Ranking Member's Press
Cardin Reacts to Haitian TPS Recommendation by State Dept.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Tuesday after the State Department announced that Haitians in the United States on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) would need to leave the country by July 2019: "I am deeply concerned that the termination of TPS for Haitians in the United States will have a devastating impact on American and Haitian families, and further destabilize Haiti, a country still rec… Continue Reading
November 17, 2017
Cardin Presses State Dept. for Central American, Haitian TPS Documentation
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson yesterday requesting documents related to the Department's assessment of country conditions in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Haiti. The request also includes the Department's formal recommendation related to the extension and termination of Temporary Protected Status designations for each country and the documents prepared by the U.S. embassies… Continue Reading
November 17, 2017
Cardin Recognizes Eighth Anniversary of Sergei Magnitsky’s Death
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the author of the Sergei Magnitsky and Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Acts, released the following statement Thursday, the eighth anniversary of Mr. Magnitsky's death: "Like any good lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky went to Russian authorities when he uncovered corruption in the course of his work. For his commitment to his profession and for his bravery, he was summarily arrested, … Continue Reading
November 15, 2017
Cardin Calls for Calm, Democratic Process in Zimbabwe
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Wednesday regarding the ongoing political crisis in Zimbabwe. The African Union has called for restraint, and for respect for constitutional order: "The military's actions in Zimbabwe have all of the hallmarks of a coup, and I call upon all stakeholders to refrain from violence as this crisis is resolved. Though the United States has had serious policy differ… Continue Reading
November 14, 2017
Cardin: Widespread Human Suffering in Yemen Reaches Catastrophic Level
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Tuesday regarding the humanitarian situation in Yemen and Saudi Arabia's role: "Saudi Arabia's announcement that they will begin reopening air and seaports in areas controlled by the Yemeni government is a positive first step to ending the Yemen blockade. However, I remain deeply troubled that ports and airports in the north-where the majority of Yemenis live-… Continue Reading
November 14, 2017
Cardin Remarks at Hearing on Use of Nuclear Weapons
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, delivered the following opening remarks Tuesday at a hearing on the authority to order the use of nuclear weapons: "Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I almost always, in a perfunctory way, thank you for holding hearings but in this case, I really do believe this is a critically important discussion to have, not just with ourselves in the United States Senate but with the American people. "I must tell… Continue Reading
November 14, 2017
Cardin Stands Up for Foreign Service, State Department, Questions Administration’s Commitment to Diplomacy
"The State Department and USAID, I would offer, are every bit as vital and critical an element of our national security as the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, our law enforcement, or the myriad others in the federal government who work tirelessly every day to protect our security, extend our prosperity, and promote our values." WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the following statement as prepared for d… Continue Reading
November 12, 2017
Senate Delegation Concludes Mission to UN Climate Conference
Group Travels Next to Berlin for Global Security, Human Rights Meetings BONN, GERMANY -- A United States Senate delegation has concluded its mission to the annual United Nations climate conference in the wake of President Trump's intentions to withdraw America from the historic Paris Climate Agreement, an accord now agreed to by every other country in the world to fight global climate change through a mix of carbon emissions reductions, clean energy innovations, adaptation measures, and resilie… Continue Reading
November 11, 2017
Cardin Reacts to Trump Comments about Russian Meddling in US Democracy
BONN, GERMANY - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Saturday in response to President Trump's latest comments refuting the assessment of 17 U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 election. The Senator is currently at COP23, the UN climate conference, leading a Senate delegation that in part is seeking to reassure the international community about America's commitments, leadership and value… Continue Reading
November 10, 2017
Cardin Requests Extension of Protected Status for Haitians in U.S.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke this week requesting an 18-month extension of the existing Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 58,000 Haitian nationals currently living in the United States, which expires on January 22, 2018. Senator Cardin said in part, "Although Haiti has made important strides towards reconstruction, its capacity to effectively manage … Continue Reading
November 09, 2017
Cardin Questions USAID Rationale for Sudden Cancellation of Nearly 100 Foreign Service Positions
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, has written to Mark Green, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), seeking an explanation for why 97 foreign service placements for new officers were abruptly cancelled. Months after the hiring freeze was lifted across the federal government, there is no legitimate reason for a national security agency to reject qualified applicants, ready to serve, some of w… Continue Reading
November 09, 2017
Cardin Says Reinstating Travel Restrictions to Cuba Harms American Leadership and Micromanages American Travelers
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, responded with the following statement to the Treasury Department's new regulations reinstating travel restrictions and barring many transactions by American citizens in Cuba. "As President Trump continues down the path of retreating from U.S. global leadership, today's announcement marks another step backwards. In limiting the rights of American citizens to travel to Cuba and curtailing o… Continue Reading
November 08, 2017
Cardin Statement on Anniversary of OECD Corruption Mechanisms
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a leading advocate of anti-corruption and good governance policies, released the following statement Wednesday in commemoration of various anti-corruption anniversaries within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development: "I salute the OECD as they celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the landmark Anti-Bribery Convention, and fortieth anniversary of its predecessor, the 1977… Continue Reading
November 07, 2017
Cardin Seeks Long-term Extension of TPS for Central American Countries and Haiti
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, released the following statement Tuesday, calling on Congress to find a permanent solution to the instability wrought by the Trump Administration's indecision on Temporary Protected Status for most Central American countries and Haiti: "While I welcome the Trump Administration's rhetorical willingness to work with Congress to make long overdue changes to our immigration laws, I am worried … Continue Reading
November 05, 2017
Cardin Calls Potential End to Temporary Protected Status for Central American Countries and Haiti Destabilizing and Inhumane
BALTIMORE- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, issued the following statement in response to media reports that the State Department recommended against renewing Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Haiti. Deadlines for decisions on TPS for these countries are as early as November 6 for Honduras. "If the accounts are true, by recommending against renewing TPS for Central American countries and Haiti,… Continue Reading
November 03, 2017
Cardin Statement on New Investigative Report into Assassination of Honduran Environmentalist Berta Cáceres
U.S. Senator has repeatedly called for justice in murder of Caceres, end to impunity in Honduras WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Friday after an Independent Team of Experts released a report highlighting the inefficiencies and negligence of the investigation into the assassination on the assassination of Honduran Environmentalist Berta Cáceres: "The deeply troubling findings of the I… Continue Reading
November 02, 2017
Cardin, Lugar Statement on U.S. Withdrawal from Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and former U.S. Senator Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), President of The Lugar Center and former Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following joint statement Thursday after the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) announced the United States would withdraw from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) as an implementing country. The Department falsely claims it … Continue Reading
November 02, 2017
McCain, Cardin, Durbin, Rubio & Young Introduce Bill to Impose Sanctions on Burmese Officials for Rohingya Atrocities
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Ben Cardin (D-MD), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Democratic Whip, and Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Todd Young (R-IN), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led a bipartisan group of their colleagues today in introducing legislation that would impose targeted sanctions and travel restrictions on senior Burmese military officials resp… Continue Reading
November 01, 2017
Cardin Responds to NYC Terror Attack
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, issued the following statement in response to the fatal terror attack in New York City Tuesday. "This terrorist attack that took the lives of eight people and injured at least a dozen more was tragic. My prayers and condolences go out to the families and friends of the victims - in the U.S., Argentina and Belgium - whose lives were shattered by this attack. I thank the first responders wh… Continue Reading
October 30, 2017
Cardin Raises Legal Authority Questions at AUMF Hearing with Tillerson, Mattis
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, delivered the following remarks Monday at a hearing on 'The Authorizations for the Use of Military Force: Administration Perspective.': "I join you in welcoming our two witnesses, and join you in our strong desire for this Committee to operate in a nonpartisan way for the betterment of our national security. I thank you for conducting this hearing. "This is one of the most important topics t… Continue Reading
