Blog Post

As we look back on the Recovery Act's first eight months, its success in averting catastrophe is clear. We are not out of the woods yet and much more work remains to create good jobs and lower unemployment, but there are positive signs that the recession is over, and that the economic policies pursued are starting to work.

For more than four decades, Medicare has meant dignity and peace of mind for Americas seniorsthe peace of mind that comes from knowing that, no matter what, their health care is covered.

In addition to the standard measures we take every year to prepare for and prevent the spread of seasonal influenza, we face a unique flu challenge this year with the H1N1 virus.________________________________________________________________________

Why do so many schools have auditoriums? Why do they have athletic fields? We take features like those for granted today, but there was a time when a school building with anything more than classrooms and chalkboards was considered wildly unorthodox. But, more than a hundred years ago, educators came to realize that schools can be more than simply places for instruction: they can be the center of their communities.________________________________________________________________________

Health insurance reform is essential for our families, our businesses, and our country. Our families are being strained by skyrocketing premiums. If we do nothing, the average Maryland family can expect to spend nearly $25,000 per year on health care premiums by 2016, up from $12,000 now.

One of the most overlooked facts in the health reform debate is that small businesses and their employees will be among those who have the most to gain with reform - and the most to lose under our current system. The reality is that the current health care system is unsustainable for American small businesses. Let's look at the facts.________________________________________________________________________

Last week, I took tour of an oyster sanctuary in the Patuxent River to see how efforts are working to restore the population of this critical shellfish in our waters. I was also present when the sanctuary was laid five years ago, and I must report that I was very impressed with the progress we are making and give great credit to the Oyster Recovery Partnership for coordinating this important effort in our state.________________________________________________________________________

Across the State of Maryland, residents can be found spending their summers backpacking along the Appalachian Trail, fishing at Point Lookout State Park, biking on the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, taking in the view of wild horses galloping across the beach at Assateague State Park, or partaking in a number of other exciting outdoor activities.________________________________________________________________________