Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a bill authorizing the formal designation of an African Diaspora Heritage Month, traditionally celebrated by the diaspora community in September, recognizing and reaffirming the significant contributions of the African diaspora to the growth and prosperity of the United States. “The African diaspora makes our Commonwealth and country stronger,” said Kaine. “I’m proud to introduce this...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine announced his cosponsorship of the bipartisan Federal Prison Oversight Act, legislation to establish new, independent oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), including the BOP facilities in Pennington Gap and Hopewell, Virginia. Kaine’s cosponsorship of the legislation follows a number of concerning reports regarding Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Petersburg in Hopewell. In June, two FCI Petersburg employees were indicted for wil...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committees, joined Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) in cosponsoring the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act. The legislation would expand access to home and community-based services (HCBS), including long term services and supports (LTSS), for aging veterans and improve the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)’s support for veterans and careg...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $17,259,239 in federal funding to improve infrastructure at airports across Virginia. The funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s 2023 Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Grant Program, which funds airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, airport signage, airport lighting, and airport markings. In 2023, Virginia’s regional airports have alr...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine applauded $939,669 in federal funding to help people in recovery from substance use disorder rejoin the workforce in Southwest Virginia. The funding was awarded by the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Investments Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Initiative, which provides funding across Appalachia to address the substance use disorder crisis. “In addition to expanding access to substance use treatment p...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) praised an announcement by United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai that the Republic of India will reduce prohibitively high tariffs on U.S. turkey products – an important Virginia commodity. “For months we’ve urged the U.S. Trade Representative to work to reduce the tariffs that make it difficult for Virginia’s producers to export poultry products to India. Today, we’re proud to report that ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, during National Recovery Month, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mike Braun (R-IN), members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced the Providing Empathetic and Effective Recovery (PEER) Support Act, legislation to help peer support specialists serving individuals recovering from a mental health condition or substance use disorder. Specifically, the bill would elevate the role of ‘peer support specialists,’ individuals who have...Continue Reading

Video of Senator Kaine’s remarks is available here. WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) hearing, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of SFRC and Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, highlighted the importance of the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) partnership and his work to make sure the AUKUS agreement—in which Australia will purchase Virginia-class submarines—is implemented effectively. The AUKUS partnership is critical to strengthenin...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine sent a letter to the National Park Service urging them to designate the Town of Bedford as an American World War II Heritage City. The American World War II Heritage City Program was created in 2019 and allows one designation per U.S. state or territory. Receiving this designation would acknowledge the Town of Bedford’s critical role during World War II and help ensure the town’s contributions are recognized for generations to come. “The Town of Bedford ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine and U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-VA-08) introduced the End Shutdowns Act, legislation to prevent government shutdowns and the senseless pain they inflict on federal employees, government contractors, and millions of Americans who rely on government services. Kaine has been outspoken against the use of government shutdowns as a negotiating tactic. In an effort to take that option away, this bill would initiate an automatic continuing resolution...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $16,395,565.20 in federal funding, courtesy of the Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program, awarded to the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation (MBC) to deploy broadband and expand access to high-speed internet throughout Virginia. The funding will be used to construct approximately 130 miles of new fiber to build eight open-access middle mile fiber segments, the physical high-capacity fiber optic...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) today led a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing concerns about ongoing efforts to undermine the pre-electoral and primary processes leading up to critical presidential elections scheduled in Venezuela in 2024.  “The Venezuelan people cannot afford to see another fraudulent election, which will only bring further s...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine applauded Press Glass Inc.’s decision to expand their operations at the Commonwealth Crossing Industrial Park in Henry County. Press Glass Inc. will invest $155.2 million and construct a 360,000-square-foot addition to its facility, and this will create 355 new jobs. “We’re thrilled that Press Glass Inc. is expanding their operations at Commonwealth Crossing—a site we’ve been proud to support during our time in the Senate,” sai...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine applauded the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) announcement of the first ten drugs covered under Medicare Part D that will be eligible for the drug price negotiation program. The Inflation Reduction Act, which the senators helped pass last year, allows CMS to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for the first time in history. Private insurers regularly negotiate with drug companies for the cost of prescript...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine applauded $3,586,000 in federal funding for the Wise County Public Service Authority to improve the county’s water system. Currently, Wise County’s water system is unable to provide the minimum working water pressure of 20 PSI under Virginia state code. Wise County has a serious need for upgrades to its water system, and this funding will help upgrade the county’s water infrastructure to ensure the system is up to code. The fun...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $1,398,428 in federal funding for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to expand access to mental health care in Virginia. The funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Community Mental Health Services Block Grant program. This program allocates funding to states to provide comprehensi...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $1,000,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Program (MEP), also known as GENEDGE Alliance, in Martinsville. This funding will help GENEDGE support small and medium-sized medical device manufacturers across Virginia in their efforts to strengthen medical supply chain resiliency and improve produc...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, released the following statement after the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) approved a proposal to expel Taiwan’s parliament and admit China’s rubber-stamp parliament as a permanent observer of the organization. PARLACEN has six member countries (Guatemala, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Nicaragua)...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $25,000,000 in federal funding from the Department of Agriculture awarded to Scott County Telephone Cooperative to deploy broadband and expand access to high-speed internet in Southwest Virginia. Tomorrow, Sen. Warner will join Rural Utility Services Administrator Andrew Berke, members of the LENOWISCO Planning District Commission, and community leaders in Big Stone Gap, VA to celebrate this funding and to...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA-08) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) designated the death of D.C. police officer and Northern Virginia resident Jeffrey Smith as a line of duty death. Officer Smith died by suicide after defending the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The lawmakers have been pushing for this designation and helped pass bipartisan legislation to honor the public service of police offi...Continue Reading