world peace, to culture or to other significant endeavors. Winters… Continue Reading
July 13, 2018
Cardin, Van Hollen Urge Action on Election Security
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) today spoke out about the revelations that a Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin owns ByteGrid LLC, the company that hosts Maryland's statewide voter registration, candidacy, and election management system; the online voter registration system; online ballot delivery system; and the unofficial election night results website. "This latest news from Annapolis reinforces the reality that Russia has been systematically inf… Continue Reading
July 13, 2018
Cardin, Young, Durbin, Colleagues Urge Support for Burma Sanctions in NDAA Conference
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) led 14 of their colleagues in a bipartisan letter to the leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees yesterday, urging the chairs and ranking members to support the Burmese military sanctions provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act as the bill heads to conference before Congress is able to send it to the president. Burmese military officials have been implicated in gross human… Continue Reading
July 13, 2018
Cardin, Van Hollen Press Amb. Haley on U.S. Opposition to International Breastfeeding Resolution
WASHINGTON - Following recent reports that the Trump administration sought to block or water down a World Health Organization resolution promoting breastfeeding, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) joined 23 of their colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley seeking more information about the United States' involvement. The senators expressed their concern over reports that the United States worked to remove language to "protect, p… Continue Reading
July 12, 2018
Cardin, Van Hollen Lead Senate in Honoring Capital Gazette Shooting Victims, Survivors and First Responders
WASHINGTON - In a solemn tribute Thursday, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) led the United States Senate in commemorating the fatal shooting that occurred at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md., on June 28, 2018. Two weeks to the day after the deadly attack, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution (S. Res. 575) dedicated to the lives, careers, and service of the victims: Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith, and Wendi Winters. The re… Continue Reading
July 12, 2018
Ahead of Putin Summit, Cardin Sends Trump Russia Report Findings, Recommendations to Strengthen President’s Position
WASHINGTON - Ahead of his summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin next week, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) has sent President Trump a letter and key findings and recommendations of a report he commissioned six months ago on Putin's pattern of asymmetric warfare against democracy, universal values, and the rule of law in Russia and throughout Europe. Cardin is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the ranking Senator on the U.S. Helsinki Commission. Putin's Asymmet… Continue Reading
