SENATE UPDATE: Fighting Back Against Trump’s Lawlessness While Delivering for Marylanders

As we continue to face huge challenges in our nation’s capital, I want to be clear about two things: I am fighting back every day against a lawless Trump Administration, AND I’m fighting to deliver results that make a real difference in people's lives.

I know many Marylanders are both frustrated and angry by what they see coming out of Washington. I am too. Marylanders are also concerned about the struggles they are facing every day to make ends meet amidst rising costs. I am too.

Those twin challenges are at the heart of the work I do every day in the Senate – from standing up to the Trump Administration’s abuses of power to fighting to advance measures that strengthen economic opportunity and lower costs for working families.

Here’s the latest on all these fronts:

Standing Up to Trump’s Lawless Mass Deportation Agenda

Republicans in Washington are once again making their priorities clear: instead of working to lower costs and make life more affordable for Americans, they are hellbent on providing a blank check for Trump’s lawless ICE operations. Americans are struggling with skyrocketing prices on everything from gas to food costs because of Trump’s illegal war in Iran, and people are facing steeper health care premiums after Republicans let ACA tax credits expire.

Yet, instead of working with us to end this war and reduce costs, Senate Republicans used what’s known as a “budget reconciliation” bill to bypass normal Senate spending bill procedures in order to stuff an already bloated and out-of-control ICE operation with tens of billions more of taxpayers’ dollars. This is on top of the record $75 billion – seven times higher than the normal annual amount – that Republicans gave to ICE last year, and despite the fact that tens of billions of dollars remain unspent as of the end of April.

Last Thursday, we debated and voted all night in the Senate, where Republicans refused to support our efforts to rein in ICE misconduct and opposed over 20 amendments to stop this Administration’s rampant abuses. Their stonewalling included blocking an amendment I offered with Senator Cassidy to make clear that Trump could not use his DOJ's proposed taxpayer-funded slush fund to provide payouts to January 6th insurrectionists and violent criminals. Instead, we required that those funds could be used ONLY to compensate law enforcement officers who were injured defending our Capitol on January 6th and members of their families who suffered harm as a result. Senate Republicans also blocked my amendment to prevent violent criminals and those who have committed crimes against children from receiving payouts from the Trump taxpayer slush fund.

I made my position clear on this reckless bill once again: I voted NO because – as I’ve said repeatedly – I will not support one more dime for a lawless ICE operation that refuses to make meaningful reforms. Nevertheless, Senate Republicans voted to give ICE a blank check and, yesterday, House Republicans did the same thing.

I’ve also been hearing directly from many of you about the real-life impacts of the Administration’s cruel mass deportation agenda, including the ongoing pause on application processing at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that is disrupting people’s ability to work, support their families, and plan for their futures. These impacts extend far beyond work authorizations and are affecting a wide range of applications, often with no clear exemptions or timelines. 

Please know that I hear you. I am actively engaged on these issues. I’m pressing the Administration for answers and relief – including urging DHS Secretary Mullin and USCIS Director Edlow to take immediate steps to resume the orderly processing of immigration and naturalization applications. While the recent court ruling that the government must restart asylum and immigration processing is a step in the right direction, we must keep fighting back. Your stories matter, and they are informing the work I’m doing every day in the Senate.

Demanding Accountability from Todd Blanche, Kash Patel & Trump’s Cronies

As the Trump Administration pushes for massive spending at agencies like ICE, Congress has a responsibility to examine how taxpayer dollars are being used across the federal government – including at the Department of Justice and the FBI.

That’s why, as the lead Democrat of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies – which has jurisdiction over the Department of Justice and FBI funding – I recently used two hearings on the President’s FY27 Budget Requests to press Trump Administration officials on corruption, abuses of power, and the politicization of law enforcement.

During a hearing last month with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche – who Trump has now nominated to be the Attorney General – I laid out examples of the horrible actions taken by the Trump DOJ. Blanche himself has been at the center of some of this Administration’s most troubling scandals, from helping bury the Epstein files to overseeing a newly proposed $1.8 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund to provide payouts to Trump allies. During the hearing, I asked the Acting Attorney General if those who assaulted police officers on January 6th, and a pardoned January 6th rioter who was since convicted of molesting two children, would be eligible for payouts. He couldn't say no. I am working to eliminate this fund outright. In the meantime, as discussed above, I offered an amendment on the Republican reconciliation bill to prevent anyone convicted of violent crimes or crimes against children from getting a penny of your tax dollars.

After the hearing, we also learned that, as part of this scheme to create the slush fund, Blanche also quietly signed a deal to bar the IRS from ever reexamining Trump's, his family's, or his companies' prior taxes. This is unacceptable.

While Blanche has more recently said he does not intend to proceed with the slush fund, all we have is his word to go on as Trump continues to say he "loves" it. Obviously, Blanche's word isn't good enough. What's more, he’s confirmed the Trump family tax scheme still remains intact. I will not stop fighting back against both.

I also pressed FBI Director Kash Patel about credible reporting that his conduct and excessive drinking have interfered with his ability to perform his duties. I made clear: I don’t give a damn what people do in their private lives, but when that conduct compromises their ability to protect and serve the American people, it's unacceptable. Patel responded by lashing out and making false statements and provable lies – while refusing to acknowledge that it is a crime to lie to Congress. I also sought answers on his misuse of FBI resources – including diverting agents away from counterintelligence and violent crime investigations in order to pursue political vendettas and support Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

Both hearings reinforced the corrupt reality of this Administration: under Donald Trump, agencies that are supposed to protect the public and uphold the rule of law are increasingly being weaponized to do Trump’s personal bidding. Every taxpayer dollar spent on political retaliation, corruption, or abuse is a dollar not being spent on keeping Americans safe or improving people’s lives. I will continue using every tool available to demand transparency, expose abuses of power, and ensure that no Administration is above the law.

Pushing Back Against Blank Checks for Endless Wars

At the same time, I am fighting back against Trump’s disastrous leadership on the global stage, as we are now over 100 days into the illegal war he and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu launched against Iran. Fourteen Americans have been killed and hundreds wounded. Thousands of civilians throughout the region have been killed. The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, and gas prices remain high while grocery costs keep going up. Trump revealed his views when he admitted: “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation." Meanwhile, the Trump Administration admitted that it has spent $29 billion of your tax dollars on this war in just the first two months. At that rate, which was reportedly a lowball estimate, the costs would be over $40 billion as of today.

When you are digging yourself into a hole, just stop digging!

I have also pressed Secretary Hegseth for answers and demanded transparency after he dismantled key Department of Defense offices tasked with preventing civilian casualties, like the Tomahawk missile strike that killed over 120 Iranian school children. These safeguards exist for a reason: to protect innocent lives. Their removal raises urgent questions about compliance with U.S. and international law. But Secretary Hegseth dismissed those concerns and even said that the rules of engagement were “stupid” – rules designed to prevent innocent people from getting killed in war.

I’ve gone to the Senate floor many times to call on Republicans to support the eight War Powers Resolutions we’ve brought up to end this illegal war of choice and reclaim Congress’s constitutional authority. And I’ve introduced my own War Powers Resolution as part of that effort, because the Constitution is clear: the power to declare war resides with Congress precisely because our Founding Fathers feared putting that power in the hands of one impulsive president.

Meanwhile, Trump and his Administration are openly musing about yet another illegal, unauthorized military intervention, this time in Cuba, as I spoke about on the Senate floor.

It’s failures like these that are hurting Americans at home and hurting our stature abroad. When Secretary Rubio appeared recently before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I laid out some of these failures to him directly.

Instead of taking responsibility for these disastrous policies, ending the war in Iran, or reversing course in Cuba, Rubio, Hegseth, and the Trump Administration are asking Congress to approve a massive increase in Pentagon spending. After pushing through a $1 trillion defense budget last year, they are proposing nearly $500 billion more – bringing total military spending to roughly $1.5 trillion.

I will not provide one more dime for the illegal war against Iran, and I will not support a bloated Pentagon budget – because that is not what is best for the people of the United States. I will continue to stand up for the Constitution, demand accountability, and focus on the priorities that matter to the American people.

Defending Our Democracy and the Right to Vote

The strength of our democracy depends on both the rule of law and the right of our people to have their voices heard, yet we continue to see attacks on both.

That has been especially true as we confront a devastating Supreme Court decision that guts the Voting Rights Act and undermines protections against racial discrimination in our elections. As Justice Kagan warned in her dissent, the ruling gives states far greater leeway to dilute minority voting power “without legal consequence.” At a moment when we should strengthen confidence in our democracy and expand participation, this Court continues moving in the wrong direction.

That is why Senate Democrats have continued to stand firm against efforts to undermine access to the ballot box, such as the so-called SAVE America Act – a dangerous bill to make it harder for millions of American citizens to exercise their right to vote. Because Democrats held their ground, we've been able to block its passage in the Senate.

These fights are connected. Protecting the right to vote and defending democratic institutions go hand in hand with making government work better for the people we serve.

That’s why I’m also looking towards what comes next: on how we lower costs, invest in our communities, and ensure the federal government is actually delivering for the people it serves.

Delivering for Communities Across Maryland 

Despite the dysfunction and chaos generated by the Trump Administration, I remain focused on delivering real results for communities across Maryland.

Recently, I joined local leaders in Carroll County to announce more than $3.7 million in federal funding to support a range of projects that strengthen infrastructure, expand access to care, and build out our workforce.

In Frederick County, Senator Alsobrooks, Congresswoman McClain Delaney, and I announced $10.9 million secured in federal funding – including $3 million to support the new Frederick Youth Center and $1 million to renovate the Taney Avenue Senior Center and expand housing for senior residents.

In Howard County, I joined Congresswoman Elfreth and local leaders to tour the construction of the Artists Flats Project, a mixed-income housing development for which we secured $1.25 million in federal funding to expand housing options for low and moderate-income families. We also announced over $5 million in funding for three other projects to support local infrastructure services and STEM education.

In Montgomery County, I joined So What Else Food Rescue Bank for their sixth anniversary celebration, where we announced $750,000 in federal funding. This investment will expand their food rescue and distribution efforts for families who are struggling to put food on the table across Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Frederick Counties, as well as Baltimore City.

In Baltimore, alongside Congressman Mfume, Congressman Olszewski, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, and local leaders, we announced more than $1.1 million to help expand Baltimore’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy into more neighborhoods. We've already seen this program help save lives and reduce violence in communities across Baltimore, and this investment will help build on that progress and make more neighborhoods safer.

And earlier this week, I was joined by Senator Alsobrooks and Congressman Ivey to announce more than $7 million in investments for community priorities in Prince George’s County. This included investments in growing youth support services at the Latin American Youth Center, expanding arts education programs run by Joe's Movement Emporium, upgrading the Attick Towers Apartments, and fostering local nonprofits at Ivy Community Charities. 

Thank You

Recently, I had the special chance to speak with the historic Artemis II crew while they were in space. I asked Commander Reid Wiseman – a Maryland native and graduate of Dulaney High School in Baltimore County – what advice he would give to young people hoping to follow in his footsteps. His answer was simple: expand your horizons, take risks, and keep trying even if you can’t get it right the first time, because learning how to fail can be the key to success.

Even amid all the challenges we are facing, moments like this are a reminder of what's possible when we invest in our future and direct resources towards the next generation.

There is no shortage of urgent work ahead, but I remain focused on the same core responsibility: standing up for Marylanders, protecting our democracy and our constitutional rights, and pushing back hard against the headwinds whipped up by the Trump Administration so we can make life more affordable for every American.

I am grateful to everyone across the state who continues to share their experiences, raise their voices, and stay engaged in this work. Your input directly shapes the fights we take on in the Senate and the solutions we continue to push forward.

Onwards,

Chris Van Hollen



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