Dear Fellow Marylanders,
As I wrap up my time in the United States Senate, I have been experiencing many “lasts” and “final” events. It’s been a bittersweet time filled with celebrations and good-byes.
I admit that it has been hard to say good-bye. Marylanders have trusted me to represent them for 20 years in the Maryland General Assembly – eight years as Speaker of the House – 20 years in the House of Representatives, and 18 years in the U.S. Senate, including now chairing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
At every opportunity and event, I start by saying thank you for giving me your trust to represent you over a lifetime of public service. You have supported me in 18 general elections – over 58 years of my life.
My grandparents came to this country over 100 years ago to escape the pogroms of Europe and they settled in Baltimore and built a life for their family. Their grandson now serves in the United States Senate. This is a great country.
In my family, I was taught from a young age that it is our responsibility to make the world a better place – Tikkun Olam, repair the world – and to help those who are less fortunate and are in need through tzedakah or charity.
These principles – these values –were demonstrated to me by my parents and have been my North Star that has guided my public service as a legislator.
Of course, the work of a legislator is not easy. It requires perseverance, patience, a sense of humor and optimism that we can make the world a better place, even in the face of often horrible, seemingly insurmountable challenges.
But as I look back, the hardest battles were some of the most rewarding. Each one reflects the values I cherish, and a collective will to help make the world around us a better place to live.
On the Senate Finance Committee, I have had a front seat advancing health policy. I believe that health care should be a right for everyone in this country and not a privilege for only for those who can afford it. I was proud to be part of the Congress that passed the Affordable Care Act, which included my legislation that elevated the National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities at NIH. And all health insurance now covers pediatric dental care, which was legislation I authored after the tragic death of Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old Marylander whose life could have been saved with a simple tooth extraction.
I partnered with Senator Rob Portman in both the House and the Senate to expand retirement security particularly for lower-wage workers. Thanks to legislation we co-authored and was enacted into law, more employers are providing opportunities for their employees to participate in a retirement plan. In the last 10 years, participation in retirement savings plans for the lowest quintile of Americans has increased by 135 percent.
On the Environment and Public Works Committee, I have had the opportunity to expand the federal government’s commitment to our infrastructure from transportation and transit to replacing crumbling pipes and removing lead to expanding pedestrian and bike trails. The recently enacted Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included many of my priorities.
I am equally proud of the expansion of the Transportation Alternative Program (TAP), an initiative I authored that allows local governments to make their own priority decisions on the use of part of the federal highway funds. This has been a favorite resource to provide trails for local communities that connect neighbors for walkers and bikers, including, for example, the rehabilitation of the C&O Towpath in Washington, Frederick and Montgomery counties. Myrna and I often take advantage of these paths to absorb the beauty of our communities.
One of my top priorities as a Maryland Senator has been to promote the health of the Chesapeake Bay. The federal partnership has been essential to this cause. The Bay is a national treasure, the largest estuary in our hemisphere and iconic to Maryland. It is in our DNA, particularly important to our economy and our way of life.
I first started fighting for the Bay in the Maryland General Assembly. When I was Speaker of the House, I partnered with Governor Harry Hughes to establish the multi-state effort to save the Bay. During my years in the Senate, I have worked with my colleagues to increase federal funds for the EPA, NOAA, Army Corps of Engineers, wastewater treatment funds, watershed grant funds, agriculture land preservation funds, oyster restoration funds, removal of invasive species – from the nutria to the blue catfish – and many, many more.
I am particularly proud of funding for Poplar Island and Mid Bay – locations for dredging disposals – that have been used for environmental restoration and a non-controversial location necessary to keep our shipping channels commercially competitive.
On the topic of shipping channels, I have been thankful for the support of leaders in the Senate and the White House for reaching out to Maryland after the tragic loss of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The Biden administration, in particular, has been there every step of the way to help Maryland. I am confident that Congress will provide the resources and authority to move forward on the construction of the new bridge.
Over three terms in the Senate, I have served as both the Chair and Ranking Member on the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. I am proud of the bipartisan work of the committee, working with Senator Marco Rubio, particularly during COVID. The historic relief packages we designed not only saved many small businesses but also truly helped to save our economy during the pandemic.
I am particularly proud of the focus I brought to help traditionally underserved communities. During my chairmanship, Maryland expanded from one to four women’s business centers. Two are located at HBCUs. In addition, Maryland opened its first Veterans Business Outreach Center. Because of these programs, small businesses are thriving in Maryland, especially those led by women.
One of my proudest accomplishments as a legislator came in the U.S. Senate. It was the passage and enactment of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act. This law was inspired by the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian tax attorney who was murdered, 15 years ago last month, for uncovering corruption.
When Sergei was killed, it was clear to me that those who violated his basic rights needed to be held accountable, even if the Russian government refused to act. The Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act targeted those individuals who were complicit in his jailing and murder. It blocked these individuals from enjoying the benefits of America, traveling to our country and using our banking system. It put their reputations, finances and mobility at risk.
The original Magnitsky law focused on human rights abuses in Russia, and, in 2016, I authored the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which expanded the legislation around the world. These laws have given birth to a whole new international legal framework for upholding human rights and deterring corrupt actors. The European Union and other governments around the world have replicated the Magnitsky system. As of this year, the U.S. program has sanctioned more than 650 foreign persons and entities.
But I have to underline a really important point. These laws were not easy to pass. The pushback from Russia alone has been historic and continues to this day. But it was the bipartisan support that allowed these bills to make it through.
Repeatedly in my work as a legislator, I have seen the importance of collaboration and never giving up. As Vaclav Havel, the reform leader of the Czech Republic said, “There is only one thing I will not concede: that it might be meaningless to strive in a good cause.”
Each of us can make a difference – never give up hope.
Thank you for keeping the faith all these years and supporting me on this journey of public service. It has been the greatest honor of my life to represent the people of Maryland.
In solidarity,
Ben Cardin
