Press Releases
Kaine Introduces Bipartisan VA Reform Legislation To Combat Opioid Overmedication
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and 11 of their colleagues to introduce the Jason Simcakoski Memorial Opioid Safety Act, bipartisan reform legislation aimed at providing safer and more effective pain management services through the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA). The bill, crafted in close consultation with medical professionals and veterans service organizations, focuses on … Continue Reading
June 22, 2015
Answering Call From Kaine, Portman & Baldwin, President Obama Announces CTE Scholars Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, President Barack Obama signed an executive order recognizing U.S. Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education (CTE). The announcement came in response to a bipartisan letter from U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, Rob Portman and Tammy Baldwin urging the White House to expand the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program to commend the efforts of students who have chosen CTE pathways. Kaine, Portman and Baldwin, co-chairs of the Senate Career and Technical Education … Continue Reading
June 19, 2015
Kaine Statement In Commemoration Of Juneteenth
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement in commemoration of Juneteenth: "On this day 150 years ago, Major-General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas bearing news that would fulfill the Emancipation Proclamation's promise of freedom. As word broke that the war had finally ended, people began to celebrate the end of slavery in the South. This day has become known as Juneteenth, and a century and a half later, Juneteenth celebrations … Continue Reading
June 19, 2015
Kaine Reintroduces Middle Step Act To Create CTE Pilot Program In Middle Schools
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, co-chair of the Senate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, along with U.S. Senators Mark Warner, Barbara Boxer, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Bob Casey, introduced the Middle School Technical Education Program (Middle STEP) Act that would expose middle school students to CTE programs focused on career exploration. The Middle STEP Act would establish a pilot program that allows middle schools to partner with postsecondary institutions and … Continue Reading
June 18, 2015
Kaine Statement On Papal Encyclical On Climate Change
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si, which called for greater individual and societal action to combat climate change: "Pope Francis today reiterated what has long been confirmed by overwhelming evidence: climate change exists, it is significantly driven by human activity, and we have an obligation to do something about it - for affected communities at home like Hampton Roads that are affected by seal level … Continue Reading
June 18, 2015
Kaine Statement On Defense Bills
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, applauded Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) today, which includes amendments he introduced condemning sequestration cuts and strengthening credentialing programs, as well as a number of other provisions that benefit Virginia's shipbuilding industry and defense community. Following passage of NDAA, Kaine voted against a motion to begin debate on the Fiscal … Continue Reading
June 18, 2015
Kaine: How Can We Vote on Vehicle Rust in Defense Bill, but not War on ISIL?
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In remarks on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, called attention to the fact that while Congress is willing to vote on "all things great and small concerning our military" in the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Congress is still unwilling to have a meaningful debate and vote on the war against ISIL and the need for a new Authorization for Use of Military Force … Continue Reading
June 17, 2015
Kaine Marks Third Anniversary Of DACA, Calls For Passage Of Comprehensive Immigration Reform
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In remarks on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine marked the third anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and called on his congressional colleagues to work together to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Since the program was announced in 2012, DACA has offered temporary relief from deportation to over 660,000 immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as young children, including nearly 10,000 who call Virginia home. … Continue Reading
June 15, 2015
Warner & Kaine Introduce Bill To Protect Servicemembers From Abusive Financial Practices
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined U.S. Senators Jack Reed, Chuck Schumer, and seven other colleagues to introduce the Military Consumer Protection Act, which would better protect servicemembers and their families from abusive financial practices. This legislation would empower the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to oversee and enforce compliance with certain existing provisions of the Servicemember Civil Relief Act (SCRA). In 2014, the Office of … Continue Reading
June 12, 2015
In Wake Of Massive Data Breach, Virginia & Maryland Senators Call For Increased Credit Protections For Federal Employees
WASHINGTON - Today U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) called on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to do more to protect federal employees whose personal information was compromised as a result of the massive data breach affecting OPM's personnel records. "Sensitive information belonging to members of our nation's federal workforce deserves the highest level of protection. Unfortunately, there has been a lack of clarity … Continue Reading
June 12, 2015
Kaine Co-Sponsors Bills To Protect Pregnant Workers & Expand Access To Affordable Contraception
WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine co-sponsored the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and introduced the Affordability is Access Act, legislation to protect female workers and expand access to affordable health care for women. After the U.S. Supreme Court case Young v. UPS left the workplace rights of pregnant workers uncertain, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act - closely modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - would address legal ambiguities and help ensure … Continue Reading
June 11, 2015
Bipartisan and Bicameral Group Introduce Legislation to Award Congressional Gold Medal To WWII Filipino Veterans
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) today announced the introduction of legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Filipino Veterans of World War II. They were joined in this effort by Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Dean Heller (R-NV), Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Congressman Joe Heck (R-NV), Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA), Congressman Mark Takai (D-HI), Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA), and … Continue Reading
June 11, 2015
Bipartisan Virginia Delegation Opposes Efforts To Stall Construction Of Embassy Security Training Facility At Fort Pickett
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, along with U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott, Randy Forbes, Rob Wittman, Gerry Connolly, Robert Hurt, Dave Brat, and Don Beyer urged the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations to oppose language in the House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that that would jeopardize funding for a Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) at Fort … Continue Reading
June 09, 2015
Kaine Testifies In Support Of Virginia Steelworkers At ITC Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, at a U.S. International Trade Commission hearing, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine testified in support of the U.S. Steelworkers' petition to ensure and enforce fair trade opportunities for U.S. manufacturers through relief from dumped and subsidized tire imports from China. In his testimony, Kaine noted that the Yokohama plant in Salem incurred job losses and a decrease in tire production as a direct result of unfair tire imports from China. "Since 2012, China has been … Continue Reading
June 09, 2015
National Capital Region Delegation Demands Immediate Action Following New NTSB Report on WMATA
Washington, DC - In the wake of a critical National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report, the National Capital Region's Congressional Delegation today called on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to take immediate action to fix a serious safety issue resulting from improperly installed power connector assemblies throughout the Metrorail system. Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), joined by Senators Barbara Mikulski … Continue Reading
June 08, 2015
Senators Perdue and Kaine Introduce Bipartisan State Department Reform Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators David Perdue (R-GA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on State Department and USAID Management, Internal Operations, and Bilateral International Development, today introduced the Improving Department of State Oversight Act, a bipartisan bill that will facilitate necessary changes to improve the State Department's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to conduct more secure and more effective oversight. … Continue Reading
June 08, 2015
10 Months Into War Against ISIL, Kaine & Flake Introduce Bipartisan Authorization For Use Of Military Force
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On the 10-month anniversary of the U.S. launching military action against the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) introduced a bipartisan Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) as an amendment to the State Department reauthorization bill being considered in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week. By introducing this compromise language as a starting point for debate, Kaine and Flake hope that fellow … Continue Reading
June 05, 2015
Virginia Delegation Applauds Navy For Awarding USS John F. Kennedy Contract
WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) along with U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA-3), Randy Forbes (R-VA-4), and Rob Wittman (R-VA-1) applauded the U.S. Navy for signing a more than $4 billion contract to award the construction of the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) to Newport News Shipbuilding. "Today's announcement marks an important step forward in designing and building the second in this new Ford class of aircraft carriers," said Sen. Warner. "This contract … Continue Reading
June 05, 2015
Kaine Shares Resources For Federal Employees Following Data Breach
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on the data breach that may have exposed the personal information of approximately 4 million current and former federal employees: "I'm deeply concerned that yet another data breach has compromised the personal information of approximately four million of our nation's public servants, including many Virginians. As cyber-attacks become increasingly common, the government must do more to protect federal employees … Continue Reading
June 04, 2015
Kaine Urges CFPB To Issue Strong Rules To Stop Predatory Payday Lending Practices
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) considers new rules to address predatory practices in payday and similar types of lending, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined a group of more than 30 Senators in expressing support for initial steps the agency has taken and urging the agency to issue strong rules to combat the "cascade of devastating financial consequences" that these high-priced loans often have on consumers. "We support the CFPB's initial steps towards … Continue Reading
