Colin Byrd in 2022 MD Senate race

On Budget & Economy: Criticized lack of stimulus checks in COVID relief package

Byrd takes issue with several federal actions in the first months of President Joe Biden's administration, including the lack of $2,000 stimulus checks in the coronavirus relief package--a promise Biden and senators previously made. This is the top reason he is running, Byrd said. "To me that is unacceptable," he said. "And I think that it puts the Senate at risk." Source: The Diamondback on 2022 Maryland Senate race Mar 8, 2021

On Energy & Oil: Infrastructure bill didn't go far enough on electrification

The bill includes money for electric grid modernization, clean buses and ferries, electric vehicle charging stations, and lead pipe replacement, but the $7.5 billion in the bill for clean buses is not enough to fulfill the president's promise to electrify 50,000 transit buses within five years. The $7.5 billion in the bill for electric vehicle charging stations is only half of the $15 billion needed to build the 500,000 EV charging stations promised. Source: Maryland Matters on 2022 Maryland Senate race Aug 6, 2021

On Health Care: Advocated for progressive polices like Medicare for All

Colin Byrd, the mayor of Greenbelt and a former University of Maryland student, is challenging Sen. Chris Van Hollen for one of Maryland's seats in the U.S. Senate in 2022, he announced. Byrd has been Greenbelt's mayor since 2019, and he has advocated for progressive policies, including Medicare for All and the Green New Deal. Source: The Diamondback on 2022 Maryland Senate race Mar 8, 2021

On Jobs: Supports raising federal minimum wage to $15/hour

Language that would have implemented a federal $15 minimum wage was removed. The removal of the minimum wage language came after the senate parliamentarian decided it could not be included in a reconciliation bill, a type of bill used for budget-related items that only requires a majority vote. Byrd said, as a senator, he would have supported firing the senate parliamentarian. Source: The Diamondback on 2022 Maryland Senate race Mar 8, 2021

On Principles & Values: Remove names of racists from university buildings

Byrd has continued to be an active member of this university's community. In 2015, he led the fight to change the name of the university's football stadium, which originally honored a former university president with a history of racism. And now, he is part of the effort to remove Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr.'s name from the main administration building. Source: The Diamondback on 2022 Maryland Senate race Mar 8, 2021

The above quotations are from 2022 Maryland Senate race: debates and news coverage. Click here for other excerpts from 2022 Maryland Senate race: debates and news coverage. Click here for other excerpts by Colin Byrd. Click here for a profile of Colin Byrd.
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Page last updated: Feb 14, 2023