Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the U.S. Army’s plan to cut 40,000 troops over the next two years: “Today the Army announced its plan to reduce its active duty ranks by 40,000 soldiers. The impact on Virginia is less significant than we feared, but I remain concerned that decisions like this have also been affected by years of crisis budgeting and other self-inflicted budgetary const...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today congratulated the players, coaches and staff of the U.S. women’s national soccer team on winning the World Cup by sponsoring a Senate resolution recognizing the team’s accomplishments and contributions to U.S. soccer history. “We couldn’t be prouder of all the players and coaches on the U.S. Women’s National Team for bringing home our nation’s third World Cup title,” said Sens. ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, members of the Senate Budget Committee, joined eight of their colleagues to call on Congressional leadership and the President to reach a budget deal that responsibly invests in middle class families, veterans, national security, infrastructure, education and access to public lands. Along with Senators Michael Bennet, Heidi Heitkamp, Angus King, Amy Klobuchar, Claire McCaskill, Jeanne Shaheen, Jon Tester and Tom Udall, Warn...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Claire McCaskill welcomed the inclusion of key provisions of their Teach Safe Relationships Act in the compromise version of the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 (ECAA) introduced on the Senate floor today by U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). Kaine and McCaskill introduced the Teach Safe Relationships Act in February to ensure pub...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) today introduced the Miners Protection Act. This bipartisan legislation would ensure that the federal government and coal operators honor their obligation of lifetime pensions and health benefits to retired miners and their families who are facing uncertainty as a result of the financial crisis and corporate bankruptcies. “I’ve always been proud to stand up for co...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine praised the announcement by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) that the Pamunkey tribe will be granted federal recognition. Since serving as Governors of Virginia, Warner and Kaine have been strong supporters of the Virginia Indian tribes’ efforts to gain federal recognition. “I congratulate the Pamunkey Indian Tribe on finally receiving this long-overdue federal recognition,” said Warner. “This historic milestone also reminds us ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) today pressed Office of Personnel Management Director Katherine Archuleta for more details on how the agency plans to address the government security clearance processing backlog after OPM identified a vulnerability in the web-based platform that is used to complete and submit background investigation forms, which resulted in taking the system offline for an estimated...Continue Reading

Flickr photo album can be found here ANKARA, TURKEY – Today, a Congressional Delegation led by U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, completed a two-day visit to Turkey. Yesterday, the delegation traveled to the Syrian border town of Gaziantep to meet with interim Syrian government officials and local council representatives, Syrian opposition forces, as well as independent Syrian media activists. The delegation also visited an urba...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the President's announcement of an agreement re-establishing formal diplomatic relations with Cuba: "Today's announcement of an agreement re-establishing formal relations and opening embassies between the United States and Cuba marks the beginning of a new era in American diplomacy in Latin America. I'm confident a policy of engagement rather than isolati...Continue Reading

Washington – Today U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued a warning to their congressional colleagues ahead of the scheduled expiration of the Export-Import Bank – an export credit agency that guarantees loans to help foreign companies buy U.S. exports – at midnight tonight. “At a time when U.S. exporters and manufacturers are already suffering from substantial economic uncertainty in Europe, they should not be subjected to additional uncertainty manufact...Continue Reading

AMMAN, JORDAN - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, arrived today in Amman, Jordan after spending three days in Kuwait and Iraq. Kaine is leading a Congressional Delegation to the region focused on the U.S. mission against ISIL and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Iraq and Syria. In Kuwait City on Saturday, the delegation paid their respects at the Grand Mosque to national officials and families impacted by the Friday ISIL bombing tha...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, co-sponsored bipartisan legislation that would ensure patients and their families have access to a care planning session with their doctor to help them understand the diagnosis, treatment options, and what medical and community services are available when planning for Alzheimer’s disease. The HOPE for Alzheimer’s Act would increase access to information for newly diagnosed indiv...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide: “By recognizing the constitutional right of all people to marry the person they love, the Supreme Court has guaranteed that, across the country, same-sex couples will have their relationships treated with the full legal dignity and respect that they deserve. With our country’s fundamental ideal that ‘all men are created...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Richard Burr (R-NC)  to introduce the Treatment of Certain Payments in Eugenics Compensation Act, which would exclude payments from state eugenics compensation programs from consideration in determining federal benefits. American eugenics and compulsory sterilization laws were implemented by 33 states in the early 20th century, and led to the forced sterilizatio...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project: “Today’s Supreme Court decision affirms the importance of fighting the effects of housing discrimination, whether intentional or unintentional. As a former fair housing attorney, I have seen how communities can be harmed by inequitable housing policies. We have made significant pr...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold key provisions of the Affordable Care Act: “I applaud the Supreme Court for its decision to uphold the important tax credits that millions of Americans - including nearly 300,000 in Virginia - rely on to access high quality, affordable health care. The decision is a direct rejection of the heartless effort led by health care law opponents to push families &ndash...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement upon the passing of Sharon Bryant, former Chief of the Monacan Nation: “I am deeply saddened to hear of Chief Bryant’s passing. Bryant was a strong leader for the Monacan people and a pioneer for women. Her death is a loss to the entire Commonwealth of Virginia, and my heart goes out to the Monacan Nation during this time of mourning.” During her tenure as Chief, Kaine worked with Bryant in the ong...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two years after the Supreme Court removed core protections in the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined a group of their colleagues to introduce the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 (VRAA), legislation that would restore and advance voting protections for all Americans. Since the Supreme Court ruling, states and localities throughout the country have passed sweeping laws that disproportionately suppress the voti...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined a group of senators in sending a letter to federal housing, finance, and consumer protection regulators calling for an investigation into potential violations of the Fair Housing Act by banks and lenders neglecting the maintenance of foreclosed homes based on the racial makeup of communities where the properties are located. The letter asks the regulators to take appropriate actions to put a stop to any unequal tre...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today: “I support Governor McAuliffe’s call to remove the Confederate battle flag from state-issued Virginia license plates. The use of the flag by public bodies is integrally connected to celebration of the cause of the Confederacy, which is inimical to American values. With the Supreme Court’s decision last week in Walker v. Texas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc., prior court rulings ...Continue Reading