Updates

David Ignatius,  The Washington Post

It has become a truism that the American political system is suffering from dysfunction. But weirdly, even the insurgent candidates, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, don’t talk much about how they would fix it. This is a populist insurgency without a clear manifesto.

So it’s refreshing to hear Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) present a detailed action plan to try to repair what’s broken. This proposal isn’t a cure-all. It wouldn’t fix the immigration problem or fund Social Security or fight terrorism. But by changing the way we fund elections, this proposal could make it easier to elect the politicians who would make the U.S. government work again for its citizens.

Sarbanes presents his proposal in the current issue of the Harvard Journal on Legislation. It’s a simple idea: Congress should free itself from big-money, special-interest domination by encouraging an alternative system of small contributions that would be matched with public funds. This isn’t a new idea — Teddy Roosevelt proposed a version back in 1907 — but it’s a good one, and a way to start curing what ails us.

Continue reading here.

Light City is kicking off this week in Baltimore and I am very excited for all of the various parts of the third district (the Inner Harbor, Harbor East, Little Italy, Fells Point, & Hampden) that will be participating! 

Baltimore was the 1st city in America to light our streets with gas lanterns proving that we’ve always been a city of innovators! I am excited to see an event come together that will show the rest of the country why so many young people and start ups are starting to call Baltimore home.

If you'd like more information on Light City click here to see their full list of events!

Thank you to the Maryland and District of Columbia AFL-CIO for endorsing my bid for re-election. I am proud to be part of the labor team. We need to make sure that the issues which affect working people are front and center during this election cycle.

"This will launch an educational partnership around the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail," Sarbanes said. TTEC aims to educate students about the state's role in the War of 1812 by getting them out of the classroom and onto historic sites.

Continue reading here. 

Now, our nation's leaders are calling it a public health crisis that has reached epidemic proportions. It is getting so bad that it is getting attention from Hollywood to the halls of Congress. Even the president is getting aggressive in the fight.

Read the entire story here.

THOSE OF US who cherish the First Amendment often argue that the best antidote to offensive speech is not a ban or regulation, but simply more speech. A similar logic supports a bill in Congress that would rebalance the grotesque influence of big money in political campaigns by giving a louder voice to small donors. “We’re not restricting anyone’s speech,” said US Representative John Sarbanes of Maryland, sponsor of the bill. ‘‘We’re adding speech.”

Continue reading here.

Click here to read my statemnet on why I am strongly opposed the decision by the Montgomery County Board of Elections to close the Marilyn J. Praisner early voting location. 

Listen to the first episode of The Sarbanes Signal. To learn more about the show and sign up for alerts click here. 

I will be launching an online radio show next week! Click here for more details and to get a reminder to tune in: http://bit.ly/SarbanesSignal