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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cardin, Mikulski, Cummings, Ruppersberger, Sarbanes Strongly Applaud New Federal Grant for Schools Affected by Unrest Following Death of Freddie Gray

BALTIMORE - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski and Representatives Elijah Cummings, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and John Sarbanes (All D-Md.) today strongly lauded an announcement that Baltimore City Public Schools will receive more than $2.374 million in funding through the U.S. Department of Education Promoting Student Resilience grant program. The grant will allow city public schools to more effectively meet the behavioral and mental health needs of students in areas that have been… Continue Reading

Cardin Hails Senate Passage of WRDA as Vital to Clean, Safe Water for Maryland and the Nation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), lauded Thursday's overwhelmingly bipartisan passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 that advances long-overdue reforms and support to our nation's drinking water systems. "Comprehensive water infrastructure reform has been a long time coming and I am exceedingly proud of what we have been able to accomplish in this bill," Senator Cardin said. "WRDA provides new federa… Continue Reading

Cardin, Collins Lead 2016 Senate Recognition of Direct Support Professionals

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) have joined together again to recognize the hard work of direct support professionals with a Senate resolution, (S. Res. 559) that celebrates "National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week." The honor runs the week of September 12. Direct support professionals (DSPs) provide an invaluable service by caring for the most vulnerable among us, including seniors, people living with disabilities, and the chronically ill.… Continue Reading

Senators Introduce Resolution to Condemn North Korea Nuclear Test

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced a Senate resolution today condemning North Korea's fifth nuclear test on September 9th and calling on that country to uphold its international obligations and abandon its nuclear weapons program. The resolution also asks China to exercise greater economic and diplomatic leverage over North Korea and reinforces American commitments to our alli… Continue Reading

Cardin Leads Discussion by DOJ, Community Leaders on Baltimore City Police Reforms

BALTIMORE - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) recently facilitated a discussion among Department of Justice (DOJ) officials and African-American community leaders about reforms to the Baltimore Police Department that they consider necessary to include in the consent decree currently being forged by DOJ to map out a path forward for the department. The roundtable conversation at the historic Orchard St. Church provided an opportunity to elevate mutual understanding among federal officials and organ… Continue Reading

Cardin Statement on Historic Security MOU Between United States, Israel

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, released the following statement Wednesday after the conclusion of a ten-year memorandum of understanding between the United States and Israel on security aid: "A strong, safe Israel is in the national security interest of the United States. This historic memorandum of understanding is the single largest pledge of bilateral military assistance in U.S. history. It ensures Israel's short- … Continue Reading

Cardin, McCain Introduce Legislation To Support Burma During Historic Political, Economic Transition, Remain Focused On Human Rights Issues

Cardin, Markey In Wall Street Journal: U.S. Is Already A Signatory To Test Ban Treaty

We were disappointed to read Senate Republicans' letter to President Obama regarding his intention to pursue a U.N. Security Council resolution on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty ("Republican Senators Decry Obama's Nuclear Ban Effort," U.S. News, Sept. 9). While the U.S. isn't yet a party to the CTBT, we are a signatory and, since 1992 our own national policy prevents the testing of nuclear weapons in line with the treaty's main goal. Setting aside the important but broader debate ab… Continue Reading

Cardin Statement on Syria Ceasefire

BALTIMORE - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement ahead of a U.S. -Russian negotiated ceasefire in Syria, set to begin Monday evening: "I welcome the announcement that a ceasefire agreement has been reached between the United States and Russia in Syria, to begin on September 12. The scale of suffering and scope of war crimes committed over the course of the Syrian conflict is deplorable. The violence must st… Continue Reading