Van Hollen Statement on Biden Budget Outline

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding President Biden’s initial budget outline:

“As our state and nation begin to recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s time to invest boldly in our workforce, our economy, and our future. President Biden’s budget outline does just that – jump-starting our efforts to build back better with the necessary funding to tackle the most critical, fundamental challenges our country faces.

“This proposal makes vital investments in a number of priorities I’ve fought for, including a historic increase in funding to bolster our education system and expand community schools. It also includes resources to address the gun violence epidemic and incentivize adoption of handgun licensing laws, improve equitable access to health care, and drive transformational research on diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s – an area that I have already sat down with the President to discuss. It invests in new housing vouchers and provides support for families to find homes in higher opportunity areas, a bipartisan initiative that Senator Todd Young and I have put forward. And this proposal provides funds to tackle the climate crisis and improve our environment – a critical priority for our state as we continue working to protect and preserve the Chesapeake Bay.

“With this budget, President Biden takes major strides in righting the wrongs of the previous Administration, both at home and abroad. By modernizing our international affairs budget and ending the use of the Overseas Contingency Operations account as a slush fund – as I’ve previously called for – this proposal will ultimately strengthen our national security and our standing across the globe.  

“I look forward to working with the Biden Administration to build further on this proposal in Congress and rebuild a stronger economy that brings both greater prosperity and opportunity to Marylanders and the American people."