The Washington Post has said that Mr. Cardin is "sensible, tough-minded and independent" and that he will be a natural leader in the U.S. Senate "by dint of his command of issues, proven integrity, formidable intellect and unstinting work ethic." The Baltimore Sun has said, "He has been able to work both sides of the aisle" to help workers save for retirement and to champion the expansion of Medicare benefits.

In 2001, Mr. Cardin was named by Worth Magazine as among the top "100 people who have influenced the way Americans think about money." In 2004, he was named to Treasury and Risk Management's list of "100 Most Influential People in Finance." He received a grade of "A" from the NAACP, and a 100% rating from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights for his votes in the 109th Congress. In the 108th Congress, he also received a 100% rating from the League of Conservation Voters for his commitment to environmental health and safety, and a 100% rating from the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda for his voting record.

Sen. Cardin represented Maryland's Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987-2006. In the House, he served on the Ways & Means Committee, Budget Committee, Public Works & Transportation Committee, Judiciary Committee, Ethics Committee, House Administration and the Select Committee on Homeland Security. In the House, he also served as the senior Democrat on the Trade Subcommittee and Human Resources Subcommittee of the Ways & Means Committee.

Mr. Cardin has a long-standing interest in foreign affairs and human rights. He has been a Commissioner on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the U.S. Helsinki Commission) since 1993, serving as Ranking Member from 2003-2006. In the 110th Congress, he has been appointed co-chairman of the Commission, and is currently Vice President of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly.

In 2002, as a member of the House, he voted against giving the President the authority to go to war in Iraq. He has called on President Bush to present the American people with a plan to bring our troops home.

As a member of the House, his legislation to increase the amount Americans can save for retirement was enacted into law in 2001. His proposal to expand Medicare to include preventive benefits such as colorectal, prostate, mammogram, and osteoporosis screening was also enacted into law. He also authored legislation to fund graduate medical education, guarantee coverage for emergency health services, and improve the Medicare drug benefit for seniors.

In the House, he often was a voice for our most vulnerable citizens. He introduced legislation to help those leaving public assistance get the job training, education and childcare they need to work their way out of poverty. In 1999, his bill to increase education and support services for foster care children between ages 18 and 21 was signed into law. He also authored bills to expand child support, hold fathers accountable, improve the welfare-to-work program and increase the childcare tax credit.

In 1998, Mr. Cardin was appointed Chairman of the Special Study Commission on Maryland Public Ethics Law by the Maryland General Assembly. In 1997, he co-chaired the Bipartisan Ethics Task Force in an effort to reform ethics procedures in the U.S. House of Representatives.

As a Maryland legislator, Mr. Cardin served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1967-1986. He was Speaker from 1979-1986 and prior to that served as chairman of the Ways & Means Committee from 1974-1979. As Speaker, he reformed Maryland's property tax system, the school financing formula and the ethical standards for elected officials.

A 1967 graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law (1st in his class), he earned his B.A. degree in 1964 from the University of Pittsburgh (cum laude). He also holds honorary degrees from the University of Baltimore School of Law (1990); University of Maryland at Baltimore (1993); Baltimore Hebrew University (1994); and Goucher College (1996).

Committed to ensuring that all Americans have legal representation, Mr. Cardin served as chairman of the Maryland Legal Services Corp. from 1988-1995. From 1988-1999, he served on the St. Mary's College Board of Trustees, and in 2002 he was appointed to St. Mary's Advisory Board, Center for Study of Democracy. He has been a Trustee of the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs since 1999, and in 2003 joined the Johns Hopkins University's Institute for Policy Studies' National Advisory Board. He served on the Goucher College Board of Trustees from 1999 to 2008. In 1991, he was appointed to the University of Maryland School of Law Board of Visitors, and in 1998, he was appointed to the UMBC President's Board of Visitors. In 2007, he was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy's Board of Visitors.

Sen. Cardin is married to Myrna Edelman Cardin.