Cardin Condemns Attack on Honduran Environmental Activists, including Berta Caceres’ Daughter

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Wednesday after Bertha Zuñiga, daughter of slain environmental and human rights activist Berta Cáceres, was brutally attacked along with other activists in Honduras: "I am appalled at the ongoing targeted attacks against members of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras, or COPINH. These attacks are unacceptable and… Continue Reading

Cardin Writes to Trump as Jewish Affairs Positions at White House, State Dept. Remain Vacant

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to President Trump Wednesday, requesting that he fill the vacancies of White House liaison to the Jewish community and State Department Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism (SEAS). The Senator's letter follows: Dear Mr. President: I am writing to request the reappointment of two positions critical to the global and domestic fight against anti-Semitism - the White House li… Continue Reading

Cardin Statement on Independence Day 2017

BALTIMORE - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) released the following statement in advance of July 4, 2017, Independence Day. "Each year on Independence Day we mark the heart of the summer season with a celebration of our country, our people and our freedoms. Independence Day provides an opportunity for all Americans to display pride, spirit, and respect for each other and the country that binds us together as one community. This is a time to treat our fellow Americans as we would like to be treat… Continue Reading

Maryland Senators Urge Governor Hogan to Protect Marine Mammals and Atlantic Fisheries

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) have written to Governor Larry Hogan (R-Md.) urging him to protect marine mammals and Maryland's fisheries from needless seismic surveying testing. Earlier this month, NOAA proposed Incidental Harassment Authorizations (IHA), permits necessary to conduct damaging seismic surveying using airgun blasts that repeat every ten seconds, for 24 hours a day, for weeks at a time. Oil and gas companies conduct this surveying to find n… Continue Reading

Cardin Introduces Legislation to Improve the Affordable Care Act and Find Real Solutions to Fix Americans’ Health Coverage

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Finance Health Care Subcommittee, Thursday introduced new legislation, S. 1511, Keeping Health Insurance Affordable Act, to improve the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The bill brings together several new and existing proposals that will improve the current health care system and address Americans' concerns with high health care costs in contrast to the House and Senate Republican plans that are focused solely… Continue Reading

Cardin, Capito Urge Overdue Reauthorization of Chesapeake Bay Program that Brings Federal Resources to Regional Projects

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) have introduced bipartisan legislation (S.1429) to reauthorize the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program, a keystone regional partnership that works to restore the health of this national treasure. Water and pollution do not abide by state borders, making it essential that all watershed states have access to the resources that best contribute to the restoration and sustained health of the Che… Continue Reading

Cardin, Van Hollen Statement on House Move to Cut Funding for FBI Headquarters Consolidation

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, and Chris Van Hollen, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, criticized the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government's move to rescinded $200 million for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters relocation project in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 appropriations bill. Senators Cardin and Van … Continue Reading

Cardin Welcomes New Sanctions to Keep Pressure on North Korea

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Thursday after the Treasury Department announced new sanctions on Chinese businesses and individuals that support illicit North Korean financial activity: "Even President Trump now appears to recognize that a China-first approach to North Korea simply will not work. We should neither expect China to prioritize our interests over their own or solve our problem… Continue Reading

Senator Cardin Addresses Venezuelan Crisis

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, took to the Senate floor Thursday to speak out on the humanitarian, economic and political crisis affecting the Venezuelan people under President Nicolas Maduro. Senator Cardin delivered the following remarks as prepared for delivery: "I come to the floor to speak about the rise of a failed state in Venezuela and the man-made tragedy that President Maduro has imposed on his citizens. "For th… Continue Reading

Cardin, Van Hollen Announce $346,858 for Community Fire Company of Rising Sun

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) have announced $346,858 in federal funding for the Community Fire Company of Rising Sun. The funding comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The grant will enable the purchase of 58 sets of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) equipment and face masks. Rising Sun volunteer first responders are currently using SCBA equipment that is 17 years old - well past their u… Continue Reading

Cardin Raises Concerns, Notes Progress In Annual Human Trafficking Report

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Tuesday after the State Department published its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report: "The annual Trafficking in Persons Report is an essential accountability tool which assesses governments' progress on anti-trafficking efforts globally and is critical to ensuring continued progress against the scourge of human trafficking. Human trafficking is one of … Continue Reading

Cardin Raises Concerns, Notes Progress In Annual Human Trafficking Report

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Tuesday after the State Department published its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report: "The annual Trafficking in Persons Report is an essential accountability tool which assesses governments' progress on anti-trafficking efforts globally and is critical to ensuring continued progress against the scourge of human trafficking. Human trafficking is one of … Continue Reading

Cardin Co-Sponsors First Ever Resolution Recognizing June as Pride Month

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) joined Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and other Senate colleagues in introducing the first-ever Senate Resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. The resolution notes major milestones in the fight for equal treatment of LGBTQ Americans and resolves to continue efforts to achieve full equality for LGBTQ individuals. Today, June 28, marks the 48th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. "Every American deserves the same freedoms, the same opportunitie… Continue Reading

Cardin, Van Hollen Announce $87,414 for West Lanham Hills Volunteer Fire Department

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) have announced $87,414 in federal funding for the West Lanham Hills Volunteer Fire Department. The funding comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The money will be used to finance upgrades to critical safety and extrication equipment. The department's current hydraulic extrication tools are more than 18 years old, have significant wear and tear, and do not have suffic… Continue Reading

Maryland Congressional Delegation Holds Bipartisan Meeting on the State of the Chesapeake Bay

WASHINGTON - Maryland's bipartisan congressional delegation today gathered in the U.S. Capitol to review the state of the Chesapeake Bay and the essential role that partnerships have played in restoring the health of this national treasure - the economic heart of the region. Participating in the meeting were U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) and Representatives Steny H. Hoyer (Md.-05), Elijah Cummings (Md.-07), Dutch Ruppersberger (Md.-02), John P. Sarbanes (Md.-03), And… Continue Reading

Cardin: We Need More Protection for Our Water Not Less

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, issued the following statement on the Trump Administration's announcement that they intend to gut the Clean Water Act: "Every community in America needs clean, safe water every day for every resident and President Trump's repeal of the Clean Water Rule puts that in serious jeopardy. The move is blatantly partisan and can best be described as shortsighted, and dangerous. Repealing … Continue Reading

Bicameral, Bipartisan Effort of Lawmakers from Maryland, Virginia and Delaware Seeks to Preserve Successful Chesapeake Gateways Partnership

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Representative John Sarbanes (D-Md.-03), a member of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce, and Representative Rob Wittman (R-Va.-01), a senior member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, have introduced legislation in both the Senate (S. 1430) and the House of Representatives (H.R. 3063) to reauthorize the Chesapeake Gateways and Watertrails program run by the Natio… Continue Reading

Cardin, Crapo Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Fish Habitat and Related Jobs

WASHINGTON - Bipartisan legislation to engage stakeholders like commercial fisherman, anglers, outfitters and other sportsmen industries to make lasting improvements to the health and sustainability of our nation's fish habitats has been introduced by Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). Their legislation, S.1436 The National Fish Habitat Conservation Act (NFHCA) would leverage public-private partnerships and authorize $7.2 million annually for fish habitat restoration and protecti… Continue Reading

Cardin Reacts to SCOTUS Ruling on Trump’s Travel Ban

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Monday after the Supreme Court ruled to allow part of President Trump's travel ban to move forward while also announcing it will take up the full case in October: "I am hopeful the Supreme Court will ultimately act with clarity that we will not allow religious tests as to who can come to America. That is the question that must be answered, because the selectio… Continue Reading

Cardin, McCain, Markey, Gardner, Colleagues Welcome Korean President, Reaffirm Strategic Bilateral Relationship In Senate Resolution

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John McCain (R-Ariz), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) led a bipartisan group of their colleagues yesterday to introduce a Senate resolution welcoming the President of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-in, on his official visit to the United States next week and celebrating the U.S.-South Korean relationship. "South Korea is one of the United States' most important allies in the world, with our two countries sharing a number of security… Continue Reading