Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Congressional representatives from Virginia and the District of Columbia today announced that the National Park Service (NPS), jointly with the District Department of Transportation, has been awarded a $90 million FASTLANE Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for repairs to Arlington Memorial Bridge, which carries 68,000 vehicles daily. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Reps. Don Beyer, Gerry Connolly and Barbara Comstock jointly i...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today on the passing of Abner Mikva: "I was truly sorry to hear the news about Abner Mikva's death. I came to know him nearly 30 years ago when a close college friend, Jim Pfander, married his daughter Laurie.    And over the years, Ab, Zoe and the entire Mikva family have treated me like one of the family when I've visited Chicago. What an amazing public servant, veteran, Congressman, philanthropist,...Continue Reading

RICHMOND, VA – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine hosted a roundtable discussion in Richmond with Virginia public health officials and health advocacy organizations to learn more about the Commonwealth’s Zika virus preparedness efforts, including community outreach and prevention efforts. Kaine discussed how the federal government can work in tandem with local and state officials to effectively fight the spread of Zika as mosquito season gets underway. “State and local health offici...Continue Reading

Washington – U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) are pushing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (V-A) for an update on a local pilot program designed to improve the quality and accessibility of health care for our nation’s veterans. In a letter to V-A Secretary Robert A. McDonald, the Senators expressed continued concern about long wait times for veterans seeking health care, and pressed the Secretary for an update on the implementation of the National Capital Regio...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – As we head into Independence Day weekend, Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced today that the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (V-A) will award $166,336 to the Hampton Redevelopment and Housing Authority (HRHA) to help homeless veterans find affordable and stable housing. “The brave men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform deserve to know that their country will take care of them when they...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine and 129 Members of Congress have filed an amicus brief in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Christiansen v. Omnicom Group, Inc., arguing that workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is already prohibited under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 since these types of discrimination are inherently linked to sex discrimination. Discrimination on the basis of sex is banned under Title VII of the Civil R...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced that Virginia will receive federal preparedness grants totaling more than $18 million from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to help combat terrorism and respond to other disasters and emergencies. The funding was made available through grant programs run by DHS’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA also allocated over $53 million to the National Capital Region, which includes Northe...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement after the Senate passed legislation addressing the Puerto Rican debt crisis:  “The 3.5 million people who call Puerto Rico home are American citizens, and they deserve better,” Kaine said. “For years, Puerto Ricans have faced uncertainty about their jobs and livelihoods due to an unsustainable debt situation. This bill is far from perfect, but it is necessary. On Friday Puerto Rico would have ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON— As the Senate considers Fiscal Year 2017 appropriations legislation, Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined 21 Democratic colleagues in a letter urging Senate leadership to remove from the funding bills any measures that undermine gun safety research, including one known as the “Dickey amendment.” A 1996 Republican appropriations rider authored by former Congressman Jay Dickey (R-AR) prohibits federal funds from being used to “advocate or promot...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R.  Warner (D-VA), Dean Heller (R-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced bipartisan legislation to help students make smart decisions in the financing of their higher education. The Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act would promote financial literacy by providing students who are recipients of federal financial aid with comprehensive counseling services. Nationwide, Americans owe more than $1.3 trillion in...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced today that the City of Lynchburg will receive $597,250 from the U.S. Department of Transportation to fund construction of a new air traffic control tower at the Lynchburg Regional Airport/Preston Glenn Field. “The existing air traffic control tower at Lynchburg Regional Airport is more than 50 years old and has been slated to be replaced for many years,” said the Senators. “We are pleased that the City ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, along with Representative Bobby Scott, announced that the City of Newport News will receive $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant program. The funding supports revitalization efforts in local communities. “We are pleased that the Department of Housing and Urban Development has chosen the City of Newport News for this competitive grant award...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today after voting against a partisan Republican funding measure that would insufficiently address the spread of the Zika virus:  “We don’t have any time to waste in addressing the spread of the Zika virus, but that’s exactly what Republicans in the House and Senate have chosen to do with this appropriations package. Rather than focusing on the serious threat Zika poses to families across our ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt:  “I applaud the Supreme Court for seeing the Texas law for what it is – an attempt to effectively ban abortion and undermine a woman’s right to make her own health care choices. This ruling is a major win for women and families across the country, as well as the fight to expand reproductive freedom for all. ...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 regarding today’s announcement that the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have reached a bilateral ceasefire deal, the last major step toward ending a war that has lasted 52 years: “After four years of talks, I welcome today’s announcement that the Colombian government and FARC signed a...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling in United States. v. Texas:  “The Supreme Court’s split decision on DAPA and DACA is a setback, but the fight to bring millions of families in Virginia and across the country out of the shadows is far from over. President Obama made a lawful and moral decision to ensure law abiding families will not be torn apart because of Congress’ refusal to address...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a press conference today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, joined a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce a compromise proposal to help keep guns from terrorists and make America safer. The measure would prohibit those on the No Fly List or the Selectee List from purchasing a firearm. A summary of the legislation can be found HERE.   “This body has been impotent, weak, silent and a bystander...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced today that Catholic Charities USA, headquartered in Alexandria, will receive $951,150 in federal funding, and the Virginia Housing Development Authority, located in Richmond, will receive $1,040,918. This nearly $2 million grant by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is intended to provide families and individuals in Virginia with counseling services to improve their housing conditions and help them mee...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement after measures to reduce gun violence failed in the Senate today:  “Today my colleagues and I were given the opportunity to cease being bystanders and finally start taking action on the issue of gun violence. The proposed measures—to prevent known or suspected terrorists from purchasing guns and to subject all private gun sales to background checks—are both commonsense and popular, and i...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine addressed the first class of 20 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Presidential Scholars, who were recognized for their outstanding scholarship and accomplishment in CTE fields. In 2014, Kaine, founding co-chair of the Senate CTE Caucus, led a successful bipartisan effort to expand the Presidential Scholars program to include fields in CTE. “For too long, CTE has been stigmatized as a second-class educational field, but today’s...Continue Reading