Senate Update: Overcoming Chaos in the House

As Black History Month comes to a close, we recognize the enormous contributions made by Black Americans to our country and to the mission of building a more perfect union, and we recommit ourselves to carrying forward their work, not just for one month a year, but the whole year long.

It is an honor to work with many extraordinary partners in our state to advance that mission, including groups like Collective Empowerment Group in Prince George’s County, who I visited with earlier this month for an important conversation on what’s ahead this year and how we can mobilize and empower our faith leaders to improve the economic well-being of our communities. I also recently joined the Sister States of Maryland, which promotes international cooperation and understanding, to highlight their work to better understand Maryland’s linkages to civil rights movements abroad.

I’m also grateful that Maryland has had so many trailblazers, who have led the way in our fight for equal justice and opportunity. One of the most consequential individuals in that quest was Baltimore’s own Thurgood Marshall, a tireless NAACP civil rights lawyer and the first Black Supreme Court Justice, who applied the Constitution to better align the law of the land with its promises.

Justice Marshall learned to read and write at Public School 103, and while the school has long been part of the heart, soul, and history of Baltimore, it was in total disrepair. That’s why we worked to support the efforts of Rev. Dr. Alvin C. Hathaway, alongside other community leaders, with a direct federal investment to help restore the aging P.S. 103 building. It will now operate as a community and amenity center, providing a wide array of services to Baltimoreans, including STEM skill-building. I was glad to tour the newly restored building earlier this week. The restored P.S. 103 tells the story of the past as it lights the way to the future. This is one of many ways that we’re investing in our communities.

Senator Cardin and I also recently teamed up with Baltimore’s Mayor Scott and representatives from MDOT, MTA and Amtrak, at Baltimore’s Penn Station to announce newly completed platform improvements that will better accommodate Amtrak’s Acela high-speed trains, while increasing track capacity, improving ride quality and ADA accessibility, and offering greater reliability both locally and along the entire Northeast Corridor. In addition to these upgrades, we’ve also delivered federal funding to MTA to make new safety, mobility and environmental improvements around the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, a crucial piece of highway infrastructure, that more than 27.6 million vehicles pass through annually. And the work didn’t stop there – we also recently announced $213 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rail Vehicle Replacement program, which will support MTA’s efforts to replace all 52 of the aging light rail vehicles in its fleet with new ones.

At Coppin State, the Maryland Clean Energy Center will receive federal funds to build 58 electric vehicle charging stations statewide. This is another important step in our shared mission to build a better environmental and economic future for our state and our nation – and support our goal of making Maryland a zero-emissions state by 2045, to do our part in confronting the climate crisis.

This is just a sampling of the important federal investments we have brought to Maryland over the past month. I am also, of course, focused on the national and international challenges we face at this moment in history. Now more than ever, we need to follow the extraordinary example of those who blazed the trail before us, and know that it is our responsibility to build a brighter and more hopeful future for all.

It’s Past Time to Get Ukraine the Support it Needs – the House Must Act

Earlier this month the Senate passed the National Security Act on a broad bipartisan basis. As our allies face a host of challenges across the globe, it’s critical that we deploy the necessary resources to support democracy and humanitarian aid abroad. For Ukraine, especially, this legislation includes vital assistance that could not come at a more crucial time. While Putin continues to wage his war of aggression against the Ukrainian people and on democracy itself, Ukraine is running dangerously low on ammunition and other vital supplies. We know all too well that this is not only a fight to save Ukraine – our adversaries and allies alike are watching closely, and the outcome will have implications on American security across the globe.

This is not the only way the National Security Act strengthens our security here at home. It also includes important investments in the Nonprofit Security Grant Program – which helps protect various community institutions that are at risk of hate crimes, including synagogues, mosques, and other houses of worship – and it enacts clear measures to restrict the deadly flow of fentanyl into our nation.

In addition to these provisions, this legislation includes vital funding to bring humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and others in desperate need around the world. Within this legislation, I also supported the funding for defensive weapons systems, like the Iron Dome, to protect Israel from Hamas and other rocket attacks. The October 7th Hamas terrorist attack on Israel was horrific, and we must prevent any such future horrors. I fully support Israel’s right, indeed its duty, to defend itself, and the urgent need to free the hostages – all of them – from the hands of Hamas. But while this war is just, it must be fought justly. I cannot support a blank check for the Netanyahu government’s current military campaign in Gaza, including its planned operation in Rafah. We must not turn a blind eye to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. I appreciate that President Biden issued National Security Memorandum 20, based on the amendment that I proposed with 18 of my colleagues, to better ensure that American taxpayer dollars used for foreign assistance are spent in line with our values. President Biden must use these tools in a manner that holds the Netanyahu government – which has mostly ignored his requests – more accountable for its actions, especially to allow more desperately needed assistance to reach people who are starving to death. We need a ceasefire and the return of all of the hostages. I will continue to push for a stronger U.S. response on this front.

On balance, this bill provides the necessary funds to support our efforts abroad at a time when they are vitally needed. That is why I supported this legislation, and it’s why I urge the House of Representatives to do its job and bring it to a vote.

And While We’re at It, Fund the Government! 

The Senate is – and has been – ready to pass a funding bill to cover the rest of the fiscal year, but House Republican chaos is keeping that from happening. While I’m glad we were once again able to come to an agreement to avert a shameful government shutdown at the 11th hour, this is just a stopgap measure, and it’s long past time to pass funding legislation for the FULL fiscal year that actually addresses our country's needs and provides support to our allies around the world.

The pattern of coming to the brink of government shutdowns, first last fall, again in January, and yet again this week, is just one sign of the chaos and uncertainty that House MAGA Republicans have inflicted on Americans. A shutdown would cause major disruptions to our economy and vital government services Americans rely on. It would also mean the nearly 200,000 federal employees and servicemembers living and working in Maryland would go without pay. Every time the shutdown clock counts down, many of these families worry that they won’t be able to make ends meet.

This agreement sets new fast-approaching deadlines of March 8th and 22nd, and we can’t wait any longer – we must pass full-year funding bills and stop this rollercoaster. I hope the House Speaker will stick to his promise of holding votes on a full-year funding bill for half the government next week, before the March 8th deadline, and complete a bipartisan negotiation to vote on the other half by March 22nd.

We have work to do, let’s get it done!

Chris Van Hollen