Press Releases

~ Letter to U.S. Dept. of Transportation supports joint application by Virginia and Amtrak for matching federal funds to improve rail service ~                                                                                                      ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement announcing support for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ahead of votes in Senate committees on the deal next week: “Canada and Mexico are two of Virginia’s largest trading partners, and maintaining a strong trade relationship with them is critical for businesses and farmers across the Commonwealth,” said Kaine. “My test for whether I’d support USMCA has alway...Continue Reading

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) joined Senators Jim Risch (R-ID), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Ben Cardin (D-MD), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) in issuing the following joint statement in support of Juan Guaidó’s reelection as President of the Venezuelan National Assembly and as Interim President of Venezuela:   “This week, the international community once again witnessed the criminality of dictator Nicol&aac...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark R. Warner applauded Senate passage of the Virginia Wilderness Additions Act, a bill they introduced to add a total of 5,600 acres to two existing wilderness areas within the George Washington National Forest in Bath County: the Rough Mountain Wilderness area and the Rich Hole Wilderness area. A wilderness designation is the highest level of protection for public land under federal law. These additions ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded $96,425 in federal funding from the Department of Transportation (DOT) to support the loading and unloading of barges and research vessels at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) in Wallops Island. The grant was awarded through the Maritime Administration’s Marine Highway grant program. “We are glad to see these federal dollars go towards helping equip MARS with the resources it needs to con...Continue Reading

Watch the floor speech here.  WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine delivered a floor speech calling for passage of his war powers resolution that would force a debate and vote in Congress to prevent further escalation of hostilities with Iran. In the speech, Kaine outlined a series of activities that have raised the risk of war with Iran and discussed the serious consequences for our nation and the world. “Every member of Congress should...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, introduced a war powers resolution to force a debate and vote in Congress to prevent further escalation of hostilities with Iran. Senator Dick Durbin is an original cosponsor of the legislation. “For years, I’ve been deeply concerned about President Trump stumbling into a war with Iran. We’re now at a boiling point, and Congress must step in before Trump...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, released the following statement after President Trump directed the Pentagon to launch an airstrike that killed Iranian Quds Force commander General Qassim Suleimani:  "As I have warned for years, Trump’s decision to tear up a diplomatic deal that was working and resume escalating aggressions with Iran has brought us to the br...Continue Reading

~ Legislation will make donations to the Virginia Beach Tragedy Fund tax deductible ~ WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement after their legislation to treat Virginia Beach Tragedy Fund donations as tax-deductible contributions was signed into law: “Following the horrific shooting in Virginia Beach, we were heartened to see the community come together to support victims and their families by helping alleviate some o...Continue Reading

~  Bills to avert a government shutdown head to the President’s desk ~ WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) praised Senate passage of two bipartisan, bicameral spending bills to fund federal programs that are critical to Virginia and keep the federal government open through 2020. Following today’s Senate passage, the bills now head to the President’s desk for signature. “Today I voted to avert another painful government shutdo...Continue Reading

Senate approves bipartisan bill introduced by Senators McConnell and Kaine to raise the tobacco purchase age to 21. Utilizing his role as Senate Majority Leader, McConnell successfully secured their provision in the end of the year funding bills. WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Senate approved today the Tobacco-Free Youth Act, introduced by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), to raise the nationwide minimum age to buy all tobacco products, ...Continue Reading

~ Federal funding creates opportunities for innovative environmental solutions at Virginia Tech and Appalachian Sustainable Development ~  WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $1,269,461 in federal funding from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to support innovation in resource conservation and agricultural practices at Virginia Tech and in the Appalachian-Blue Ridge Forests ecoregion of Virginia. “When we...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today following the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision declaring the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate unconstitutional and directing a district court to determine whether the rest of the law can stand without the individual mandate: “The Fifth Circuit ruling is the result of the latest effort by Republicans — in this case Republican State Attorneys General acting in concert with...Continue Reading

~ Responding to concerns raised by Virginia farmers, the Senators suggest tweaks to USDA’s proposal for regulating industrial hemp  ~  WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) wrote to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to encourage the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make changes to its proposed hemp regulations to better help Virginia farmers seeking to grow industrial hemp. Responding to concerns raised by farmers in Virginia, the...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) announced that the Senate unanimously passed their bipartisan legislation to expand access to veteran treatment courts for veterans in need today.  U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tina Smith (D-MN), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) are co-sponsors of the legislation. The Veteran Treatment Court Coordination Act of 2019 establishes a program in coordination with the...Continue Reading

Legislation will now go to the President for signature You can watch video of Kaine talking about the legislation here  WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), released the following statement after Congress passed the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes Kaine’s provisions to improve military housing and many of his other priorities for Virginia, including paid family leave fo...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, released the following statement on the news that his bipartisan legislation with Senate Majority Leader McConnell to raise the tobacco age to 21 will be voted on as part of the appropriations package in the House and Senate this week: “I’m thrilled that our bill to raise the tobacco age from 18 to 21 will get a vote in the ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $883,881 in federal funding from a collaborative program between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The funding will help homeless veterans find affordable and stable housing. “Our nation’s veterans have sacrificed so much in service to our nation, and we owe them our support as they make the transition to civilian life,&r...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, applauded HELP Committee passage of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, which includes key provisions of his legislation to strengthen America’s child welfare system: the Child Welfare Workforce Support Act and the Protecting LGBTQ Youth Act. The Child Welfare Workforce Support Act would address high turnover rates among child w...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) and Armed Services Committee (SASC), applauded SFRC passage of his bipartisan bill to explicitly prohibit any President of the United States from withdrawing from NATO without congressional approval. “Recent actions have raised serious questions among our allies about America’s commitment to NATO. This bill would clarify that no U.S. President can withdraw from NATO without...Continue Reading