Press Releases
Kaine Statement On FTA Decision To Withhold Transit Funds From Virginia Until Oversight Body Is Established
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) decision to withhold five percent of Fiscal Year 2017 transit formula funds from Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. until a new State Safety Oversight Program (SSOP) is established for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA): "I don't agree with docking transit funds for regions of Virginia far from D.C. with their own transportation needs - including … Continue Reading
February 09, 2017
On Senate Floor, Kaine Reads Stories From Virginians Impacted By The Affordable Care Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, shared more than twenty stories he's received from constituents throughout Virginia asking for him to do everything he can to save the Affordable Care Act (ACA) from repeal. Kaine was speaking in opposition to the nomination of U.S. Representative Tom Price - a proponent of repealing the ACA - to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Over the past month, … Continue Reading
February 08, 2017
Kaine Speaks Against Sessions Nomination On Senate Floor
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine spoke on the Senate floor in opposition to the nomination of U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General. During his remarks, Kaine shared the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple from Virginia who challenged a Virginia law that barred marriages like theirs all the way to the Supreme Court. The Court's decision ultimately invalidated laws banning interracial marriage. "The Loving family wrote to Attorney General … Continue Reading
February 08, 2017
Warner & Kaine Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill To Reform Congressional Budgeting
WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, U.S. Senators Mark. R Warner and Tim Kaine reintroduced bipartisan budget reform legislation that would shake up the way Congress budgets federal tax dollars and allow for greater oversight of government spending. The legislation would convert Congress's annual appropriations process to a two-year budget cycle. The Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act would force Congress to become a better steward of the taxpayers' money by moving the federal government to a … Continue Reading
February 07, 2017
Virginia lawmakers introduce measure to lift restrictions on Rockingham county land
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) released the following statements after introducing legislation today in both the United States House of Representatives and Senate to lift deed use restrictions on property used for the Plains Area Day Care Center in Rockingham County: "By removing overbearing restrictions on the acre of land that the Plains Area Day Care Center is situated on, the center will be able to make much-needed upgrades to help … Continue Reading
February 07, 2017
Kaine Reacts To Betsy DeVos Confirmation Vote On Facebook Live
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine reacted to a Senate vote confirming Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education on Facebook Live today shortly after leaving the Senate floor. Kaine, a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, offered thanks to the tens of thousands of Virginia constituents who called his office, wrote letters and sent emails through his Senate website to express their deep concern about the DeVos nomination over the past few weeks. "I do want … Continue Reading
February 06, 2017
Warner & Kaine Urge President Trump To Expand Broadband Access
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine joined a bipartisan group of 46 Senate colleagues urging President Trump to include broadband in any infrastructure initiative. "A broad agenda to promote broadband access will empower Americans living in every community - from urban city centers to rural towns - with economic opportunities that will jumpstart growth in jobs and wages," the Senators wrote in the letter. "That is why improving broadband access must be a priority in … Continue Reading
February 06, 2017
Kaine To Trump: ACA Repeal Would Hurt Virginia’s Effort To Fight Opioid Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined Senate colleagues in writing to President Donald Trump warning that repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with no replacement would pull the rug out from under local communities working to combat the opioid epidemic and could endanger millions of Americans just as they are getting treatment. A repeal threatens to cut $5.5 billion in federal dollars that each year go toward treating Americans battling opioid addiction through the Medicaid … Continue Reading
February 02, 2017
Kaine To Trump Administration: Fully Enforce Iran Sanctions For Ballistic Missile Test
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined a group of 21 Senate colleagues in a bipartisan letter to President Trump after reports that Iran conducted a ballistic missile test late last week. "Iranian leaders must feel sufficient pressure to cease deeply destabilizing activities, from sponsoring terrorist groups to continued testing of ballistic missiles," the Senators wrote. "Full enforcement of existing sanctions and the imposition of additional sanctions on Iran for its … Continue Reading
February 02, 2017
Kaine To Oppose Scott Pruitt For EPA Administrator
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today on the nomination of Scott Pruitt to be the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): "The EPA needs an Administrator who will follow the best science to keep Americans safe. Scott Pruitt is unwilling to accept the scientific consensus that human-generated CO2 emissions are a significant cause of climate change. This is a fundamental issue for Virginia, a state affected by sea level rise and … Continue Reading
February 01, 2017
Kaine To Oppose Jeff Sessions For Attorney General
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today on the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General: "I was a civil rights lawyer for 17 years and know that one of the most important roles of the Justice Department is to protect civil rights. This calls for an Attorney General whose commitment to marginalized communities is strong in both word and deed. Unfortunately, Senator Sessions has a long, public record that reflects the opposite. He has … Continue Reading
January 31, 2017
Kaine Statement On Nomination Of Judge Neil Gorsuch To Serve On The Supreme Court
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today after President Trump announced his nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court: "The importance of an appointment to the highest court in the land and the duty of upholding and defending our Constitution demand a higher threshold for confirmation than for any other appointee. The actions of the Trump Administration over the past week raise the stakes to an even higher level. In … Continue Reading
January 31, 2017
Kaine Announces Expanded Regions Of Focus On Foreign Relations Committee & Armed Services Subcommittee Assignments
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, announced that he will again serve as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism as well as join the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity. Kaine previously chaired the Middle East Subcommittee from 2013-2015. He will also continue to serve on the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. … Continue Reading
January 31, 2017
Kaine Statement On Vote To Confirm Elaine Chao As Transportation Secretary
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today on his vote to confirm Elaine Chao as Secretary of Transportation: "I voted to confirm Elaine Chao as Secretary of Transportation. She is a mainstream pick with experience in transportation policy. I look forward to working with her to address transportation infrastructure needs in Virginia-particularly those related to the Metro system, Memorial Bridge, traffic congestion, and sea level … Continue Reading
January 31, 2017
Warner & Kaine Introduce Bill To Immediately Rescind President Trump’s Muslim Ban
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have cosponsored a bill to rescind President Trump's discriminatory executive order barring immigrants from Muslim-majority countries and suspending the U.S. refugee program. "The President's actions are misguided and do not reflect American values," said Warner. "It is clear this policy was crafted with no regard to its constitutionality and the negative effects that it would have on law-abiding legal residents and individuals who … Continue Reading
January 30, 2017
Kaine To Oppose Nominations Of Dr. Ben Carson And Congressman Mick Mulvaney
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today on the nominations of Dr. Ben Carson to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Congressman Mick Mulvaney to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): "I will oppose Dr. Ben Carson's nomination. As a former mayor, I know how critical the success of HUD can be for our work to reduce the impact of urban poverty in Richmond and other cities. Putting someone in charge with zero … Continue Reading
January 30, 2017
Kaine Introduces Resolution To Honor Civil Rights Hero Fred Korematsu
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine introduced a resolution honoring Fred Korematsu and recognizing January 30, 2017 as "Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution" for his work and advocacy of the civil rights and liberties of all people, and denouncing President Donald Trump's executive order establishing a Muslim ban. "Fred Korematsu is a role model for all people of the United States who love the United States and the promises contained in the Constitution of the … Continue Reading
January 29, 2017
In Letter to DHS Secretary Kelly, Warner & Kaine Demand Answers About Status of Detained Travelers at Dulles and Across the Country
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a letter sent to Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine demanded answers about the status of travelers being detained at Dulles International and other airports across the country as a result of President Trump's executive order. "In the two days since the issuance of the executive order, there has been widespread confusion and distress, as well as the reported detention of legal permanent residents at many … Continue Reading
January 28, 2017
Kaine Statement On President Trump's Executive Order On Refugee Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, released the following statement on President Trump's executive order on refugee programs: "I am appalled by the cruelty the Trump Administration has demonstrated over the past 24 hours. By indefinitely suspending the Syrian refugee program and imposing a religious test at our borders, he has defied everything our nation stands for. He's also weakened our national security … Continue Reading
January 26, 2017
Warner & Kaine Urge Trump To Exempt Entire VA From Hiring Freeze
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a letter to President Trump citing the devastating impact his federal hiring freeze will have on veterans and their families, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine urged the President to exempt the entire VA and all veterans seeking federal jobs from his executive order. Warner and Kaine emphasized that the hiring freeze will add to the chronic workforce shortages that are plaguing the VA, and that more administrative and medical support staff are needed at VA … Continue Reading
