Midday Newsmaker: Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.)

Our Newsmaker guest today is Maryland's junior senator, Chris Van Hollen, who joins Tom Hall to discuss the extraordinary, historic and tragic events of the past week, and the way forward for members of Congress, for President-elect Joe Biden and for the country.   Yesterday, incoming Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said they supported efforts to remove President Trump from office under the 25th Amendment.  Maryland’s Republican Governor, Larry Hogan, offered his support for those efforts as well. Two cabinet secretaries, an ambassador, and several White House staffers are among those who have resigned after the President incited an insurrection at the Capitol on Wednesday. With less than two weeks until the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the country is nervous about what may happen in the final days of Donald Trump’s chaotic and unhinged tenure in the White House.  The unthinkable happened on Wednesday: five people died, including a woman who was shot by police; and a police officer who died yesterday from injuries he sustained during the insurrection.  There is a palpable fear that something even worse may happen between now and a week from Wednesday. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to kill 4,000 + Americans every day.  Millions are out of work and suffering from food and housing insecurity, the world has expressed shock that an insurrection could take place in some of America’s most hallowed halls, and racial tensions have been ratcheted up as mostly white rioters at the Capitol were treated much more gently than Black Lives Matter protesters were treated last summer . Throughout all of this, the work of the U.S. Congress continues, as Democrats prepare to govern with slim majorities in both Houses of Congress.  Our Newsmaker guest, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, offers his perspective on all these important developments.  We’ll take your calls and comments a little later this hour.  Sen. Van Hollen joins us on Zoom.  Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.