Retirement Security (11/17/2008)

CONGRESSMAN JOHN SARBANES URGES SECRETARY PAULSON TO STRENGTHEN SENIOR CITIZENS’ RETIREMENT SECURITY Washington, D.C. – Congressman Sarbanes sent a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury, Henry M. Paulson, strongly urging him to provide a temporary waiver on mandatory minimum distributions for retirement accounts. Currently, retirees who have reached the age of 70 ½ are required under the U.S. tax code to begin taking distributions, called Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), from their retirement accounts. This includes IRAs, 401(k)s and 403Bs. In this matter, retirees have no choice; they are asked to take a percentage out of their accounts each year or face being penalized 50 percent of what they should have taken out. Many of these accounts are invested in mutual funds and securities. With today’s unstable economy, retirees who are forced to take out their RMDs now while the market is down will suffer tremendous losses to their retirement savings. The full letter is below:

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PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION 2009 (11/7/2008)

Plans are underway for the Inauguration of U.S. Senator Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States at noon on January 20, 2009.

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SARBANES RATED 100 PERCENT BY LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS (10/31/2008)

Congressman John Sarbanes received a score of 100 percent in this year’s National Environmental Scorecard from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV).

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CONGRESSMAN JOHN SARBANES RECEIVES AN A+ FROM THE IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA (10/30/2008)

Based on his voting record in favor of legislation to help America’s veterans, Congressman Sarbanes has received an A+ rating and became part of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America “A-Team.”

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Congressman Sarbanes Statement on the financial stabilization plan (9/30/2008)

Washington, DC -- A short time ago, I voted to approve what I believe was a much improved version of the original financial stabilization plan proposed by Secretary Paulson,” said Congressman John Sarbanes.

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Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc. Selected to Receive More than $400,000 for Environmental Education (9/25/2008)

Washington, DC -- In cooperation with the Living Classrooms Foundation (LCF), the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) will receive funding for its Environmental Education Program under the U.S. Department of Education’s File Earmark Grant Awards Program.

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Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault Receives Federal Grant (9/24/2008)

Washington, DC -- The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault was awarded a grant of more than $ 82,000.00 from the Federal Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

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TEAM MARYLAND APPLAUDS EMERGENCY DECLARATION FOR WATERMEN (9/23/2008)

A declaration will make Maryland's watermen eligible for emergency disaster funding to ease the economic burden placed on the crabbing industry as it faces a 34 percent reduction in the female crab harvest.

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House of Representatives Approves No Child Left Inside Act to Boost Environmental Education (9/18/2008)

Washington, DC -- The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation today that will expand and improve environmental education. The No Child Left Inside Act (H.R. 3036), approved by a vote of 293 to 109, will provide new  funding to teach students about the environment.

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CONGRESSMAN SARBANES SPENDS RECESS LISTENING TO MARYLAND’S SENIORS (8/15/2008)

Washington, DC -- Towson, Md. – While Congress is in recess, Congressman John Sarbanes will devote his time to listening to senior citizens in the Third District.

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CONGRESSMAN SARBANES COMMITTED TO CLEANING UP THE BAY (7/30/2008)

Washington, DC -- Today, Congressman John Sarbanes testified at a Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Restoration and Protection Program.

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CONGRESSMAN SARBANES FIGHTING FOR MARYLAND’S SENIORS (7/28/2008)

Washington, DC -- Today, Congressman John Sarbanes questioned private insurance companies during a full Committee hearing entitled “The Medicare Drug Benefit: Are Private Insurers Getting Good Discounts for the Taxpayer?”

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Maryland Transit Administration Receives Funding to Improve Infrastructure (7/18/2008)

Washington, DC -- The Maryland Transit Administration will be receiving more than $485,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for the proposed Central Maryland Transit Operations and Maintenance Facility.

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Congressman John Sarbanes Virtual Town Hall Meeting (7/17/2008)

Washington, DC -- Congress John Sarbanes has made constituent outreach a top priority.

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Congressman Sarbanes: A Watershed Moment for the Chesapeake Bay (7/16/2008)

Washington, DC -- In anticipation of the reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), Congressman John Sarbanes is introducing a bill to help the Army Corps of Engineers complete a mission they began in 1996 – cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay.

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SENATORS CARDIN, MIKULSKI TO HEAR FROM SMALL BUSINESSES, NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY HURT BY RISING GAS PRICES (7/9/2008)

Washington, DC -- U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-MD) will hold a press conference on Friday, July 11 at 11 a.m. in Baltimore with members of the small business and non-profit communities to talk about how rising gas prices are affecting their ability to do business and deliver services to Marylanders.

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Congressman Sarbanes Questions Manufacturers of FEMA Trailers (7/9/2008)

Washington, DC -- Today, during the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing entitled “Manufacturers of FEMA Trailers and Elevated Formaldehyde Levels”, Congressman John Sarbanes again called on FEMA to create an inventory of alternative temporary housing for Gulf Coast residents and future hurricane victims.

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SARBANES ANNOUNCES GRANT TO BOLSTER CONSERVATION CENTER IN BALTIMORE (5/15/2008)

Washington, DC -- Congressman Sarbanes today announced that the Center for Aquatic Life and Conservation will receive a $200,000 “Brownfields” grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to assist in the clean-up of a 13-acre property that will house the Animal Care and Conservation Education Center, a waterfront and environmental demonstration park, a public-access trail and a fishing pier

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CONGRESSMAN SARBANES FIGHTS FOR BAY CLEANUP FUNDING IN THE FARM BILL (5/8/2008)

Washington, DC -- Today, Congressman John Sarbanes voted for, and the House of Representatives passed, the final version the 2008 Farm Bill (H.R. 2419).  Congressman Sarbanes has worked within the Maryland Congressional delegation, to fight to increase Bay cleanup funding in the 2008 Farm Bill by more than $440 million

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CONGRESSMAN SARBANES FIGHTS TO MAINTAIN EMERGENCY ROOM FUNDING FOR MARYLAND'S HOSPITALS (5/8/2008)

Washington, DC -- Today, during the Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing to examine the current lack of hospital emergency surge capacity, Congressman Sarbanes questioned Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff about the Administration’s proposed Medicaid regulations and its impact on hospital emergency rooms

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