Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. - I rise to introduce the Educating Tomorrow's Workforce Act of 2014. This is a bipartisan bill with Senator Portman, who will follow me on the floor today. Senator Portman and I are working together as co-chairs of the Senate Career and Technical Education Caucus. Let me first just explain why career and technical education is important to me. I grew up in a household in Kansas City where my dad ran a union-organized iron working shop. He was the owner. Ironworkers and welders....Continue Reading

Background: Today, the United States has slipped to 16th in the world in the percentage of 25-34 year olds achieving post-high school degrees. We need to make changes that help keep students engaged in their futures while also ensuring our educational programs are adequately preparing students for the jobs of the 21st century. Career and technical education (CTE) programs are proven to help keep students more engaged in the classroom and less likely to drop out of high school, as well as he...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine introduced the Protect Women’s Health from Corporate Interference Act to restore the contraceptive coverage requirement guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act and protect coverage of other health services from employers who want to impose their beliefs on their employees by denying benefits. Kaine joined lead Senate sponsors Patty Murray and Mark Udall and 34 of their Senate colleagues to introduce the bill in response to the Supreme Co...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine issued a statement following the Obama Administration’s announcement of the 2014 National Drug Control Strategy at Blue Ridge Behavioral Health in Roanoke today. The Administration is investing $25.5 billion to help tackle the growing heroin and prescription opioid epidemic through new public health and criminal justice initiatives: “Heroin and prescription opioid drug abuse has posed significant economic and public health challenges for the Roanoke Vall...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today on the passing of U.S. District Court Judge James Turk: "Judge Turk was an outstanding jurist who never let his position distance himself from the real world issues that people brought into his courtroom to solve.  His judicial temperament was a near perfect example of what all judges should aspire to – diligent, intelligent, compassionate, professional, decisive.  I had the fortune to practice...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine continued his five-day tour of the Commonwealth in Culpeper and Manassas. In Culpeper, Kaine met with veterans and held a roundtable discussion on improving care for servicemembers and ensuring the job market understands and values their skills. "The idea for my first bill in the Senate came from discussions just like this with veterans in Virginia who told me about how difficult it is to find employers who understand how skills from militar...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, released the following statement today: “I was extremely troubled to hear about the death of Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir, a Palestinian teenage boy, in apparent retribution for the killing of three Israeli teens. I condemn this act of senseless violence. I urge the Israeli security services to bring the perpetrators to justice. I also i...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine will attend a forum on racial equality in America to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. The forum is co-hosted by the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission of the Virginia General Assembly and the Library of Virginia. Governor Terry McAuliffe and Congressman Bobby Scott will also deliver remarks.  Today, July 2, 2014   Forum on Racial Equality 5:30 PM Library of Virginia 800 East Broad Street Ri...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine today applauded the U.S. Navy for moving forward to begin work on the refueling and complex overhaul of the aircraft carrier USS  George Washington – a top defense priority for the Virginia delegation. “Navy sources confirm that a $182 million contract could be awarded soon to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding, the only shipyard capable of building and refueling the world’s largest warshi...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a tour of the Valley Career and Technical Center in Fishersville today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine announced new bipartisan legislation to raise the quality of career and technical education (CTE) programs at schools in Virginia and across the country. The Educating Tomorrow’s Workforce Act would amend the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act to better meet the needs of a 21st century workforce and ensure students have acce...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kaine released the following statement today:  “I am deeply saddened to hear about the tragic outcome of the missing Israeli teenagers, and my prayers are with the families of Naftali Fraenkel, Eyal Yifrach and Gilad Shaar. Their capture was an act of cowardice and the U.S. should support the Israelis and Palestinian Authority to help find the perpetrators and bring them to justice. If Hamas is found responsible, this would be yet another example of a r...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today after the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that closely-held, for-profit employers may deny women critical preventive health care and family planning services: “I cannot understand how a majority of the Supreme Court can say that an employer, for religious reasons, may deprive employees of health care coverage for contraception but for no other standard medical service or treatment. It makes the cas...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, U.S. Congressmen Scott Rigell, Bobby Scott, and Rob Wittman, as well as Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim and Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms hosted a regional conference on sea level rise at Old Dominion University in Norfolk. The forum focused on meeting the challenges Hampton Roads faces due to sea level rise and land subsidence and how to promote action at the federal, state and local level to address the region’s needs. The two panels o...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on Senate passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA): “I’m proud to support the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, a bipartisan, bicameral piece of legislation that streamlines the nation’s workforce development system,” said Kaine. “By allowing states like Virginia the flexibility to better tailor programs to meet real employment and workforce demands, we can...Continue Reading

Madam President, I rise to discuss the current crisis in Iraq. In particular I want to discuss an important question: Would Congress need to approve any U.S. Military combat action in Iraq? Last week the President summoned Congressional leadership to the White House to discuss the deteriorating situation in Iraq and a potential United States response. Press reports of the meeting had members quoted the President as saying he had all necessary authority for military action already and some accoun...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on the announcement that Phase I of the Silver Line is scheduled to begin service on July 26, 2014: “Today’s announcement that Phase I of the Silver Line will begin service on July 26th is news we’ve been anticipating for years.  This was one of the most challenging infrastructure projects I worked on as Governor, and it wouldn’t have been possible without years of hard work and innovati...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern, South and Central Asian Affairs, released the following statement today after three Al Jazeera journalists were convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison: “The conviction today of foreign journalists in Egypt is most troubling.  There are few democratic principles so well-established as the right of reporters to inform the public without fear of persecution. &...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined U.S. Senators Kay Hagan and Lisa Murkowski in supporting the Sportsmen's Act of 2014, bipartisan legislation that contains 12 bills to ensure sportsmen's traditions are protected, provide sportsmen more access to federal lands, and support conservation efforts. “The bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act conserves public land while promoting outdoor recreation activities that support jobs across the Commonwealth,”&n...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) announced today that a consortium of universities including the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and Old Dominion University have received a $5 million grant to conduct crucial research and development of energy efficient and environmentally sustainable modes of transportation. The Department of Transportation grant, which was awarded to the Mid-Atlantic Transportation Sustainability University Transportation Center...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern, South and Central Asian Affairs, issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s announcement on Iraq today:  “I am encouraged that the President is dispatching Secretary of State John Kerry to the Middle East to first try to improve political conditions in this challenging environment. The current situation in Iraq is ultimately a crisis of gov...Continue Reading