reserving the right to object, if I might--and, again, I appreciate Senator Grassley's comments about this Senator. I feel the same about Senator Grassley. He has been an incredible voice in the U.S. Senate, particularly on transparency…
Ben Cardin
The Public Record
Ben Cardin is a United States Senator from Maryland, serving since January 4, 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, he has focused on issues such as healthcare, education, and civil rights throughout his political career. Prior to his tenure in the Senate, Cardin served in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 3, 1987, to January 3, 2007, where he was known for his work on tax policy and social security reform.
Most widely reported
by number of sources- I join the Senator from South Dakota, Mr. Thune, in cosponsoring a bill to modernize the tracking of hazardous waste. The federal waste law requires the tracking of hazardous waste from ``cradle to grave.'' This tracking system is designed to provide an enforceable chain of custody for hazardous wastes. The law provides a strong incentive for transporters to manage the waste in a responsible fashion. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's economic analysis estimates that over 139,000 regulated entities track between 2.4 and 5.1 million shipments a year. This system provides for appropriate stewardship of the hazardous waste products of our modern world. Unfortunately, the tracking system itself is in serious need of modernization. Currently, the tracking is handled entirely through a paper manifest system. The paperwork burden is enormous. Each manifest form has seven or eight copies, which currently must be manually filled out and signed with pen and ink signatures, physically carried with waste shipments, mailed to generators and state agencies, and finally stored among facility records. The paperwork burden is so great that 22 States and the EPA do not even collect copies of the forms. Those that do so get their copies months after the waste has been shipped. In the vast majority of cases, the only time regulators look at the manifests is during inspections or after a disaster to identify the responsible parties.…3 sources2011govinfo.gov
- I rise in strong support of H.R. 8404, the Respect for Marriage Act. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of the Senate companion version of this measure, S. 4556, which has been introduced by Senator Feinstein. The House passed this legislation by a bipartisan vote of 267 to 157 in July 2022, and the Senate is now poised to pass this legislation with a strong bipartisan vote as well. In 2010, Maryland began to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages that were legally performed in other States. And in 2012, Governor Martin O'Malley signed a law guaranteeing Marylanders the freedom to marry regardless of their gender, which was later upheld and confirmed by the voters of Maryland in a statewide referendum. In 2015, the Supreme Court held in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges that the Constitution protected the right of same-sex couples to marry and therefore granting this right nationwide. Let me quote just a few passages from this historic decision, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy more than seven years ago: ``Especially against a long history of disapproval of their relationships, this denial to same-sex couples of the right to marry works a grave and continuing harm. The imposition of this disability on gays and lesbians serves to disrespect and subordinate them.…3 sources2022govinfo.gov
- I just want to underscore the point that Senator Hagerty made about PEPFAR.2 sources2023congress.gov
- shortly we will be voting on the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley. She went through her confirmation hearings at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and I had a chance during those confirmation hearings to ask her a series of questions. I have also had an opportunity to meet with her and talk personally about her vision of the United Nations and the United States' role in how she would conduct her leadership at the United Nations. I must say, originally there was some concern because of her lack of foreign policy experience, but I must tell you, I was extremely impressed about her competency as Governor of South Carolina--the work that she did, dealing with some very difficult issues, including a tragedy that occurred in her State, as well as dealing with the Confederate flag and removing it from the State Capitol. She handled these issues with real professionalism and sensitivity to all communities, and during her confirmation hearing, she displayed a willingness to reach out, to understand more about world affairs, and to become fully knowledgeable in these areas. She exercised, I thought, a commitment and passion for the commitments that are important to this country--good governance, human rights, and democracy. I was impressed during the confirmation hearing about her commitment to the importance of the United Nations and the important work that it does.…2 sources2017govinfo.gov
- first let me thank my colleague Senator Wyden for his extraordinary leadership on Medicare and Medicaid and so many other issues. I remember Senator Wyden in the House of Representatives as one of the champions when the Medicare and Medicaid Programs were a lot younger. We worked to improve and expand both Medicaid and Medicare, and now Senator Wyden, in a key role on the Senate Finance Committee-- the ranking Democrat--has been one of the real champions to protect the progress we have made in Medicare and Medicaid, recognizing that what we need to talk about is how to improve these programs and make them better. As we celebrate the 53rd anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, let me address the point that Mr. Wyden made; that is, these are two of the most successful programs we ever have enacted in the Congress of the United States that guarantee, as Mr. Wyden has said, affordable, quality healthcare to our seniors, to individuals with disabilities, to low-income families. In Medicare alone, almost 45 million Americans are protected under Medicare--seniors and those with disabilities. In Maryland, more than 990 thousand Marylanders are protected under the Medicare Program. What Mr. Wyden alluded to--I want to underscore this point: Before there was Medicare, over half of our seniors did not have health insurance, and without health insurance, their access to healthcare was greatly at risk, and many were unable to get access to quality care.…2 sources2018govinfo.gov
- I rise to express my disappointment in the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to curtail the Clean Water Act, the principal law governing pollution control and water qualities of our Nation's waterways. The narrow interpretation now supported by the highest Court will remove Clean Water Act protection for the majority of wetlands in the United States. Let me just repeat that. Wetlands--we all know how important that is to water quality in America. We know that wetlands act as a sponge for runoff. It traps pollution that otherwise would end up in our waterways. And it is critically important to our habitat. This narrow interpretation will remove protection from a majority of wetlands in the United States. At a time of rightly intense attention to avoiding a default crisis, this attack on clean water protection must not escape notice. This past weekend, we honored the sacrifices of our military servicemembers. Often, these celebrations of the lives and legacies of our fallen soldiers and their loved ones take place outside in community green spaces. Our parks need clean water. The Sackett v. EPA decision is detrimental to national parks, where two-thirds of park waters are already impaired with much of this pollution linked to out-of-park upstream activities.…2 sources2023govinfo.gov
section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may…
section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may…
I come to the floor today to introduce the American Foreign Affairs Talent Expansion Act, or the American FATE Act, legislation that can serve as a blueprint for my colleagues who hope to promote diversity in diplomacy and development in…
I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 1607 and the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the following bills en bloc: Calendar No. 278, S…
first, I want to thank Senator Cassidy for his cooperation in putting together this package. It is a package of bills that were favorably considered by the committee. They are noncontroversial. I want to thank also Senator Kelly for his…
I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment, where applicable, be agreed to; that the bills, as amended, if amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motions to reconsider be considered…
as if in legislative session, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of S. 920 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. The…
I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California. Judicial Nominations
I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate? If not, the bill having been read the third time, the question is, Shall the bill pass? The bill (S. 920), as amended, was passed.
I will withhold my request. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland. ____________________
I come to the floor today out of my concern for the victims of human trafficking. Nearly two and half decades ago, Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. In an effort to eliminate this scourge of modern-day slavery at home…
section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may…
I come to the floor today to introduce legislation that's essential for securing America's leadership in the defining geopolitical challenge of our time. Days from now, I will conclude my service as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations…
as if in legislative session, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 91, S. 920. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The senior…
early this month, we commemorated World AIDS Day, and so I come to the floor today to speak about the need for America to stay the course in the fight to end HIV/AIDS. Two decades ago--when the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief…
Our staff works long hours for less compensation than many of them could make in the private sector because of their commitment to public service. To my staff, you have made Team Cardin a championship team. I also want to salute the people…
I rise to pay tribute to our colleague, and more importantly, my dear friend Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger. By any standard, Dutch has had an exceptional career with 38 years in public office, beginning when he was first elected to the…
I come to the floor today to celebrate the 175th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Guatemala and the United States. As we mark this milestone, I want to highlight the strength of the U.S.-Guatemala bilateral relationship today…
I rise to pay tribute to my dear friend, Congressman John Sarbanes. Next Congress will be the first without a Sarbanes representing Maryland in 54 years. The Sarbanes family will be sorely missed in this body. I had the great fortune to…
I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge a colleague of mine and a valued member of Team Maryland, Representative David Trone. Since coming to Congress in 2018, Representative Trone has demonstrated a passion for tackling some of the…
I come to the floor today to say good-bye, as difficult as this may be. Marylanders have trusted me to represent them for 20 years in the Maryland General Assembly, 8 years as speaker of the house, 20 years in the House of Representatives…
first, I am incredibly grateful for the kind comments that my Senate family has said. I have said that my colleagues are my family, and they were certainly a lot less objective than my real family has been about some of my legislative…
if we are going to carry this as a value on the international stage, that the United States stands up for human rights and certain values and the rule of law, is it not important that we be willing to apply these sanctions to accomplish…





