Updates
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Sarbanes Statement on Passage of the Equality Act
May 21, 2019
Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) released the following statement today after voting for and passing H.R. 5, the Equality Act:
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Sarbanes Votes to Strengthen America’s Health Care System and Lower Prescription Drug Costs
May 20, 2019
Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today voted to pass the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act, a package of seven bills to lower the cost of prescription drugs, halt the sale of junk insurance plans, and prevent the Trump Administration from continuing to sabotage the American health care system.
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Sarbanes, Thompson, Lofgren Introduce Comprehensive Election Security Reforms
May 14, 2019
Democracy Reform Task Force Chair Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today joined House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) and Committee on House Administration Chairperson Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) to introduce the Election Security Act (H.R. 2660), a bill to help protect American elections from malevolent attacks and foreign interference.
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Sarbanes Statement on House Appropriations Subcommittee Vote to Prevent Turkey from Receiving F-35 Fighter Jets
May 14, 2019
Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) released the following statement today after the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations approved a funding bill that included his language to prevent Turkey from acquiring the F-35 Lighting II fighter jet while it simultaneously attempts to purchase and integrate advanced Russian missile defense systems:
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In the News: Sarbanes: Need to ‘prepare against the Russians coming again in 2020’
May 14, 2019
Sarbanes: Need to ‘prepare against the Russians coming again in 2020’
MSNBC (Meet the Press with Chuck Todd) -
Sarbanes Challenges Secretary Perry Over the Trump Administration’s Drastic Cuts to Successful Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Programs [Video]
May 13, 2019
During a House Subcommittee on Energy hearing today about the U.S. Department of Energy’s fiscal year 2020 budget, Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) questioned Secretary Rick Perry about the Trump Administration’s budget proposal, which encouraged draconian cuts to the Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and to its Solar Energy Technologies Office.
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Sarbanes Criticizes Big Pharma’s Corrosive Influence on Policymaking in Washington [Video]
May 13, 2019
During a House Subcommittee on Health hearing today, Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) criticized wealthy and well-connected pharmaceutical industries for flooding Washington with lobbyists and campaign donations in an effort to stave off attempts to lower prescription drug prices for the American people.
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Sarbanes Votes to Pass the Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Act
May 13, 2019
Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today voted to pass the Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Act (H.R. 986), a bill to prevent the Trump Administration from weakening critical protections for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions.
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Sarbanes Co-Sponsors Groundbreaking Effort to Combat Opioid Crisis
May 12, 2019
Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today co-sponsored the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, a landmark bill that would provide families and communities across America with sweeping, significant and sustained resources to address the opioid epidemic.
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Sarbanes, National Capital Region Congressional Delegation Reintroduce Bill to Improve Safety and Reliability of WMATA Public Transit
May 7, 2019
Today, Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) joined all the members of the National Capital House Congressional Delegation in reintroducing the Metro Accountability and Investment Act. The bill reauthorizes an existing federal capital funding source for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for ten years and provides new federal capital and operating funds contingent on WMATA adopting specific Inspector General (IG) reforms as well as meeting metrics for safety, reliability and operating cost efficiency.
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Sarbanes Statement on House Passage of the Climate Action Now Act
May 6, 2019
Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) released the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act:
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Sarbanes, Maryland Congressional Delegation Meet with Census Bureau Leadership to Discuss Lack of Readiness for 2020 Tally and the Chilling Effect of Including a Citizenship Question
May 5, 2019
Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) joined Maryland’s Congressional Delegation yesterday to host a discussion with U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham and other experts to explore Maryland’s readiness for the 2020 count.
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In the News: Leader McConnell, let us vote
May 2, 2019
Leader McConnell, let us vote
John Sarbanes and Vanita Gupta, THE HILL(OP-ED)The day after our nation commemorated the 54th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Ala., the House of Representatives passed H.R.1, the For the People Act, to strengthen voting rights, take big money out of politics, and clean up corruption on Capitol Hill.
Before the vote on March 8, Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a foot soldier for civil rights who marched in Selma, implored lawmakers to recognize their moral responsibility to restore access to democracy. He asked his colleagues, “If not us, then who? If not now, then when?”
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In the News: Trump obstruction is ‘disrespecting American public’ – Dem Congressman
April 24, 2019
Trump obstruction is ‘disrespecting American public’ – Dem Congressman
MSNBC (The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell) -
In the News: It's been a busy 100 days for House Democrats
April 12, 2019
It's been a busy 100 days for House Democrats
Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, CNN (OP-ED)In November, the American people elected Democrats to take back the reins of power in the House of Representatives and put it back to work on their behalf. In our first 100 days in the majority, we have begun to deliver on that promise. With a dynamic, diverse and energized freshman class of 63 new members, Democrats are moving ahead with our agenda for the people: Lower health care costs and the price of prescription drugs, increase paychecks by rebuilding the infrastructure of America in a green, modern and job-creating way, and clean up corruption in Washington so that the government works for the public interest, not the special interests.
One of the first acts of our new majority was to enable the House to defend the Affordable Care Act in court against efforts by Republican-led states and the Trump administration to dismantle it. This was soon followed by the introduction of a comprehensive bill to stabilize our health care system and lower health care costs for consumers. Already, committees are holding hearings and marking up legislation to keep Democrats' promises to take action to make health care and prescription drugs cheaper.
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A Call for Campaign Finance Reform, Ethics, and Voting Rights
March 27, 2019
Rep. John Sarbanes of Maryland joins us to explore the legislation that he's spearheading to end the involvement of dark money in politics, allow public campaign financing, and demand major ethics and voting rights reforms, and why Republicans are threatening kill it in the Senate
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My Statement on the New Zealand Attack
March 15, 2019
I join people of goodwill everywhere who are in mourning in the wake of the horrific attack in New Zealand. We send our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those targeted and to all members of the Muslim community around the world and here in Maryland, who have been deeply shaken by this unconscionable act of terror. In the face of a rising tide of hate, bigotry and violent far-right extremism that seeks to divide us, we must stand united in solidarity with each other.
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In the News: To Clean Up the Planet, Clean Up Washington
March 14, 2019
To Clean Up the Planet, Clean Up Washington
John Sarbanes and Michael Brune, COMMON DREAMS(OP-ED)For decades, majorities of Americans have favored swift, meaningful action on climate change. They understand that we must transition away from dirty fuels and toward clean, renewable energy. Yet despite this overwhelming support, Congress has repeatedly failed to act.
This jarring disconnect between what the public wants to see and what Washington is prepared to deliver doesn’t just threaten the health and safety of everyone in our country—it undermines the very principle of representative democracy.
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In the News: House Democrats pass H.R. 1, their answer to draining the swamp
March 8, 2019
House Democrats pass H.R. 1, their answer to draining the swamp
Mike DeBonis and John Wagner, The Washington PostThe House approved a far-reaching elections and ethics bill Friday — one that would change the way congressional elections are funded, impose new voter-access mandates on states and, in one of several provisions targeting President Trump, force disclosure of presidential candidates’ tax returns.
Democrats dubbed the bill H.R. 1, a designation meant to signal its place as a centerpiece of their congressional agenda. The measure, which has more than 500 pages, contains dozens of provisions favored by liberal advocacy groups, labor unions and other Democratic allies.
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In the News: House Passes Extensive Election And Campaign Finance Overhaul Bill
March 8, 2019
House Passes Extensive Election And Campaign Finance Overhaul Bill
Miles Park, NPRThe House passed an extensive bill Friday that would overhaul the way Americans vote and take aim at the money currently flowing through the U.S. political system.
The bill was dubbed the "For The People Act" by House Democrats who want election accessibility and weeding out corruption to be core tenets of their majority agenda the next two years. The bill passed along straight party lines, 234-193.