On Friday, August 15 at the beautiful oceanfront Hilton Garden Inn in Ocean City, Maryland, the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, hosted a “Fireside Chat” with Maryland’s two United States Senators, Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks.
Unfortunately, Senator Alsobrooks contracted COVID-19 and was unable to attend alongside Maryland’s Senior Senator, Chris Van Hollen.
The event was presented by Chesapeake Utilities, Perdue, Salisbury University, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
An audience of more than one hundred business and organizational leaders listened as Senator Van Hollen addressed a variety of topics, including the federal deficit, offshore wind energy in Ocean City, the federal J1 visa program, the looming insolvency of the Social Security Trust Fund, and the question of whether Congress will pass a budget for FY 2026 by the September 30th deadline.
In light of this deadline, Senator Van Hollen remarked, “We passed a continuing resolution previously, and it is my hope we will pass a budget and avoid a government shutdown.”
Regarding the Social Security Trust Fund and the threat of insolvency in 2033, he stated, “I have sponsored several bipartisan bills to address this important issue; we haven’t seen any alternative proposals from the other side.”
Senator Van Hollen also noted that the United States federal budget deficit is projected to reach $2.7 trillion by 2035, and stressed, “It’s no different than your household finances; if you’re spending too much, you need to find a way to raise revenues or reduce your spending.”
The “Fireside Chat” was sponsored by Hebron Savings Bank, Wor-Wic Community College, and Yuloff Creative Marketing Solutions.
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- Bill Chambers, Amy Thompson, Senator Van Hollen
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- Chamber leaders Bill Chambers and Amy Thompson chat with U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen at the August 25 Fireside Chat, held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Ocean CIty, MD
