Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced legislation to formally designate the Blue Ridge Music Center’s outdoor amphitheater the “Rick Boucher Amphitheater” after former Rep. Rick Boucher. “Congressman Boucher is a pillar of Southwest Virginia,” the Senators said. “We can think of no better way to honor his years of public service than by naming this amphitheater, which celebrates the culture and trad...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $1,000,000 in federal funding for the Appalachian Veterinary Expansion project. The funding will be used to support construction of a new Veterinary Education and Technology (VET) building at Lincoln Memorial University-College of Veterinary Medicine’s (LMU-CVM) DeBusk Veterinary Teaching Center Campus (DVTC) in Ewing. The project will also increase the number of students in the region and attract new sour...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today called on the Biden Administration to improve guidance for those living with post-COVID conditions, also known as long COVID, who apply for disability benefits. Existing Social Security Administration (SSA) guidance requires applicants for disability benefits to provide a positive COVID-19 test or diagnosis with limited exceptions, which many Americans living with long COVID cannot produ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement applauding the Department of Homeland Security announcement that Afghans in the United States would receive Temporary Protected Status (TPS): “This is an important step to help protect Afghans in the U.S., and I’m proud that Virginia has been leading the way to support our Afghan community. I want to thank President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas for taking this step, and I hope to continue working ...Continue Reading

Following Kaine’s urging, legislation also includes updates to modernize our nation’s public health data infrastructure and promote access to medical countermeasures to emerging threats  For Kaine’s remarks on the package after the Committee vote, click here WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, applauded HELP Committee passage of the bipartisan Prepare for and Respond to Exis...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined Sens. Bob Menedez (D-NJ), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) and a bipartisan, bicameral group of colleagues in a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig urging the IRS to provide much needed relief as the agency struggles to address customer service and processing issues. The IRS’s lack of action is causing unnecessary confusion, as the current tax fili...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)—who successfully worked together to pass their legislation to raise the tobacco age from 18 to 21 in 2019—pushed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue the guidance needed to fully implement and enforce that change. “There have already been significant delays in the rulemaking process and limited communication about these delays, resulting in a lack of clarity on ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine issued the following statement to mark the one-year anniversary of President Biden signing the American Rescue Plan (ARP)—COVID-19 relief legislation they helped pass into law: “Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, we’re on our way toward a comeback after COVID-19. Virginians in every community experienced firsthand the benefits of this legislation, from direct payments for families and easier vaccine acc...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine and Congressman Don Beyer released the following statement regarding a Washington Post report that police misconduct has cost taxpayers more than $3 billion since 2010, with more than $1.5 billion of that paid to settle claims against officers who had more than one claim against them. “Police misconduct causes significant harm and puts lives at risk, but settlements for misconduct are often shrouded in secrecy. Law enforcement agencies...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today voted for the passage of the $1.5 trillion government spending bill. This package funds the federal government through Fiscal Year 2022, delivers $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine, provides critical legal and funding authorities to the intelligence community, allows for full implementation of the bipartisan infrastructure law, reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act, and delivers countless wins for families in Virgini...Continue Reading

 Senators Hosted Colombian President Iván Duque in U.S. Capitol This Morning WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chairman of the SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, today issued the following joint statement after President Joe Biden announced his intention to formally designate Colombia as a Major Non-NATO Ally, a major advancement for the U.S.-Colombia alli...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement applauding today’s House passage of the Fiscal Year 2022 spending package, which will fund the federal government, deliver crucial aid to Ukraine, and finally release hundreds of millions of dollars in funding available through the bipartisan infrastructure law: “We are pleased to see the House of Representatives vote to pass a full-year spending package, which w...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chairman of the SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, today unveiled the United States-Colombia Strategic Alliance Act of 2022, a new legislative initiative that lays out a comprehensive agenda for U.S.-Colombia relations focused on expanding engagement on issues of inclusive economic growth, anti-corruption, intern...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine applauded passage of bipartisan legislation he cosponsored to set the United States Postal Service (USPS) on a more sustainable financial footing and promote long-term reliable service across the Commonwealth and country. The bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act strengthens transparency and accountability for USPS performance, eliminates unnecessary financial burdens, and helps ensure USPS can better serve the American people. Having passed th...Continue Reading

Bipartisan resolution condemns series of bomb threats at Norfolk State University, Hampton University, and other Historically Black Colleges and Universities WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine applauded Senate passage of a bipartisan resolution condemning a recent series of bomb threats at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and reaffirming the government’s commitment to combatting violence against students, faculty, and staff. The r...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded $1,530,000 in federal funding awarded to school districts across the Commonwealth. The funds were administered through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of two programs: the 2021 American Rescue Plan Electric School Bus Rebates and the annual 2021 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) School Bus Rebates. The funds will go towards the replacement of old diesel school buses with new e...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tim Kaine cosponsored the bipartisan Ban Russian Energy Imports Act, which was recently introduced by Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). The legislation would prohibit the importation of Russian crude oil, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and coal. Reuters reported that in 2021, the United States imported an average of more than 20.4 million barrels of crude and refined products per month from Russia. That’s about ei...Continue Reading

A Public Option Would Increase Competition in the Marketplace & Drive Down Prices WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee, and U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Michael Bennet (D-CO) sent a letter to President Joe Biden, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Acting Director Shalanda D. Young, urg...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee, announced his co-sponsorship of the bipartisan Helping Emergency Responders Overcome (HERO) Act, which would support the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) data collection efforts on first responder suicides and direct HHS to develop best practices for identifying and treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and combating suicide a...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced the designation of $52,738,308 in federal funding awarded to the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads to make up for lost revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are glad to see these federal dollars go directly to Hampton Roads to invest in the region’s transportation grid,” the Senators said. “As we continue to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is cr...Continue Reading