Press Releases

~ Local legislators asked Virginia’s congressional delegation to oppose Trump Administration family separation policy  ~  WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today responded to a letter from members of the House of Delegates that asked Virginia’s congressional delegation to oppose the Trump Administration’s policy of separating immigrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border. On June 20, 47 members of the Virginia House of Delegates wro...Continue Reading

~ Package includes measures to help improve veteran care, build regional infrastructure projects, and fund Appalachian Regional Commission ~ WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded Senate passage of bipartisan legislation to fund federal programs and build new military construction and facilities under the Department of Veteran Affairs (V-A), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department of Defense (DoD). On a bipartisan 86-5 vote, the S...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) to introduce a bill to improve access to mental health services for students at college campuses across America. The Higher Education Mental Health Commission Act would establish a national commission to study the mental health conditions facing students at colleges and universities across the country. “We need to do mo...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine wrote to the Trump Administration demanding more information after an Associated Press report indicated widespread physical and psychological abuse of immigrant children at the Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center (SVJC) near Staunton, Virginia. In a letter to Acting Assistant Secretary Steven Wagner for the Administration for Children and Families under the Department of Health and Human Services, Warner and Kaine outline the ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) wrote to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos about the Trump Administration’s failure to provide public servants with the student loan debt relief they have earned. Kaine and Whitehouse successfully secured funding in March to fix a glitch that had left many teachers, military personnel, social workers, and other public servants with student lo...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today: “Yesterday, President Trump signed his Executive Order and said ‘we do want to keep families together,’ but it’s becoming clear he wasn’t talking about the 2,300 children who have already been taken away from their parents by his cruel policy. We're left with more questions than answers: What is the fate of the 2,300 children already separated from their families? How will the Adm...Continue Reading

~ In a new letter to DHS Secretary Nielsen and HHS Secretary Azar, Virginia Senators ask whether any Virginia facilities are being used to house children separated from their families ~ WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today wrote to Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Alex Azar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to press for more information about the Administration’s pol...Continue Reading

~ Trump Administration today released a rule to undermine protections for those with preexisting conditions ~  WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement after the Trump Administration released a rule to undermine protections for people with preexisting conditions by expanding health care plans that do not have many vital consumer protections: “This rule change is just the latest attempt by the Trump Administration to sabota...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes numerous provisions he championed to benefit Virginia’s shipbuilding industry, defense community, servicemembers, military spouses, and their families: “Each year, I work across the aisle to make sure that the annual defense bill bolsters our national ...Continue Reading

Creates a $5,000 tax credit for companies that initiate apprenticeship programs, supports Veteran employment  WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine co-sponsored legislation to increase the number of workers trained through registered apprenticeships and the competitiveness of our workers and businesses in the global marketplace. The Apprenticeship and Jobs Training Act of 2017 creates incentives for businesses and workers to embrace apprenticeship programs by accelerating the adoption of the...Continue Reading

~ Bipartisan legislation adds measures to increase Chesapeake Bay funding, legalize hemp, and protect public lands ~ WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced bipartisan legislation that includes Virginia priorities championed by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA). The 2018 Senate Farm Bill includes Warner-Kaine sponsored bills to increase Chesapeake Bay funding, legalize industrial hemp production, and protect Virginia public lands. As P...Continue Reading

Includes projects in Hampton Roads, Richmond, and on the Eastern Shore WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $55.985 million in new federal funding for communities in Hampton Roads, Richmond, and on the Eastern Shore for water infrastructure improvements. The funding is awarded through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ “Work Plan,” a source of funds provided by Congress for the Corps to allocate to ong...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced $2,703,156 in federal funding to support nursing education at James Madison University over the next four years. The funding will be used to recruit, admit, and retain students interested in pursuing nursing and working in underserved primary care environments in Page County. “At a time when Virginia faces a shortage in nurses, this grant will play an important role in supporting students interested in nursing and ...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 on President Trump’s meeting with Kim Jong Un of North Korea: “I’m glad that they’re talking, but I’m concerned President Trump gave up too much without getting any specific concessions in return. President Trump’s quick willingness to cancel joint military exercises with our allies shows that he doesn’...Continue Reading

Resolution Cosponsored by Members of the Maryland and Virginia Delegations WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) join Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to introdce a congressional resolution congratulating the Washington Capitals for winning the 2018 Stanley Cup, the first championship in team history.  The House cosponsors are Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Anthony Brown (D-MD), Barbara Comstock (R-VA), G...Continue Reading

*View photos of the event HERE*  WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined local workforce and economic development leaders to host a summit on how Hampton Roads can prepare to fill the Navy’s needs as it pursues, with additional funding, a 355-ship fleet within the next 20 years. Kaine gathered groups from across the region to discuss the needs and opportunities for the local workforce as the navy pursues a 355...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Susan M. Collins (R-ME), and Richard Durbin (D-IL) to urge Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to publicly release the complete State Department report containing findings that document atrocities committed by Burmese security forces against Rohingyas and to take appropriate actions against individuals or entities involved in the violent campaign.      The full text of the le...Continue Reading

~ Also send letter to Administration stressing the short- and long-term damage of Trump’s policy of traumatizing children seeking asylum ~ WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced legislation that promotes family unity by prohibiting U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials from separating children from their parents, except in extraordinary circumstances. Sens. Warner and Kaine also joined 38 of their Senate colleagues in a letter urgin...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement after Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed into law the state budget that expands Medicaid: “After years of working on this issue that affects families across the Commonwealth, we are thrilled that hundreds of thousands of Virginians who currently lack basic health care coverage will finally have some peace of mind. Today’s historic signing shows a good faith effort by legislator...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) have introduced The Correctly Recognizing Educational Achievements to Empower (CREATE) Graduates Act. This bill will help students receive the degrees that they have already earned by creating incentives for institutions of higher education to establish “reverse transfer” programs, or initiatives to transfer back credits from a four-year institution to the community college where they we...Continue Reading