Chris Van Hollen

Senate Democrats called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to restore funding to local food banks and schools, after it canceled $1 billion in food purchase programs throughout the country. In a letter Monday, Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff (Calif.), Ben Ray Luján (N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) led a group of [...]

WATCH: The White House published a highlight reel of Senate Democrats railing against potential government shutdowns as an attack on democracy ahead of their own 2025 shutdown showdown.

Democrats in the Senate have different views on how they will vote on a Trump-backed bill to avert a government shutdown.

Senate Democrats say they will not vote for the House-passed six-month government funding package, which would boost defense spending and cut nondefense programs, unless they first get a vote on a 30-day funding stopgap to give bipartisan negotiators more time to reach a deal on the annual appropriations bills. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) [...]

'Shit that ain't true, that's what you just heard'

Key federal agencies such as the FBI, State Department and Pentagon have instructed their employees not to comply with Elon Musk’s latest demand.

Key federal agencies such as the FBI, State Department and Pentagon have instructed their employees not to comply with Elon Musk’s latest demand that they explain what they accomplished last week or risk losing their job

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands before a joint news conference in Helsinki, Finland, in July 2018. (Yuri Kadobnov/AFP via Getty Images file photo)

Some Democratic senators are now publicly admitting that they made a serious mistake in voting to confirm several of the Cabinet secretaries who are now carrying out President Donald Trump’s destructive agenda.New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim told Migrant Insider this week that he regrets his vote for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and told the outlet he wouldn’t vote for any future Trump nominees.New Jersey Sen. Andy KimSen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said he regrets voting for Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins. “Voting for Collins was a mistake, and I apologize to the veterans of the country,” he told reporters Wednesday“My one vote I cast for a member of the Trump Cabinet was for now-Secretary Rubio. I regret to say I regret that vote, because once installed in office, he is essentially abandoning the positions he took here as United States senator,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland told CNN Feb. 12.The Democratic confessions come a month into Trump’s second term where the Cabinet secretaries in question, along with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, have run roughshod over the federal government. Key agencies and departments like the Department of Defense, USAID, the Treasury, the IRS, and the FAA have seen massive firings, systems disruptions, and a rollback of civil rights protections that were in place for decades.While Trump’s agenda has received an almost unanimous vote of support from his fellow Republicans, Democratic votes have helped to put a bipartisan stamp on the resulting disruption of American life. Trump nominees like Noem, Collins, and former MTV “Real World” star turned Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy all got to their positions with Democratic votes, either directly or through procedural votes.The biggest beneficiary of this bipartisanship was Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose nomination sailed through 99-0 as senators voted en masse for one of their own.Since Trump took office, Democrats have been hearing complaints from their core voters that they are not doing enough to oppose him. Some Democratic leaders have reportedly held closed-door meetings and complained about the criticism.Recent opinion polling has reflected this dissatisfaction. In a SurveyUSA poll taken from Feb. 13 to 16, 41% of respondents said the party was “not standing up enough” to Trump.Democrats have been fumbling in trying to find the right rhetorical response to Trump. In the House, Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has brought up concerns over consumer costs and the administration’s failure to address them while introducing inflationary tariffs, but the line of attack has not resonated.By contrast, progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, has provoked the ire of the Trump administration by forcefully asserting immigrants’ rights in the face of attempted mass deportation raids. Jeffries reportedly plans to invite guests to Trump’s first congressional address that will rebut his actions and rhetoric.Combined with the Senate admissions, the party may be signaling it is pivoting toward more forceful opposition—a position that the general public seems ready for.Campaign Action

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of current and former federal employees rallied Wednesday outside the Department of Health and Human Services headquarters, protesting recent firings and their effect on public health, and directing much of their ire at Elon Musk and...

Maryland’s Democratic leaders warn that significant cuts to the federal workforce would be catastrophic for the state’s economy.

Democratic Rep. Kweisi Mfume faced blowback on social media after saying that a "street fight" is a legitimate form of opposition to Elon Musk's DOGE efforts.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen said Friday that because Anne Arundel County is home to so many federal agencies and employees, the expansive cuts being made across the federal government are a threat to the area.

President Donald Trump and billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk have moved to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which spent some $30 billion last year on humanitarian, development and security aid to more than 100 countries.

Russian aides are rejoicing over President Donald Trump and billionaire DOGE bro Elon Musk’s hostile takeover of the U.S. Agency of International Affairs. “Smart move by [Musk], trying to plug USAID's Deep Throat. Let's hope notorious Deep State doesn't swallow him whole...” deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev wrote on X.Meanwhile, Maria Zakharova, director of information and press for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared similar thoughts via Telegram. "USAID means the coordinated suppression—at the request of its sponsors—by its so-called 'pocket' media of inconvenient topics, facts, and opinions that do not fit the Washington-approved version of events,” she said.The U.S. Agency for International Development, where Democrats held a press conference on Feb. 3 to oppose Elon Musk’s illegal takeover.USAID is an independent agency that manages civilian foreign aid and assistance for developing nations. In addition to detecting global viruses, it plays a crucial role in promoting democracy worldwide. By supporting countries in need, USAID bolsters a "soft power" strategy that contributes to more balanced international relations among leading nations.As Vladimir Putin’s sycophants voice their admiration of Trump and Musk gutting the agency, Democrats held a press conference outside of the USAID office Monday. They reminded Americans that infiltrating federal offices, locking employees out, seizing classified information, and closing down the federal website over the weekend was illegal.“USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die,” Musk wrote on X.Democrats also said that the dismantling of a government agency must be authorized by Congress. Thus, Trump does not have the authority to shut down USAID, which, they argue, would further increase the power of foreign adversaries at a time when the threat of U.S. destabilization has never been higher. “Make no mistake, this effort by Elon Musk and so-called DOGE to shut down USAID is an absolute gift to our adversaries,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said during the press conference. ““To Russia, to China, to Iran and others because AID is an essential instrument of U.S. foreign policy and U.S. national security policy,” he added. “This has nothing to do with making the U.S. government more efficient and everything to do with aiding and abetting our adversaries around the world.”This press conference was held after Trump tapped Secretary of State and lapdog Marco Rubio as the acting director of USAID. Hours earlier, Musk was assigned to shut down the agency, confirming the takeover of the autonomous agency. President Donald Trump tapped Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting director of USAID.“It’s a completely unresponsive agency. It has to be aligned with American foreign policy. I said very clearly when, during my confirmation hearing, that every dollar we spend and every program we fund that program will be aligned with the interests of the United States. USAID has a history of sort of ignoring that, deciding that it’s a global charity separate from the national interest,” Rubio told reporters.Meanwhile, Musk’s extensive business deals in China show a glaring conflict of interest. “China is cheering at this action today,” Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said during the press conference.In July, Sen. Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, and Sen. Todd Young, Republican of Indiana, introduced the bipartisan Fully Funding Our National Security Priorities Act to empower USAID and the State Department. It would have allowed USAID to submit an “underfunded” list of priorities to “effectively counter the People’s Republic of China, which is rapidly expanding its global diplomatic presence,” but the bill died before even leaving the committee.“China is rapidly expanding its diplomatic footprint around the world. Now is not the time to cut resources at the State Department and USAID. We should be doing the exact opposite,” Kaine said in a press release. Now at the helm of Trump, cronies like Musk and Rubio have taken it upon themselves to shutter the entire agency, be it legal or not. Meanwhile, Russia and China, it seems, are thrilled to have reduced U.S. oversight, giving them greater freedom to expand their corrupt global influence. You can help ensure that Daily Kos remains the paywall-free home for our shared fight for democracy and justice. Readers like you support Daily Kos. Can you chip in today?

Collins is seen during his confirmation hearing last month.

Elon Musk has sidelined career officials, gained access to sensitive databases and even shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development. All of this is happening without congressional approval.

"What a horrible, pathetic, little man," one said of the president blaming DEI efforts for the deadly crash.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, the nominee to be ambassador to the United Nations, told Senate Foreign Relations members last week that she favored “tailored cuts” in U.S. funding for the United Nations.

In a letter, three Maryland Democrats said they had "grave concerns" that Trump's move would do lasting damage

TikTok on Sunday said it would restore service in the U.S. after President-elect Donald Trump announced he would "save" the social media platform with an executive order during his first day in office.

A Marylander is leading the U.S. Senate fight for D.C. statehood even as the state vies with Washington to be the future home of the NFL’s Commanders.

The local government will lease the land for 99 years and the lease can be extended.

One by one, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser and her allies tackled objections from the bill’s chief opponents to carve out a last-minute path to a win in the Senate.

The path for the NFL's Washington Commanders to return to the nation’s capital is clear after an on-again, off-again saga in Congress ended early Saturday with a postmidnight reprieve.

Congressional leaders struck a deal to avert a government shutdown that includes a provision to cover the cost of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Everyone from janitors to the Geek Squad could be forced to help the NSA spy — and Democrats barely put up a fight.The post Top Senator Warns Sweeping New Surveillance Powers Will “Inevitably Be Misused” by Trump appeared first on The Intercept.

Congress on Tuesday rolled out its last major funding deal of the year and is expected to move quickly to try to pass it ahead of a Friday government shutdown deadline. The bill, which is more than 1,500 pages long, would keep the government funded at current levels through March 14, buying time for the [...]

The Washington Commanders could soon see kickoff take place in the heart of the nation’s capital. The government funding deal unveiled by congressional negotiators on Tuesday paved the way for moving the Commanders' stadium from Maryland, to Washington, D.C., a development that local officials are touting as a big win for the city. The legislation [...]

Social Security beneficiaries could face longer wait times for service next year unless Congress agrees to the White House budget office’s request to increase funding for the Social Security Administration (SSA), the administration that runs the program is warning.

In the remaining weeks of his presidency, Biden must correct course.

On this "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" broadcast, Sens. Ted Cruz and Alex Padilla join Major Garrett.

The following is a transcript of an interview with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that aired on Nov. 24, 2024.

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders is making an attempt to block some U.S. arms to Israel over civilian deaths in Gaza.

HuffPost obtained a White House message to senators ahead of a crucial vote on sending the Israelis more arms amid the Gaza and Lebanon wars. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is helping the administration shield the policy.

Donald Trump’s transition team has begun what a close ally calls a hostile takeover of the federal government, ignoring the rules for the handover of power in the process.

Campaign finance reform advocates hope a potential win by Vice President Kamala Harris, seen here in Michigan last week with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will make changing those laws a priority.

Top Democrats, including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and longtime U.S. House member Steny Hoyer, have weighed in.

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) sparred in their lone debate this cycle Thursday night as they look to replace retiring Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) next year. Alsobrooks has emerged as the favorite, with polls showing her squarely in the drivers seat. According to an aggregate of [...]

Former Gov. Larry Hogan said Tuesday the revival of the Red Line project he canceled nearly a decade ago is a mistake and should not be a federal priority.

U.S. law requires cutting off weapons shipments to countries that block the delivery of humanitarian assistance

Democrats roundly condemned political violence on Thursday after news that a suspect had been arrested for threatening to hurt and kill six of the Supreme Court's nine Justices and some of their family members.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NATSO, representing truck stops and travel plazas, and a diverse coalition from restaurants and fuel retailers to city governments, transportation energy providers, and blind entrepreneurs today urged lawmakers to oppose the RECHARGE Act...

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) holds a press availability on climate at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sept. 12.

Former U.S. alpine skiing champion Lindsey Vonn speaks during the Salt Lake City bid for the 2034 Winter Games during the 142nd session of the International Olympic Committee on July 24.