Chris Van Hollen

Democratic Platform

Democrats support progressive taxation, with higher rates on top earners and corporations to fund public investment. The party favors raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and expanding worker protections. Democrats generally support government investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs as drivers of broad economic growth.

Chris Van Hollen

Senator Van Hollen supported the bipartisan infrastructure law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. He supports higher taxes on corporations and high earners to fund public investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs, and has been an advocate for federal investment that benefits Maryland's technology and federal contracting sectors.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans favor lower taxes across income levels, with particular emphasis on cutting corporate and capital gains taxes to stimulate investment and job creation. The party supports deregulation, reduced government spending, and free market solutions over federal programs as the primary engine of prosperity.

Democratic Platform

Democrats support expanding access to affordable healthcare, including protecting the Affordable Care Act and moving toward a public option or expanded Medicare coverage. The party broadly favors government negotiation of prescription drug prices and opposes removing protections for pre-existing conditions.

Chris Van Hollen

Senator Van Hollen supports the Affordable Care Act and has backed all legislation to lower prescription drug costs, including Medicare drug price negotiation provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act. He supports expanding Medicaid, protecting coverage for pre-existing conditions, and moving toward universal coverage.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans have generally sought to repeal or significantly reform the Affordable Care Act, favoring market-based solutions. The party supports expanding health savings accounts, increasing competition among insurers across state lines, and reducing federal mandates on coverage requirements.

Democratic Platform

Democrats generally support pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients, and favor comprehensive immigration reform. The party supports increased resources for legal immigration processing and a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers at the border.

Chris Van Hollen

Senator Van Hollen supports comprehensive immigration reform including a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and long-term undocumented residents. He has highlighted the role of immigrants in Maryland's healthcare, technology, and agricultural sectors and has opposed enforcement policies he views as breaking up established families and communities.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans prioritize border security and strict enforcement of existing immigration law. The party broadly supports completing physical border barriers, ending policies they view as incentivizing illegal entry, and reforming legal immigration to favor applicants with marketable skills.

Democratic Platform

Democrats favor robust federal investment in public K-12 education and higher education, along with policies to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The party generally opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and supports universal pre-K and affordable childcare.

Chris Van Hollen

Senator Van Hollen supports robust federal investment in public education, universal pre-K, affordable childcare, and reducing student loan debt. He has backed legislation to increase Pell Grant funding and make community college more accessible, and opposes using public funds for private school vouchers.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans support school choice, including voucher programs for private and religious schools, and local control over curriculum decisions. The party generally opposes federal education mandates and broadly supports parental rights in schooling. Many Republicans oppose student loan forgiveness as unfair to borrowers who repaid their loans.

Democratic Platform

Democrats broadly support stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The party frames these regulations as consistent with the Second Amendment and necessary to reduce mass shootings.

Chris Van Hollen

Senator Van Hollen voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022) and has consistently supported stronger gun safety legislation, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and an assault weapons ban. He has been active in this space for years given Maryland's experience with gun violence.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans strongly defend Second Amendment rights and generally oppose new gun control legislation, arguing that existing laws should be enforced more effectively. The party emphasizes mental health intervention, the right to self-defense, and opposes what they view as infringement on law-abiding gun owners.

Democratic Platform

Democrats view climate change as an urgent crisis requiring immediate government action. The party supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investment and regulation, reducing carbon emissions across the economy, and meeting international climate commitments. Democrats generally oppose expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.

Chris Van Hollen

Senator Van Hollen supported the Inflation Reduction Act's historic climate investments and views addressing climate change as an urgent priority. He has backed clean energy development, federal emissions standards, and protecting the Chesapeake Bay from pollution. He opposes expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize American energy independence through domestic production of oil, gas, and coal alongside renewable development. Many in the party are skeptical of aggressive climate regulations they argue harm economic growth and jobs. Republicans generally prefer market-based energy solutions over government mandates and oppose restrictions that raise energy costs for families.

Democratic Platform

Democrats generally support a multilateral approach to foreign policy, emphasizing alliances, international institutions, and diplomacy as the first line of engagement. The party broadly supports maintaining NATO commitments, providing aid to democratic allies, and engaging international bodies to address shared challenges.

Chris Van Hollen

Senator Van Hollen is a strong supporter of U.S. alliances, NATO, and continued assistance for Ukraine. He sits on the Senate Foreign Relations and Appropriations committees and has been a consistent advocate for maintaining international institutions, human rights diplomacy, and U.S. engagement with democratic partners worldwide.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize American sovereignty, a strong military as a deterrent, and bilateral relationships over multilateral institutions. The party broadly supports robust defense spending and is skeptical of international agreements they view as constraining American action or requiring open-ended foreign commitments.

Democratic Platform

Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits and support expanding both programs. The party generally favors raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on high earners to ensure long-term solvency and opposes any form of privatization.

Chris Van Hollen

Senator Van Hollen opposes cuts to Social Security and Medicare and has backed legislation to protect and strengthen both programs. He supports raising the payroll tax cap on high earners as the mechanism for ensuring long-term solvency and opposes privatization proposals.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans support reforming Social Security and Medicare to ensure long-term fiscal solvency, which some in the party argue requires adjusting benefits or eligibility ages. The party opposes tax increases to fund the programs and some members have supported personal investment account options.

Democratic Platform

Democrats broadly support criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, addressing racial disparities in policing and incarceration, and investing in community-based alternatives. The party generally supports police accountability measures and evidence-based approaches to reducing recidivism.

Chris Van Hollen

Senator Van Hollen supports criminal justice reform including reducing mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenses and addressing racial disparities in the system. He has backed investments in reentry programming and community-based alternatives to incarceration.Source →

Republican Platform

Republicans emphasize law and order, strong support for law enforcement, and tough penalties for crime. The party generally opposes reducing mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses and supports prosecutors pursuing strong sentences. Republicans broadly oppose policies they view as undermining police authority or creating leniency for criminals.