Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine applauded $5,150,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded to Blacksburg Transit (BT). The funding will go toward the purchase of nine electric buses and three charging stations to replace some of the provider’s old diesel buses currently used in its fleet.  “We’re pleased that this funding will be used to support much-needed upgrades to BT’s fleet and inf...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Senator Tim Kaine announced $4,869,900 in federal grants and loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded to communities across the Commonwealth to fund much needed infrastructure improvements. The funding was awarded through the Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program, the Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program, the Community Facilities Disaster Grants, and the Economic Impact Initiativ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statement after the Acting Secretary of the U.S. Air Force, John P. Roth, approved Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE) in Hampton as the final location for the F-22 Formal Training Unit (FTU):  “After years of advocating alongside the Virginia congressional delegation, we’re pleased that the U.S. Air Force has confirmed what we already knew: Hampton Roads is the ideal location to perma...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), along with U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), introduced legislation to preserve invaluable local resources and help generate economic activity in the Northern Neck. By officially designating the region as a National Heritage Area (NHA), the Northern Neck National Heritage Area Act would deliver critical federal dollars, encourage public-private partnerships, and assign a specific entity – the Northern Neck Tou...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine applauded Senate passage of bipartisan legislation that he cosponsored to help break down barriers for farmers and foresters to address the climate crisis. This legislation would reward climate-smart practices for those who want to participate in carbon markets, which aim to reduce greenhouse gases. The bill now awaits action in the U.S. House of Representatives.  “There’s no doubt that the climate crisis is already neg...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), along with Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) are stepping up to the plate today by introducing the Minor League Baseball Relief Act to help the nine Minor League Baseball (MiLB) teams in Virginia who are hurting economically after the COVID-19 crisis threw a curveball into their 2020 season. The Minor League Baseball Relief Act would provide up to $550 million in federal relief funding fo...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, reintroduced the Preparing and Retaining Education Professionals (PREP) Act to address teacher and principal shortages, particularly in rural communities, and increase teacher diversity. This legislation will help ensure that there are enough teachers and principals with the right skills and tools to prepare st...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine delivered a tribute at former U.S. Senator John Warner’s funeral. In his remarks, Kaine shared the lessons he learned from Warner and how his legacy has inspired Kaine’s work in the Senate. You can watch his full speech here: https://timkaine.box.com/s/wl19jmlnrmrkdvu6l2do238w8lp80njy “As I entered public life, what impressed me most about John was his obvious belief that country and character count above all else,” Ka...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Joe Manchin (D-WV) today sent a letter urging congressional appropriators to include $2 million in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Mobile Testing Units, which offer free and confidential health screenings to coal miners at risk of developing black lung disease. Specif...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), released the following statement on the New York Times report confirming that Saudi operatives responsible for assassinating journalist and Virginia resident Jamal Khashoggi received government-approved high-level military training in the U.S.: “These latest reports confirm what I feared to be true when I pressed Trump’s...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted against moving forward with the For The People Act of 2021: “I am deeply disappointed by Republicans’ refusal to even consider the For The People Act. The right to vote — a cornerstone of our democracy — is under attack, but Republicans showed today that they are unwilling to protect this fundamental right. This is an existential issue that Democrats have ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) today introduced legislation that would freeze the daily allowances permitted for federal employees on government travel at their higher, pre-pandemic amounts for the next two years to help hotels that serve government travel receive a fair rate for the services they provide.   “Federal travelers are a significant part of the hotel industry’s customer base, and federal travel allowances s...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine are now accepting applications for the position of United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia to succeed United States District Court Judge John A. Gibney, Jr., who will assume senior status effective November 1, 2021. An independent panel of lawyers assembled by the Senators will review applications and interview qualified individuals. The Senators will then use those recommendations, as well a...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) led the introduction of a Senate resolution that acknowledges and apologizes for the mistreatment of and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LBGT) individuals who have served our nation as civil servants or members of the Armed Forces and Foreign Service. The resolution also reaffir...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today upon the House of Representatives’ passage of a bill repealing the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq, which authorized the Iraq War: “The 18-year-old Iraq War authorization is obsolete. The Government of Iraq is now a partner, not an enemy, so the House’s vote to repeal it is both welcome and overdue. Now is the time for the Senate to follow suit and finally put...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was joined by Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) in issuing the following statements to announce the Committee will take up their bipartisan legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Iraq Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) at the next business meeting scheduled for June 22, 2021:   “The decision to authorize the use of military force is the mos...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), joined Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Susan Collins (R-ME) in introducing bipartisan, bicameral legislation to prohibit smoking at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The legislation would repeal an antiquated 1992 law that requires the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to furnish and maintain designate...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, on the 9th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program being announced, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine joined a letter led by Senators Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) calling on the Biden administration to address the extreme backlog for DACA applicants and reduce wait times for DACA renewals. Current delays are a result of the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies and the COVID-19 pandemic and con...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement applauding the passage of a bipartisan resolution he co-sponsored condemning recent antisemitic incidents in the United States and around the world. The resolution also calls on leaders to denounce antisemitism and take specific steps to address it and prevent it. “In recent years, the prevalence of racism and antisemitism across our communities has risen at an alarming rate and we must do more to ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on President Biden’s nomination of Carlos Del Toro for Secretary of the Navy: “I have known Carlos Del Toro for 20 years and cannot imagine a better pick to be Secretary of the Navy. His patriotic Navy service, including as a surface ship commanding officer, and his successful entrepreneurial career make him the right choice to take the helm of the N...Continue Reading