United States Senate

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Baltimore) called on his colleagues to immediately act to lower gas prices during a speech on the Senate floor today.

"Americans are frustrated about the high cost of energy," Cardin said. "They remember that, when President Bush took office nearly eight years ago, a gallon of regular gas cost less than $1.50; today it's at an all-time high of $4.02 per gallon."

"Rising costs at the pump are having a direct, negative impact on families and particularly small businesses that rely on their cars and delivery trucks for their livelihood," he added. "Many are on the brink of going out of business because they cannot absorb the price hikes. I join with the majority of the American public and say the status quo is not acceptable."

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Baltimore) voted today against a measure that will provide $165 billion in additional funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan into next spring, while U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Baltimore) voted in favor of the resolution, which passed 70-26.

"The American public is looking to Congress to act on behalf of the brave men and women of our U.S. Armed Forces," Cardin said in a statement. "They are not looking for a shift in our Iraq policy - they want us to change course and start bringing our troops home now. After more than five years, 4,000 American lives lost, 30,000 wounded, and $600 billion spent, I believe that our military and the American public deserve a clear signal that their leaders are listening. We failed to do that today."

"The senator voted against the war funding bill because he believes we need a new direction," Sue Walitsky, Cardin's communications director, said to PolitickerMD.com.

Meanwhile, Mikulski's communications director, Melissa Schwartz, told PolitickerMD.com, "Senator Mikulski's vote today is consistent with her position since voting against the war. She will continue to vote for a strategy to bring soldiers home safely and swiftly, but she will not vote against funding for our troops on the battlefield."