Senate Update: A Clear and Present Danger
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: our country is facing a clear and present danger from a lawless president. This is a time for all patriots to stand up and be counted. We must not give in. We must not give up. And we must work around the clock. That’s why, for two nights last week, Senate Democrats held the floor overnight. On Friday, we pushed for amendments as we worked to stop Republicans from gutting Medicaid to pay for billionaire tax giveaways. A few days before that, Senator Cory Booker held the floor by speaking for over 25 hours—and if he’d wanted to go over all of Trump’s outrageous attacks on our families, it would have taken him 25 more. I was proud to support Senator Booker’s record-breaking speech by joining him on the floor with questions; these bad times demand that we make good trouble.
For so many families, these debates have life-and-death stakes. The American people deserve a government that works for them—not one rigged against them in favor of the richest and the most powerful. So we must fight all day and all night long: in Congress, the courts, and our communities.
Here’s the latest:
Fight in the Congress
The Great Betrayal Arrives in the Senate
Trump and Republicans are laying the groundwork for a $7 trillion bill aimed mostly at cutting taxes for the wealthy and mega corporations. How are they planning to “pay” for it? They would put much of it on the national credit card, spiking the national debt. And they would offset part of it by slashing Medicaid and public services that benefit all Americans.
We are fighting to expose this betrayal of the American people.
Remember, we’ve seen this movie before. During his first term, Trump promised that the benefits of tax cuts for the rich would trickle down to the rest of Americans. It never happened. He promised workers would get $4,000 pay raises. That also didn’t happen—but CEOs got bigger bonuses. He promised corporations would invest their tax savings in new plants and equipment. Didn’t happen. Corporations instead used much of it to buy back their own stock and jack up their share prices.
Last week, I spoke on the Senate floor about the findings of a blockbuster investigation into who Trump’s tax cuts benefit the most. My colleague Senator Wyden found that Trump’s first round of tax cuts in 2017 helped big pharmaceutical corporations use overseas tax schemes to avoid taxes.
Now, they’re doing it all again but on steroids.
That’s why all through the night on Friday, Democrats offered 25 amendments to reveal who the Republicans are really working for. They rejected our amendments to protect Medicaid and Social Security, to provide tax cuts to the middle class instead of billionaires, and to protect vital programs like Meals on Wheels and child care. We gave them every opportunity to protect these and other priorities. They voted “NO” every time, because they don’t work for American families—they sided with the billionaires and their corporate donors.
To partially pay for their tax scheme, Trump and the Republicans want to cut $880 billion from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which cover nearly 80 million Americans. In Maryland, Medicaid covers 1 in 3 children, 5 in 8 nursing home residents, and 1 in 3 people with disabilities.
Trump's New National Sales Tax
This isn’t the only way Donald Trump and Republicans are raising costs for American families. This week, I also took to the floor to support legislation that would stop Trump from issuing his bogus emergency tariffs on Canada. His across-the-board tariffs on Canada and all other countries are, in effect, a gigantic national sales tax on the American people. When you levy a tariff on imports from Canada or Mexico, the other country doesn’t pay it—American consumers do.
While targeted tariffs in strategic sectors can be an effective tool, Trump’s blanket tariffs are the opposite—causing economic pain and financial chaos. Trump’s tariffs have already increased prices and tanked the stock market. With his April 2 so-called “Liberation Day,” he doubled down, making the turmoil even worse. Just one example: we supplement U.S. building supplies by importing Canadian lumber and other raw materials to build houses—putting tariffs on those products could increase the cost of a new home by up to $10,000. And that’s not the only place it will hit American families—new cars are likely to cost thousands of dollars more.
Today, after facing widespread backlash, the Administration announced a 90-day pause on all the newly announced “reciprocal” tariffs except for those on China, also leaving in place a 10% tariff on most countries and the earlier higher tariffs on goods like steel, autos, and auto parts. This is just another example of the Trump chaos that is wreaking havoc on our economy and doing nothing to lower prices for American families.
Standing Up for Federal Workers & the Services They Provide
In Congress, we’re also continuing the fight to protect our federal workforce and the public services they provide. Senate Republicans—who control all the committees by virtue of holding the majority—are failing to uphold their constitutional duties and have refused to conduct hearings into the Trump/Musk lawbreaking spree. As a result, Democrats are holding unofficial “shadow hearings” to expose Trump and Musk’s operation for what it is. In one of these hearings, we revealed Elon Musk’s dangerous lie about Ebola: Musk said he accidentally canceled but then quickly reinstated USAID’s Ebola prevention efforts, but, in fact, the lifesaving program has not resumed. We have also conducted shadow hearings on the mistreatment of our veterans, the sabotage of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the attacks on the NIH and medical research.
Last week, I reintroduced legislation to stop the Trump Administration from using yet another device to sabotage the federal government: abruptly moving agencies thousands of miles from their current locations. This endangers their critical missions, wastes taxpayer dollars, and forces workers to either lose their jobs or relocate their families. That’s why I worked with Congressman Suhas Subramanyam to reintroduce the COST of Relocations Act, which requires that any federal agency preparing to relocate a significant portion of their workforce conduct and release to the public a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the proposed move before it is carried out. If this was really about government efficiency, Republicans would support this legislation. Somehow, I doubt they will.
Fight in the Courts
Protecting Vital Federal Services
Every day, Trump breaks new laws in his quest to slash vital services Americans rely on. Every day, he seeks to implement illegal orders that strip away constitutional rights, from due process to the First Amendment. And every day, I am working with lawyers to fight back in the courts. It’s hard to keep track of it all—here are just a few recent updates:
One illegal, dangerous outrage that recently came to light was Trump senior officials’ texting of classified war plans in an unsecured group chat, putting American troops in danger. They were so reckless that they accidentally added a journalist to the chat, who blew the whistle on this unacceptable breach of national security. As a result, I’ve said that Pete Hegseth and Michael Waltz must resign and demanded that Attorney General Bondi appoint a special counsel to investigate. Following a lawsuit filed to demand accountability, a judge ordered Hegseth and others to preserve all Signal communications from March 11-15, preventing them from disposing of the evidence. This is a vital first step.
On March 28, a judge issued a preliminary injunction barring Trump and Musk’s illegal attempt to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB was created by Congress to protect Americans from fraud and abuse by financial institutions, and it has returned $21 billion to consumers since its inception. Just last December, it returned $1.8 billion to Americans from illegal fees charged by credit repair organizations, including $42 million for Marylanders. By reclaiming that much money, the CFPB made powerful enemies. It’s pretty twisted that the world’s richest man is trying to “delete” an agency that helps consumers recover their hard-earned money taken by fraudsters. We’re fighting to put a stop to this.
Last week, another judge temporarily blocked the Administration from cancelling $11 billion in grants that Congress passed to improve public health. The termination of these grants would undermine vital health initiatives, like vaccine distribution and substance abuse treatment in our state and local public health departments.
Many of Trump’s legal defeats have come at the hands of our federal employee unions like the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). Naturally, he's now coming after these unions harder than ever – trying to strip one million federal employees of their collective bargaining rights. Using the baseless claim of threats to national security, Trump is attempting to cancel collective bargaining agreements everywhere, from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Department of the Treasury. Federal employees’ collective bargaining rights are already limited – for example, they do not cover wages or benefits – and most often are in place to support whistleblower rights and other important protections. We’re fighting this illegal assault tooth and nail. AFGE and NTEU have already filed suit, and last week, I led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in a letter demanding that President Trump rescind this illegal executive order.
The legal landscape is fast-changing and complex. While we had made headway in multiple court rulings in favor of reinstating probationary employees, yesterday and today, we have faced bad news in decisions handed down by the Supreme Court and a panel on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. These rulings are undeniably major setbacks; however, since they were made on procedural grounds and not based on the merits, they do not prevent the possibility of future lawsuits. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court also ruled in Trump’s favor today to temporarily pause the reinstatement of a member of the Merit Systems Protection Board, hamstringing the Board from taking action for now. These decisions are another roadblock in our fight, but I’m reaching out to our partners in the legal community to formulate our next steps in this legal battle.
Trump has grown frustrated with federal judges standing up for constitutional rights and the rule of law, so now he’s taken to trying to strong-arm the legal system into silence, from bullying law firms to calling for the impeachment of judges. That’s why he and his MAGA cronies in Congress are openly threatening judges who rule against him. On March 26, House Republicans filed articles of impeachment against a Maryland judge for doing his job. We won’t have it. Now is the time for all patriots to stand up and push back in solidarity.
Defending our Civil Liberties
Our nation strives to uphold a few simple, powerful principles: everyone is endowed with the same natural rights and deserves the same fundamental freedoms, from freedom of speech and freedom of religion to due process under the law. No one should be afraid to express their views; everyone gets their day in court.
Every day, Donald Trump is desecrating those foundational principles. He’s using an arcane piece of legislation called the Alien Enemies Act and claiming other dubious powers he does not have to trample the rights of immigrants and visiting students. Right now, hooded agents are abducting legal residents of this country and disappearing them to detention centers and foreign prisons.
One of these reprehensible attacks happened in Maryland. Last Monday, the Trump Administration admitted that they had accidentally deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a father and a legal resident of Prince George’s County who had legally mandated protected status. Mr. Abrego Garcia is now detained in a Salvadoran prison, and the Administration is claiming that they have no ability to bring him back. That’s outrageous. Senator Alsobrooks and I demanded that the Administration take immediate action to right this wrong. On Friday, a federal judge agreed, demanding that the Trump Administration bring him home by midnight Monday. Then, Monday, the Supreme Court temporarily paused the deadline while they review the case. Let’s be clear: Kilmar Abrego Garcia should’ve never been deported in the first place. We will fight to get him home. Yesterday, I led a letter to the Administration, signed by 24 of my Senate Democratic colleagues, pressing for answers as to how this happened and demanding his immediate return. And today I joined Mr. Abrego Garcia’s family in a private meeting and to publicly call for his return.
On March 25, the Administration also arrested and detained Rumeysa Ozturk, a student visa holder whose only crime was writing an op-ed in the Tufts University student newspaper. Trump can disagree with what she wrote, but he cannot infringe on her right to express her views. The same day, a judge issued an order requiring the Department of Homeland Security to provide 48-hour notice before moving her from the District of Massachusetts. Flouting this order, the Administration moved her to Louisiana. I joined Senator Warren and other colleagues to demand that Rumeysa receive the due process she deserves. Supreme Court precedent is clear: individuals legally in the U.S. have First Amendment protection. The case has now been moved to a federal district court in Vermont. This is one of many cases involving the First Amendment rights of students and the Administration’s efforts to punish colleges and universities.
Trump isn’t just targeting individuals—he’s also trying to deport whole classes of individuals who are here legally. The Trump Department of Homeland Security is trying to strip legal protected status from 350,000 Venezuelans taking refuge in the United States after fleeing danger and persecution. Fortunately, on March 31, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump Administration from ending these humanitarian protections. This will give the plaintiffs time to proceed with a legal challenge. On April 7, the Supreme Court ruled on procedural grounds to allow the Trump Administration to use the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants for now, because the legal challenge should have been filed in Texas and not DC. In doing so, the Court at least required that every migrant receive a court hearing before being removed. And in positive news following the Supreme Court decision, on Wednesday a federal court in Texas temporarily blocked the Administration from removals under the Alien Enemies Act, in order for the petitioners' claims against their removal to be heard fully by the court.
On Tuesday night, we had another victory for the First Amendment: a federal judge ruled that the White House must restore media access to the Associated Press. It was unlawful, the judge ruled, for the White House to cut journalists out of their pool for refusing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” This Administration’s attacks on freedom of the press are straight out of the playbook of autocrats like Putin. Limiting fair access to the press is also an assault on Americans’ access to fair and unbiased information. We need a press that covers the president without fear or favor—this ruling helps protect that principle.
We will continue to fight back in the Courts, in Congress, and, as discussed next, in our communities.
Fight in Our Communities
Over the weekend, I spoke at the large “Hands Off” protest in front of City Hall in Baltimore. It was part of a wave of demonstrations taking place all over America. I’m glad to see patriots mobilizing. Together, we are making ripples that will turn into waves. Donald Trump is coming after services Americans rely on, he’s coming after members of our communities, and he’s coming after our values. That’s why I’m working every day to get out into our communities and join in mobilizing the American people against Trump’s attacks.
Last week, we also made waves in other ways. I attended a town hall with the AFGE union members from FEMA, who rush into danger to save lives and help Americans recover from natural disasters. Trump is trying to eliminate their collective bargaining agreement, fire FEMA workers who only want to help Americans, and eliminate FEMA’s role in responding to natural disasters. This is outrageous, and it’s only one of the ways that Trump is going after first responders. FEMA workers risk their lives to serve their fellow Americans; they deserve so much better than being stabbed in the back. Last week, we also pushed back against a reported plan to shut down one of FEMA’s lifesaving disaster preparedness programs. If these programs aren’t in place, Americans will die.
I also recently joined a virtual town hall with Maryland Nonprofits, a coalition that represents hundreds of organizations in our state that are at risk of losing vital federal funding to help vulnerable Marylanders with housing, health care, education, substance abuse treatment, and more. I will fight to get back every penny our families need.
Also, on Monday, I joined a meeting of the Caucus of African American Leaders of Anne Arundel County to discuss Donald Trump’s attacks on our communities—including his efforts to rewrite and whitewash our history. We learned early this week that the Administration has pushed the National Park Service to downplay slavery and the role of Harriet Tubman in the story of the Underground Railroad. After my pushback, the National Park Service backtracked.
Yesterday, I joined a coalition of postal supervisors and postal workers to fight back against Elon Musk’s call for privatizing the United States Postal Service. Our mail is not for sale. And today, I joined the disability community, including Marylanders with disabilities, to rally against Donald Trump and Republicans’ attacks on Medicaid. These actions will hurt Maryland families, and especially those with disabilities, and we cannot sit quietly by as Republicans attempt to ram them through.
We’re In This Together
Thank you for being in this fight. The risks to our country are greater and the stakes are higher than at any other moment in my lifetime. I’ve been heartened to see so many Marylanders calling my office, sending me letters, attending our town halls, and rallying in the streets to defend the country they love.
We all see the same thing: a clear and present danger to our democracy, the rule of law, freedom, and the future of our country. This is a time for every patriot to stand up and fight back.
Chris Van Hollen
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