News

U.S. Rep. Sarbanes: Senate must act on 2020 election security
John Sarbanes, The Baltimore Sun (Op-Ed)

Recent reporting underscores the alarming vulnerabilities that exist in voting systems across the country (“Voting machines face new criticism,” Feb. 24). As the 2020 election rapidly approaches, we must act urgently to protect our elections and guard against foreign interference.

In Congress, the Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives has made election security a top priority. As our first order of business, we passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act, the most sweeping anti-corruption bill in a generation which included significant election security reforms and resources. Soon after, we passed H.R. 2722, the Securing America’s Federal Elections (SAFE) Act, a comprehensive effort to modernize election systems in every state by increasing the adoption of paper ballots and ensuring the accuracy of vote tallies. We also passed H.R. 4617, the Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act, a bipartisan bill to counter foreign interference in our democracy.

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An inclusive democracy Demands DC statehood
Eleanor Holmes Norton and John Sarbanes, The Hill (Op-Ed)

Every student learns that the American Revolution was born, at least in part, out of the conviction that there can be “no taxation without representation.” More than just a slogan, this rallying cry represents the essence of self-determination – the fundamental right of all people to be ruled by their own hand and to choose their own government.

Over two centuries, we have built upon that core principle, with painstaking and persistent work, to make our democracy more representative and inclusive. But today, we face significant structural challenges that threaten the state of our democracy and undermine our right to self-rule.

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Working to Reduce Youth Vaping and Tobacco Use
John Sarbanes and Brian Frosh, Maryland Matters (Op-Ed)

With the alarming rise in vaping among teenagers and adolescents, a new public health crisis is unfolding right before our eyes. At the state and federal level, we must move swiftly to protect our children from the harmful, and sometimes deadly, effects of vaping.

The number of middle and high school students using e-cigarettes rose from 3.6 million in 2018 to 5.4 million in 2019 – a 50% increase in a single year. This spike in e-cigarette use has coincided with a significant surge in vaping-related illnesses nationwide. In 2019 alone, the Centers for Disease Control reported 2,506 vaping-related illnesses, including 54 deaths, with nearly 200 new cases reported each week.

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The 2020 Census could be the next big hacking and disinformation target
Joseph Marks, The Washington Post

Lawmakers are growing increasingly alarmed about hacking dangers targeting the 2020 Census after a watchdog detailed dozens of high-risk cybersecurity problems that should have been fixed a long time ago.

The hacking danger could be compounded by social media misinformation spread by U.S. adversaries or pranksters falsely claiming that census data is corrupted or the count is rigged, according to the Government Accountability Office report released during a House Oversight Committee hearing yesterday.

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Democrats say Americans want witnesses at Trump impeachment trial
Stephen Loiaconi, WSYX (Online)

As senators inched closer Wednesday to a pivotal vote on whether to hear from new witnesses in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, House Democrats argued allowing additional testimony is the only way to ensure the public considers the proceedings fair.

“The American people understand a trial means witnesses and the admission of documentary evidence,” said Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I. “You can’t have a trial without witnesses. If you have no evidence and no witnesses, you don’t have a trial. You have a cover-up for the president.”

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Religious Leaders React to Proposed Increase in Funding to Prevent Hate Crimes
Evan Greenberg, Baltimore Magazine

Over the course of 12 days in November 2016, United Maryland Muslim Council director Mubariz Razvi and his wife were camped at the University of Maryland Medical Center’s shock trauma ward. Their adopted 23-year-old son, Ali Shah, was suffering from sepsis, on life support, and unfortunately, didn’t have much time left to live.

Around a week into agonizing over Shah’s health, a woman saw that the ward doorway was clear, walked into the room, and rudely confronted Razvi.

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Lawmakers: The US cannot afford another 10 years of Citizens United
Tom Udall and John Sarbanes, CNN (Op-Ed)

Ten years ago, the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission unleashed a torrent of outside spending by corporations and wealthy donors who seized the opportunity to buy unlimited influence in Washington. The decision exponentially increased the amount of money in our politics and emboldened foreign actors to corrupt our elections. Our democracy has paid a heavy price.

Since the Citizens United decision, just 10 individuals have injected more than $1.2 billion into our elections, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Secret money groups have poured $963 million into ads without telling voters who paid for them. And Americans have no way of knowing how much foreign money has infiltrated our elections.

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Tree Planting Bill Dropped
Kelsey Tamborrino, POLITICO (‘Morning Energy’)

A bipartisan trio of Reps. Doris Matsui, John Sarbanes and Jeff Fortenberry is introducing legislation today creating an Energy Department grant program to enable residential consumers to get free or discounted tree-planting services. "By creating a competitive tree-planting grant program, we can empower communities to improve green space, reduce consumer costs, and help fight climate change — a win-win-win," Matsui said in a statement.

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Maryland legislators, faith leaders back funding increase in wake of religious hate crimes
Jonathan Pitts, The Baltimore Sun

Government funding for the protection of synagogues, mosques and churches has been on the rise in Maryland and across the United States in the past half-decade and more, but legislators and faith leaders are calling for a vast increase in such funding as threats against religious institutions persist.

Maryland’s U.S. senators, Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes, and Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders were among those who gathered Monday at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation in Pikesville to back a proposal calling for a quadrupling of funding provided by the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program, to $360 million in fiscal year 2021.

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