Press Releases

WASHINGTON. D.C. – Today, Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Representative Susie Lee (NV-03), along with Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), introduced legislation to invest in and support direct care workers. The Direct Creation, Advancement, and Retention of Employment (CARE) Opportunity Act (H.R. 4397) invests in training and employment advancement opportunities for America’s direct care workers.   According t...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine are reopening applications for the position of U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Virginia to succeed U.S. District Judge Glen E. Conrad, who assumed senior status in December 2017. An independent panel of lawyers assembled by the Senators will review applications and interview qualified individuals. The Senators will then use those recommendations as they consider potential nominees to recommend to President Trump. Th...Continue Reading

Watch here: https://timkaine.box.com/s/k44lwb2vqe6v3u8i8wsqou28eh4fr012  WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today in an interview with Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, condemned the Trump Administration for belligerent rhetoric that risks leading the United States towards an unnecessary war with Iran to protect Saudi Arabian oil. In the interview, Kaine said if the President were to take unauthorized military act...Continue Reading

The Prevent Evictions Act is Supported by Matthew Desmond, Author of Pulitzer Prize Winning Book Evicted WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) today introduced legislation with Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to address the eviction crisis. The Prevent Evictions Act – which is backed by Matthew Desmond, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning book Evicted – would support cost-effective solutions to keep families in their homes, including through landlord-...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today applauded $284,142 in federal funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to boost innovation and skills training in the Town of Pulaski, and to provide direct technical assistance for initiatives that help develop local economies and infrastructures in Virginia’s 25 Appalachian counties and eight Appalachian cities.  “As our economy continues to evolve, we need to make su...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $4,259,670.65 in federal funding for fire safety across Virginia. The funding will be awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) programs. “We’re pleased to announce funding to help fire departments across Virginia improve operations and safety as well as hire, recruit, and ret...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), along with Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Doug Jones (D-AL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Bob Casey (D-PA) wrote to House and Senate leadership advocating for the inclusion of a permanent fix for miners’ health care and pensions in the short-term spending package that is currently being negotiated to keep the government open after September 30th, 2019. “In July, we were alarmed to learn that 1,200 retired coal...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following their recent visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mazie K. Hirono sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan to express concerns over the cruel treatment of migrant families, the continued practice of separating children from their caregivers, and the dangers of sexual violence and murder faced by migrants subject to the Trump Administration’s Remain in Mexico policy. In the letter, the Se...Continue Reading

Watch the floor speech here.  WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine delivered a floor speech honoring the victims of gun violence tragedies, including in Virginia Beach and at Virginia Tech, and calling on Majority Leader McConnell to let the Senate vote on gun violence prevention measures, including universal background checks and high-capacity magazine limits. On the Senate floor, Kaine shared the story of Liviu Libre...Continue Reading

~ Designation will direct additional federal resources to Warren County to help combat opioid epidemic ~ WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released a statement today following a decision by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to include Warren County in the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program: “Despite increased public awareness about the dangers of opioids, this epidemic continues to devastate families all acr...Continue Reading

~ Federal dollars will help the Chickahominy Indian Tribe develop a tribal land environmental program ~ WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today announced $110,000 in federal funding from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that will help the Chickahominy Indian Tribe build environmental capacity. “Last year, we fought for the federal government to finally recognize the Chickahominy tribe, allowing it to compete for educational progra...Continue Reading

Watch the full floor speech here.  WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine delivered a floor speech condemning the Trump Administration for taking $3.6 billion away from military construction projects, including $77,120,000 from projects in Virginia, to build portions of the border wall that the President promised Mexico would pay for. In his speech, Kaine highlighted examples of defunded projects across the country that will lose funding and called on Senate Republicans...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on the GAO report concluding that ninety-nine percent of loan-forgiveness requests under the new Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF) program were rejected during the program’s first year, from May 2018 to May 2019: “We created a fix to this program and provided the Trump Administration wi...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $1,455,722.85 in federal funding for the Lexington, Manassas, Bristol, and Portsmouth Fire Departments. The funding will be awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. “It’s crucial for firefighters to have the tools necessary to best serve their communities,” the Senators said. “We’re pleased to announce this fundin...Continue Reading

Trump plan takes $77,120,000 away from military construction projects in Virginia  WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine condemned the Trump Administration’s plans to build portions of President Trump’s border wall by diverting $3.6 billion in military construction funds, including by taking funding from four projects in Virginia: “The decision by the President to divert funding meant to support U.S. national security interests so that ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine sent a letter pressing Acting DHS Secretary McAleenan on reports that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) sent letters to immigrants with serious medical conditions indicating that the agency will no longer consider most deferrals of deportation and that such decisions will now be made by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Extreme medical need in many of these cases reportedly includes patie...Continue Reading

~ Express concern over rushed timelines for employees, payments $15,000 below what is standard ~  WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), along with Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-MD) asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to explain its decision to reduce payments to Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) employees who have declined to relocate to Kansas City fol...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $125,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to update outdated equipment at police and fire departments in Augusta County, Halifax County, and the town of Glade Spring. The funding will help improve emergency response times and public safety in these communities. “The men and women serving our communities need functional, up-to-date equipment that allows them to effectivel...Continue Reading

~ Funding will target housing needs for low- and moderate-income individuals, including homeless Virginians and those living with HIV/AIDS ~  WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today announced $8,288,283 in federal funding to support access to safe and affordable housing in Richmond and Suffolk. This funding, from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was awarded through four grant programs – the Communi...Continue Reading

In letter, 45 Senators urge Department to reconsider proposed rule and extend comment period Senators: “The Department’s proposal is yet one more attempt to undermine the Nation’s registered apprenticeship system, which has existed for 80 years and enjoys broad support from Congress, workers, and industry alike.” WASHINGTON, D.C. – Led by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, 45 Senato...Continue Reading