Press Releases & Statements
Cardin Names Jessica Lewis As New SFRC Staff Director
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) announced today that Jessica Lewis will serve as the new staff director for the Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Jessica is currently the Senior National Security Advisor to Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), handling a broad portfolio of national security issues and serving as the Senator's liaison to relevant government agencies and the Senate Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence Committees. Prior to her… Continue Reading
September 27, 2016
Cardin Strongly Applauds Federal and State Efforts to Resume Oyster Restoration in Tred Avon River
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, today welcomed an announcement by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, that it had awarded a $1-million contract to resume the construction of oyster reefs in the Tred Avon River Oyster Sanctuary in Talbot County, Md. The award of the construction contract, which had been temporarily stalled earlier this year owing to a state-requested delay, will allow for the con… Continue Reading
September 27, 2016
Cardin, Toomey and Collins Question CMS Suspension of Emergency Psychiatric Services Program
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) have written a letter to Andrew Slavitt, Acting Director for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), expressing concern over the agency's suspension of an emergency psychiatric services pilot program. The letter urges CMS to allow states to submit additional data before finalizing its decision to discontinue the Medicaid Emergency Psychiatric Demonstration (MEPD). "We are concerned that C… Continue Reading
September 27, 2016
Cardin Joins Senate Democrats: No Vote on Garland Nomination, No Recess
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and other Senate Democrats in calling for a hearing and a vote on the nomination of Chief Judge Merrick Garland before adjourning for another Republican-scheduled recess. Because of Republican obstruction, Judge Garland's nomination has been stalled for 195 days, making him the longest pending Supreme Court nominee in history. Despite this fact, the Republican-led Senate has… Continue Reading
September 26, 2016
Cardin Travels to Colombia for Signing of Historic Peace Accord
CARTAGENA - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign Relations, traveled to Colombia with Secretary of State John Kerry and other American dignitaries to witness the signing of the peace accord between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) Monday. Senator Cardin released the following statement: "To witness firsthand the formal conclusion of the world's longest civil war is a powerful and moving experience. "Today's s… Continue Reading
September 23, 2016
Cardin Statement On UN Vote To Reaffirm Ban On Nuclear Weapons Testing
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, released the following statement Friday after the UN Security Council voted 14-0-1 in support of Resolution 2310, which reaffirms the global moratorium on nuclear weapons testing. The P5 Members of the Security Council also reiterated their support for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty: "Today's vote strongly reaffirms the international community's commitment to halt all nuclear-w… Continue Reading
September 22, 2016
Cardin Condemns Hungarian Government’s Award to anti-Semitic Journalist Zsolt Bayer
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, released the following statement Thursday after the Hungarian government recently awarded anti-Semitic journalist Zsolt Bayer with its Order of Merit: "I condemn the awarding of the Hungarian Order of Merit to anti-Semitic and xenophobic journalist Zsolt Bayer. As Hungary approaches the 60th anniversary of its 1956 Revolution, which was grounded in the principles of democracy, human rights… Continue Reading
September 22, 2016
Cardin, Durbin, Menendez, Nelson Statement on Venezuelan Recall Referendum Delay
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) released the following statement Thursday in response to the announcement by Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) to delay until 2017 the scheduling of a recall referendum on President Nicolas Maduro's mandate: "Through excessive delays and unconstitutional restrictions, the National Electoral Council is subverting what little remains of democracy in Venezuela. The CNE… Continue Reading
September 21, 2016
Cardin Lauds Pension Bills Cleared by Finance Committee
"There are always ways that we can help American workers retire with economic security and dignity" WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, praised that Committee's action Wednesday on two important pension-related measures: a bill protecting the health and pension plans of the United Mine Workers of America, and a bill of bipartisan private retirement measures. "I have spent most of my career working on savings issues, particularly retirement … Continue Reading
September 21, 2016
Cardin, Mikulski Announce More Than $5.4 Million in Federal Funds for Montgomery County Airpark
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.) have announced that Montgomery County has been awarded a $5,477,702 Federal Aviation Administration grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to rehabilitate Montgomery County Airpark (GAI). The grant - which will fund the first of a two phase construction effort - will allow county authorities to fully restore more than 2,500 feet of pavement critical to airport operations. "With this federal grant, airport offic… Continue Reading
September 21, 2016
Cardin, Mikulski Announce More Than $3.8 Million in Federal Funds for Frederick Municipal Airport
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.) have announced that the City of Frederick has been awarded a $3,807,188 Federal Aviation Administration grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the removal of obstructions at the Frederick Municipal Airport. The airport is located miles from downtown Frederick and is a critical element of the city's economic and business development growth. "This grant will help ensure the safe and efficient transport of bot… Continue Reading
September 21, 2016
Cardin and Nearly 40 Senators Call to Protect Women’s Access to Contraceptive Coverage
Affordable Care Act Balances Need to Ensure Women's Access to Birth Control with Employers' Religious Freedom WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and nearly 40 Democratic Senators have called on the Obama Administration to protect women's access to affordable birth control under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In May, the U.S. Supreme Court failed to resolve the case of Zubik v. Burwell, yet another attempt by some employers to interfere with women's access to health care by denying in… Continue Reading
September 21, 2016
Cardin, Mikulski Announce More Than $10.8 Million to Fight Veteran Homelessness in Maryland
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.) have announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently awarded 10 veterans-assistance programs that operate in Maryland a total of more than $10.8 million to help better address the needs of homeless veterans. The federal grants come from the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program - an initiative designed to prevent homelessness by bolstering outreach, case management and other crucial servi… Continue Reading
September 20, 2016
Cardin, Mikulski Announce $700,000 in Federal Funds to Improve Rail Infrastructure in Baltimore County
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.) today announced the Federal Railroad Administration has awarded the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) $700,000 to improve four crossings in Rosedale, Maryland. The area was the site of a train derailment and explosion in May 2013. "We fought for this federal investment to help restore safety and reliability to a well-traveled region in Maryland. It will save lives and keep our economy rolling," said Senator C… Continue Reading
September 20, 2016
Cardin Statement on Russian Parliamentary Elections
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign Relations, released the following statement Tuesday after Russia held parliamentary elections: "Russians went to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament. For the first time, elections were also held on the illegally-occupied territory of Crimea in violation of international law and Ukrainian sovereignty. Holding elections in illegally-occupied Crimea is just the most recent example of the Russian Fed… Continue Reading
September 20, 2016
Cardin Statement on Humanitarian Convoy Attack in Syria
"If Monday's horrifying, outrageous attack is found to be a deliberate targeting of humanitarians, it would amount to a war crime" WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the author of the Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act, released the following statement Tuesday following the bombing of a United Nations/Syrian Arab Red Crescent humanitarian convoy near Aleppo that killed an aide worker and more than twenty civilians, a… Continue Reading
September 20, 2016
Senate Passes Cardin, Boozman Bill to Add a Wall of Remembrance to Korean War Memorial on National Mall
WASHINGTON - The Senate has unanimously approved a measure championed by U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) that would authorize a Wall of Remembrance to be added to the Korean War Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. This addition to the current memorial, to be built without the use of public funds, would recognize individual members of the United States Armed Forces who gave their lives in theater during the Korean War, as well as the number of service memb… Continue Reading
September 19, 2016
Cardin Statement on President Obama’s Leader’s Summit on Refugees
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, released the following statement Monday ahead of President Barack Obama's hosting of a Leaders' Summit on the Global Refugee Crisis on the margins of UN General Assembly. The Summit seeks to galvanize significant new commitments to increase funding to humanitarian appeals and international organizations, admit more refugees through resettlement or other legal pathways, and increase refugees… Continue Reading
September 19, 2016
South Sudan On Track To Becoming A Failed State
South Sudan stands on the brink of collapse. The economy is in shambles, with an inflation rate of over 600 percent. Parts of the country are already facing famine conditions, and more than 40 percent of the population needs emergency food aid. More than one million people have fled as refugees, and almost two million are displaced internally. And the credibility of South Sudan's leaders has been severely compromised by failure to implement the peace accord signed last August, continued abuse of… Continue Reading
September 16, 2016
Cardin, Mikulski, Cummings Lead Maryland Delegation in Praising President for Signing Major Disaster Declaration Following Deadly Flooding in Ellicott City
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski and U.S. Representative Elijah E. Cummings (all D-Md.), together with U.S. Representatives Steny H. Hoyer, Chris Van Hollen, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes, Donna F. Edwards, Andy Harris and John Delaney today applauded President Obama's issuing of a federal Disaster Declaration for Howard County after the deadly and devastating flooding in Ellicott City. The President's action follows the Delegation's letter in support of… Continue Reading
