Chris Van Hollen

You can’t bribe the American people into forgetting that you started an illegal war you promised you wouldn’t, spiked prices you promised you’d lower, & hid the Epstein Files you promised you’d release. Trump & Republicans have broken their promises & our laws. It’s time to hold them accountable this election. https://t.co/6IaF6oBOm5

🚨 A federal judge has halted Trump's attempts to close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in MD. For decades, experts at BARC have protected our food & farmers, including from threats like cyclospora. We'll keep working to protect BARC & these dedicated civil servants. https://t.co/9V1GCtZNLX

Some good news: our efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay are paying off! The Bay is a national treasure & an economic & environmental lifeline to our state & region. We can't stop now. There's more to do, & we won't let Trump, big polluters, or anyone else stop this progress.

Musk's DOGE boys took a 'sledgehammer' to the federal govt & services people relied on. Now they're getting rich off the pain they caused. DOGE was never about efficiency, it was about breaking the govt & selling it off to Trump's billionaire buddies & allies. Endless grift.

Americans can feel it, now the numbers confirm it: Inflation is only getting worse. End the war, protect our troops, lower costs — it's that simple. The fact that Trump refuses to do so — while he uses the Oval Office to make money for himself — is shameful. https://t.co/weJEZavhS1

Did you know businesses with federal govt contracts aren’t allowed to spend for or against federal candidates? How then has Elon Musk, whose companies get billions in contracts, spent hundreds of millions in our elections? The answer: A giant loophole I'm working to close. https://t.co/aLwCIcDOWV

Despite a court order, Trump kept using your tax dollars to run his propaganda ads. From his gold-plated ballroom, to his new DC golf course, to these illegal ads, Trump will use your tax dollars to do everything but lower your costs. He & his minions must reimburse taxpayers.

Never in recorded history have corporations made more than they do today. Never in recorded history have workers taken home less of those profits than they do today. That's Trump's economy in a nutshell. https://t.co/1hVjvmQym9 https://t.co/0OOLBIMV57

Elon Musk has spent $276 MILLION since this summer to sway elections for Republicans so they can do his bidding. Democrats need to win big in November and finally end the billionaire class’s corrupt grip over our democracy. End Citizens United. Ban dark money. Return our democracy to We, the PEOPLE. https://t.co/XOKt48Vlp2

Trump's continued attacks on @Ilhan, the Somali American community, & our Muslim neighbors are a heinous attempt to distract from his complete & utter failure as president. Every American should be chilled to the bone: these are the actions of a dictatorship not a democracy.

Trump’s destruction of parts of a DC public park in violation of a federal judge’s order cannot go unpunished. This land, like the Kennedy Center & Yosemite belongs to the people, not him. The perpetrators need to be held in contempt.

As Trump himself said, this entire campaign is about protecting Netanyahu. Words of condemnation aren't enough, ICC members must take action to defend the rule of law. Remember, ICC prosecutors have the authority to open criminal investigations against ANYONE who obstructs justice. https://t.co/pHsCx8RyNY

26 years ago, we eradicated measles. Now, this year alone, there have been over 4,000 cases, 40+ outbreaks, and people have died. RFK Jr.'s anti-vax rhetoric & conspiracy theories have consequences. He must resign NOW. Vaccines are safe & effective. Period. https://t.co/hsNKf9Mpgy

Trump is STILL using your tax dollars to pay for this propaganda — even after promising to pay for these ads himself. Every single dollar spent on this BS campaign is a dollar that could be going toward lowering your costs. It must end, NOW.

Abdul is right. Trump’s illegal war has been a disaster. We don’t need more of Trump’s rubber-stamping warmongers in Congress, we need a principled voice like Abdul who’ll vote to end this war, protect our troops, & lower prices for every American family.

New @nytimes reporting shows US Embassy officials in Israel are blocking info from Congress on the killings of Americans in the West Bank. I'm calling on @SenatorRisch & the Foreign Relations Committee to hold a hearing into this coverup. The American people deserve the truth. https://t.co/9uvlbc098w

Trump started a stupid & illegal war in Iran that has driven up diesel prices. Now he wants to bankroll Putin's illegal war against Ukraine by buying diesel from him. One strategic disaster after the next. https://t.co/S9tqfdLDUj https://t.co/GvJbV0sgA6

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and U.S. Representative Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), along with nine of their colleagues, pressed the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) Atlantic Menhaden Management Board Chair Joe Cimino to prioritize an ecosystem-based management approach that supports a sustainable menhaden population, urging the Commission to move forward with the strongest menhaden protections proposed. The lawmakers stressed the importance of menhaden as a critical forage species that other wildlife species depend on and emphasized that management for long-term sustainability is key to supporting good-paying jobs in all menhaden-dependent fisheries. Senator Van Hollen and Representative Elfreth were joined in sending this letter by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Representatives April McClain Delaney (D-Md.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), and Bobby Scott (D-Va.). The lawmakers begin, “The Chesapeake Bay is an especially important habitat for Atlantic menhaden because, as the nation’s largest estuary, it provides a major nursery area for menhaden and many other important species managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission). Conservation-minded management principles are critical for the Chesapeake Bay menhaden; menhaden management not only impacts countless communities and businesses reliant on an abundant menhaden population, but also the health of other wildlife populations up and down the Atlantic coast that depend on this fish species for survival. During its consideration of updated management strategies for Atlantic menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay and coastwide, the Commission must prioritize an ecosystem-based management approach that supports long-term menhaden abundance and sustainable commercial and recreational fisheries. We urge the Commission to move forward with the strongest menhaden protections proposed in the Commission’s Draft Addendum II, as well as with precautionary management measures for the Atlantic coastwide quota.” “Menhaden are called ‘the most important fish in the sea’ for good reason. As a forage species, menhaden perform the critical task of consuming plankton and turning it into energy-rich animal protein that nourishes other wildlife. From iconic Chesapeake Bay fish species like striped bass (rockfish) – which are one of the most popular recreational fish species along the Atlantic, accounting for $7.7 billion in GDP annually – to birds of prey such as osprey and eagles, sea turtles, and even marine mammals like whales and dolphins, a wide variety of animals depend on menhaden as a food source. As a result, decreases in menhaden population have serious implications for other species; for example, there is strong evidence linking declining menhaden populations to recent declines in osprey reproduction in the Chesapeake Bay. Given the importance of menhaden to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the entire marine food web, the Commission must carefully consider the ecosystem-level impacts of Atlantic menhaden harvest in their management decisions and promote risk-averse strategies that prioritize the ecological benefits menhaden provide,” they continue. On the health of the ecosystems along the Atlantic coast, the lawmakers note, “It is our view that Atlantic menhaden are a public resource that benefit Atlantic coast communities in many ways, and so managing this species for long-term sustainability is key. A robust menhaden population is necessary to sustain all menhaden-dependent jobs, including those that rely on menhaden for bait, such as in the culturally significant Chesapeake Bay blue crab fishery and other commercial and recreational fisheries up and down the Atlantic coast. Left in the water, menhaden also support a highly productive ecosystem and provide a key food source for other commercially and recreationally valuable fish species – such as striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, and bluefin tuna – so it is important that the Commission take into account how menhaden management measures will impact both the health of menhaden and non-menhaden fish populations.” “We urge the Commission to implement strong protections for Atlantic menhaden in order to support a sustainable, abundant menhaden population that can benefit all the fisheries and communities that depend on it,” the lawmakers conclude. The full text of the letter is available here and below. Dear Chair Cimino, The Chesapeake Bay is an especially important habitat for Atlantic menhaden because, as the nation’s largest estuary, it provides a major nursery area for menhaden and many other important species managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission). Conservation-minded management principles are critical for the Chesapeake Bay menhaden; menhaden management not only impacts countless communities and businesses reliant on an abundant menhaden population, but also the health of other wildlife populations up and down the Atlantic coast that depend on this fish species for survival. During its consideration of updated management strategies for Atlantic menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay and coastwide, the Commission must prioritize an ecosystem-based management approach that supports long-term menhaden abundance and sustainable commercial and recreational fisheries. We urge the Commission to move forward with the strongest menhaden protections proposed in the Commission’s Draft Addendum II, as well as with precautionary management measures for the Atlantic coastwide quota. Menhaden are called “the most important fish in the sea” for good reason. As a forage species, menhaden perform the critical task of consuming plankton and turning it into energy-rich animal protein that nourishes other wildlife. From iconic Chesapeake Bay fish species like striped bass (rockfish) – which are one of the most popular recreational fish species along the Atlantic, accounting for $7.7 billion in GDP annually – to birds of prey such as osprey and eagles, sea turtles, and even marine mammals like whales and dolphins, a wide variety of animals depend on menhaden as a food source. As a result, decreases in menhaden population have serious implications for other species; for example, there is strong evidence linking declining menhaden populations to recent declines in osprey reproduction in the Chesapeake Bay. Given the importance of menhaden to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the entire marine food web, the Commission must carefully consider the ecosystem-level impacts of Atlantic menhaden harvest in their management decisions and promote risk-averse strategies that prioritize the ecological benefits menhaden provide. It is our view that Atlantic menhaden are a public resource that benefit Atlantic coast communities in many ways, and so managing this species for long-term sustainability is key. A robust menhaden population is necessary to sustain all menhaden-dependent jobs, including those that rely on menhaden for bait, such as in the culturally significant Chesapeake Bay blue crab fishery and other commercial and recreational fisheries up and down the Atlantic coast. Left in the water, menhaden also support a highly productive ecosystem and provide a key food source for other commercially and recreationally valuable fish species – such as striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, and bluefin tuna – so it is important that the Commission take into account how menhaden management measures will impact both the health of menhaden and non-menhaden fish populations. We support the Commission’s continued use of ecological reference points – such as striped bass – to guide Atlantic menhaden management decisions, and we encourage the Commission to adhere to the principles of ecosystem-based fishery management. By accounting for Atlantic menhaden’s role as prey for Atlantic coast species that depend on it for survival, the Commission can help to ensure a balanced approach to Atlantic menhaden management. Ultimately, science-based decision-making is critical, which is why we fought to secure funding for Chesapeake Bay Atlantic Menhaden abundance research in the FY26 appropriations bill. We look forward to seeing the results of this study, which will provide critical information to inform future management decisions. In the meantime, worrisome signs in the Chesapeake Bay – from dwindling osprey populations to reduced bait fishery landings – indicate that Atlantic Menhaden populations may be declining in the Bay, underscoring the importance of strategic, risk-averse management decisions today. Until better menhaden abundance data is available to inform management decisions, the Commission must put in place additional precautionary management measures, using the ecological reference point target as a goal, to ease pressure on vulnerable species that depend on menhaden. We urge the Commission to implement strong protections for Atlantic menhaden in order to support a sustainable, abundant menhaden population that can benefit all the fisheries and communities that depend on it. Thank you for your attention to this matter and your efforts to sustainably manage Atlantic Menhaden in a manner that supports both the environment and local communities.

Following reporting from the New York Times yesterday that a U.S. Embassy official, David Milstein, and Ambassador Mike Huckabee have obstructed congressional inquiries into the killings of American citizens in the West Bank, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is calling on the Committee’s Chairman, Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) to hold hearings on this matter. According to the New York Times reporting, embassy official David Milstein, a political appointee, altered the contents of a report requested by Senator Van Hollen and 30 of his Senate colleagues into the deaths of American citizens in the West Bank. Given this reporting, Senator Van Hollen is calling for a hearing into the withholding of this information as well as the release of the original report intended for Congress. “I write to respectfully request that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hold a hearing on concerning reports regarding how Ambassador Mike Huckabee and his advisor, David Milstein, have obstructed congressional inquiries into the lack of accountability for the killing of American citizens and ongoing violence in the West Bank. The American people deserve answers about what’s happening in the West Bank, especially when it comes to the deaths of American citizens. It is unacceptable that Amb. Huckabee and his staff continue to cover up and block access to essential information about these killings. Congress must seek answers. Regardless of political party, we should not accept the withholding of information from Congress and the precedent this sets in undermining our constitutional responsibility,” the Senator begins. “The job of a U.S. ambassador, and their staff, whether a political or civilian employee, is to defend and protect U.S. interests. As these reports lay bare, both Ambassador Huckabee and David Milstein have failed to do so. They have undermined the essential functions of the U.S. embassy in Israel, which includes protecting and assisting American citizens, as well as reporting unvarnished facts on the ground back to Washington. Instead, Amb. Huckabee and David Milstein have become apologists for the most extreme Israeli government in history, even when the Israeli government actions undermined the Trump Administration’s own stated priorities,” he continued. “In March of this year, 30 of my colleagues joined me in sending a letter to Secretary Rubio and Ambassador Huckabee concerning the death of Nasrallah Abu Siyam, a 19-year-old Palestinian shot and killed in the West Bank by violent Israeli settlers during an attack on Palestinian farmers. In the letter, we asked the Ambassador to hold the government of Israel accountable for the killings of nine Americans citizens over the last four years, as well as to provide ‘an update on the status of investigations into the killings of all the other Americans killed in the West Bank since January 2022.’ […] We never received that update,” Senator Van Hollen noted. “We now know the real reason why we never received that update. According to a report from the New York Times, when Embassy staff received our letter, they drafted a report that detailed the status of each investigation into the Americans killed in the West Bank. The report said that no one had been held accountable for any of these killings. Milstein stonewalled the report and instead insisted ‘that the embassy should send a letter saying that Israel was properly handling the investigations.’ This is an unacceptable example of an unelected staffer obstructing Congress from obtaining critical information on the killing of American citizens and violence in the West Bank,” the Senator stressed. “In the Department’s response to our March 2026 letter, they insisted that that ‘The Department’s highest priority is the safety and security of American citizens abroad.’ We must hold them to this standard and hold a hearing to determine what the Department knows, as well as request the original report written by embassy staff on the status about these killings,” the Senator closed. The text of the Senator’s letter is available here and below. Dear Senator Risch, I write to respectfully request that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hold a hearing on concerning reports regarding how Ambassador Mike Huckabee and his advisor, David Milstein, have obstructed congressional inquiries into the lack of accountability for the killing of American citizens and ongoing violence in the West Bank. The American people deserve answers about what’s happening in the West Bank, especially when it comes to the deaths of American citizens. It is unacceptable that Amb. Huckabee and his staff continue to cover up and block access to essential information about these killings. Congress must seek answers. The job of a U.S. ambassador, and their staff, whether a political or civilian employee, is to defend and protect U.S. interests. As these reports lay bare, both Ambassador Huckabee and David Milstein have failed to do so. They have undermined the essential functions of the U.S. embassy in Israel, which includes protecting and assisting American citizens, as well as reporting unvarnished facts on the ground back to Washington. Instead, Amb. Huckabee and David Milstein have become apologists for the most extreme Israeli government in history, even when the Israeli government actions undermined the Trump Administration’s own stated priorities. In March of this year, 30 of my colleagues joined me in sending a letter to Secretary Rubio and Ambassador Huckabee concerning the death of Nasrallah Abu Siyam, a 19-year-old Palestinian shot and killed in the West Bank by violent Israeli settlers during an attack on Palestinian farmers. In the letter, we asked the Ambassador to hold the government of Israel accountable for the killings of nine Americans citizens over the last four years, as well as to provide “an update on the status of investigations into the killings of all the other Americans killed in the West Bank since January 2022.” We never received that update. Instead, in their response to us, we were told that the Embassy “has been working closely with our Israeli counterparts to ensure accountability for these deaths” but that further coordination of these issues with Israel have run into “logistical and operational challenges” due to the war with Iran. We now know the real reason why we never received that update. According to a report from the New York Times, when Embassy staff received our letter, they drafted a report that detailed the status of each investigation into the Americans killed in the West Bank. The report said that no one had been held accountable for any of these killings. Milstein stonewalled the report and instead insisted “that the embassy should send a letter saying that Israel was properly handling the investigations.” This is an unacceptable example of an unelected staffer obstructing Congress from obtaining critical information on the killing of American citizens and violence in the West Bank. I ask you join me in requesting the Department provide Congress with that original draft report so we can get the answers we requested. This reporting, as well as previous reports, go on to show that Milstein sought to downplay cables that described the horrific mass killings of Palestinians seeking aid at the now defunct Gaza Humanitarian Foundation disruption sites, where thousands of Palestinians were killed seeking food. Milstein also used his position to portray recent Israeli government actions which gave them more control over the West bank and made it easier for Israelis to buy West Bank land, at odds with President Trump’s opposition to West Bank annexation, as a “domestic matter,” and has rewritten or delayed multiple cables to paint the actions of the government of Israel in a more favorable light. This includes reversing cables on settler violence from mentioning Israel’s failure to curb settler violence to praising them for taking action. Previous reporting also found that Milstein’s control over Embassy procedures has created a chilling effect throughout the Embassy, undermining core functions of the Department’s work. Milstein was also implicated in the firing of a State Department communications officer working on Israeli-Palestinian affairs for recommending mentions in State Department materials of opposing forced displacement of Palestinian civilians and sympathy for journalists killed in Gaza. In the Department’s response to our March 2026 letter, they insisted that that “The Department’s highest priority is the safety and security of American citizens abroad.” We must hold them to this standard and hold a hearing to determine what the Department knows, as well as request the original report written by embassy staff on the status about these killings.

The war in Sudan has created the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. From rampant sexual violence to the use of chemical weapons, it's time for all of us to stand up and stop this humanitarian catastrophe that's happening on our watch. https://t.co/W4i5QryeOy

Once again, an independent watchdog found the Trump admin illegally withheld funds, including ~$80 million intended for the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality here in MD. Congress must re-appropriate these funds & make clear we will not tolerate these illegal cuts. https://t.co/lzgnF9F7s2

Julián Curo-Churata, a 47-year-old father of 2 from Laurel, MD, died in ICE custody last month. Julián was the 37th person to die in ICE detention in the past year. There must be a full independent investigation into his death. Not another dime for this lawlessness. https://t.co/7mD64GTI4b

Trump’s reckless ICE operation has gunned down Americans & continues to violate the Constitution. Now Trump & Mullin want to supercharge this lawlessness. The rubber-stamp Republicans have shown they won’t do a thing. We need to win big in November & stop funding this lawless operation. https://t.co/rN7QbJxrps

If the United States is going to be effective in the world, we need to mean what we say. If we say we’re going to stand up for human rights, democracy, and self-determination, we need to follow through. https://t.co/7XHr2vSGmk

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement on the Hamas October 7th attacks: “Today, three years after the horrific Hamas attacks of October 7th, we remember the hundreds of lives lost, as well as those who were taken hostage, never to see their loved ones again. “As the staggering daily toll of this war continues – especially for civilians in Gaza – we must build a future that ensures security, peace, and dignity for