Press Releases

~ Program aims to reduce food insecurity during health crisis by allowing SNAP recipients to order groceries online ~ WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging for swift approval of Virginia’s request to participate in the agency’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Online Purchasing Pilot Program. This program allows SNAP recipients to use their benefits to purchase it...Continue Reading

~ Press Coronavirus Task Force for plan to address testing shortfalls ~ WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) and 43 other Senators in calling on the Coronavirus Task Force and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct a national inventory of the coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnostic testing supply, publicly release data on testing results, and provide a detailed plan and timeline for addressing future shortages and gaps ...Continue Reading

Senators warn that instances of domestic violence and sexual assault are likely to increase as a result of stay-at-home orders—and request that any future legislation to address the ongoing coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) provides funding to support victims and survivors, including through programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine joined a bipartisan group of more than 30 colleagues to request that...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement after Governor Northam signed into law several gun violence prevention measures: “These commonsense reforms are an enormous achievement that will make Virginia communities safer. We have seen the scourge of gun violence in the tragedies of Virginia Tech and Virginia Beach and the all too common shootings in our cities and towns. As elected officials, it’s our responsibility to learn painful lesson...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, released the following statement after his bipartisan war powers resolution was signed by the House. The resolution, which would prevent further escalation of hostilities with Iran without congressional authorization, passed the House last month after passing the Senate in February. It will next go to the Senate for signature and then ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, as Virginia faces medical supply shortages, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine wrote to Vice President Mike Pence and FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor asking for the Trump Administration’s plan to help Virginia hospitals and health care providers obtain medical supplies critical to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the letter, the Senators highlight concerning reports of the federal government redirecting significant shares of medical supplies me...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) led the Senate Democratic Caucus in raising serious concerns about the Trump Administration’s reliance on private companies to distribute desperately needed medical supplies during the Coronavirus pandemic. Although the President has declared a national emergency and mobilized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help distribute supplies, FEMA is currently re...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $21,295,240 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for Virginia health centers. These grants were awarded as part of the coronavirus relief package signed into law last month. “This federal funding will support centers who are doing life-saving work in their communities during this crisis,” the Senators said. “We’re pleased to see t...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, Chris Coons, and Angus King wrote a letter calling for banks to remove barriers to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that limit access to many small businesses, particularly women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses, and businesses in rural communities. Currently, most banks are restricting applications to existing customers, which leaves many small businesses with delayed access to the program. The letter underscores the criti...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 calling on the Department of Education to immediately fix a glitch in the Public Service Loan Relief (PSLF) program that penalizes borrowers who pay more than their minimum required monthly loan payments. This so-called “pay ahead” status leads borrowers to unknowingly make payments that do not qualify toward lo...Continue Reading

~ Virginia newspapers have already reduced pay and furloughed staff to deal with loss of advertisement revenue during health crisis ~ WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined their Senate colleagues in a letter calling for funding to support local journalism and media to be included in any future COVID-19 relief package. In a letter to Senate leadership and the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Senators warn that the wide...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, as well as Representatives Bobby Scott, Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer, A. Donald McEachin, Elaine Luria, Abigail Spanberger, and Jennifer Wexton sent a letter urging Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to provide Virginia maximum flexibility to use funding from the coronavirus economic relief package to help address budget shortfalls and prevent harmful budget cuts to services vital to addressing the economic and health c...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Modly’s reported speech aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt: “Based on the transcript I’ve read, Secretary Modly’s comments were completely inappropriate and beneath the office of the Secretary of the Navy. It’s deeply disappointing that he would deliver a speech on board a U.S. aircraft carrier suggesting that Captain Crozier might be &...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined Senator Tina Smith and 13 of their Democratic colleagues to announce plans to introduce a legislative fix that would make dependents 17 and older count toward what a family gets in direct payments from the bipartisan coronavirus relief package signed into law last week. “Virginians know the coronavirus pandemic is not just a health emergency, it’s an economic emergency too,” Kaine said. “...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statements after the President granted a Major Disaster Declaration to help Virginia respond to COVID-19, allowing FEMA to provide emergency protective measures to the Commonwealth at a 75% federal cost share for eligible assistance like medical care; purchase and distribution of food, water, and medicine; and Emergency Operation Center (EOC)-related costs: “This disaster declaration will trigger imp...Continue Reading

The current public health emergency will exacerbate a longstanding “homework gap” without immediate action by Congress WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine joined 33 of their colleagues in a letter to House and Senate leadership requesting robust funding for all K-12 students to have adequate home internet connectivity given school closures due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Senators expressed their disappointment with the lack of su...Continue Reading

Funding will help support housing for individuals with low- and moderate-incomes, as well as people experiencing homelessness and those living with HIV/AIDS WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $52,292,406 in federal funding to support access to safe and affordable housing throughout Virginia. The funding is part of the first allocation of grants from the coronavirus relief package signed into law last week. “We’re pleased to see s...Continue Reading

Letter Comes After IRS Releases Guidance that Contradicts Provisions of the CARES Act that Explicitly Give Treasury Authority to Provide Direct Assistance to Social Security Beneficiaries who Do Not File Taxes WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and 37 of their colleagues in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Social Security Administration Commissioner Andrew Saul ...Continue Reading

~ Reports indicate that more than 100 sailors have tested positive for COVID-19 ~ WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today expressed concern with the health and welfare of military personnel aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt – an American aircraft carrier that has been reported to have more than 100 sailors aboard who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). In a letter, the Senator...Continue Reading

This critical funding was included in the emergency economic relief package that passed Congress and was signed into law on Friday. WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following a bipartisan push by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), the emergency economic relief package that passed the Senate by 96-0 and the House by voice vote last week included $1 billion in supplemental funding for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program.  CSBG serves more than 1,000 entities across the countr...Continue Reading