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Buoyed by Joe Biden鈥檚 victory in the race for president, Maryland鈥檚 U.S. senators on Monday predicted significant progress on a range of issues important to the state.
Speaking to reporters roughly 48 hours after news organizations called the race for the challenger, Sens. Benjamin L. Cardin (D) and Chris Van Hollen (D) said they were elated by Biden鈥檚 win over Donald Trump.
Having spent the last four years battling the White House, Democrats in Congress can now shift gears and look for ways to move the country forward, the senators said.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to see immediate changes,鈥� said Van Hollen. 鈥淣ot just in tone and in bringing the country together, which is so important. But very important actions that will positively impact the people of the state of Maryland.鈥�
Cardin and Van Hollen said they are confident that Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris 鈥� a former senator and a current one 鈥� will bring the Trump era鈥檚 divineness and rancor to a close.
鈥淚 believe that democracy and decency prevailed,鈥� said Cardin.
The men 鈥� who, like the nation as a whole, are forced to wait while the battle for control of the Senate rages on 鈥� predicted the Democrats鈥� victory will pay significant dividends for Maryland.
Federal workforce
Cardin and Van Hollen said Trump was wrong to demonize federal workers, many of whom live in Maryland. They also opposed his recent efforts to expand the number of workers who serve at the pleasure of political appointees.
鈥淢aryland has one of the highest concentrations of federal workers in the nation,鈥� said Cardin. 鈥淐learly we鈥檙e going to have a president who will stop beating up on the federal workers and recognize that we have to invest in our federal workforce and respect science.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen a gross politicization of the federal workforce,鈥� added Van Hollen. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen a president who thinks that the Justice Department is his own personal, political plaything. We know that with a President Biden we will see respect for the merit-based federal civil service and that will help restore morale to so many of our agencies.鈥�
The fight against COVID-19
When he was chairman of the National Governors Association, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) complained that the states were left to fend for themselves on testing, PPE and other issues.
Van Hollen predicted that Biden 鈥渨ill put public health over politics鈥� in the fight against the virus. 鈥淲e can begin to see the federal government playing a lead role in the COVID response, rather than the Trump administration approach, which has been a dog-eat-dog approach 鈥� let every state try to deal with this on its own.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be night and day,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have a president who respects the science and the scientists, and will put in place a plan that help Maryland.鈥�
The environment and the Bay
President Trump attempted to reduce funding for a key Chesapeake Bay cleanup program, over the objections of leaders from both parties.
Biden will make the environment a priority, Van Hollen and Cardin said.
鈥淚mportant funding measures 鈥� things like the air pollution standards, the California car standards 鈥� making sure we deal with methane emissions, all things that are all so very important to protect the Bay, the waters of the U.S.,鈥� will get new life, Van Hollen said. 鈥淪o we can expect to see dramatic change early on.鈥�
Aid to cities
Trump dumped on 鈥淒emocrat cities鈥� repeatedly during his four years in office. In Biden, Cardin said, America鈥檚 urban areas will again have a partner.
鈥淲e鈥檒l have a president who wants to invest in our cities, who really likes cities, and will be much more aggressive in helping cities deal with their problems,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so many different areas where we can look at funding to help Baltimore. There鈥檚 got to be a concerted game plan as to what we鈥檙e trying to achieve.鈥�
Van Hollen predicted new investment in the Community Development Block Grants program, the Economic Development Administration and minority business programs at the Department of Commerce, among others.
鈥淎ll of those programs were zeroed-out by the Trump administration,鈥� he said.
New FBI headquarters
When Trump short-circuited the FBI鈥檚 years-long effort to move from its crumbling headquarters in Washington, D.C., Democrats accused him of attempting to thwart competition from a potential new Pennsylvania Avenue hotel adjacent to his.
Under Biden, Maryland鈥檚 senators predicted, the quest for a more modern and secure FBI headquarters can resume. 鈥淟ooking at the next Congress, it鈥檚 going to be Team Maryland that鈥檚 going to be trying to get that back on track,鈥� Cardin said. 鈥淲e believe Prince George鈥檚 County is where that should be.鈥�
A transition in limbo
The lawmakers said they expect the Biden administration to fight to uphold the Affordable Care Act, take steps to support 鈥淒reamers鈥� and people in the U.S. under the Temporary Protected Status program, promote immigration and gun safety, battle systemic racism and climate change, fund infrastructure resources (particularly for transit projects) and rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and the World Health Organization.
On Monday, Cardin and Van Hollen sent a聽聽urging General Services Administration Administrator Emily Murphy, who has refused to authorize a Biden presidential transition team, to do so. 鈥淲e hope you will recognize that every hour between now and January 20, 2021 is critical for the transition team鈥檚 preparations for taking on the multiple, pressing challenges our nation faces,鈥� the senators wrote.
Trump has yet to acknowledge Biden鈥檚 win and is continuing to contemplate legal challenges in a number of states he lost. Cardin and Van Hollen called his unsubstantiated statements about the election reckless.
鈥淚s it dangerous? The answer is yes,鈥� Cardin said. 鈥淲hat he鈥檚 doing is wrong. It鈥檚 wrong for our nation. And he should accept the results of this election.鈥�
Van Hollen accused Trump of 鈥渟pewing out falsehoods.鈥� He said the president鈥檚 claims that he won the election are 鈥渁n outright lie.鈥�
鈥淲hat President Trump is doing aiding and abetting the enemies of democracy,鈥� he added. 鈥淭his is very dangerous.鈥�
Like the president, Rep. Andrew P. Harris, the lone Republican in Maryland鈥檚 congressional delegation, has made vague claims about voting irregularities. Through a spokesman, he declined an interview request to discuss Biden鈥檚 victory.
