ben cardin

— As the prime minster of Tunisia visits the White House today to discuss his nation's move toward democracy Maryland officials are pressing him to resolve a years-old international kidnapping case they say speaks directly to whether the country will honor rule of law.

Gov. Martin O'Malley urged uninsured people Friday to sign up for health coverage as soon as possible to beat Monday's deadline.

Gov. Martin O'Malley and Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown joined the state's two U.S. senators and two of its congressional representatives Monday to tout the advantages of a Greenbelt location for the nation's new FBI headquarters.

The effort to lure the FBI to Maryland could have a profound payoff for the state's economy but the benefits could take years to materialize and the impact would hinge on how local officials handle the project, several of the state's top economists say.

More than two months after Congress allowed federal unemployment benefits to lapse, tens of thousands of out-of-work Marylanders are hoping a bipartisan deal to restart the program will win approval when lawmakers return to Washington this week.

Six Maryland lawmakers signed a letter asking President Barack Obama to sign an executive order protecting LGBT employees from discrimination.

Federal regulators not meeting their responsibilities with proposed Cove Point LNG export terminal

President Barack Obama unveiled a $3.9 trillion federal budget on Tuesday that calls for spending billions more on infrastructure, raising taxes on the wealthy and closing an income inequality gap the president has made a top target of his second term.

Members of Maryland's congressional delegation, saying constituents have complained of lengthy mail delays, pressed the U.S. Postal Service Friday to resume regular delivery — even as the agency reported it was not aware of any significant problems.

Howard Friedman has heard the chatter, from his own community to Capitol Hill: sometimes questions, sometimes complaints about the federal workforce, its size and its cost.

Two-thirds of Maryland Democrats are undecided in a wide-open race to succeed Douglas F. Gansler as attorney general, a new poll for The Baltimore Sun poll shows.

Sticker shock over price hikes is causing review of a law passed two years ago to shore up the finances of the National Flood Insurance Program.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate was poised Tuesday to give final approval to a nearly $1 trillion bill that would dictate the nation's agriculture policy for the next five years, reduce how much taxpayers spend on food stamps and alter conservation programs for the Chesapeake Bay.

A coalition of interfaith leaders joined Gov. Martin O'Malley and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake at a rally Monday to call for a higher minimum wage, saying Maryland lawmakers shouldn't wait for the economy to make a full recovery before raising pay for low-wage workers..

Presidential trade promotion authority expired in 2007 and must be renewed quickly to ensure America continues to lead in leveling the playing field for manufacturers and workers. The stakes are high. Without new market-opening trade agreements, manufacturers will be at a competitive disadvantage.

Unfortunately, a group of 59 Senators, including Maryland's Ben Cardin, has introduced and is seeking a vote on a bill (S. 1881) that would impose further sanctions on Iran, reopen the terms of the first phase agreement and impose new and unrealistic restrictions on the comprehensive deal. The bill's authors claim their proposal for additional sanctions supports a diplomatic solution. As President Obama and the 10 Senate Democratic committee chairs have warned, it would not.

The new $30 million Maryland House Travel Plaza along I-95 near Aberdeen will officially open to the public by midnight Thursday, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority and plaza manager Areas USA

A newly-rebuilt Maryland House travel plaza on Interstate 95 in Aberdeen will reopen to the public next week, after more than a year of construction under a $30 million public-private partnership.

Gov. Martin O'Malley on CNN Sunday continued to defend what host Candy Crowley described as a health exchange rollout "disastrous by most accounts," prompting criticism from some skeptical lawmakers.

Baltimore mayor's second appearance in as many months

Maryland Republican legislative leaders vowed Tuesday to make tax reduction, including repeal of the so-called "rain tax," their top priority for the 90-day General Assembly session that begins Wednesday.

Sen. Ben Cardin and Rep. Jim Moran pledge to protect the Endangered Species Act, which turns 40 on Saturday.

U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez said Congress left more than a million families a "lump of coal in their stocking" when it failed to address expiring federal unemployment benefits, and he joined a chorus of Democrats who are calling on lawmakers to approve a retroactive extension as their first order of business next month.

Senate Democrats are pressing the Office of Personnel Management to allow federal workers to carry over a portion of their health savings accounts into the next year.

Hours after Congress passed a range of proposals to combat sexual assaults in the armed forces, President Barack Obama ordered military leaders on Friday to conduct a yearlong review of their progress in eliminating rape from the ranks — and threatened further changes if he is not satisfied.

Congress was poised late Thursday to pass new legal protections for victims of sexual assault in the military, but victims and their advocates already were looking ahead to what they see as the larger battle: The contentious campaign to overhaul the military justice system.

A bipartisan budget deal aimed at calming debates over U.S. fiscal policy for the next two years cleared a key vote Tuesday in the Senate, reducing the risks of another government shutdown and spending cuts that would have had an outsized impact in Maryland.

Congressional negotiators announced a $1.01 trillion budget agreement on Tuesday that would avoid another government shutdown but deliver an additional round of cuts to thousands of federal employees in Maryland.

Sen. Ben Cardin sent a letter to Democratic Senate leaders Thursday expressing outrage over reports that a budget deal developing in Congress may include further cuts to the federal workforce -- the latest member of Maryland's delegation to push back on the possibilities of those cuts.

Republican weighs run for attorney general

Baltimore city, like many other cities around the country is dependent on a comprehensive, multi-year Farm bill that addresses the current needs of local farmers, low-income residents, and consumers who want access to healthy foods grown nearby.

Dan Bongino launched his first campaign for office on a laptop computer in his dining room. His wife, alone at his side, was the only other person he was sure would vote for him.

John F. Kennedy's call to public service produced one of Maryland's most accomplished generations of political leaders.

WASHINGTON -- The show was ostensibly focused on the legacy of President John F. Kennedy -- and the possibility of transformational change in politics and government. But Sen. Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat, and Sen. Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican, found little common ground Wednesday as they debated health care, gay marriage and internal party politics for 30 minutes on CNN's Crossfire.

U.S. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin will join the parade of Maryland Democratic elected officials who are backing Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown for governor Monday, a source familiar with the senator's plans said.

A bill that would ban hiring and employment discrimination against LGBT individuals, will move forward in the Senate after a cloture vote.