Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mike Lee (R-UT) in introducing the Smarter Sentencing Act, bipartisan legislation to modernize federal drug sentencing policies by lowering mandatory minimum sentences for certain nonviolent drug offenses. The bill would provide federal judges with more flexibility to determine penalties for nonviolent offenses, allowing judges flexibility to apply the harshest penalties where circumstances warrant or to moder...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine are encouraging Virginia school districts, local governments, non-profits, and other eligible entities to apply for federal funding to help address school safety and reduce community violence. The funding was made possible by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), legislation the senators voted to pass last year to curb gun violence following mass shootings in Uvalde, Buffalo, and communities across the country. ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and his colleagues in introducing the Background Check Completion Act, legislation to close a current loophole—known as the “Charleston loophole”—that allows gun sales to proceed if a background check is not completed within a certain time period, even if the gun buyer is not legally allowed to purchase a gun. This gap in existing law has allowed thousands of guns to be sold to prohib...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-IN), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), applauded Senate passage of their bipartisan legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) and formally end the Gulf and Iraq wars. Today’s vote to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs comes after the 20th anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom and marks the first time in over five decades that the Senate has vo...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statement ahead of the U.S. Senate’s first procedural vote on the Fire Grants and Safety Act, legislation to reauthorize grant programs for fire departments and firefighters, which is expected later today: “Virginia’s fire departments play an essential role in supporting our communities and saving lives. We have a responsibility to make sure they have the resources they need to pro...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statement regarding the release of a Joint Economic Committee Democratic staff report outlining the devastating cost for Virginia of a potential debt default: “No one wins when lawmakers play political games with a debt default. Every day that we don’t raise the debt ceiling inches us closer to catastrophic economic impacts that would be felt in every community in Virginia, including thr...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine teamed up with U.S. Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Chris Coons (D-DE) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to introduce the bipartisan Student Loan Tax Elimination Act, legislation to remove an antiquated tax that adds debt to student loan borrowers. “Everyone loses when Virginia students are confronted with massive amounts of debt,” said Kaine. “It’s critica...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, reintroduced the Mothers and Newborns Success Act, bipartisan legislation to promote maternal health and reduce racial inequities in maternal and infant mortality by strengthening support for women during and after pregnancy, expanding maternal health research and data collection, and ensuring women are better matched w...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee focused on human rights, sent a letter urging the Biden Administration to take action to stop the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) repression of Uyghur family members of their constituents, including the family members of Mr. Nury Turkel of Alexandria, Ms. Rushan Abbas of Falls Church, Mr. Mamatjan Juma of Woodbridge, Mr. Bahram Sintash of Chantilly, Ms. Adalet Sabi...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) and Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acting Administrator Billy Nolen expressing their concern over the FAA's decision to end air traffic control services at Leesburg Executive Airport’s (JYO) remote tower and urging the FAA to extend services while a long-term solution is worked out. “As long-time support...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-IN), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), released the following statement ahead of the 20th anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom: “Twenty years ago, the United States invaded Iraq. Following great heroism by American troops, that mission is now over. The government of Iraq is now a strategic partner. Yet, the Authorization for Use of Military Force remains on the books because Congress ha...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Caribbean Basin Security Authorization Act, legislation reaffirming support for the Caribbean region by improving security cooperation, combating drug trafficking, strengthening the rule of law, ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), John Boozman (R-AR), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in reintroducing the Save Rural Hospitals Act - legislation to help curb the trend of hospital closures in rural communities by making sure hospitals are fairly reimbursed for their services by the federal government. First introduced in 2020 as a response to th...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine announced that he will cosponsor the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act, legislation that would empower the Department of Commerce to review, prevent, and mitigate information communications and technology transactions that pose undue risk to America’s national security. The legislation was introduced last week by U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and John Thune (...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Long COVID Awareness Day, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine—a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee—alongside U.S. Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) reintroduced the Comprehensive Access to Resources and Education (CARE) For Long COVID Act, legislation to help people living with long-term COVID-19 symptoms by improving research and providing resources for people with Long COVID. U.S. Representat...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and SFRC Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ) were joined by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Peter Welch (D-VT), in urging the State Department to hold Guatemalan officials accountable for corruption and encouraging the Department of State to review and update its approach in Guatemala to better align ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded $11,740,000 in federal funding to reclaim abandoned mine lands (AML) in Virginia – an effort that will strengthen coal communities by promoting economic opportunity and address hazards that threaten the long-term health and wellbeing of Virginians and their communities. “This significant investment will support Virginia’s mining communities by creating good-paying jobs through ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine reintroduced the Virginia Wilderness Additions Act, legislation that would add a total of 5,600 acres to the existing Rough Mountain and Rich Hole wilderness areas within the George Washington National Forest in Bath County, Virginia. “It’s crucial that we preserve Virginia’s natural treasures, which are essential to the economy and way of life in communities across the Commonwealth,” the sena...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Virginia’s Governor Glenn Youngkin, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, and U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott, Rob Wittman, Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer, Abigail Spanberger, Jennifer Wexton, Jen Kiggans, and Jennifer McClellan issued the following statement after Virginia leaders presented to the General Services Administration (GSA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) the clear case for Springfield to host the FBI’s new headquarters: "The se...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statement ahead of the Senate vote on a resolution of disapproval regarding changes to DC’s criminal code: “Both the city council chairman­—who has withdrawn the legislation—and the mayor have suggested that these changes to the DC criminal code are not ready for prime time. We will vote for the resolution of disapproval and urge the mayor and council to work together to...Continue Reading