Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined 19 of his Senate colleagues in calling on President Obama’s administration to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Filipino nationals currently residing in the United States and to consider additional avenues of relief for certain Filipinos with U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family members in the U.S.  TPS is granted to foreign nationals who cannot safely return to their native country.   “Typhoon ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today after voting to ensure judicial nominees get an up-or-down vote on confirmation by eliminating the filibuster on all judicial nominations other than Supreme Court nominees: “Today I joined a majority of my Senate colleagues in taking an important step to ensure highly-qualified, non-controversial judicial nominees, including Virginia’s own Pattie Millett, are given the up-or-down vote they deserve....Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act, a bill introduced by U.S. Senator Tim Kaine to preserve historical battlegrounds, was passed out of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee on a voice vote.  "Committee passage of this bipartisan bill is an important step toward preserving our nation's battlefields for future generations to enjoy," said Kaine. "This legislation will benefit Virginia and all states...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) released this statement following the announcement by the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance approving renewal of existing health insurance plans in the individual and small business markets, allowing policyholders to continue existing coverage through the end of 2014. In a letter to the SCC last week, Sens. Warner and Kaine urged state regulators to take action to help those Virginians who ha...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Tim Kaine introduced the Entrance Fee Suspension Act of 2013 today to encourage tourism at national parks and wildlife refuges and bolster local economies that were harmed by the 16-day government shutdown.  The bill will assist businesses like Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle in Chincoteague and Carrot Tree Kitchens in Yorktown that lost revenue or were forced to close temporarily during the government shutdown because of national park cl...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced legislation that would authorize the National Park Service to acquire more than 7,000 acres to add to Petersburg National Battlefield. Purchase of the land would make the Petersburg National Battlefield the largest Civil War historic battlefield in the nation. The Petersburg National Battlefield Boundary Modification Act will not spend any money, only authorize the acquisition of land. The legislation also author...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today after voting on amendments to the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act regarding Guantanamo Bay.  “Today I voted against an amendment to the defense bill that would have had the practical effect of keeping Guantanamo open indefinitely. After visiting the prison this summer, and after extensive discussion with our military leaders, I support common-sense provisions that allow the Administration fl...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today after final passage of the Drug Quality and Security Act, a bill to address the issue of quality of compounded drugs and the security of our nation’s drug supply chain: “I’m pleased that a strong, bipartisan majority of the Senate came together today to pass this commonsense legislation that could prevent another outbreak like the one that took the lives of five Virginians and sickened dozens...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner sent a letter to Virginia Insurance Commissioner Jacqueline Cunningham urging her to allow plans that had been canceled under the Affordable Care Act to be renewed for another year, giving Virginians more time to make the best health care choices for their families.  Full text of the letter is below:   November 15, 2013  Jacqueline K. CunninghamCommissioner of InsuranceCommonwealth of VirginiaBureau of Insuran...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced the Servicemember Education Reform and Vocational Enhancement (SERVE) Act of 2013, a bill to improve the quality of educational programs for servicemembers and veterans and help them transition into the civilian workforce. The SERVE Act will raise minimum standards for programs that accept educational benefits from the Veterans Admin...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, and a dozen fellow senators sent a letter today to Secretary of State John Kerry calling for all possible efforts to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections in Honduras. “I’m very concerned by the ongoing violence in Honduras and the impact on the November 24 elections,“ said Kaine, who served as a missionary in Honduras in 1980. “We are receiving reports of threats against...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator Kaine joined eight of his Senate colleagues to introduce the Strong Start for America’s Children Act, legislation to expand access to high-quality early learning programs for children from birth to age five. Kaine has long-championed early childhood education, having worked with members of both parties as Governor to develop stronger Pre-K programs across Virginia and increase enrollment by 40 percent. Building on the framewor...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement after a minority in the Senate blocked the nomination of Nina Pillard to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit: “I’m disappointed Senate Republicans have chosen to block the nomination of another highly-qualified nominee to the D.C. Circuit. Nina Pillard is an accomplished litigator who has practiced law at every level of the legal system across the country. She successfully ar...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine will announce the Servicemember Education Reform and Vocational Enhancement (SERVE) Act of 2013 at veterans events in Winchester and Richmond today. The SERVE Act, which is a companion to Kaine’s first bill, the Troop Talent Act, will improve the quality of education received by servicemembers and veterans. The legislation will also create pilot programs to facilitate the use of veterans’ education benefits for employment and on-the-job...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Speaking on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine addressed the pattern of Republican obstruction of women appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, raising the question of whether there is a double standard for women nominees to this court. Since Kaine took office eleven months ago, two supremely qualified women nominees, Caitlin Halligan and Patricia Millett, have been filibustered in part because of a Republican argument that the D...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), released the following statement today after its final passage, 64-32:  “Today the Senate affirmed with bipartisan support that workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation will not be tolerated. This important legislation will ban employers from denying job opportunities to LGBT employees, subjecting them to harassment, or firing them just ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, participated in a hearing with the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the impact of sequestration cuts on each branch of the military. In his opening comments, Kaine reiterated how sequester cuts have disproportionately impacted Virginia, as well as noted the important role the Budget Conference Committee, of which he is a conferee, can play in finding a bipartisan solution to reversing the non-strateg...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Speaking on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Budget Conference Committee, called for an end to sequestration and urged his committee colleagues to find a sensible solution that would reverse the across-the board-cuts. Kaine, who delivered his maiden floor speech on this issue in February, reiterated how the non-strategic cuts have had a devastating impact on national security – from grounding U.S. combat aircraft, to reducing carrier ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined a bipartisan group of 40 U.S. Senators to call on the Obama Administration to release federal heating aid funds that would help millions of Americans who are struggling with their energy bills as winter approaches. The Senators sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius urging her to release Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds as quickly and at as high a level as...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement after a minority in the Senate blocked the nomination of Pattie Millett, of Alexandria, Virginia, to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit:  “There is simply no excuse for blocking Pattie Millett’s appointment to the federal judiciary. She has served under both Democratic and Republican Solicitor Generals, has argued more cases before the Supreme Court and circuit courts t...Continue Reading