Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and 21 of his Senate colleagues introduced legislation to pay all federal employees – both those excepted and furloughed – as well as our servicemembers and federal contractors during the current Republican-led shutdown. The True Shutdown Fairness Act would also prevent the Trump Administration’s attempts at mass firings (Reductions in Force or RIFs) while the government is shut down. The legislation is led by U.S. Senator Chris Van Holl (D...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and 44 Senate colleagues sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to release the billions of dollars at its disposal to ensure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue in November. “We were deeply disturbed to hear that the USDA has instructed states to stop processing SNAP benefits for November and were surprised by your recent...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and 44 Democratic Senate colleagues sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to reinforce his stated opposition to the State of Israel’s annexation of territory in the West Bank. The letter was sent shortly before Vice President JD Vance traveled to Israel to shore up the ceasefire deal and the Israeli Knesset’s passage of a preliminary reading of a bill to annex the West Bank. President Trump previously expresse...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) and the Ranking Member of the SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights and Global Women’s Issues, applauded committee passage of several significant pieces of bipartisan legislation to strengthen U.S. alliances, promote rule of law and democratic institutions, and address corruption, violence, and human rights abuse...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement after the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) began sending out notices for 2026 health insurance premium rates through the Virginia Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace: “Throughout the day today, more and more Virginians will receive notices that their health care premiums will go up significantly next year because Republicans have refused to extend critical Affordable Car...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today applauded the Commerce Committee’s passage of crucial airspace safety legislation. The Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act, which passed out of committee unanimously, includes critical measures backed by Sens. Warner and Kaine and comes in response to the January 29, 2025 collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington Nat...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry’s unanimous passage of their two bills to protect lands and watersheds in Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, and Bath counties. Both bills are the result of years of Virginia stakeholder-driven collaboration. In June, the senators sent a letter to the committee’s leadership requesting consideration of the legislation. “Virginia is home to beautiful w...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) underscored the urgent need to extend the enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) after a new analysis from the Commonwealth Fund showed that the expiration of these tax credits will have disastrous effects on Virginia: “Americans don’t want higher health care costs, but if Republicans refuse to join Democrats in extending critical Affordable Care Act tax credits, that’s exactly what they’ll...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) are issuing a warning today about an impending catastrophe for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) – the community-based health care providers that deliver comprehensive primary and preventative health services to low-income families and those who are underserved and uninsured. “Between the changes being brought on by the Big, Ugly Bill and the looming expiration of health care tax credits for Americans, there is a t...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded the announcement that Merck will invest $3 billion to expand its Elkton vaccine manufacturing facility. This investment will create between 300 and 500 permanent jobs, in addition to new jobs related to construction to support the expansion. “Merck’s decision to significantly expand its Elkton operations is a testament to Virginia’s world-class workforce and business climate, and builds on recent federal and stat...Continue Reading

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