Senator Ben Cardin, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement:
“I made a pledge to do all that I could to ensure that middle-income Americans would not see an increase in their taxes during these tough economic times. I intend to keep my promise, despite the problems I see in the package, negotiated in good faith between the White House and Republicans, which is why I will support its passage.
“I voted against the Bush tax cuts in 2001 and 2003, as a member of the House of Representatives, so it is with great trepidation that I even consider extending those same tax cuts for the very wealthiest Americans for another two years. But I understand that the trade-off for those two years will keep money in the pockets of middle-income Americans at a time so many need every dollar to make ends meet. I will support this proposal also because it extends the availability of unemployment benefits that are essential to many who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own and because it extends refundable tax credits for college tuition, extends an increase in the child tax credit, and continues the successful Earned Income Tax Credit, which helps so many vulnerable families.
“Most provisions in this package, particularly those that benefit the very wealthiest Americans, expire in two years or less. This is recognition that we must address our nation’s most serious federal deficit issues as our economy recovers. It will require shared sacrifice as we act to bring into balance our federal spending and revenues.
“Make no mistake, the original Bush tax cuts helped put this nation in the financial hole that we now find ourselves. Extending tax cuts for the very wealthiest Americans, while simultaneously giving them an overly generous escape from estate taxes, will only dig us a deeper deficit and greater debt for our grandchildren. This is not the bill that I would have written to help support America’s Middle Class or help bring our federal budget into balance, but I concur with the economists who say that the benefits of this package outweigh the problems and will promote job creation and boost our economy. More jobs and a growing economy is the very best thing we can do to help hard-working Americans and their families.”
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin released the following statement after the Senate fell short of the required votes that would have allowed consideration of the Defense Authorization bill, including a repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Senator Cardin is a cosponsor of a Senate measure that would repeal the law and allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. military.
“The Pentagon and our military have spoken, our nation has spoken, the time to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is now. We can no longer stand by while members of our nation’s armed forces are openly discriminated against. I was disappointed that the Senate failed once again to clear a procedural hurdle that would allow us to debate this issue. Today, I cosponsored new legislation which would bring this issue to the floor during the current Congress.
“We cannot continue to force the gay men and women who defend our nation to serve in silence. Incessant delays and hollow excuses only add insult to what is clearly a bad policy. The Pentagon’s in-depth report tells us that this repeal can take place without undermining military readiness or unit cohesion. Before this Senate breaks for recess to go home to our families, we must ensure that we fulfill our moral obligation and protect the rights and freedoms of the brave men and women who risk their lives to protect ours.”
U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski lauded yesterday’s announcement by the Obama Administration that it would ban oil drilling off the Atlantic Coast through 2017. The senators have repeatedly called for a permanent prohibition on offshore drilling off the Atlantic Coast, particularly in areas too environmentally sensitive or vital to our national defense.
“The Mid-Atlantic is just too environmentally sensitive for drilling. I applaud President Obama and Secretary Salazar for making the right decision to prohibit oil drilling off the Atlantic Coast,” said Senator Cardin, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “Drilling off the Virginia coast would have brought with it tremendous risks for our coastal economy and the future of the Chesapeake Bay, a national environmental treasure. I urge President Obama to make permanent today’s announcement and help turn our nation’s efforts to developing clean energy solutions that will create American jobs, fuel American business, strengthen our national security by ending our dependence on foreign energy, and protecting our precious natural resources.”
“President Obama did the right thing today by deciding not to allow offshore drilling off our Atlantic coast. I am absolutely opposed to offshore drilling and always will be,” Senator Mikulski said. “Offshore drilling can devastate the environment, harming our unique and fragile coastline and wreaking havoc on the coastal communities whose economies rely heavily on tourism. As we saw after the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this year, when oil starts to leak it knows no boundaries. I will never stop fighting to protect our beaches, our precious waters and our tourism economy.”
On March 31, President Obama announced that he planned to open the Atlantic Coast to oil and gas drilling in an area known as Lease Sale 220. This wedge-shaped area covers 2.9 million acres off the coast of Virginia. The western edge of Lease Sale 220 sits 50 miles due east of the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay and 60 miles from the Maryland border and Assateague Island National Seashore. Just two months later, after continued pressure from Mid-Atlantic Senators, President Obama cancelled the planned lease sale for this sensitive area. Today’s announcement closes the door on any such lease sales through 2017.
