Dutch's Blog
Simulation center at AAMC will help reduce healthcare costs
February 1, 2013 2:53 PMAs someone who is recovering from a recent knee replacement surgery, I know what it’s like to be a patient. You want to feel confident that your surgeon is well-qualified and well-trained. You want the best of the best.Last night, I was thrilled to tour the new SAIL Center (Simulation to Advance Innovation and Learning) at Anne Arundel Medical Center. The new center will enable doctors and surgeons to practice the latest techniques in a hospital setting without using humans...Continue Reading
Closing the Wage Gap
January 14, 2013 4:02 PMFour years ago this month, Congress passed the landmark “Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act” to strengthen women’s ability to sue for pay discrimination. This was a critical step toward closing the wage gap, but today, women are still earning only about 77 percent of what men make for the same work. Women of color are even worse off, with black women making only 70 cents on the dollar while Hispanic women make only 60 cents.The disparities exist at all education...Continue Reading
Maryland Schools Rank #1 .... Again
January 10, 2013 3:43 PMThis morning, I learned that – for an unprecedented FIFTH consecutive year – Maryland schools have been ranked the best in the country by Education Week. All of Maryland’s students, parents, teachers and administrators should be very proud of this extraordinary accomplishment. We can’t create new jobs without investing in education and I am proud that Maryland’s Congressional delegation has continued to advocate for federal education funding during these difficult economic times. Maryland has been awarded a portion of the federal government’s...Continue Reading
Seeking Common Ground in the 113th Congress
January 4, 2013 1:47 PMYesterday, I had the privilege of welcoming new lawmakers – both Republicans and Democrats – as they were sworn into the 113th Congress. A record number of woman and minorities were elected to this Congress and the House Democrats became the first caucus in the history of either chamber not to have a majority of white men. Yesterday’s swearing-in ceremony came on the heels of a major bipartisan compromise to avert the so-called fiscal cliff and, perhaps, another recession. But the...Continue Reading
A Constituent on a Mission
November 20, 2012 4:44 PMLast year, I was approached by a constituent who told me about a program that enables American citizens to donate money to help retire the soaring public debt. Though still a relatively little-known program, those Americans aware of it have donated millions of dollars since President John F. Kennedy signed the law creating it in 1961.Even though private citizens are hardly to blame for our country’s financial problems, many patriotic Americans are still willing to give their hard-earned dollars to...Continue Reading
Local Family Recognized During National Adoption Month
November 16, 2012 10:28 AMDid you know that there are 719 children in foster care in Maryland waiting to be adopted?While that statistic is troubling, it would be a lot higher if not for people like Rosedale resident Sandy Weizer. Sandy has been a foster mom to nine children in the past four years. She still clearly recalls the day social workers brought 9-month-old Breanna to her home. Weighing only 10 pounds, she looked more like a 3-month-old. Sandy says she felt an immediate...Continue Reading
Evaluating Hurricane Sandy's Impact
October 31, 2012 4:12 PMYesterday, I was able to tour the district to evaluate damage from Hurricane Sandy first-hand with Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and Baltimore County Councilman John Olszewski. We spent time in communities prone to flooding, including Millers Island, Watersedge and Havre de Grace. I also touched base with Harford County Executive David Craig and Havre de Grace Mayor Wayne Dougherty. I want to thank all our first responders, utility crews and workers at the local, state and federal levels, some...Continue Reading
From unemployment rolls to payrolls
October 26, 2012 10:40 AMYesterday, I joined other elected officials in Randallstown as we launched a new program to train Maryland job-seekers who need extra help with basic skills like reading, writing and math. The $12 million program, funded by the federal government, will help thousands of Marylanders move off the unemployment rolls and onto payrolls.At the event, I was privileged to meet Terrance Brown, who dropped out of high school at the age of 18 after learning he was going to become a...Continue Reading
New Jobs Coming to Sparrows Point
October 19, 2012 10:54 AMYesterday, I was joined by some of our state and county elected officials on the docks of Sparrows Point to celebrate a local company’s recent growth. BB Metals specializes in dismantling retired ships and recycling the steel. My office recently helped them navigate the federal contracting process and, as a result, they are currently disassembling the Range Sentinel under their first government contract.As a Congressman, that’s my job – to assist our local businesses in any way I can. Businesses...Continue Reading
Cooler weather presents greater risk of house fires
October 11, 2012 12:31 PMFall is one of my favorite times of year – the leaves start to turn, the holidays are on the horizon and football is on TV. But it’s also a time for caution. Holiday decorations, wind gusts that knock out the electricity and alternative heating sources all contribute to an increased risk of house fires during the fall and winter.There were more than 362,100 house fires in the U.S. alone in 2010, killing 67 people right here in Maryland. As...Continue Reading
