Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, released the following statement after his trip last Friday to the detention facility at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay: “I expect the Senate to have a vigorous debate about the future of the detention facility at Guantanamo when we take up the Defense Authorizing bill in September.  In order to inform myself, I went there last Friday with Virginia Congressmen Frank...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on his appointment as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs. The subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries of the Middle East and Arab North Africa and also encompasses U.S. relations with the countries of South and Central Asia. “I am honored to assume the chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Sub...Continue Reading

Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced legislation encouraging peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula, in recognition of hundreds of Korean War veterans who will gather in the nation's capital to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. As lead sponsor in the Senate, Sen. Kaine joins the efforts of Reps. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Sam Johnson (R-TX), and Howard Coble (R-NC), who are the four remaining Korean War Vet...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, today joined fellow Virginia delegation member Congressman Frank Wolf, co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, at the commission’s hearing on the human rights situation in Honduras. During his testimony before the commission, Kaine reflected on his experience as a young law student working with Jesuit missionaries in Honduras and highlighted the deteriorating human rights and se...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) today introduced a bipartisan bill to provide for detailed analyses of how Congressional budgets and major pieces of new legislation would impact future generations. Kaine and Thune’s bill, the Intergenerational Financial Obligations Reform (INFORM) Act, would also require the president to provide a detailed accounting of how the administration’s budget would affect young people. The bill would ensure th...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine discussed the importance of developing a talented and competitive workforce during visits to the Volvo Trucks’ New River Valley (NRV) facility in Dublin and the RCPS+ summer program at Westside Elementary School in Roanoke. In Dublin, Kaine toured the manufacturing facility and held a discussion with Volvo Trucks’ employees about the facility’s energy efficiency accomplishments and answered questions about...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Over the weekend, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine traveled throughout Southwest Virginia and participated in community events in Wise, Norton and Lebanon on Saturday and at the Floyd Country Store on Sunday. Kaine kicked off his weekend at the Remote Area Medical (RAM) clinic at the Wise County Fairgrounds to volunteer and help serve the patients in need of health services. RAM, an annual program to increase access to health care, attracted ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Armed Services Committee, welcomed U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, Assistant Majority Leader and Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, to Newport News Shipbuilding today. During the tour, Kaine and Durbin heard from shipyard employees and officials about the unique capabilities of aircraft carriers and submarines and toured construction of the Virginia class submarine,&nb...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine wrote a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to urge the agency to adopt attainable New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for coal-fired power plants. In the letter, Kaine noted his support as Governor for the permitting of the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center, a state-of-the-art coal plant in Southwest Virginia that dramatically reduced mercury and sulfur emissions. Facilities like Virginia City...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine delivered remarks on the Senate floor today to announce his efforts with Senator John McCain (R-AZ) to reform the War Powers Resolution in a way that lays out a clear consultative process between Congress and the President on whether and when to engage in military action. Senators Kaine and McCain released a joint statement committing to work with their colleagues to codify such a process: “As we mark the 40th anniversary of the 1973 War Powe...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, participated today in the confirmation hearing of Samantha Power, President Obama’s nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. During the hearing, Kaine applauded Power’s significant experience and expertise, and discussed her strong commitment to Israel.  Following the hearing, Kaine endorsed Power’s nomination and stated he’d advocate for her swift confirm...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today following the announcement of a compromise to allow confirmation votes for seven of President Barack Obama’s nominees: “Yesterday, the entire Senate body came together and did something we rarely do – listen to each other for three and a half hours. As a result, we were able to find an acceptable compromise on pending executive nominations. I’m happy we’ve been able to find simila...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined 38 other senators today in sending a letter to President Obama calling on his administration to “swiftly and comprehensively” implement the Supreme Court’s decision overturning the Defense of Marriage Act. The senators wrote: “We understand that your Administration is evaluating the vast number of statutes and regulations impacted, and that many laws provide Federal agencies with great discretion to provide relief to ...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) urged U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to remove an Army policy that currently bars Sikh Americans from serving in the military if they choose to wear beards and turbans as part of their faith. The request comes after a recent news report that several members of the Sikh community have won exceptions from the military, but many others have failed and face an uphill battle. The Defense Department’s decades...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement following the vote to advance a proposal to keep subsidized Stafford student loan rates at 3.4%:   “I am extremely disappointed the proposal to keep subsidized Stafford student loan rates at 3.4% was stopped by a filibuster. I have long supported measures, including the Student Loan Affordability Act, that would have prevented the doubling of these rates. “More than 179,000 students in Virginia rely...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today introduced Alexandria resident Patricia Millett at a confirmation hearing in support of her nomination to the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals. In their remarks, both Senators noted Millett’s extensive legal experience and public and community service. “I recommend the confirmation of Patricia Millett without reservation, and it is a pleasure to speak on behalf of a Virginian with such extensi...Continue Reading

ADVISORY: KAINE TO HOLD FIRST TWITTER & FACEBOOK TOWN HALL  WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, July 17, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine will hold his first Twitter & Facebook town hall to answer questions about his first six months in the Senate and get feedback on issues that matter to Virginians, including the economy and job growth, immigration reform, measures to reduce gun violence and support for veterans. Questions can be submitted now on Twitter and Facebook using #AskTim.&n...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, today discussed his first overseas congressional delegation visit to Afghanistan, Jordan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Germany. During the July Fourth work week, he joined Senators Cornyn (R-TX), Cochran (R-MS), Sessions (R-AL), Boozman (R-AR), and Fischer (R-NE), to meet servicemembers in each country and discuss developing situations in Syria, Egypt and Iran, a...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of Virginia’s Congressional Delegation today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Labor Acting Secretary Seth D. Harris expressing unified support for a proposal to obtain a federal grant to support the Hire Vets Virginia initiative. All thirteen members of the Virginia Congressional Delegation signed the letter expressing interest in the proposal submitted for the National Emergency Grant on behalf of the Commonwealth. The letter reads, in part: “Virg...Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined Herndon Mayor Lisa Merkel, town officials and local business owners today for a tour of Herndon small businesses. During the tour, Kaine discussed steps he has taken – including his support for the Marketplace Fairness Act and his work to pass a Senate budget – to provide greater certainty and a level playing field for small businesses throughout the Commonwealth. Today’s tour included stops at the Green Lizard Cycling, Art...Continue Reading