Press Releases

WASHINGTON –  U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement on today’s Senate Judiciary Committee unanimous passage of the nominations of Dana J. Boente to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and John P. Fishwick, Jr., to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia: “Mr. Boente’s long career as a prosecutor and current position as Acting U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District makes him exce...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, calling on the Department of Defense (DoD) to repeal a dress and appearance policy that prevents practicing Sikhs from serving in the military. “Under current DoD policy, implemented in 1988, members of the Sikh faith are unable to serve in the military unless they abandon their articles of faith—namely maintaining unshorn hair, beards, and wearing a turban,” Kaine wrote. &l...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine praised passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which passed the Senate 85-12 today following House passage of the legislation last week. In a speech on the Senate floor yesterday, Kaine applauded the inclusion of key provisions he authored to help prevent sexual assault and strengthen career and technical education (CTE) in schools across the country. The ESSA, which will replace No Child Left Behind, now heads to the President&rs...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON –  Today the Air National Guard chose Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE) for an Air Force Cyber Operations Squadron. Virginia’s bipartisan delegation, including Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S Reps. Scott Rigell (R-VA-2), Bobby Scott (D-VA-3), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), Rob Wittman (R-VA-1), and Randy Forbes (R-VA-4), has advocated to locate the cyber facility at JBLE since December 2014. “We were very pleased to hear that the Air National Gu...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, Dick Durbin and Patrick Leahy joined national faith leaders to respond to the latest attempts to vilify refugees in the United States and call on lawmakers to engage in smart, moral policymaking over reactionary fear-mongering. “As the Book of Job tells us, challenges in life are a test of whether we will be true to our principles, or whether we’ll abandon them in the face of adversity," Kaine said. "In the debate over refugees...Continue Reading

Washington, D.C. – Senators Harry Reid, Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) urged President Obama to quickly implement the Administration’s newly proposed parole program to reunite Filipino World War II veterans with their family members. In July, after years of advocacy from Senator Hirono and others, the Obama Administration recommended that the Department of Homeland Security create a parole program to allow certain family members of Filipino World War II veterans to come ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today announced that 18 Virginia localities will receive more than $1.5 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding will help Virginia families who receive federal housing vouchers and public housing residents reduce their dependency on welfare assistance and rental subsidies, by providing tools and resources that will assist them in gaining job skills and increasing their ea...Continue Reading

HARRISONBURG, VA – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, released the following statement on the President’s address to the nation this evening: “Tonight President Obama laid out a comprehensive strategy for defeating ISIL and unequivocally called on Congress to finally vote to authorize the use of military force against the terrorist group. The President stated that such a measure would demonstrate that the American peo...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined 216 members of Congress in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the President’s November 2014 executive actions on immigration. The amicus brief encourages the Court to review the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in United States v. Texas, et al., which blocked the Secretary of Homeland Security from implementing the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine voted for the FAST Act, a bipartisan House-Senate agreement on highway and transit funding which returns $6.2 billion in federal transportation funding to Virginia over the next five years. Congress has not passed a transportation funding bill lasting longer than two years since 2005, and the five-year FAST Act will give states, transportation planners and contractors the time and certainty needed to make desperately-needed improv...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 today: “Yesterday, after many hours of public debate, the British Parliament voted to authorize airstrikes against ISIL in Syria. And in the coming weeks, the German Parliament is expected to debate this important issue as well. We welcome the increased support of some of our strongest European allies in this fight, particularly as a show...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today announced that the Senate unanimously passed the bipartisan Treatment of Certain Payments in Eugenics Compensation Act, excluding payments from state eugenics compensation programs from consideration in determining federal benefits. Without this legislation, many eugenics victims who receive compensation payments from states, including Virginia and North Carolina, could see their federal benefits reduced or even h...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following today’s announcement of the final conference report on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to replace No Child Left Behind, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine welcomed the bill’s inclusion of key provisions he authored to help prevent sexual assault and strengthen career and technical education (CTE) in schools across the country. A key provision of the Teach Safe Relationships Act, legislation Kaine introduced with U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill last February...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $1,191,500 in funding throughout Virginia to improve community facilities and support first-responders. Today’s funding was made available through USDA’s Community Facilities Loans and Grants Program. “This federal funding will help improve essential community facilities and will ensure that Virginia’s first responders have the tools...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $144,581 in grant funding to communities in Virginia to improve and expand access to locally-grown foods. Today’s funding – made available through the USDA’s Farm to School Grant Program – will connect child nutrition programs with local farmers and ranchers in Virginia, increasing access to fresh and healthy foods. “These gran...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, released the following statement today: “The horrific attacks in Paris and Beirut last week - and a direct threat to Washington soon after - are a grim reminder that ISIL is not going away. Our national security and the safety of the American people will always be my top priority, and I continue to believe a Congressional vote to authorize the U.S. mission against ISIL w...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the wake of the Paris attacks last week, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Jeff Flake, both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, took to the Senate floor today to renew their call for Congress to debate and vote on an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against ISIL. In June 2015, Kaine and Flake introduced compromise authorization language as a starting point for debate, building upon previous efforts in the Foreign Relations Committee and the President’...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced legislation to help prevent youth homelessness, improve support services and housing for youth and families, and help ensure children are raised in supportive, stable households. The Family Unification, Preservation and Modernization Act would improve supportive housing - programs that integrate housing with social services – and policies for children and f...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $2,996,643 in grant funding to small businesses throughout Virginia. Today’s funding will support operations and marketing at local farms, ranches, wineries and other product-based small businesses that contribute to the agricultural industry in Virginia. “Agriculture is an economic driver and job creator throughout the Commonwealth. These grant...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of Veteran’s Day tomorrow, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced today that Harrisonburg, Virginia will receive a $96,700 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding will be awarded to public housing agencies to provide affordable housing and rental assistance to homeless veterans. “The brave men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform deserve to know that their country will take care of them...Continue Reading