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Senator Chris Van Hollen

@vanhollen.senate.gov
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U.S. Senator for Maryland vanhollen.senate.gov

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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 18m
If Republicans really wanted to stop data centers from raising your utility rates, they wouldn't have put forward a toothless bill. In January, I intro'd the Power for the People Act, a real, enforceable solution to this crisis. No Republicans have joined us. Let's vote on it!
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 5h
Let’s be clear: I support a total ban on Congressmembers trading stock.   But Republicans are trying to package a fraudulent version of that with a bill to disenfranchise American voters.   This is politics at its worst. Put a real ban on the floor if you’re serious.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 7h
The man who found a way to bankrupt a casino is on the verge of bankrupting the Kennedy Center. Everything he touches he destroys.   The reflecting pool, the East Wing, the Kennedy Center, & every monument in America belong to the PEOPLE. They're not his to remake, remodel, or destroy.
washingtonpost.com
The Kennedy Center was solvent when Trump took over. Then its finances collapsed.
The Post examined 15 years of the institution’s financial records to see why it went south after the president took over.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 22h
Tonight, 47 Senators supported my resolution to get accountability for the 9 Americans killed on the West Bank & for Palestinians who face injustices daily. That's more support than we've ever had in this fight. Republicans blocked us, but we won't stop until we get justice.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 29/09/2026
The US says our # 1 priority abroad is protecting Americans. But in the West Bank, 9 Americans have been killed by Israeli settlers or security forces with no justice. Meanwhile, they attack Palestinians daily with total impunity. Today, I'll force a vote to demand accountability.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 29/09/2026
While I welcome the decision of OpenAI to scrap the release of its new model, without mandatory safety & testing standards, we’re just trusting the AI giants to do the right thing. I called on OpenAI to reconsider its release of GPT-6 Astra & am still waiting for answers to key questions:
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 29/09/2026
A federal judge ruled that the Trump admin violated her order prohibiting overcrowding at ICE's Baltimore holding room — the very facility I've been sounding the alarm on after we saw this terrible footage last year. The judge is right to threaten contempt — the abuses must end.
‘Spectacular failure’: Baltimore ICE facility violated overcrowding order, judge finds
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 26/09/2026
The president who called American soldiers that died in war “suckers” and “losers,” is now hiding the number of service members killed & injured in his war of choice. Absolutely disgraceful.
washingtonpost.com
More U.S. troops have died amid Iran war than Pentagon has disclosed publicly
Officials who spoke with The Post expressed frustration that the additional loss of life in the Middle East is not reflected in the Defense Department’s casualty database.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 26/09/2026
The Trump admin admitted it made a mistake in illegally deporting this man TWICE, but — like it initially did with Kilmar Abrego Garcia — it's defying a court order & refuses to bring him back. This federal judge is right to hold the admin in contempt. There must be a penalty for flouting the law.
X Post from @kyledcheney: JUST IN: A federal judge (Trump-appointed Stephanie Gallagher) has held the Trump administration in contempt for deporting a man to El Salvador in violation of three court orders. She's ordering the government to return him.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 25/09/2026
Instead of lowering healthcare costs or gas prices, Trump is spending YOUR tax dollars on an illegal, blatantly political ad. He knows how unpopular he is — and now he is using your money to try to change your mind. Corrupt & illegal.
Trump ad airing with government funding despite law against ‘propaganda’

The agency responsible for the commercial was not immediately clear.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 25/09/2026
Frontier AI models pose risks for all of humanity today. We must hold AI companies liable for harm, but we must also do more to avoid it in the first place. Trump's refusal to negotiate guardrails with China puts us all at risk.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 24/09/2026
Gas, groceries, & now mortgages, all are more expensive because of Trump's illegal war in Iran.   From daily life to your future, Trump's war tax is raising prices everywhere.   This isn't complicated: To protect our troops, save civilians, & lower prices we need to end this war NOW.
Mortgage Rates Hit 7% as Iran War Fallout Crushes a Weak Housing Market

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the United States jumped to 7.03 percent, putting pressure on housing affordability.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 24/09/2026
Trump only wants to admit refugees who look like him.   While he opens the doors for 17,500 more White South Africans, he's slamming them shut on those who truly are in harm’s way.   This sick global apartheid policy must end.
Trump administration to welcome up to 17,500 more White South Africans as refugees
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 24/09/2026
President Trump's ban of Politico, CNN, & MSNOW is the stuff of authoritarians. But Trump's authoritarian envy doesn't change the fact that we have a constitution that expressly protects our free press. The White House must allow these outlets back in NOW.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 23/09/2026
Enough is enough. Instead of using taxpayer dollars to attack Iran & strangle the Cuban people, we should be investing them right here at home.   What happened to America First?
Trump threatens to 'annihilate' Iran, says Cuba 'will fall'
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 23/09/2026
Trump says he opposes any effort to regulate AI, but it's clear we cannot wait. It would be malpractice against the American public if he fails to use this summit with Xi to negotiate mutual safeguards to protect us & the world from catastrophic harm. www.politico.com/news/2026/09...
politico.com
Dems urge Trump to seek AI deal with China
In a letter shared with POLITICO, 17 Democratic senators called on the president to discuss slowing or pausing AI development with Xi Jinping at their upcoming summit.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 23/09/2026
Trump mega-donors David & Larry Ellison will now officially control CBS, CNN, TikTok, & more. This consolidation hands more control over what we see to Trump & the billionaire class to peddle their propaganda.  This merger was illegal from day 1 & should've never been approved.
nytimes.com
Paramount Settles States’ Lawsuit, Clearing Way for Warner Bros. Merger
By resolving a lawsuit filed by a group of states, the media mogul David Ellison removed the last major hurdle he faced in buying Warner Bros. Discovery.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 22/09/2026
Prime Minister Netanyahu's lies about @mayor.nyc.gov don't change the fact that Netanyahu is a wanted war criminal who has blocked justice for Americans killed on his watch. If there's anyone who should be shamed & ashamed, it's him. He's lucky he was even allowed into our country.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 22/09/2026
Trump's ICE is disappearing thousands of people in their system, hiding their locations from loved ones & lawyers, & preventing them from exercising their constitutional rights.   This is the lawlessness Republicans keep writing blank checks for. Not another dime! apnews.com/article/ice-...
apnews.com
AP Exclusive: ICE hides locations of thousands of detainees with final removal orders
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stopped publicly revealing where it is holding most detainees who are subject to final deportation orders, in a move that has made it harder for lawyers an...
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 22/09/2026
Almost a year after Congress near-unanimously mandated their release, Blanche & Trump have not released all the Epstein Files AND have unjustifiably redacted info. Judges are right to threaten contempt. This cover up is illegal. The survivors & the American people deserve answers.
thehill.com
Judge gives Blanche deadline, warns of possible contempt charges over Epstein files
A federal judge gave Attorney General Todd Blanche a deadline to comply with court orders Wednesday regarding the release of certain information in the Epstein files, threatening contempt charges f…
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 22/09/2026
This weekend thousands of American patriots stood up to Trump's attacks on the Kennedy Center with a simple message: HANDS OFF.   This & every monument in America belong to the people, not to any President. We must continue to speak out; silence only emboldens Trump's lawbreaking.
washingtonpost.com
Thousands rally outside shuttered Kennedy Center, chanting ‘Hands off!’
The vigil took place at the end of a week that saw the doors to the marble building locked shut.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 21/09/2026
Trump is working overtime to rig the midterms & preserve his power — & with it, the power of billionaires over the American people. Free & fair elections are vital to our democracy & are our only way to end a broken status quo. We can't let him get away with his schemes.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 21/09/2026
If European countries & other signatories to the International Criminal Court have any self-respect, they'd sanction Rubio & Trump for obstructing investigations of Netanyahu's war crimes.
wsj.com
Exclusive | Trump Ramps Up Bid to Dismantle International Criminal Court
The U.S. administration is preparing sweeping sanctions that would cut the court off from much of the global financial system.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 21/09/2026
Trump & Vought are politicizing critical medical research and make no mistake: in the long run, this will cost lives. Their continued attacks will put future cures and treatments at risk in service of their own political agenda.   Shameful.
nytimes.com
White House Moves to Take Control of N.I.H. Grants
Federal officials are drafting an executive order that would place grants under review by an outside panel, the latest effort to redirect billions of dollars in research spending.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 21/09/2026
Of course. While Trump opposes any common sense AI safety regulations, he & his sons are profiting off the free ride he’s giving the AI industry. Even with the future of humanity on the line, Trump’s profits come first. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
Trump and sons invest heavily in AI economy as he resists calls for slowdown
Trump’s decisions as president on one of the most consequential policy debates of his administration could affect the value of his personal investments.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 20/09/2026
We will ensure Trump’s efforts to sabotage the Chesapeake Bay clean up don’t jeopardize the $90+ million in federal funds that are essential to protecting the Bay.  A healthy Bay is an economic & environmental lifeline for those in the watershed. We won't stop fighting for it.
fox5dc.com
White House rolls back Chesapeake Bay restoration order
The Trump administration has revoked a 2009 executive order that coordinated efforts to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 19/09/2026
This is how an authoritarian regime attempts to silence the free press.  Trump is step by step trying to strangle the Bill of Rights and tear up our Constitution. If anyone still doubts it, wake up! www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
CNN, MS NOW, Politico say journalists blocked from White House after Trump announces ban
President Donald Trump said Friday he would block MS NOW, CNN and Politico from White House grounds. News outlets and press advocacy groups condemned the move as a violation of the First Amendment.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 18/09/2026
Nowhere is Trump's lie that he would focus only on the 'worst of the worst' clearer than his assault on TPS. TPS holders are here legally, they’re vetted, & they contribute to our communities. America is a nation of immigrants. Trump's attacks on them are cruel & un-American.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 18/09/2026
We're in the midst of an illegal war that's costing Americans $1 billion a day. Gas is over $4/gallon. AI companies are warning of threats to humanity. And the President is trying to demolish the Kennedy Center because he can't put his name on it. Sums up the Trump era.
washingtonpost.com
Judge says Trump’s board may not demolish Kennedy Center without warning
Rep. Joyce Beatty asked a federal judge to clarify that the center cannot be torn down after images surfaced of the president reviewing what appeared to be a printout related to the institution.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 17/09/2026
Trump's illegal war of choice in Iran has already cost us over $38 BILLION, and that's before you factor in the rising costs you're paying for gas, groceries, & virtually everything else.   To protect our troops, civilians in the region, & to lower prices we need to end this war, NOW.
time.com
Iran War Has Cost U.S. Nearly $40 Billion and Fueled Inflation, CBO Finds
The report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the war will cost the country another $2 billion to $3 billion each month it continues.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 16/09/2026
Trump is sending $2.8 BILLION of bombs paid for by YOU, the American taxpayer, to a govt led by a wanted war criminal. All while Netanyahu keeps bombing Gaza & blocks justice for Americans killed on his watch. How is this America First? We will work to stop it.
washingtonpost.com
Trump’s planned sale of controversial bombs to Israel is largest in years
The pending transfer of the 2,000-pound munition, involved in scores of incidents resulting in civilian casualties, sets up a potential litmus test for Democrats.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 15/09/2026
The President of the United States is throwing a temper tantrum because he couldn't put his name on yet another building.   Trump can complain & threaten all he wants; it won't change the fact that the Kennedy Center belongs to the American people & is not his to remake.
politico.com
Trump says Kennedy Center is closed hours after a judge ruled he can’t put his name on it
Trump said a planned renovation won’t happen until the building is allowed to bear his name.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 15/09/2026
Days after another measles death, we discover that the most powerful public health official in America will be a headline speaker for an anti-vax rally hosted by a conspiracy org he used to lead.   This is public health under Trump and RFK. Americans' lives are at risk.
Kennedy to deliver keynote for anti-vaccine group he once led

Health secretary has previously worked to distance himself from Children’s Health Defense
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 14/09/2026
It's simple. Big Oil & Big Coal give millions to help get Trump elected. He lets them pollute more. You get dirtier air, extreme heat, flooding, & droughts.   Trump's trading away your health & safety to pad his donors' pockets.   Polluters win, Trump wins, you lose.
washingtonpost.com
EPA plans to scrap Biden-era rules that limit power-plant climate emissions
Agency chief Lee Zeldin had planned the repeal as part a slew of proposals he called “the largest deregulatory announcement in U.S. history.”
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 14/09/2026
The Trump admin has now ILLEGALLY deported over 170 people. That's 170 times they've broken the law &, in some cases, sent people back into harm's way.   The Constitution guarantees due process to ALL — Trump & Miller don't get to pick & choose. Everyone involved must be held accountable.
politico.com
Illegal deportations spike under Trump's ICE push
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 13/09/2026
In August, we stopped the Clarity Act, but when the Senate returns this week the crypto industry & their Republican flunkies in Congress will try again. As is, this bill does nothing to stop Trump's crypto corruption or the use of crypto by bad actors. We can't let this pass.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 12/09/2026
Judge Berner's decision is a sobering read. Trump's mass detention agenda "harkens back to some of the darkest moments in our country’s history," including the internment of Japanese people during WWII. 
9 Appellate Courts have now shot down this lawless policy. SCOTUS should too.
politico.com
Appeals court rejects ICE detention policy, setting stage for SCOTUS
The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals compared ICE’s policy to Japanese internment.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 12/09/2026
In recent months, OpenAI has reported multiple instances where their AI models broke containment during evaluation & caused security incidents.   If OpenAI cannot guarantee safety & effectively monitor their latest model, GPT-6 Astra, it should be removed from public use NOW.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 12/09/2026
25 years ago, America watched in horror as the 9/11 attacks unfolded live on television. First responders gave & risked their lives to save survivors from the rubble. (1/2)
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 11/09/2026
Trump & his admin were going to frame an innocent Marylander for "vandalizing" the reflecting pool, when Trump's handpicked contractor now admits it was their own shoddy installation.   Yet another shameless attempt to weaponize our justice system against Americans. This must end.
nytimes.com
Reflecting Pool Contractor Blames Its Own Repairs, Not Vandals, for Damage
The contractor said the pool’s new blue liner peeled and tore because of “human oversight” and a flawed plan that involved layering two incompatible chemicals, documents show.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 11/09/2026
Trump & his admin were going to frame an innocent Marylander for "vandalizing" the reflecting pool, when Trump's handpicked contractor now admits it was their own shoddy installation.   Yet another shameless attempt to weaponize our justice system against Americans. This must end.
nytimes.com
Reflecting Pool Contractor Blames Its Own Repairs, Not Vandals, for Damage
The contractor said the pool’s new blue liner peeled and tore because of “human oversight” and a flawed plan that involved layering two incompatible chemicals, documents show.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 11/09/2026
While this bill is a start, it doesn't do near enough to ensure Americans aren't footing the bill for Big Tech's rampant data center expansion.   If Republicans were serious, they'd help pass my Power for the People Act, to tackle rising costs, pollution, & grid reliability.
axios.com
Scoop: House tees up pre-election vote on curbing data center power bills
Democrats have been hammering GOP incumbents over high energy prices.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 11/09/2026
Inflation just got worse, AGAIN. The good news? We know what’s causing it: Trump’s illegal war in Iran has spiked prices everywhere. The bad news? He & Republicans refuse to end it. To lower prices, protect our troops, & save civilians in the region, we must end this war NOW.
theguardian.com
US consumers faced more high prices in August as Iran war raised energy costs
Annualized inflation rate was 3.4%, same as July, and core inflation, which omits energy and food prices, rose to 2.4%
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 11/09/2026
Today marks 25 years since one of the darkest days in American history. We will never forget those we lost on 9/11, the first responders who gave and risked their lives saving others, & all those we lost in the years that followed.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 10/09/2026
Where's the enforcement? Since taking office, the Trump admin has only fined a handful of the offenders they identified.   We need real change & that means enforcing these rules & breaking up monopolies that allow hospitals to charge exorbitant prices in the first place.
washingtonsun.com
Most U.S. Hospitals Aren’t Posting Their Prices Despite Trump’s Rules
The Trump administration has threatened a crackdown after five years of hospitals skirting the rules.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 10/09/2026
Yet another gimmick from the president who called the affordability crisis a 'hoax.'   Trump is driving up interest rates & this temporary band-aid isn't near enough.   If Trump really cared about affordability, he'd end his tariff taxes & his illegal war of choice in Iran.
wsj.com
U.S. Treasury Plans $6 Billion Buyback, Yields Rise
The U.S. Treasury raised the size of its planned buyback operation for Treasurys maturing in 10 to 20 years to $6 billion, triple the typical amount, but not enough to send yields lower.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 10/09/2026
Imran Ahmed founded the Center for Countering Digital Hate to hold Big Tech accountable by studying & exposing online hate and uncovering AI chat bots that threaten kids. Now the Trump admin is threatening to detain & deport him for his work. This cannot stand.
reuters.com
US judge dismisses suit by British anti-disinformation activist against deporting him
A federal judge in New York dismissed a lawsuit by British anti-disinformation campaigner Imran Ahmed that challenged the Trump administration's ability to ​detain and deport him.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 09/09/2026
From day 1 we said the Dobbs decision was never about states' rights, it was about limiting women's access to care.   To put an end to these relentless Republican attacks, we must codify reproductive freedoms in law & make clear that a woman's right to choose is her decision.
politico.com
Louisiana’s abortion pill case could wipe out access in blue states
Red states claiming "sovereign injury" seek to impose nationwide restrictions.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 09/09/2026
Trump promised American workers a 'golden age' but he delivered another Gilded Age for billionaires & big corporations. In the post-WWII era, working people have never gotten a smaller share than today. Meanwhile, Trump & his buddies have never had it so good.
It's a Bad Time to Be an American Worker

Workers' share of US wealth has (once again) fallen to its lowest level ever recorded.
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Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 09/09/2026
Anyone still denying the risks posed by unregulated AI should read this thread.

It’s time to pump the brakes & take action NOW. We need:
- Mandatory safeguards
- A comprehensive testing regime
- Urgent dialogue with China, before & during President Xi's visit to DC this month
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