North Baltimore Journal

WASHINGTON –U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, and Congressmen Steny Hoyer (Md.-5), Dutch Ruppersberger (Md.-2), John Sarbanes (Md.-3), Kweisi Mfume (Md.-7), Andy Harris (Md.-1), Jamie Raskin (Md.-8) and Glenn Ivey (Md.-4) welcomed Maryland Governor Wes Moore and members of his cabinet to the U.S. Capitol on Monday to discuss federal priorities for the state. The lengthy discussion covered such vital issues as public safety, cybersecurity, transportation, education, the health of the Chesapeake Bay, the future site for the FBI headquarters and more. Joining the governor for this first official delegation meeting were Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin M. Atticks, Maryland Secretary of the Environment Serena McIlwain, Director, Maryland Energy Administration Paul G. Pinsky, Maryland Secretary of Health Laura Herrera Scott, Maryland Secretary of Human Services Rafael López, Maryland Secretary of Labor Portia Wu and Maryland Secretary of Transportation Paul Wiedefeld.

“From cybersecurity to health care to higher education, the resources we have in Maryland are unmatched. But ongoing investment is critical if we want to continue to be a national leader in these and other industries,” said Senator Cardin. “Team Maryland is working together with Governor Moore to deliver resources and expand opportunities for the people of our great state. We’re committed to bringing federal dollars to Maryland and are excited, once again, to have a partner in Annapolis who is ready and willing to leverage important, equitable investments across Maryland and for our local communities.” 

“We are thrilled to have quickly developed a strong partnership between our federal delegation and Governor Moore and his team to jointly advance the interests and aspirations of all Marylanders. That cooperation is essential to ensuring that Maryland can maximize the benefits of the historic national legislation that we enacted over the last two years, from modernizing our infrastructure, to accelerating the deployment of clean energy, to strengthening public safety, to reducing health care costs, to caring for our veterans, to protecting our environment, and much more,” said Senator Van Hollen. 

“I was pleased to meet with Governor Moore and members of his cabinet at the U.S. Capitol yesterday,” said Congressman Hoyer. “During the meeting, we discussed several shared priorities, including addressing the epidemic of gun violence that has impacted too many in our community, investing in Maryland’s efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay, ensuring WMATA has the funding it needs to adequately serve all Marylanders, and bringing the FBI's new headquarters to Maryland. We have important work ahead of us in the coming months and years, and our delegation is fortunate to have a strong partner in Annapolis. I look forward to continuing to work alongside Governor Moore and his Administration.” 

“In order for this to be Maryland’s decade, we need to work together — and that’s why strengthening our administration’s partnership with Maryland’s congressional delegation is a priority,” said Governor Moore. “This year alone, Maryland has received more than $2 billion in federal funding from the bipartisan infrastructure deal that was passed with the help of our congressional delegation. When it comes to opportunities for federal investments, we need to know about them and we need to be ready to move on them — and a strong state and federal partnership is how we make it happen to ensure that Maryland doesn’t just lead in this decade, but in decades that follow.” 

"From preserving a fighter mission at Martin State Airport to protecting the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland’s federal delegation is already hard at work on the many priorities outlined today by Governor Moore. Our values and our goals are clearly aligned,” Congressman Ruppersberger said. “As an Appropriator, I look forward to leveraging my role to fight for the resources Maryland and its communities need to keep moving forward as we begin the budget process for the 2024 fiscal year.” 

“No community in Maryland is untouched by the youth mental health crisis,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “I’m pleased that Governor Moore is making it a priority to expand mental health resources in our state as well as address several other critical health and environmental challenges. Together, we are ready to go to work with this governor to make a difference for Maryland.” 

“I was pleased to meet with my colleagues in the Team Maryland Congressional Delegation as we welcomed Governor Moore and several of his cabinet officials to Capitol Hill. We discussed efforts to ensure the priorities of our Maryland Congressional Delegation are in line with the state. I look forward to continuing to work in harmony and unison across all levels of government in order to best serve our respective communities,” said Congressman Mfume. 

“The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure and a vital economic engine on the Eastern Shore, and I am pleased that the Maryland Delegation is unified in dealing with the invasive threat of blue catfish to the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem,” Congressman Harris said. 

“I was delighted to welcome Governor Moore to the Capitol for a thorough discussion on how the Moore administration and our delegation can best serve our people in Maryland,” said Congressman Raskin. “During our meeting I voiced my concerns about the deadly plague of gun violence spreading across our nation and threatening the safety and well-being of Marylanders. I deeply appreciate the Governor’s strong commitment to keeping Maryland safe, and I will continue working with my colleagues in Congress and the Moore administration to keep our families safe.” 

“Governor Moore and his team are rolling up their sleeves to work for Marylanders. We as his federal partners are standing side-by-side for a seamless stream of initiatives to leverage resources benefiting the people of our great state. I look forward to helping Governor Moore in his endeavors to do more for Maryland,” said Congressman Ivey. 

Following the delegation meeting, members of Team Maryland participated in a brief media availability, which can be viewed here: Twitter or Facebook. 

Original source can be found here.