Meet Ben Cardin
Meet Ben – from his website: http://www.bencardin.com/
October 29th, 2006
Ben Cardin has dedicated his life in public service to a basic belief – that by putting principles into action, we can give every
A third-generation Marylander, Ben Cardin has never forgotten the lessons of his family’s success. Through hard work, Benjamin Green – Ben’s grandfather – opened a family-run, neighborhood grocery store and turned it into a successful wholesale food distribution company. His grandfather’s success taught Ben that nothing is more important than the family around you and the job at hand.
His father, Meyer Cardin, devoted his life to strengthening his community through public service. He served in several prominent positions, including as member of the House of Delegates, Chief Police Magistrate and Associate Judge of the Supreme Bench of
Ben’s father taught him the value of public service, fairness and honesty. He also taught Ben that government should be there for those who work hard and play by the rules – not just the politically connected.
While still a student as the
In 1987, Ben was elected to represent
The
As a senior member of the House Ways & Means Committee and ranking member of the Trade Subcommittee and the Helsinki Commission, Ben is a national leader on issues such as health care, Social Security, retirement savings, trade and human rights.
Ben’s foremost passion in Congress is improving our health care system to give more Americans access to quality care. He has put those principles into action by authoring meaningful laws to expand Medicare to cover preventive benefits such as screenings for breast cancer, prostate cancer and osteoporosis. Ben has also introduced legislation to fix the new Medicare prescription drug bill, which he has called a raw deal for
Ben also led the fight to oppose President Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security. Alternatively, he authored legislation to help all Americans build and strengthen their retirement accounts and put more money into their IRAs and 401(k) accounts. Worth Magazine named Ben “one of the 100 people who have changed the way Americans think about money.”
Ben believes that every Marylander – no matter where he or she lives – deserves to make an honest wage to provide for themselves and their families. He has fought tirelessly to bring quality jobs to
Ben voted against the war in
Ben strongly believes that education must truly be a national priority. He introduced the Master Teacher Act in 2004 to help put the best teachers in the lowest performing schools. He is also a strong advocate for increasing Pell Grant funding and improving access to student loans.
Ben is also a leading voice for human rights at home and around the world. As the Ranking Member on the
As a lifelong Marylander determined to keep our state safe and clean, Ben has secured millions in federal homeland security dollars for local fire and police departments in
Ben and his wife of 41 years, Myrna, grew up in the same
For more information on the Ben Cardin campaign, please go to: http://www.bencardin.com/
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