Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on Cuba: “I am overjoyed by today’s announcement of Alan Gross’s release and wish him the very best as he reunites with his family and loved ones. His release marks a victory for American diplomacy. I’d like to especially thank Pope Francis and the Canadian government for their role as intermediaries in this effort.” “Our ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine today applauded the Senate’s confirmation of Elizabeth K. Dillon to serve as a United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia. Ms. Dillon, an attorney in Salem and a former assistant city attorney for Roanoke, will be the first woman to serve as a judge for the Western District in its nearly 200 years of existence. “We are pleased that the Senate has confirmed an exceptionally qualified individual to ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on today’s terrorist attack in Peshawar.  “I extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of today’s heinous terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan.  I am shocked and a...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine submitted a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan addressing the current issues associated with sexual violence on college campuses. In the letter, Kaine applauded the Department of Education (ED) for initiating its Title IX investigations into how campuses handle sexual assault but requested that ED disclose more information regarding the progress of these investigations. “Sexual violence is a serious issue facing our nation...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens.  Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine applauded Saturday night's Senate passage of the compromise spending legislation for fiscal year 2015, which keeps 90% of the federal government funded through next September. The legislation  includes funding for several top priorities for Virginia, including the refueling and overhaul of the aircraft carrier George Washington, full funding for Washington’s Metro transit system, funds to repair the damag...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine was selected to serve on the Senate Special Committee on Aging for the 114th Congress. The Senate Committee memberships for the 114th Congress are subject to ratification by the Democratic caucus and the Senate when the 114th Congress convenes in January. “I’m honored to have been asked to serve on the Senate Special Committee on Aging, where I’ll focus on a wide range of issues impacting older Americans, from Medicare and ...Continue Reading

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine released the following joint statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee reported the nomination of Elizabeth Dillon to serve as a judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia: “With the Judiciary Committee reporting Elizabeth Dillon to the full body today, the Senate now has the opportunity to provide Virginia with another well-qualified judge. Ms. Dillon has spent her entire...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against ISIL, including key limitations on ground troops and duration advocated by U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, cleared the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by a vote of 10-8 – a significant development following Kaine’s five-month long push for a meaningful, transparent debate and vote to properly authorize U.S. military action against ISIL. The approved authorization language can now advance to considera...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2015 has cleared a key Senate hurdle and will now advance to a vote on final passage. The bipartisan legislation, which is expected to pass and be signed into law by the President soon, is substantially based on the two bills passed last spring by the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, respectively. “This legislation demonstrates that despite ofte...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced that the compromise spending legislation for fiscal year 2015 scheduled to be considered by both the House and Senate this week  includes $20 million in funding for Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, a result of their efforts to secure additional funding to support repairs following a launch failure on October 28 that caused significant damage to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport&rsqu...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement applauding today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Education that Virginia will receive a $17,500,000 Preschool Development Grant to provide high-quality preschool programs for children from low and moderate income families through the Virginia Preschool Initiative, which Kaine helped expand as Governor. Kaine wrote to the Department of Education in October urging the department to award the grant to Vir...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following U.S. Senator Tim Kaine’s months-long push for a meaningful, transparent debate and vote on an authorization for U.S. military action against ISIL, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing today on the mission against ISIL with Secretary of State John Kerry – a move Kaine believes is a critical, yet overdue, first step in properly authorizing this mission. Responding to criticism about the unorthodox process that led to today's hearing, ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on President Obama’s nomination of former Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter to serve as the nation’s next Secretary of Defense. "Ash Carter is a dedicated public servant with a unique degree of Pentagon experience that spans three decades and includes time in the number two post under Secretaries Panetta and Hagel, and service as both Under Secret...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to today’s comprehensive Department of Defense (DoD) Report to the President on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Subcommittee on Personnel, noted the important steps that have been taken towards eliminating sexual assault within the military, but stressed that lawmakers, military leaders and servicemembers must continue embracing reform to combat these crimes.  ̶...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez’s decision to hold a hearing on the U.S. mission against ISIL next Monday, December 8 and a markup and vote on an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) on Wednesday, December 10: “We will now have the opportunity to engage in a meaningful, transparent debate on the U.S. military mission against ISIL, as I’ve been calling ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine released the following joint statement praising the confirmation of Nani Coloretti to be the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Deputy Secretary, making her the fourth female Deputy Secretary and one of the highest-ranking Filipino-Americans serving in the Administration: “President Obama made an excellent choice in nominating Nani Coloretti to be the U.S. Department of Housing and Ur...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) and U.S. Representatives Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Rush Holt (D-NJ), was included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2015 announced by Senate and House negotiators last night. The legislation will reauthorize a National Park Service program that partners with landowners to preserve Civil War battlefields at risk ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In remarks on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, reiterated his months-long call for Congress to debate and vote on U.S. military action against ISIL – a mission that has gone on since August without congressional authorization. In his remarks, Kaine made two requests: 1) that President Obama follow through on his commitment to engage Congress and immediately demand a debate and vo...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today welcomed compromise defense bill language announced by House and Senate negotiators. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2015 is substantially based on the two bills passed last spring by the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, respectively, and includes important provisions Kaine advocated for on behalf of Virginia in the Senate version. The full House of Representatives ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine submitted a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to the agency’s request for input on its proposed Clean Power Plan, which aims to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants by 30 percent by 2030.  In the letter, Kaine suggests that the proposed standard should do more to reward states like Virginia that have already taken major steps toward creating a cleaner power sector. While th...Continue Reading