Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $125,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to update outdated equipment at police and fire departments in Augusta County, Halifax County, and the town of Glade Spring. The funding will help improve emergency response times and public safety in these communities. “The men and women serving our communities need functional, up-to-date equipment that allows them to effectivel...Continue Reading

~ Funding will target housing needs for low- and moderate-income individuals, including homeless Virginians and those living with HIV/AIDS ~  WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today announced $8,288,283 in federal funding to support access to safe and affordable housing in Richmond and Suffolk. This funding, from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was awarded through four grant programs – the Communi...Continue Reading

In letter, 45 Senators urge Department to reconsider proposed rule and extend comment period Senators: “The Department’s proposal is yet one more attempt to undermine the Nation’s registered apprenticeship system, which has existed for 80 years and enjoys broad support from Congress, workers, and industry alike.” WASHINGTON, D.C. – Led by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, 45 Senato...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $3,426,635 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for 21 Virginia health clinics. These grants will expand access to integrated mental health and substance use disorder services as part of an ongoing effort to combat the addiction crisis. “This federal funding will help ensure that these clinics can continue to provide l...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $17,417,978 in federal grant funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for Head Start programs throughout Virginia. “The Head Start program plays an important role in helping schools and organizations across the Commonwealth get the resources they need to support young children,” the Senators said. “We’re excited to announce this funding that promotes early chi...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and 39 colleagues in urging Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin against unilaterally cutting capital gains taxes for the wealthiest Americans by an additional $100 billion over 10 years, an action that would defy longstanding Justice Department policy. The request follows a letter signed by 21 Republican senators urging Secretary Mnuchin to circumvent Congress and index capital gains rates t...Continue Reading

Senators’ Letter Highlights Changes to Tax Form That Could Disrupt Students’ FAFSA Applications WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined Senator Maggie Hassan and 8 of their colleagues on a letter urging the Department of Education and the IRS to ensure changes on tax forms following passage of the Republican tax law do not jeopardize students’ access to financial aid. In an attempt to make good on Congressional Republicans’ political promise that their tax ...Continue Reading

After collapse of three for-profit colleges, Department of Education does little to help affected students   WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine joined Senator Patty Murray and 27 of their colleagues in sending a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos urging the Department of Education to fulfill its duty by providing assistance to the 32,000 students that have been impacted by the recent and sudden closures of three for-profit college chains: Ed...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine are now accepting applications for the position of U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia to succeed U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith, who has announced she will take senior status effective August 1, 2019. An independent panel of lawyers assembled by the Senators will review applications and interview qualified individuals. The Senators will then use those recommendations, as well as input from bar associa...Continue Reading

Bipartisan, bicameral group of 28 lawmakers call for final defense bill to include amendment prohibiting unauthorized and unconstitutional war with Iran WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and U.S. Representatives Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) led a bipartisan, bicameral group of 28 lawmakers in calling on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees to include a bipartisan amendment to prohibit uncon...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine joined Senator Sherrod Brown and 31 of their Democratic colleagues in urging Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie to abandon the Department’s current destructive approach to ongoing negotiations with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).  Despite VA and AFGE’s history of engaging in good-faith negotiations that equally benefit employees, veterans and the Department, the c...Continue Reading

~ New tariffs on Chinese goods would further hurt Virginia's economy ~  WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement after President Trump announced his plan to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods beginning September 1: “We continue to have grave concerns regarding this Administration’s nonexistent trade strategy. Let’s be clear: trade po...Continue Reading

~ Congressional Review Act resolution would prevent the Trump Administration from pushing ‘junk health plans’ to more than 3 million Virginians living with pre-existing conditions ~  WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined the Senate Democratic Caucus, led by Senator Mark R. Warner, in introducing a Congressional Review Act resolution to stop the Trump Administration from pushing “junk plans” that don’t fully protect Americans with p...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined Senators Dick Durbin, Patrick Leahy, and Cory Booker to introduce legislation to immediately ban the use of the death penalty by the federal government. The legislation comes after Attorney General (AG) William Barr’s announcement that federal executions will resume for the first time in more than 16 years. While there have been only three federal executions in the last five decades, AG Barr has ordered the Federal Bure...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D. C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after voting to advance the nomination of General John Hyten to serve as the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. military. The nomination now advances to the full Senate for consideration: “Sexual harassment and assault are pervasive problems in our country and our military, and for far too long they’ve been swept under the rug. The Arm...Continue Reading

~ Funding will address homelessness, support housing for low- and moderate-income Virginians ~   WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today announced $9,771,259 in federal funding to support access to safe and affordable housing in Norfolk, Roanoke City, and Loudoun County. This funding, from the United States Department of Housing (HUD), was awarded through three grant programs – the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, the HOME Investme...Continue Reading

~ Bill now heads to the President’s desk for signature ~  WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) praised Senate passage of U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria’s (VA-02) legislation – supported by the entire Virginia delegation – to rename a Virginia Beach post office after Ryan “Keith” Cox.  On May 31, Mr. Cox, a longtime public utilities employee, sacrificed his own life to save others during the shooting at the Virginia Beach Mun...Continue Reading

Trump Administration Expected to Make a Decision This Week on Whether Conditions Are Met to Extend and Redesignate TPS Protections for Syrians in U.S. If Administration Does Not Extend and Redesignate TPS, Syrians Living in the U.S. Could Face Deportation to War-Torn Syria and Face Life-Threatening Conditions WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today announced they are calling on the Trump Admini...Continue Reading

~ Bill comes ahead of the 400th commemoration of the landing of the first enslaved Africans at Old Point Comfort, where Fort Monroe stands today ~  WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced legislation to add approximately 40 coastal acres of land to Fort Monroe National Monument, a move that would unify the two divided sections of Fort Monroe and achieve an unbroken coastline along the Chesapeake Bay. This legislation comes after the fail...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (MO) and Tim Kaine (VA), along with U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO) and Steve Stivers (OH), introduced the Negro Leagues Baseball Centennial Commemorative Coin Act. The legislation directs the U.S. Treasury to mint a coin to commemorate the Centennial of Negro Leagues Baseball. “From Jackie Robinson to Satchel Paige to Buck O'Neil, several of baseball’s most iconic players began their professional careers in the Ne...Continue Reading