Government News

(Washington, DC) – Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger today joined his colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee for their first briefing on the January 6th security failures across the U.S. Capitol. The committee heard from the heads and acting heads of multiple agencies involved in the response, including the U.S. Capitol Police, House Sergeant at Arms, the U.S. Army, D.C. National Guard, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, Secret Service and FBI. Members were allotted three […]

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all D-Md.) today announced more than $560 million in emergency federal funding for the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) to help boost the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and aid its vaccine distribution efforts. This latest funding from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency […]

WASHINGTON – Today, members of the Maryland Congressional Delegation, including U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone, released the following statement after a conference call on Monday with Maryland Department of Health Acting Secretary Dennis Schrader about the state’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts: “A robust […]

(Washington, DC) – Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger today announced his return to the House Appropriations Committee for the 117th Congress, where he will serve on the Defense, Homeland Security and the Commerce, Justice and Science subcommittees. The powerful Appropriations Committee is responsible for allocating hundreds of billions of federal dollars each year and conducting critical oversight of federal agencies. Congressman Ruppersberger has served on the Appropriations […]

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone (all D-Md.) today announced more than $1.17 billion in federal funding for K-12 schools and higher education institutions across Maryland. Funding comes from the bipartisan COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress in late December. “This urgently needed relief will help provide students, […]

(Washington, DC) – Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, a Defense Appropriator voted in support of the waiver required for confirmation of retired General Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense. After the waiver passed in the House of Representatives yesterday in an overwhelming and bipartisan vote, the U.S. Senate quickly followed suit and confirmed the nomination in a vote of 93 to 2 today. A retired four-star Army general with more than 40 years of uniformed service, Secretary […]

(Washington, DC) – Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger applauded the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Avril Haines as the new Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in a bipartisan vote of 84-10 last night. The DNI is a cabinet-level position that oversees the 18 organizations that comprise the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), including the National Security Agency located in Congressman Ruppersberger’s Maryland district. Haines is the first woman to hold the position, […]

Washington, DC) – Congressmen C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and John R. Carter – Co-Chairs of the bipartisan House Army Caucus – thanked Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy for his service and leadership as his announced departure takes place at noon today as President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office. McCarthy, a former Army Ranger, has fulfilled the  top post since September 2019, overseeing the service through a tumultuous year that included the COVID-19 pandemic, […]

(Washington, DC) – Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger today issued the following statement after the hiring of Michael Ellis as General Counsel of the National Security Agency at the direction of the Acting Secretary of Defense: “I have represented the National Security Agency and many of its hard-working employees since 2003. I have seen first-hand the work these non-partisan patriots do every day to protect our soldiers on the battlefield, as well as […]

(Timonium, MD ) – Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger today announced support of President-elect Joe Biden’s COVID-19 relief proposal: a $1.9 trillion, two-step legislative package that builds on the down payment passed by Congress last month. The plan includes more than $400 billion for PPE, testing, a national vaccine distribution strategy, support to help schools safely re-open and expanded paid leave. Most American families will be eligible to receive $1,400 per-person […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today joined U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, along with Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all D-Md.), in announcing a combined $1,050,000 for Montgomery County’s Ride On transit service and Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to improve rider safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “This new infusion of federal funding will help WMATA and Montgomery County […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today joined the Maryland Congressional Delegation in releasing the following statement after a conference call on Monday with Maryland Department of Health Acting Secretary Dennis Schrader about the state’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts: “A robust vaccination strategy is critical to our efforts to defeat COVID-19 in Maryland. But according to the CDC, Maryland’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution system ranks as […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today joined the Maryland Congressional Delegation in announcing more than $560 million in emergency federal funding for the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) to help boost the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and aid its vaccine distribution efforts. Funding comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It includes $341,166,647 to purchase PPE, ventilators, cleaning supplies and other medical equipment, […]

Yet it would be a mistake to think the fight to preserve and revive our flawed democracy concluded on Inauguration Day. In fact, it has only begun. The Capitol siege was just the latest and most brazen instance of politicians leading efforts to delay democracy when it threatens their power — by suppressing the votes of political opponents, giving corporate funding undue influence over the people’s representatives and structuring Congress so that favored factions can hold on to […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today joined the Maryland Congressional Delegation in announcing nearly $1.2 billion in federal funding for K-12 schools and higher education institutions across Maryland. Funding comes from the bipartisan COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress in late December. “This urgently needed relief will help provide students, educators and support professionals with more resources to improve learning and educational services, and […]

Congressional House Democrats plan to move quickly on one of the first bills of the new Congress, citing the need for federal election standards and other reforms to shore up the foundations of American democracy after a tumultuous post-election period and deadly riot at the Capitol. States have long had disparate and contradictory rules for running elections. But the 2020 election, which featured pandemic-related changes to ease voting and then a flood of lawsuits by former President […]

The January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol brought into hideous relief the perilous condition of the oldest democracy in the world. But the mob assault on the Capitol was a capstone, the latest in a long line of symptoms that the American system of government was flatlining. Those other symptoms include, but are by no means limited to, racially motivated voter suppression, politically driven gerrymandering, the influence of the super-wealthy and corporations in elections, the flow of […]

Dear Friend, On Wednesday, January 20, our nation will come together and celebrate the 59th Presidential Inauguration, swearing in Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President. In light of recent safety concerns, and following public health guidance amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has announced that it will significantly limit in-person attendance at the inauguration. The National Mall will also be closed. You can join the […]

After Democrats won control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections, they introduced and passed the For the People Act as H.R. 1 — the first bill of their majority. It aimed to restore voting rights, reform campaign finance laws and enhance ethics enforcement. Senate Democrats have now done the same after reclaiming the chamber majority with the introduction of S. 1, their version of the For the People Act. These nearly identical bills contain a suite of policies to […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) released the following statement today on the passing of former Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr.: “For five decades, Maryland benefited beyond measure from President Miller’s tireless advocacy and skillful command of the state legislature. He was a tenacious public servant who helped improve the quality of life for untold numbers of individuals and communities across our state. “My heart goes out […]