Tom's Newsmaker guest today is US Senator Chris Van Hollen (D., Md).

Last evening, President Biden outlined a 6-part strategy to get the country ahead of the curve on the COVID-19 pandemic. The strategy includes requiring some businesses to mandate vaccines or testing. Federal government employees and contractors working for the government will also be required to be vaccinated. As it has through most of the pandemic, Maryland is faring better than many states, but that said, infection and hospitalization rates are among the highest they’ve been since early last spring.

The White House has its hands full with its efforts to pass infrastructure bills as well. Last week, conservative Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia penned an op-ed urging that the Senate take a “strategic pause” on the legislation, as Republicans, drug makers, investment banks, tech giants and other corporate leaders lined up against many provisions in the $3.5 trillion-dollar Democratic plan that has been linked to the $1 trillion-dollar bipartisan plan approved by the Senate.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Maryland's junior senator since 2017 and previously Maryland's 8th District congressman (2003-17), joins Tom to talk about these and other issues of the day…

Sen. Van Hollen connects with us on Zoom from his home office in Kensington, Maryland.

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.