Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Tim Kaine, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, joined a bipartisan group of Senators, led by Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Roger Wicker (R-MS), to introduce a resolution condemning the Russian military siege of Crimea, calling for a withdrawal of those troops, and a negotiated settlement to any concerns regarding the Crimea.  It also urges ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Fiscal Year 2015 defense budget today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the committee, pressed for, and received, additional commitment from Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and other Department officials that the administration supports maintaining an 11-carrier fleet if Congress can provide additional sequester relief for Fiscal Year 2016 and beyond.  “Before I get ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both members of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statements on President Obama’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2015: Senator Warner said: “The President’s FY2015 budget lays out his priorities for the coming years, including the repeal of at least a portion of future sequester cuts and some elements of tax reform. In many ways, this builds on the progress we’ve seen in recent weeks,...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today on the passing of former state Senator Dr. Benjamin Lambert III: "I first met Senator Lambert through my father-in-law Lin Holton. I so enjoyed working with him over the years and our community will miss him deeply.  My thoughts are with his beloved and accomplished family." ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined 19 Senators and 30 Representatives to send the following letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel regarding a change to TRICARE's reimbursement policy that excludes more than 100 different Molecular Pathology Laboratory (MoPath) tests and other Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs) with no notice to beneficiaries or to health care providers. Despite such a large change in policy, which took place January 1, 2013, no notices were gi...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined a group of five Senators to write a letter urging a Chinese drywall manufacturer to pay for the damage caused by its product in the United States, including in many Virginia homes. The letter presses Taishan Gypsum, one of the major Chinese drywall companies, to settle with builders and homeowners in the wake of a recent federal appeals court ruling affirming U.S. jurisdiction in the matter. Taishan Gypsum has already been o...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine addressed the growing humanitarian crisis in Syria. Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, recently traveled to the region and reflected on the widening dimensions of the civil war, its spillover effects in neighboring countries like Lebanon, and the complicity of Russia in the Assad regime’s war crimes.  He also shined a spo...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) today introduced a bipartisan resolution to encourage educators to promote career and technical education (CTE) as an option for students. In addition to recognizing the importance of career and technical education in preparing a skilled workforce, the resolution also designates the month of February as “Career and Technical Education Month” to celebrate CTE programs a...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine introduced Hannah Lauck, nominated to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.  "Hannah Lauck has an excellent record as a prosecutor and a magistrate judge, and her peers praise her character and integrity,” Sen. Warner said. “Her career now comes full circle as she is nom...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, chaired a hearing on recent political and security developments in Lebanon. With more than one million Syrian refugees currently in Lebanon, the hearing focused on the impact of the Syrian civil war, as well as what more the international community can do to provide assistance. “Lebanon is at a crossroads,” said Kaine. &ldq...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine questioned Department of Defense (DoD) nominees on the impact of the President’s Fiscal Year 2015 budget on national security priorities, including the critical importance of maintaining an 11-carrier fleet, based on Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s preview yesterday. Kaine, who is strongly opposed to any reductions to the 11-carrier Navy, pressed Deputy Secretary of Defense...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following a week-long trip across the Middle East, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and Central and South Asian Affairs, released a statement on the United Nations Security Council Resolution on Syria approved yesterday: “While it has taken too long for the U.N. Security Council to act – largely due to Russian obstruction - this resolution, if fully implemented, is a good step forward. I believe hum...Continue Reading

CAIRO, EGYPT – On the final day of a week-long tour across the Middle East, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and Central and South Asian Affairs, visited the Multinational Forces and Observers Mission (MFO) South Camp in Sharm el Sheik and met with *servicemembers from Virginia. The MFO mission helps maintain the 1981 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, with peacekeeping responsibilities in the Sinai. Along with troops from 13 other...Continue Reading

CAIRO, EGYPT – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and Central and South Asian Affairs had substantive discussions today with Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nabil Fahmy and Defense Minister Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Kaine also met with youth leaders, opposition party members, civil society, and Egyptian business leaders.   In meetings with the government officials, Kaine expr...Continue Reading

BEIRUT, LEBANON – U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and Central and South Asian Affairs, and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, made a two-day visit to Lebanon as part of their wider trip to the region. The Senators had substantive discussions with President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Tammam Salam, Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Comman...Continue Reading

RAMALLAH and JERUSALEM – Today U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and Central and South Asian Affairs, and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees had substantive discussions with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Saeb Erekat. They also met with a group of Pa...Continue Reading

JERUSALEM - Today U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and Central and South Asian Affairs, and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, visited an Iron Dome site near the Gaza border, as well as had substantive discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. During the meetings, Senators Ka...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and Central and South Asian Affairs, and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, will depart today for a week-long trip to the Middle East. Senators Kaine and King will visit Israel and the West Bank. Senator Kaine will also visit Egypt.   In Israel, Kaine and King will visit an Iron ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D. C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement after the Senate voted to repeal pension reductions for current servicemembers included in the Bipartisan Budget Act: “Today the Senate came together to repeal pension reductions that would have harmed our veterans and military families. I have been fighting to repeal these reductions since December and I’m relieved we can now give military veterans and their families the peace of mi...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement today after the Senate voted, 67-31, to suspend the debt ceiling and prevent default on America’s fiscal obligations. “After coming together to pass a bipartisan budget agreement, as well as an appropriations package and a farm bill, I’m extremely heartened that Congress has again chosen economic certainty over crisis-budgeting and brinksmanship. I hope&nbs...Continue Reading