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Quick Facts
Personal Details

Caucuses/Former Committees

Chair, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 2015-present

Member, Democratic Steering Committee, present

Former Member, Budget Committee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus

Former Member, Congressional Biotechnology Caucus

Former Member, Congressional Competitiveness Caucus

Former Member, Congressional Human Rights Caucus

Former Member, Congressional Steel Caucus

Former Member, Congressional Urban Caucus

Former Member, Executive Board, Congressional Arts Caucus

Former Member, House Administration, United States House of Representatives

Former Co-Chair, House Intercity Passenger Rail Coalition

Former Senior Democrat, Human Resources Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Public Works and Transportation Committee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Select Committee on Homeland Security, United States House of Representatives

Chair, Study and Review Committee, Democratic Caucus

Former Member, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, United States Senate

Former Member, Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, United States Senate

Former Ranking Member, Subcommittee on East Asia, The Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, United States Senate

Former Member, Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, United States Senate

Former Senior Democrat, Trade Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Ways and Means Committee, United States House of Representatives

Chair, Special Study Commission on Maryland Public Ethics Law, 1998

Co-Chair, Bipartisan Ethics Task Force, 1997

Chair, Ways & Means Committee, Maryland House of Delegates, 1974-1979

Education

  • JD, University of Maryland School of Law, 1967
  • BA, Economics, University of Pittsburgh, 1964
  • Graduated, Baltimore City College, 1961

Professional Experience

  • JD, University of Maryland School of Law, 1967
  • BA, Economics, University of Pittsburgh, 1964
  • Graduated, Baltimore City College, 1961
  • Attorney, Private Practice, 1967-1986

Political Experience

  • JD, University of Maryland School of Law, 1967
  • BA, Economics, University of Pittsburgh, 1964
  • Graduated, Baltimore City College, 1961
  • Attorney, Private Practice, 1967-1986
  • Senator, United States Senate, 2006-present
  • Candidate, United States Senate, 2018
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, District 3, 1987-2006
  • Senior Democratic Whip, United States House of Representatives, 2006
  • Speaker, Maryland State House of Delegates, 1979-1986
  • Delegate, Maryland State House of Delegates, 1967-1986

Former Committees/Caucuses

Chair, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 2015-present

Member, Democratic Steering Committee, present

Former Member, Budget Committee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus

Former Member, Congressional Biotechnology Caucus

Former Member, Congressional Competitiveness Caucus

Former Member, Congressional Human Rights Caucus

Former Member, Congressional Steel Caucus

Former Member, Congressional Urban Caucus

Former Member, Executive Board, Congressional Arts Caucus

Former Member, House Administration, United States House of Representatives

Former Co-Chair, House Intercity Passenger Rail Coalition

Former Senior Democrat, Human Resources Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Public Works and Transportation Committee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Select Committee on Homeland Security, United States House of Representatives

Chair, Study and Review Committee, Democratic Caucus

Former Member, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, United States Senate

Former Ranking Member, Subcommittee on East Asia, The Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, United States Senate

Former Member, Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, United States Senate

Former Senior Democrat, Trade Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Ways and Means Committee, United States House of Representatives

Chair, Special Study Commission on Maryland Public Ethics Law, 1998

Co-Chair, Bipartisan Ethics Task Force, 1997

Chair, Ways & Means Committee, Maryland House of Delegates, 1974-1979

Current Legislative Committees

Member, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

Member, Committee on Environment and Public Works Committee

Member, Committee on Finance

Member, Committee on Foreign Relations

Chair, Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Member, Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety

Member, Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation

Member, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife

Member, Subcommittee on Health Care

Member, Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness

Member, Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism

Member, Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight

Chair, Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Chair, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • JD, University of Maryland School of Law, 1967
  • BA, Economics, University of Pittsburgh, 1964
  • Graduated, Baltimore City College, 1961
  • Attorney, Private Practice, 1967-1986
  • Senator, United States Senate, 2006-present
  • Candidate, United States Senate, 2018
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, District 3, 1987-2006
  • Senior Democratic Whip, United States House of Representatives, 2006
  • Speaker, Maryland State House of Delegates, 1979-1986
  • Delegate, Maryland State House of Delegates, 1967-1986
  • Trustee, Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs
  • Member, Chancellor's Advisory Council, University of Maryland
  • Member, National Advisory Board, Johns Hopkins University's Institute for Policy Studies
  • Trustee, University of Maryland Alumni Association International
  • Trustee, Goucher College, 1999-2008
  • Member, Board of Visitors, United States Naval Academy, 2007
  • Member, Advisory Board, Center for Study of Democracy, Saint Mary's College, 2002
  • Trustee, Saint Mary's College, 1988-1999
  • Member, Board of Visitors, University of Maryland School of Law, 1991-1998
  • Member, President's Board of Visitors, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1998
  • Chair, Maryland Legal Services Corporation, 1988-1995

Other Info

Astrological Sign:

Libra

— Awards:

  • Congressional Champion Award, The National Coalition for Cancer Research, 2002; Public Sector Distinguished Award, Tax Foundation, 2003; Congressional Advocate of the Year Award, Child Welfare League of America, 2000; National Leadership Award for Service to Children and Families, Casey Family Services, 2000; Congressional Service Award, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 2003; Outstanding Leadership Award, American Occupational Therapy Assn., 2003; Congressional Leadership Award, The American College of Emergency Physicians, 2001; The Small Business Council of America's Congressional Award, 1993, 1999, 2004; Public Service Award, Towson Business Association, 2004; "A" Rating for Civil Rights, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), 2008; 100 Most Influential People in Finance, Treasury and Risk Management, 2001

  • Meyer M. Cardin

  • Lawyer, Politician, Judge

Favorite Book:

Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy

Favorite Color:

Blue

Favorite Food:

Anything Spicy

Favorite Movie:

James Bond - all of them

Favorite President and Why:

John F. Kennedy because he inspired young Americans to give back to their country

Favorite Type of Music:

Classical

Favorite Vacation Spot:

Beach and Mountains

First Job:

Working in Grocery Shop

Hobbies or Special Talents:

Biking, Boating, Photography

Names of Grandchildren:

Julia, Madeline

  • 2

Personal Hero and Why:

John F. Kennedy, because he inspired young Americans to give back to their country.

  • none

Priority Issues:

Making Maryland and America safer and stronger for future generations

Improving access to quality health care for all Americans

Making education a national priority

Strengthening Social Security

Reason for Seeking Public Office:

'After serving in the House of Representatives for 18 years, I believe I will have a positive impact on more lives, and help strengthen more communities and families as the next U.S. Senator from Maryland.''

Policy Positions

2021

Abortion

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

Budget

1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Yes

2. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
- Unknown Position

Campaign Finance

Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Unknown Position

Economy

1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

Education

1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- Yes

Energy & Environment

1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

Guns

Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

Health Care

Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- No

2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- Unknown Position

Marijuana

Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Unknown Position

National Security

1. Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
- No

2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- No

Congressional Election 2004 National Political Awareness Test

Abortion

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

2. Abortions should always be legal.
- No Answer

3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer

4. Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
- X

5. Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
- X

6. Prohibit the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as "partial-birth" abortion.
- No Answer

7. Prohibit public funding of abortions and of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- X

Budgetary, Spending, and Tax Issues, Part 1: Budget Priorities

Using the key, indicate what federal funding levels you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category.Budget Priorities

1. Agriculture
- Greatly Decrease

2. Arts
- Slightly Increase

3. Defense
- Maintain Status

4. Education
- Greatly Increase

5. Environment
- Slightly Increase

6. Homeland security
- Slightly Increase

7. International aid
- Slightly Increase

8. Law enforcement
- Maintain Status

9. Medical research
- Slightly Increase

10. National parks
- Slightly Increase

11. Public health services
- Slightly Increase

12. Scientific research
- Slightly Increase

13. Space exploration programs
- Maintain Status

14. Transportation and highway infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

15. Welfare
- Slightly Increase

16. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

Budgetary, Spending, and Tax Issues, Part 2: Defense Spending

Defense Spending

1. Armed Forces personnel training
- Maintain Status

2. Intelligence operations
- Slightly Increase

3. Military hardware
- Slightly Decrease

4. Modernization of weaponry and equipment
- Maintain Status

5. National missile defense
- Greatly Decrease

6. Pay for active duty personnel
- Maintain Status

7. Programs to improve troop retention rates
- Slightly Increase

8. Research and development of new weapons
- Maintain Status

9. Troop and equipment readiness
- Maintain Status

10. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

Budgetary, Spending, and Tax Issues, Part 3: Taxes (A)

Using the key above, indicate what federal tax levels you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category.TaxesIncome Taxes:Family IncomeRetiree IncomeOther Taxes:Deductions/Credits:

1. Less than $25,000
- Maintain Status

2. $25,000-$75,000
- Slightly Decrease

3. $75,000-$150,000
- Maintain Status

4. Over $150,000
- Slightly Increase

5. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

6. Over $40,000
- No Answer

7. Alcohol taxes
- Slightly Increase

8. Capital gains taxes
- Slightly Increase

9. Cigarette taxes
- Slightly Increase

10. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

11. Gasoline taxes
- Slightly Increase

12. Inheritance taxes
- Maintain Status

13. Charitable contributions
- Maintain Status

14. Child tax credit
- Maintain Status

15. Earned income tax credit
- Slightly Increase

16. Medical expense deduction
- Maintain Status

17. Mortgage deduction
- Maintain Status

18. Student loan credit
- Slightly Increase

Budgetary, Spending, and Taxes, Part 3: Taxes (B)

1. Do you support permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
- No

2. Do you support eliminating taxes on dividends paid to individual investors?
- No

3. Should a married couple filing jointly pay the same taxes as if they were an unmarried couple filing separately?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Campaign Finance and Government Reform

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.

1. Support public taxpayer funding for federal candidates who comply with campaign spending limits.
- X

2. Increase the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
- No Answer

3. Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
- No Answer

4. Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
- No Answer

5. Allow ads paid for by soft money that support or attack a candidate for federal office.
- No Answer

6. Allow issue advocacy commercials by corporations, labor unions, and non-profit groups which appear within 60 days of a general election and within 30 days of a primary election.
- No Answer

7. Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
- No Answer

8. Do you support instant run-off voting (IRV)?
- Undecided

9. Should Election Day be a national holiday?
- No

10. Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
- Yes

11. Should marriage be restricted to a union only between a man and a woman?
- Yes

12. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

1. Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
- X

2. Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
- No Answer

3. Impose "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve full sentences with no chance of parole.
- No Answer

4. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- X

5. Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
- X

6. Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
- No Answer

7. Support additional criminal penalties if a fetus is killed in the commission of a federal crime against a pregnant woman.
- No Answer

8. Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
- X

9. Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth.
- X

10. Impose stricter penalties for those convicted of white-collar crimes.
- X

11. Enforcement of civil rights should primarily be the responsibility of the federal government.
- X

12. Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
- No Answer

13. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Drug

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding drugs.

1. Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
- No Answer

2. Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs.
- X

3. Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
- No Answer

4. Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
- No Answer

5. Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
- X

6. Eliminate federal funding for programs associated with the "war on drugs."
- No Answer

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

1. Support national standards for and testing of public school students.
- X

2. Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any public school.
- No Answer

3. Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any private or religious school.
- No Answer

4. Allow teachers and professionals to receive authorization and funding to establish charter schools.
- X

5. Increase funding for block grants to states to aid in the hiring of additional teachers.
- X

6. Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
- X

7. Increase funding for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings, infrastructure, technology).
- X

8. Support granting states limited control over Head Start programs.
- No Answer

9. Support changing the mission of Head Start to emphasize improving the math and reading skills of disadvantaged children.
- No Answer

10. Providing education is not a responsibility of the federal government.
- No Answer

11. Support affirmative action in public college admissions.
- X

12. Increase funding of programs such as Pell grants and Stafford loans to help students pay for college.
- X

13. Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
- X

14. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Employment and Affirmative Action

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.2) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action.

1. Increase funding for national job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
- X

2. Reduce government regulation of the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- No Answer

3. Provide tax credits or grants to businesses that offer child care services to employees.
- X

4. Encourage employers to offer flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
- X

5. Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
- No Answer

6. Increase the federal minimum wage.
- X

7. Support the right of workers to strike without fear of being permanently replaced.
- X

8. Allow workers to sell company stock and to diversify their company retirement funds into other investment options.
- X

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

10. The federal government should consider race and gender in government contracting decisions.
- No Answer

11. The federal government should discontinue affirmative action programs.
- No Answer

12. The federal government should continue affirmative action programs.
- X

13. Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
- X

Environment and Energy

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

1. Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
- X

2. Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
- X

3. Require states to compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses of privately-owned land.
- No Answer

4. Relax logging restrictions on federal lands.
- No Answer

5. Relax standards on federal lands to allow increased recreational usage.
- No Answer

6. Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
- No Answer

7. Strengthen emission controls and fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
- X

8. Support opening a select portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration.
- No Answer

9. Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
- X

10. Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
- X

11. Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits.
- X

12. Support the U.S. re-entering the Kyoto treaty process to limit global warming.
- X

13. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.

1. Renew the ban on the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
- X

2. Maintain and strengthen the current level of enforcement of existing federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- X

3. Ease federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

4. Repeal federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

5. Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
- No Answer

6. Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
- X

7. Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
- X

8. Require a license for gun possession.
- No Answer

9. Establish a national database of ballistic "fingerprints" to track guns used in criminal activities.
- X

10. Support legislation that would protect manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers of firearms from civil lawsuits by crime victims.
- No Answer

11. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health care.

1. Providing health care is not a responsibility of the federal government.
- No Answer

2. Implement a universal health care program to guarantee coverage to all Americans regardless of income.
- X

3. Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes appeal mechanisms when claims are denied.
- X

4. Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes the right to sue when claims are denied.
- X

5. Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
- No Answer

6. Establish limits on the amount of punitive damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- No Answer

7. Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
- X

8. Support expanding prescription drug coverage under private managed care plans.
- No Answer

9. Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
- X

10. Support automatic enrollment of children in federal health care programs such as CHIP and Medicaid.
- X

11. Allow 55-65 year-olds to buy into Medicare.
- X

12. Support stem cell research on existing lines of stem cells.
- X

13. Allow laboratories to create new lines of stem cells for additional research.
- X

14. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Immigration

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.

1. Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
- No Answer

2. Establish English as the official national language.
- No Answer

3. Increase the number of visas issued for agricultural workers.
- No Answer

4. Relax restrictions barring legal immigrants from using social programs (e.g. public housing, food stamps).
- X

5. Support amnesty for certain illegal immigrants who already reside in the United States.
- No Answer

6. Support the detention of asylum seekers from countries known to sponsor terrorism.
- No Answer

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

International Aid, International Policy, and Trade Issues, Part 1: International Aid

International AidIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding United States economic assistance.

1. Aid should be granted to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
- X

2. Aid should be granted to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States.
- X

3. Aid should be eliminated for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
- No Answer

4. Aid programs should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

International Aid, International Policy, and Trade Issues, Part 2: International Policy

International Policy1) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the Middle East.2) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Central and East Asia.3) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the United Nations.

1. Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
- Yes

2. Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
- Yes

3. Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- Yes

5. Should the United States use diplomatic and economic pressure to encourage North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program?
- Yes

6. Should the United States use military force to destroy the North Korean nuclear weapons program?
- No

7. Should the United States remove the North Korean government from power?
- Undecided

8. Should the United States increase financial support to Afghanistan?
- Yes

9. Should the United States increase military support to Afghanistan?
- Yes

10. Should the United States maintain its financial support of the United Nations?
- Yes

11. Should the United States decrease its financial support of the United Nations?
- No

12. Should the United States commit troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions?
- Yes

13. Should the United States lift the travel ban to Cuba?
- Yes

14. Should the United States increase its financial support to Colombia to combat "the war on drugs"?
- No

15. Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs fund distribution of contraceptives?
- Yes

16. Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention fund abstinence education?
- Yes

17. Any Palestinian state must recognize and guarantee Israel's security
- I would internationalize the reconstruction effort and fund many projects with loans rather than grants.

International Aid, International Policy, and Trade Issues, Part 3: International Trade

International TradeIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.

1. Do you support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
- Yes

2. Do you support the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)?
- Yes

3. Do you support continued U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO)?
- Yes

4. Should a nation's human rights record affect its normal trade relations (most favored nation) status with the United States?
- Yes

5. Do you support the trade embargo against Cuba?
- Undecided

6. Should trade agreements include provisions to address environmental concerns and to protect workers' rights?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

National Security

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding national security.

1. Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
- Yes

2. Should the United States adopt stricter rules for student visa applications from nations known to sponsor terrorism?
- Yes

3. Should the United States grant law enforcement agencies greater discretion to read mail and email, tap phones, and conduct random searches to prevent future terrorist attacks?
- Undecided

4. Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?
- Yes

5. Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security?
- Yes

6. Do you support a policy of pre-emptive strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to national security?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social Security

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Social Security.

1. Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts which they manage themselves.
- No Answer

2. Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts managed by private firms contracted by the government.
- No Answer

3. Invest a portion of Social Security assets collectively in stocks and bonds instead of United States Treasury securities.
- X

4. Increase the payroll tax to better finance Social Security in its current form.
- No Answer

5. Lower the annual cost-of-living increases.
- No Answer

6. Raise the retirement age for when individuals are eligible to receive full Social Security benefits.
- No Answer

7. Other of expanded principles
- No Answer

Technology and Communication

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding technology and communication.

1. Collect taxes on commercial Internet transactions.
- X

2. Continue the moratorium on Internet taxation.
- No Answer

3. Implement regulation of Internet content.
- No Answer

4. Support government mandates to curtail violent and sexual content on television.
- X

5. Support strict penalties for Internet crimes (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses).
- X

6. Support legislation to detail how personal information can be collected and used on the Internet.
- X

7. Regulating the Internet is not a responsibility of the federal government.
- No Answer

8. Impose regulations on "spam" emails.
- X

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Welfare and Poverty

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.

1. Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs.
- No Answer

2. Increase funding for child care programs.
- X

3. Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
- X

4. Direct federal poverty aid through religious, community-based, or other non-profit organizations.
- No Answer

5. Abolish all federal welfare programs.
- No Answer

6. Support housing assistance for low-income families.
- X

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

On an attached page, disk, or via email, please explain in a total of 75 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- No Answer

Congress Bills
Speeches
Articles

CNBC - Let's double down on PPP and save America's endangered small businesses

Jul. 23, 2020

By: Sens. Chris Coons and Ben Cardin Along the Eastern Shore beaches that span our home states of Maryland and Delaware, the summer season -- usually a boon to our economy -- is a shadow of its normal self. Business owners in our beach towns typically endure losses for as many as 10 months of the year, then staff up for a seasonal frenzy that, hopefully, ekes out enough profit to make it to the next year. For the iconic surf shops, ice cream parlors, and pizza places that line the boardwalks of Rehoboth Beach, Del. and Ocean City, Md., though, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed all of that. Federal aid through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other initiatives enacted by Congress has flowed to small businesses like these, but it has been too little for many. Thankfully, we were able to extend PPP for another five weeks, but many businesses simply are facing the reality they may not survive, and those on the brink tend to have little cash reserves or access to credit. Across America, these vulnerable small businesses are also disproportionately women-, veteran-, or minority-owned. That's why we're working to pass legislation that does two things: First, make PPP funds available to eligible businesses through at least the end of this year, and second, authorize a second round of forgivable loans to the businesses most severely impacted by the pandemic. We want to double down on PPP because, despite its bumpy beginning, it has clearly worked and staved off millions of business closures and job losses. Because of the work of some 5,500 banks and community financial institutions, small businesses across America were able to access badly needed cash they're now using to pay or rehire workers and stay afloat. Now, with recent changes passed by Congress, businesses have additional flexibility in how they use those funds, enabling more to have their loans forgiven. Most importantly -- the money American small businesses need has already been passed by Congress; because the PPP program still has $130 billion in unspent funds, the program can handle a second, targeted round of lending, which we're calling the Prioritized Paycheck Protection Program, or P4. The P4 loan would be available to businesses with fewer than 100 employees that experienced a quarterly revenue loss of 50% or more, relative to the same quarter in 2019. The amount of the loan could be just as large as was allowed for the first round of PPP lending. To make sure that the very smallest employers receive their share of support, our bill reserves either $25 billion, or 20% of the program's funding, for businesses with 10 or fewer workers. Without aggressive new support for endangered businesses, this flagship relief program will fail to match the nature of this crisis. More than half of workers in the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry lost their jobs between February and April, and nearly half of those in accommodation and food services lost their jobs. Compare these numbers to those of the finance and insurance industry, which shed only 0.5% of its jobs in the same period, and it's clear that business relief should actually be scaled based on need. Some of our Senate colleagues have envisioned new small business relief programs altogether, but the reality is that the most endangered small businesses need help now and standing up new federal program takes time. Consider that the Main Street Lending Program, PPP's cousin set up by the Federal Reserve to aid midsize businesses, is still getting off the ground. The federal government has provided hundreds of billions of dollars to help American businesses get through this crisis, but there's more work left to do. By simply repurposing money already passed by Congress for another round of targeted aid to small businesses, we can save thousands of endangered small businesses, the jobs they provide, and the American Main Streets and boardwalks they make possible.

Funding
416,564 821,171 857,116 0

Financial Summary April 5, 2024 11:20 ET

Period Receipts Disbursements CashOnHand DebtsLoans
416,564 821,171 857,116 0
416,564 821,171 857,116 0
Source:Federal Election Commission
Total Raised
Total receipts$26,907.73
Total receipts$26,907.73
Total contributions$21,618.0080.34%
Total contributions$21,618.0080.34%
Total individual contributions$3,118.00
Total individual contributions$3,118.00
Itemized individual contributions$1,850.00
Itemized individual contributions$1,850.00
Unitemized individual contributions$1,268.00
Unitemized individual contributions$1,268.00
Party committee contributions$0.00
Party committee contributions$0.00
Other committee contributions$18,500.00
Other committee contributions$18,500.00
Candidate contributions$0.00
Candidate contributions$0.00
Transfers from other authorized committees$0.000%
Transfers from other authorized committees$0.000%
Total loans received$0.000%
Total loans received$0.000%
Loans made by candidate$0.00
Loans made by candidate$0.00
Other loans$0.00
Other loans$0.00
Offsets to operating expenditures$922.203.43%
Offsets to operating expenditures$922.203.43%
Other receipts$4,367.5316.23%
Other receipts$4,367.5316.23%
Total Spent
Total disbursements$188,079.98
Total disbursements$188,079.98
Operating expenditures$132,564.9870.48%
Operating expenditures$132,564.9870.48%
Transfers to other authorized committees$0.000%
Transfers to other authorized committees$0.000%
Total contribution refunds$53,500.0028.45%
Total contribution refunds$53,500.0028.45%
Individual refunds$23,600.00
Individual refunds$23,600.00
Political party refunds$0.00
Political party refunds$0.00
Other committee refunds$29,900.00
Other committee refunds$29,900.00
Total loan repayments$0.000%
Total loan repayments$0.000%
Candidate loan repayments$0.00
Candidate loan repayments$0.00
Other loan repayments$0.00
Other loan repayments$0.00
Other disbursements$2,015.001.07%
Other disbursements$2,015.001.07%
Cash Summary
Ending cash on hand$857,116.30
Ending cash on hand$857,116.30
Debts/loans owed to committee$0.00
Debts/loans owed to committee$0.00
Debts/loans owed by committee$0.00
Debts/loans owed by committee$0.00
Events

2021