In The News

U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) have announced $540,000 in federal funding for Floyd County to expand high-speed broadband in the region. The funding was awarded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments that innovates and invests to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in 423 counties across the Appalachian region. “This project perfectly highlights the good that federal ...Continue Reading

In a move to prevent what they call an unnecessary and damaging trade war, U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner of Virginia on Wednesday introduced legislation to roll back President Donald Trump’s controversial tariffs on Canadian imports.  The tariffs, which impose a 25% tax on goods from one of the United States’ closest allies and largest trading partners, have already sparked economic retaliation from Canada and drawn backlash from lawmakers, business leaders and consumers. “Americans want ...Continue Reading

A defiant President Trump defended imposing new tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico – three of the United States' largest and most crucial trading partners – at a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. Economists have repeatedly said that the 25% tariffs that went into effect this week on the three countries will raise prices on businesses and U.S. consumers. The tariffs are likely to affect car prices, groceries and other goods. But Trump said during his record-length address the tariffs were...Continue Reading

What’s going on with Donald Trump and the extended delay on the requested disaster declaration for Southwest Virginia? Trump took what his PR flunkies called “decisive action” on Feb. 25 to approve a disaster declaration for neighboring Kentucky, in the face of widespread flooding that affected the Kentucky-Southwest Virginia-West Virginia region. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and Ninth District Congressman Morgan Griffith have been leading a bipartisan push to get the Trump folks moving on th...Continue Reading

Just hours before President Trump’s joint address, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) discussed the president’s mass government layoffs. Accompanied by Jason King, a disabled veteran who was laid off from the Federal Aviation Administration, Kaine called Trump’s actions unconstitutional. ”People have served their country and gained special skills in serving their country that can benefit the country for decades,” Kaine said. “To wage a war on them and set a record in six weeks as the president who’s fired t...Continue Reading

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) called President Donald Trump’s national energy emergency a “sham” Wednesday in floor debate on Senate Joint Resolution 10, a measure that would terminate Trump’s emergency declaration, which the president made via executive order on his first day in office. “America is producing more energy today than at any point in the history of this nation,” Kaine said. “America is the leader in the world in energy, and for the last few years, we’ve been an energy surplus nation,...Continue Reading

First came the so-called "Friday Night Massacre" — the abrupt firing of top brass at the Pentagon — followed by the removal of the top lawyers for the military services.  And now, the firing of 5,400 Department of Defense (DOD) civilian employees. President Trump's nominee to be the next deputy defense secretary — Stephen Feinberg — faced scrutiny on Tuesday over the cuts during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. He said, going forward, workforce reductions will...Continue Reading

Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined their colleagues in sending a letter to the Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy. The letter raises concerns about the various aviation incidents over the past month, highlighting the importance of trained, impartial professionals in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “We need experienced, qualified, and impartial professionals to investigate these unfortunate incidents, develop plans to prevent these types of accidents from occurring in the f...Continue Reading

Representatives in Virginia are asking the Trump administration to reverse cuts to the state’s National Parks Service. U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have joined six state representatives to ask the administration to roll back the cuts saying the roles being eliminated are critical to protecting the state’s natural assets and maintaining public safety. They add that seasonal hiring has been impacted which will influence the start of the peak visitation season of the summer. All of Virgi...Continue Reading

A new bipartisan bill introduced in Congress this week seeks to ensure safe drinking water for Chincoteague residents by addressing long-standing PFAS contamination issues. The Contaminated Wells Relocation Act, introduced by Representatives Jen Kiggans (VA-02) and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), along with Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, would authorize NASA to reimburse the town for relocating contaminated wells to a safe location. The contamination stems from firefighting foam used on Wallops ...Continue Reading

U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Reps. Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02) and Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to authorize NASA to negotiate an agreement with the Town of Chincoteague to address costs associated with relocating the contaminated water wells, reimburse for those identified costs, and provide more local control of the water supply to the Town of Chincoteague. Several of the Town’s wells are located on NASA property and have be...Continue Reading

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and 18 Senate colleagues have introduced the Age 21 Act, legislation that would raise the minimum age to buy assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from 18 to 21. That's the same age requirement that already applies to buying handguns from federally licensed dealers. “Everyone in America should be able to live free from the fear of injury or death caused by a firearm,” said Kaine. “One of many commonsense steps we can take to reduce that risk is limi...Continue Reading

Members of Loudoun’s agricultural community today shared their concerns with Sen. Tim Kaine about the challenges they face amid the chaotic transformation underway within the federal government during the first weeks of the second Trump administration. During the roundtable meeting at Hillsboro’s Old Stone School, the panel said spending freezes have impacted grant funding for important projects, tariffs threaten to drive up costs and reduce their markets, and immigration policies limit access t...Continue Reading

U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and John Cornyn (R-TX), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently introduced a bipartisan bill for the formal designation of an African Diaspora Heritage Month. The month, according to a release, will help to recognize the contributions made of the African diaspora, or the dispersion of people from their homeland, to the overall growth and prosperity of the United States. Currently, the month is celebrated by the diaspora community during Sep...Continue Reading

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) released a statement in reference to President Donald Trump wanting to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. “President Trump lives in a fantasy if he thinks closing the Department of Education is a good idea,” said Kaine. “Americans know that the key to achieving the American dream begins with a good education. The Education Department provides critical support for K-12 schools, administers aid to students pursuing higher education and job training programs,...Continue Reading

Virginia’s U.S. Senator Tim Kaine made an extended visit to the Higher Horizons youth development program in the Bailey’s Crossroads section of Greater Falls Church Friday morning, and found a staff expressing deep concerns about the impact that the Trump administration is having on their ability to tend to the needs of the nation’s youngest and most vulnerable populations. Kaine, who stressed in comments to the News-Press during the visit that he and his congressional colleagues are likewise co...Continue Reading

In the wake of the fatal Washington, D.C., collision between a U.S. Army helicopter and an airplane, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, along with other Democratic lawmakers from Maryland and Virginia, want assurance that leaders at the Federal Aviation Administration will notify Congress if billionaire Elon Musk directs the agency to take any steps that could impact aviation safety. In a letter sent Monday to Chris Rocheleau, acting administrator of the FAA, the lawmakers point to Musk’s Feb...Continue Reading

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) has introduced legislation, known as the JOBS Act, that would allow students who qualify for Pell Grants to use the federal money toward vocational school. The “Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Supporting Students Act” (JOBS) is sponsored has bipartisan support and would provide students access to education they previously would not have had access to before. Currently, Pell Grants offered by the government are only applicable for students attending two-year and four-year co...Continue Reading

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., met with community leaders Monday morning at Health Brigade, formerly Fan Free Clinic, for a roundtable discussion on their concerns about President Donald Trump’s controversial executive orders. Local leaders, including Mayor Danny Avula, Health Brigade Executive Director Karen Legato and nonprofit organization executives supporting underserved communities, shared their concerns. They discussed the potential closure of the Medicaid portal, the negative impact on homeless ...Continue Reading

President Donald Trump has called for an energy emergency and said that the United States is far too “inadequate” to meet the nation’s needs, blaming policies of the previous administration that he said drove the emergency to happen. However, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said he believes Trump is doing everything he can to attack renewable energy projects by pausing the expenditure of funds available, and he said the U.S. is already doing a good job with energy production. ”The U.S. is producing more ...Continue Reading