Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Armed Services Committee, today lauded important provisions he advocated for Virginia’s defense community that were included in the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2014. The bill was reported out of committee yesterday on a bipartisan vote of 23 to 3.  Prior to the markup, Kaine sent a letter to Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) voicing support for these priorities and advocating for necessary ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today announced that the Senate Armed Services Committee has incorporated their proposals to strengthen military whistleblower protection laws to ensure that victims of sexual assault and other misconduct are protected from retaliation. Sen. Kaine, a member of the Armed Services Committee, successfully worked to have the whistleblower protections included during the committee’s markup of an annual defense authori...Continue Reading

Washington, D.C – In a letter sent to Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jon Tester (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Jim Risch (R-ID), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Chris Coons (D-DE) expressed grave concern about the June 4, 2013 decision by an Egyptian court to sentence 43 Egyptian...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an open session of the Armed Services Committee National Defense Authorization Act markup today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine voted in favor of Senator Carl Levin’s amendment to require an independent review by the next higher level of the chain of command in cases where a commander decides not to prosecute a sexual assault allegation. The proposal also addresses the issue of retaliation by making acts of retribution a crime and establishing a process to hold commande...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, delivered the following opening remarks today at the Subcommittee’s markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014: “I want to commend the chair and the ranking for the work into the mark and especially clearing through so many amendments, these are important amendments. We’ll have a vigorous debate tomorrow, I’m proud to support reporti...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine today delivered remarks in Spanish on the Senate floor to voice his support for the bipartisan Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act and strongly urge his colleagues to come together to pass the commonsense proposal. “Let’s show this country and the world that this is not a Republican bill and it is not a Democratic bill but it is a strong bipartisan bill.  It is time that we pass comprehensive immigration reform,” said ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today after final passage of the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013 (the Farm Bill) by a vote of 66 to 27. Last week, Kaine voiced his support for passage of a long-term farm bill during discussions with local farmers in Charlottesville and Gordonsville. “With Senate passage of a long-term farm bill, Virginia’s agricultural community is one step closer to the certainty it deserves to...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today met with top Pentagon officials to discuss issues facing Virginia’s defense community. During meetings with Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Kaine addressed the ongoing impact of sequestration and continued furloughs for thousands of Virginians, his priorities for the Commonwealth in upcoming discussions of the National Defense Authorization Act, and ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Armed Services Committee, today pressed top military officials on the escalating crisis of sexual assault and unwanted sexual contact in the military. Kaine also outlined his concerns this morning in an op-ed in the Virginian-Pilot. During the first panel of the hearing, Kaine questioned Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey, Service Chiefs and Service Judge Advocates General and described the damaging impacts he bel...Continue Reading

I’m proud to represent the state that’s more connected to the military than any other. Communities across the Commonwealth are defined by the servicemembers and their families, installations, shipyards, airfields and historical battlefields. So when we’re faced with the issue of sexual assault in our Armed Forces, it shakes the military culture – and the surrounding communities – to the core.   And while there are all sorts of effects we feel today as a result ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine participated in a roundtable with local farmers in Charlottesville today to discuss the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013 (the Farm Bill), which was voted out of committee with bipartisan support, and how it will help Virginia farmers and local markets. Kaine expressed his support for a full five-year arm bill to provide farmers in Virginia and across the nation with the long-term certainty they deserve. "The uncertainty surrounding the farm ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Armed Services Committee, toured the Norfolk Naval Shipyard today and led a discussion with shipyard employees as part of a statewide effort to gather feedback ahead of the committee’s negotiations on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the coming weeks. The NDAA authorizes funding for military programs during the next fiscal year. "Today is an opportunity to meet the men and women who are so critical to our nati...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today on Governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell’s announcement regarding the restoration of voting rights to nonviolent felons who have completed their sentences. As governor, Kaine restored the rights of more than 4,400 Virginians and worked to increase the availability of applications and timeliness of his administration’s responses to restoration requests:  “I applaud Governor McDonnell for his...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, participated in a series of meetings with top United Nations officials on Tuesday, May 28 at the organization’s headquarters in New York City including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, United States Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, UN Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, U.S. Representative to the UN for UN Management and Reform Joseph Torsella, and Deputy Executive ...Continue Reading

RICHMOND, VA – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined Virginians this weekend at Memorial Day events to pay tribute to the men and women in uniform who have given their lives in service to our country. In Richmond on Friday, Kaine joined veterans and community members at the annual Hunter Holmes McGuire Medical Center Memorial Day program and spoke to the sacrifices made by members of the military throughout our nation's history.  &...Continue Reading

Washington, DC – Today, Senator Tim Kaine joined Senator Mark R. Warner, Congressmen Rob Wittman (R-01), Bobby Scott (D-03), Gerry Connolly (D-11), Congressman Jim Moran (D-08) and members of Virginia tribes to announce legislation to grant federal recognition to six Virginia Native American tribes. The bill, the “Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Act” was introduced by Moran and Kaine in the House and Senate, respectively. The legislation would grant federal r...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner today cosponsored the introduction of The Virginia Outer Continental Shelf Energy Production Act of 2013. The legislation would expand American offshore energy production with a revised five-year leasing plan, and provide revenue sharing. The bill would provide an alternative to the Administration’s proposed 2012-2017 offshore oil and gas leasing plan, which excludes Virginia. It is similar to House legislation...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of the International Development and Foreign Assistance Subcommittee, chaired his first subcommittee hearing today on international development and the importance of private sector investments and public-private partnerships. Kaine referenced his recent introduction of Secretary Kerry at his first address as Secretary of State at the University of Virginia, noti...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today cosponsored the introduction of The Virginia Outer Continental Shelf Energy Production Act of 2013. The legislation would expand American offshore energy production with a revised five-year leasing plan, and provide revenue sharing. The bill would provide an alternative to the Administration’s proposed 2012-2017 offshore oil and gas leasing plan, which excludes Virginia. It is similar to House ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, debated and voted for the Syria Transition Support Act of 2013 (S. 960), a bipartisan bill introduced by the Committee Chairman Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Ranking Member Senator Bob Corker (R-TN).  The legislation allows U.S. military assistance to vetted Syrian rebels, authorizes the imposition of new sanctions on sellers of arms and oil to the Assad regime, and creates a $250 mill...Continue Reading