U.S. Senator Ben Cardin- D-Md., Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and a member of the Senate Committees on Finance, Environment & Public Works, and Small Business & Entrepreneurship, has put out a statement on the results of the 2016 presidential election.

The statement is as follows:

“For many Americans, myself included, the results of this election will be hard to swallow.

“Since the founding of our republic, the United States of America has been governed by the people and for the people through the rule of law. A peaceful transition between presidents has been a hallmark of our tradition.

“Regardless of party labels, our task is to aggressively support and defend our union and America’s future, ensuring that our newly elected president follows the Constitution and is held to the highest standards. ‘American values’ still stands for what is good and right in the world; hate cannot be the ruling force in our nation for the next four years. We will not stand idle and allow the clock to be turned back on the American people or our leadership in the world.

“In Maryland, I will be proud to welcome Chris Van Hollen to the United States Senate, and Anthony Brown and Jamie Raskin to the House of Representatives. Team Maryland will continue to share progressive values and a passion to improve opportunities for the residents of our state.”