Press Releases & Statements
Syrian War Crimes Accountability Bill Introduced by Cardin, Bipartisan Colleagues
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.) introduced the Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act Friday to instruct the Secretary of State to report on war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Syria, as well as to authorize assistance for investigations and other credible transitional justice efforts, including a potential hybrid tribunal, to hold Assad and his reg… Continue Reading
April 07, 2017
Baltimore Delegation Lauds Final Approval of Consent Decree
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen with Congressmen Elijah E. Cummings, Dutch Ruppersberger and John Sarbanes (all D-Md.) praised the action of Judge James Bredar for formalizing the consent decree that was agreed to by U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the City of Baltimore to address systemic civil rights violations. The agreement followed an exhaustive federal pattern-and-practice investigation. Earlier this week, the Trump Administration DOJ had attempted to delay … Continue Reading
April 07, 2017
Cardin Votes Against Gorsuch Nomination
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and member of the Environment & Public Works, Small Business and Finance committees, voted Friday against the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court of the United States. Video of Senator Cardin's floor statement on the Gorsuch nomination can be downloaded here. "Advice and Consent of a Supreme Court nominee - someone who could serve for a generati… Continue Reading
April 07, 2017
Cardin Statement on U.S. Bombing of Syrian Airfield
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, released the following statement Thursday after the Trump Administration informed him that the bombing of a Syrian airfield was underway: "Tonight I was informed by the White House that the targeted bombing of a Syrian airfield was underway. "These military strikes against Assad's arsenal send a clear signal that the United States will stand up for internationally accepted norms and rules… Continue Reading
April 07, 2017
Cardin, Van Hollen Announce $120,000 ARC Grant for Boonsboro Sewer Replacement
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) announced a $120,000 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant for the Town of Boonsboro to upgrade a critical sewer line, which currently lacks the capacity needed to adequately serve the community and is prone to backups. The federal funding will be matched by $120,000 in local funds for a project total of $240,000. "This investment in Boonsboro's sewage system exemplifies precisely why we cannot take President Trump's … Continue Reading
April 06, 2017
Cardin Statement on U.S. Bombing of Syrian Airfield
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, released the following statement Thursday after the Trump Administration informed him that the bombing of a Syrian airfield was underway: "Tonight I was informed by the White House that the targeted bombing of a Syrian airfield was underway. "These military strikes against Assad's arsenal send a clear signal that the United States will stand up for internationally accepted norms and rules… Continue Reading
April 06, 2017
Cardin, Van Hollen Call for Continued Funding of Essential Air Service to Support Hagerstown Regional Airport
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) are urging the Appropriations Committee to ignore President Trump's budget and provide robust funding for the Essential Air Service Program (EAS). The EAS Program, funded through the U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT), provides critical air service that connects rural and remote areas to major hubs, helping to grow area businesses and support economic growth. In 2016, it provided $1.7 million to Hagerstown Regional Air… Continue Reading
April 06, 2017
Cardin, Perdue Introduce Global Anti-Corruption Legislation with Strong Bipartisan Support
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.) introduced comprehensive legislation Thursday to make fighting international corruption an American national security priority, encourage greater transparency in U.S. foreign and security assistance, and publicize anti-corruption efforts and results worldwide. Joining Senators Cardin and Perdue as original cosponsors of the Combating Global Corruption Act of 2017 are U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Marco Rubio (R-… Continue Reading
April 06, 2017
Cardin Statement on Senate Rules Change for SCOTUS Nominations
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) issued the following statement after Republicans changed the rules of the Senate to allow nominees for the Supreme Court to move through the confirmation process. "This is a sad day in the Senate, but one the Republicans queued up years ago when blocking President Obama's lower court judges and then punctuated last year by not even considering the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. Theirs was the ultimate filibuster of a judicial nominee. "A lifet… Continue Reading
April 05, 2017
Cardin, National Capital Region Delegation Calls for Federal Investment in WMATA Safety
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, along with Senators Tim Kaine, Mark Warner, Chris Van Hollen and Representatives Steny Hoyer, John P. Sarbanes, John Delaney, Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin Eleanor Holmes Norton, Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer, Barbara Comstock, have sent a letter to Congressional appropriators calling for continued federal investment in the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for safety and other improvements to Metrorail. The delegation stated that Metro has a… Continue Reading
April 05, 2017
Cardin, Bipartisan Colleagues Introduce Resolution Condemning Chemical Weapons Attack on Syrian Civilians
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced a Senate resolution Wednesday condemning Bashar al-Assad and his regime for their continued use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people. Multiple media outlets and independent human rights organizations reported evidence of the latest chemical weapons attack Tuesday, when scores of innocent people, including children, were killed or injured. Th… Continue Reading
April 05, 2017
Cardin, Portman Join with Tiberi, Neal for Bicameral Effort to Protect Retirement Security for Working Families
WASHINGTON -U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), both members of the Senate Finance Committee, and U.S. Representatives Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio) and Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.), both members of the House Ways & Means Committee, introduced updated legislation Wednesday designed to protect the retirement security of many American workers. The Retirement Security Preservation Act of 2017 (RSPA) amends the nondiscrimination rules that apply to qualified retirement plans to protec… Continue Reading
April 05, 2017
Cardin, Isakson, Coons Introduce Legislation To Enhance, Modernize African Growth And Opportunity Act, Millennium Challenge Act
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) introduced the African Growth and Opportunity Act and Millennium Challenge Act Modernization Act (AGOA and MCA Modernization Act) Wednesday, legislation to improve the transparency and impact of the Africa Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA) and enable the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to address regional development challenges and enhance trans-border economic growth opportunities in develop… Continue Reading
April 05, 2017
Cardin Remarks At Hearing On EU Partnership Against Russian Aggression
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, delivered the following opening remarks at a hearing Tuesday entitled, "The European Union as a Partner Against Russian Aggression: Sanctions, Security, Democratic Institutions and the Way Forward": "I particularly appreciate this hearing. I think it's very, very important that we share a lot in our transatlantic partnership, and one of the things we share is that we are all targeted by Ru… Continue Reading
April 05, 2017
Cardin, Johnson Encourage Tillerson To Meet With Russian Civil Society
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe, wrote to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Wednesday ahead of his announced trip to Russia next week, encouraging the Secretary to follow the model set by his bipartisan predecessors and meet with civil society activists while in Moscow. In the letter, Senators Cardin and Johnson said, "Such… Continue Reading
April 05, 2017
Young, Cardin Introduce Resolution Calling For Urgent Diplomatic Campaign To Prevent Millions From Starving To Death
Washington, D.C. - Today, Senator Todd Young (R-IN) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced a resolution calling for an urgent and comprehensive diplomatic effort to address political obstacles in northeastern Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen that are preventing humanitarian aid from being delivered to people who desperately need it. The resolution outlined the dire conditions in each of these four regions and urged the administration to take s… Continue Reading
April 04, 2017
Cardin, Rubio Call on Tillerson to Raise Human Rights Concerns with Chinese President Xi
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on democracy, human rights, and global women's issues, have written to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in advance of President Trump's meetings this week with Chinese President Xi. The senators urge Secretary Tillerson to "make human rights a top priority, both publicly and privately" in the discussions. … Continue Reading
April 04, 2017
Baltimore Delegation Calls on Attorney General Sessions to Rescind Request to Delay Baltimore Consent Decree
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen with Congressmen Elijah E. Cummings, Dutch Ruppersberger and John Sarbanes (all D-Md.) have written to Attorney General Jeff Sessions objecting to the request by the U.S. Department of Justice to delay finalizing the consent decree that was agreed to by DOJ and the City of Baltimore to address systemic civil rights violations. The agreement followed an exhaustive federal pattern-and-practice investigation. "We are gravely concerned that… Continue Reading
April 04, 2017
Cardin Statement on Trump Administration Termination of Funding to the United Nations Population Fund
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Tuesday after the Trump administration announced that it has cut off U.S. funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): "The Trump administration's decision to cut off all U.S. funding to the United Nations Population Fund under the guise that it violates the Kemp-Kasten Amendment is extremely disheartening. UNFPA does not support coercion in reproduc… Continue Reading
April 04, 2017
After Latest Deadly Gas Attack, Cardin Continues Call for Assad Regime to Be Held Accountable for War Crimes
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the latest deadly attack in Syria. "I am deeply alarmed by reports this morning of another chemical weapons attack on a town in Idlib Province, which so far has killed dozens of innocent Syrian civilians including children. Based on initial reporting, it appears this attack was carried out with a chemical nerve agent delivered by aircraft. Only the Assad r… Continue Reading
