Annapolis at night

Burnside Bridge at Antietam

Baltimore skyline

Great Falls on the Potomac

Flag lowering at Ft. McHenry

Beach at Ocean City

Farm near Sugarloaf Mountain

 
Ben's Online Chat

I believe one of my most important duties as your Senator is to answer your questions about many of the challenging issues facing our nation. Thanks to technology, I am now able to feature a new Online Chat on my website that I hope you will find helpful and informative. While I can't answer every question submitted, I want to thank everyone who participated in today's Online Chat and I look forward to doing more of these in the future. - BEN CARDIN

Click the play button to hear Ben's greeting

ABOUT TODAY'S QUESTIONS: Incoming questions are paraphrased below. Many topics were asked by multiple individuals, so in some cases questions were merged. There was such a large response that Senator Cardin was able to answer only a limited number.

IRAQ WAR
John from Baltimore is concerned about how we can afford to continue the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq when we have pressing domestic needs such as education, health care and infrastructure improvements.

CLICK TO HEAR SENATOR CARDIN'S RESPONSE.


Joseph in Reisterstown asks: Is the Iraq War and the War on Terror actually bankrupting us?

CLICK TO HEAR SENATOR CARDIN'S RESPONSE.


HEALTH CARE
Deborah from Davidsonville wants to know how small businesses can get relief from the high healthcare premiums they currently have to pay.

CLICK TO HEAR SENATOR CARDIN'S RESPONSE.


MIDDLE EAST PEACE
Alan from Rockville asks: What can Congress do to facilitate a meaningful discussion between Israel and Palestine? How can we keep the momentum of November 2007 (Annapolis) from receding?

CLICK TO HEAR SENATOR CARDIN'S RESPONSE.


TAXES
Jeff from Arnold asks: Last April the Federal Treasury reported record tax revenue collected for FY06. If that is the case with lower tax rates, will you push to make those cuts permanent? Why should they not be made permanent when we have record collections?

CLICK TO HEAR SENATOR CARDIN'S RESPONSE.


SUBPRIME MORTGAGES
Donna of Salisbury says: The interest rate on my adjustable mortgage has jumped up to a point that I can no longer make the payments. I am in danger of losing my home. I heard there was a bill that would allow me to restructure my loan. What is its status? Will it help me?

CLICK TO HEAR SENATOR CARDIN'S RESPONSE.


ENERGY
Jimmy from Anne Arundel County wants to know what the American government is doing about the record price of oil and the record amounts of profit by the oil companies.

CLICK TO HEAR SENATOR CARDIN'S RESPONSE.


STIMULUS REBATE
Connie from Silver Spring says: I rely on Social Security and my husband's veteran's disability payments for most of my income. We have not earned enough to file a tax return, but I was told that I am still eligible for the rebates. Is that true? If so, how do I receive my rebate?

CLICK TO HEAR SENATOR CARDIN'S RESPONSE.


ETHANOL
Joseph of Reisterstown wants to know why federal tax dollars are going to fund ethanol production which he claims yields an inefficient energy source while driving up grocery prices.

CLICK TO HEAR SENATOR CARDIN'S RESPONSE.