Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, Rand Paul (R-KY), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced a War Powers Resolution that would block the use of U.S. Armed Forces to engage in hostilities within or against Venezuela, following reporting that the Trump Administration is considering land strikes inside that country. “I’m extremely troubled that the Trump Administration is considering launching illegal military strike...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA-08) and Steny Hoyer (D-MD-05) led their colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought urging OMB to follow the law—which President Donald Trump signed in 2019—that requires furloughed federal employees to receive back pay during a governmen...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement after the Trump Administration decided to lay off most of the staff in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): “Supporting students with disabilities should unite us all. But sadly, Donald Trump and Russ Vought are only interested in political games and gutted the office...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement after the Trump administration announced “substantial” layoffs of federal workers amid the government shutdown: “Donald Trump and Russ Vought are once again showing us exactly who they are: reckless ideologues willing to inflict real pain on hardworking Americans to score political points. They have repeatedly treated federal employees not as partners in serving the American people, but as ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-IN) applauded Senate passage of their bipartisan bill to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) against Iraq. The legislation passed as an amendment to the Senate’s version of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. The House’s version of the FY26 NDAA also included the legislation. The FY26 NDAA now heads to conference committee. “The 1991 and 2002 AUMFs are obsolete. I...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and Ranking Member of the SASC Subcommittee on Seapower, applauded Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes key provisions Kaine secured to advance U.S. national security, support servicemembers and their families, boost Virginia’s defense industry, and strengthen relations with allies and partners: “I’m glad the Senate advanced t...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, and Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, released a statement on the Trump Administration’s abuse of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. “The Trump administration’s decision this week to remove sancti...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement regarding the Trump Administration’s malicious prosecution of New York Attorney General Letitia James: “A few weeks ago, Trump forced Erik Siebert, a highly-qualified prosecutor with a sterling reputation, to resign as interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia because he refused to bring trumped-up charges against James. Then, Trump installed to lead the Eastern Dist...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Senate colleagues introduced bipartisan legislation to repeal President Donald Trump’s global tariffs and terminate the national emergency Trump declared in order to slap tariffs of up to 40 percent on products Americans buy from other countries. The legislation is privileged, meaning the Senate will be forced to vote on the bill. “Americans are worse off because President Trump decided to start trade wars that have raised costs of everyday go...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), and seven of their Senate colleagues urged 22 major energy, water, and broadband utility companies to avoid imposing service shutoffs and other penalties for late or missed payments from federal government employees who are not receiving pay during the government shutdown. The senators called on the companies to protect federal employees who may be facing financial hardship from utility disconnections during the shutdown,...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senate Republicans blocked legislation led by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) that would have repealed the national energy emergency declaration Trump has used to give Big Oil handouts and bypass environmental laws. Senate Republicans also blocked this legislation from passage in February. “For the second time, Senate Republicans blocked our legislation that would have repealed President Trump’s bogus energy emergency,” said Kaine. “Because Rep...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, a majority of Senate Republicans voted to block U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Senator Tim Kaine’s (D-VA) resolution that would have blocked the continued use of U.S. Armed Forces in the southern Caribbean Sea without an Authorization of Military Force (AUMF) by Congress. The vote followed multiple unauthorized military strikes on unidentified vessels. The Senators forced a vote on their War Powers Act Resolution, which got bipartisan support, to reaffirm that alle...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced the Federal Employee Civil Relief Act. This legislation would protect federal workers, federal contractor employees, and their families from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during a government shutdown. “Through no fault of their own, hundreds of thousands of dedicated public servants in Virginia have been furloughed or are currently working without pay. That creates real financial strain for f...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced that the Senate will vote today on their legislation to challenge President Donald Trump’s radical, cost-raising, job-killing energy agenda. The legislation would repeal the national energy emergency declaration Trump has used to give Big Oil handouts. Kaine and Heinrich previously filed this legislation in February, but Senate R...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (D-VA) are sounding the alarm after reviewing newly-released numbers from the Commonwealth’s health insurance marketplace. These numbers paint a grim picture for Virginia, forecasting a dramatic surge in monthly insurance payments for individuals, couples, and families across a wide variety of income levels. “It is baffling that anyone could look at these numbers and decide that the best course of action is to continue sitting idly by...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced legislation to support federal employees and contractors during a government shutdown. Kaine continues to urge Republicans to negotiate a deal to reopen the government, protect Americans’ access to health care, and prohibit the Trump Administration from illegally withholding funding appropriated by Congress. Senate Republicans have blocked Democratic legislation to do that. “Shutdowns impact Virginia more than any other state...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the federal government shutdown, Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced legislation to secure back pay for the thousands of federal contract workers who face furloughs and missed paychecks when the federal government is shutdown. Unlike federal employees, the thousands of federal contract workers—including janitorial, food, and security services workers—have no assurances that they will receive back pay to make up for their loss of hours...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), released the following statement ahead of an expected Senate vote on a block of 107 nominees that includes William White, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Ambassador to Belgium: “Bill White is the perfect example of why it’s dangerous that Senate Republicans just changed the Senate’s rules to bury Donald Trump’s horrible nominees in long lists and rush them through without pr...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) and Ranking Member of the SFRC Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, and 13 of his Senate colleagues called on President Donald Trump to immediately halt his plan to send a $20 billion bailout—funded by American taxpayers—to Argentina. Trump’s bailout comes after Argentina suspended soybean export taxes, directly undercutting American farmers, in the international market when they are already s...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced the Emergency Relief for Federal Workers Act, legislation to support federal employees who are experiencing financial hardship during a government shutdown. During past shutdowns, many federal employees turned to their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) retirement accounts to make hardship withdrawals to cover bills. However, there are penalties for withdrawing these funds, and barriers to recontributing funds once the government reopens....Continue Reading