{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Democrat\", state = \"VA\" and year = 2016 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=E84120EA-8917-4D32-BCF9-4DB12B4CAACF", "Statement of Sen. Warner on Administration Response to Russian Interference", "2016-12-29", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014 U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee in the 115th Congress,\u00a0issued a statement today on the Obama Administration's announcement that it will impose additional sanctions on Russia in response\u00a0to Russian hacking and interference in the\u00a0electoral process:\r\n\r\n\"The actions the President took today are an important\u00a0step, but preventing Russia from interfering in\u00a0our elections\u00a0will require a sustained response from the next administration and\u00a0from\u00a0Congress.\u00a0\r\n\"We are\u00a0obligated to conduct\u00a0a\u00a0thorough, timely and bipartisan\u00a0investigation in the 115th\u00a0Congress\u00a0with the goal of releasing as much information as possible, while protecting sources and methods,\u00a0so that the American people can understand exactly what happened\u00a0and what could well happen again if we fail to respond appropriately.\r\n\"Make no mistake: Russia's\u00a0actions were not those of a friend.\u00a0I am grateful to the intelligence community for their hard work to warn us about Russia's efforts to interfere in the democratic process. I\u00a0will continue to urge the incoming administration to respect the expertise and conclusions reached by our intelligence professionals,\u00a0and to take\u00a0actions that treat\u00a0Russia's\u00a0interference\u00a0with the seriousness it deserves.\"\u00a0\r\n#\u00a0#\u00a0#", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-scott-to-close-richmond-district-office-on-january-2-2017", "Rep. Scott to Close Richmond District Office on January 2, 2017", "2016-12-28", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Robert Scott", "S000185", "bobbyscott.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "NEWPORT NEWS, VA \u2013 On Monday, January 2, 2017, Congressman Bobby Scott will be closing his Richmond District Office due to redistricting.\nAs a result of court-ordered redistricting, the boundaries of the Third Congressional District of Virginia have changed. Effective on January 3, 2017, Congressman Scott will no longer represent the following localities in the United States Congress:\u00a0 the cities of Petersburg and Richmond, and the counties of Charles City, Henrico, Prince George and Surry.\u00a0 At the start of his new term on January 3, 2017, Congressman Scott will represent the following localities in the new Third Congressional District: the county of Isle of Wight, all of the cities of Franklin, Newport News, Portsmouth and parts of Chesapeake, Hampton, Norfolk, and Suffolk.\n\u201cIt has been a privilege to represent the citizens in these communities,\u201d said Rep. Scott.\u00a0 \u201cDuring my time in Congress, I have built long lasting relationships that played a vital role in my ability to effectively serve my constituents in Congress. I look forward to working with their new representatives on issues important to our Commonwealth in the 115th Congress.\u201d\nThe Richmond and Newport News offices will be available to assist constituents during this transition.\u00a0 If you live in one of the impacted localities and have a current case with the office, please call 757-380-1000 immediately to advise the office to either return all of your documents or give the office permission to forward your case to your new Member of Congress.\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-joins-group-of-senators-asking-trump-to-help-congress-bring-down-drug-prices", "Kaine Joins Group Of Senators Asking Trump To Help Congress Bring Down Drug Prices", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Joins Group Of Senators Asking Trump To Help Congress Bring Down Drug Prices\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 22, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined Senate Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to President-elect Donald Trump outlining specific steps his Administration should take to help Congress bring down the cost of prescription drugs.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt is undeniable that more and more families are struggling to access medications, and in many cases, are forced to choose between paying for prescription drugs and other necessities, like food and shelter. The American public is fed up, with roughly 8-in-10 Americans reporting that drug prices are unreasonable, and that we must take action to lower costs,\u201d said the Senators in the letter. \u201cYou now have the authority to push for a future that prioritizes patients. We are ready to advance measures to achieve this goal and we urge you to partner with Republicans and Democrats alike to take meaningful steps to address the high cost of prescription drugs through bold administrative and legislative actions.\u201d\r\n\r\nIn a letter sent to Trump, the Senators expressed their shared frustration over the cost of drugs and outlined several ways Trump can make good on his promise to lower the rising cost of prescription drugs for consumers including: allowing the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate better prices for Medicare recipients; requiring drug companies to disclose costs associated with creating drugs so prices are more transparent; putting an end to abusive price gouging; and ensuring innovation that will lead to greater competition and more affordable, effective drugs.\r\n\r\nIn June, Kaine called on U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) to review patient perspectives on access to health care and the impact of high out-of-pocket expenses. Kaine has also previously pressed\u00a0\u200ethe Administration on its efforts to inform consumers and health care providers about prescription drug costs and maximize Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services\u2019 (CMS) existing authorities to contain cost. Last year, Kaine introduced the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act, a bill that would empower Medicare to negotiate for the best possible price of prescription medication for America\u2019s seniors who are enrolled in Medicare Part D. Current law bans Medicare from bargaining with pharmaceutical companies for lower prices.\u00a0\r\n\r\nThe letter was led by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Al Franken (D-MN) and cosigned by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Angus King (I-ME). A full copy if the letter is available below.\r\n December 20, 2016\u00a0\r\nPresident-Elect Donald J. TrumpPresidential Transition Headquarters  1800 F Street, N.W., Room G-117  Washington, D.C. 20270\r\n\r\nDear President-Elect Trump:\r\n\r\nDuring your campaign, you promised to implement bold reforms to bring down the cost of prescription drugs. In fact, you acknowledged that \u201cCongress will need the courage to step away from the special interests and do what is right for America.\u201d You also supported allowing consumers\u2019 access to imported, safe, and dependable drugs from overseas and vowed to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for seniors. And earlier this month you again promised to \u201cbring down drug prices.\u201d While there are many different policy options to achieve lower drug prices, it\u2019s clear that we all agree that all Americans deserve access to safe, effective, and affordable lifesaving medications. As Members of Congress, we are ready to advance bipartisan reforms that will help achieve the goal we all share: reducing the burden exorbitant drug prices are placing on hard-working Americans.\r\n\r\nPrescription drugs can work wonders \u2013 curing diseases and helping those with chronic illness live longer, healthier lives. Drug companies, however, have often engaged in abusive tactics that price lifesaving drugs out of reach for those in need. It is time to enact policies that improve transparency and competition in the commercial market and make the government a smarter purchaser of prescription drugs.\r\n\r\nIt is undeniable that more and more families are struggling to access medications, and in many cases, are forced to choose between paying for prescription drugs and other necessities, like food and shelter. The American public is fed up, with roughly 8-in-10 Americans reporting that drug prices are unreasonable, and that we must take action to lower costs. The public\u2019s concern is well founded, just last week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid\u2019s Office of the Actuary published that, in 2015, prescription drug spending grew faster than any other category of medical spending for the second year in a row. This evidence comes despite claims from the drug industry that high drug spending in 2014 would only be a temporary blip.\r\n\r\nYou now have the authority to push for a future that prioritizes patients. We are ready to advance measures to achieve this goal and we urge you to partner with Republicans and Democrats alike to take meaningful steps to address the high cost of prescription drugs through bold administrative and legislative actions, including but not limited to the following actions:\r\n\r\n1. Give the Secretary of HHS the Authority to Negotiate Drug Prices. As you noted on the campaign trail, permitting the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate drug prices under Medicare could not only produce savings but would bring the largest payer in America in line with the activities of the rest of the insurance industry. In fact, you promised that \u201c(w)hen it comes time to negotiate the cost of drugs, we are going to negotiate like crazy.\u201d However, under current law, the Secretary is prohibited from doing so. We urge you to work with Congress to pass a law that lifts the current ban and gives the Secretary the authority to take immediate action and negotiate better prices for prescription drugs for our nation\u2019s more than 40 million Medicare Part D beneficiaries.\r\n\r\n2. Increase Transparency. Throughout your campaign, you also endorsed price transparency for the entire healthcare system. Patients should know drugs\u2019 true cost, not just the price that the drug companies and insurance companies choose to charge. We already have measures in place to require hospitals, providers, and other sections of the healthcare system to report on different cost measures; drug companies should be held to the same standards. We urge you to take immediate administrative action to require drug companies to publicly disclose costs associated with research and development, materials and manufacturing, and the federal benefits they receive in the form of tax credits, government grants, and government-funded research on which their products are based.\r\n\r\n3. Stop Abusive Pricing. We urge you to protect consumers from abusive pricing practices \u2014not only gouging consumers with the 5,000-percent overnight price hikes that have made recent headlines, but also the persistent, unjustified double-digit price increases that drug corporations have levied on the American people year after year. As members of Congress, we are ready to work on legislation to combat these abusive practices.\r\n\r\n4. Protect and Incentivize True Innovation. Taxpayers, through the federal government, are deeply involved with every step of the drug development process, from supporting basic scientific research and clinical trials, to granting exclusive monopolies, tax incentives, and fee waivers. However, taxpayer funds need to be better targeted to deliver what we all want: safe, innovative, affordable, and effective drugs to address our most pressing public health issues and unmet medical needs. We urge you to work with Congress to pass commonsense reforms that better protect and incentivize innovation with the greatest need and health benefits to ensure affordable access and good stewardship of taxpayer dollars.\r\n\r\n5. Ensure True Competition. It is past time to end the rigging of the prescription drug marketplace. Brand-name drug companies, for example, should not be allowed to take actions that block generic competitors from bringing their products to market. We urge you to task the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice with aggressively enforcing laws that currently exist and push for new provisions to ensure timely entrance of generics to the marketplace.\r\n\r\nDuring your campaign, you promised to address the high prescription drug prices that the vast majority of Republicans and Democrats expressed as a top concern in the election. In this letter, we have listed tangible ways your Administration can lead bipartisan work on this issue and fight for the millions of Americans who rely on prescription drugs to lead healthy lives. There will be ample opportunities to make good on these promises as Congress considers the Prescription Drug, Generic Drug, and Biosimilars User Fee Agreement reauthorizations and other health-related legislative priorities, and we look forward to your leadership on this issue by steering both sides of the aisle to work together to pass concrete reforms. We stand ready to support meaningful changes to the status quo and are committed to a future when all Americans can access lifesaving treatments when they need them.\r\n\r\nWe hope that you will join with Congress in living up to the expectations of the American people and prioritize this issue as President of the United States.\r\n\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-and-kaine-call-on-president-elect-trump-to-stand-with-women-protect-access-to-family-planning-centers-", "Warner & Kaine Call On President-Elect Trump To Stand With Women, Protect Access To Family Planning Centers", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Warner & Kaine Call On President-Elect Trump To Stand With Women, Protect Access To Family Planning Centers \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 22, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), along with 32 of their Senate colleagues, sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump urging him to oppose any efforts to restrict federal funding from supporting Title X family planning centers.\r\n\u201cThe economic security of women and their families is directly tied to a woman\u2019s access to reproductive health care, including birth control and counseling,\u201d wrote the Senators in the letter. \u201cDespite numerous Court decisions supporting and reiterating the importance of reproductive health care for women and families, Republicans in Congress have repeatedly attempted to restrict federal funding from supporting Title X family planning centers in communities nationwide.\u201d\r\nEnacted with strong bipartisan support in 1970, the Title X family planning provider network is the only federal grant program dedicated solely to providing individuals with comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services. In fact, four out of ten women who received care at health centers funded by Title X consider it to be their only source of health care. Last year alone, Title X provided basic primary and preventive health care services such as pap tests, breast exams, and HIV testing to more than 4.1 million low-income women and men at more than 4,100 health centers, more than 130 of them in Virginia. In 2014, Title X-funded health centers served more than 66,000 Virginia residents, more than half of whom had incomes at or below the federal poverty level, meaning they earned $11,670 a year or less.\r\nIn December, the Obama Administration finalized a historic rule that protects the Title X program from partisan efforts to undermine women\u2019s access to health care, by ensuring that federal funds are awarded based on a provider\u2019s ability to serve patients\u2014not based on any discriminatory purpose.\r\nIn today\u2019s letter, the Senators called on President-elect Trump to commit to implement a final rule by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which reinforces existing protections in the Title X program to ensure no qualified health care provider, like Planned Parenthood, is excluded from eligibility for federal funding. The final rule will help guarantee that women and LGBT people have access to the care entitled to them under federal law.\r\n\u201cPresident-elect Trump, women across the country have reason to be deeply concerned about the impact your administration could have on their health, their access to care, and therefore their economic security. We urge you to take clear position in favor of women\u2019s health by supporting access to birth control and family planning services at Planned Parenthood and other Title X clinics nationwide,\u201d wrote the Senators.\r\nIn additions to Sens. Warner and Kaine, the letter was signed by Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Edward Markey (D-MA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\r\nThe full text of the letter follows. A signed PDF is available here.\r\nDecember 22, 2016\u00a0\r\nPresident-Elect Donald J. TrumpTrump Tower725 5th AveNew York, NY 10022\r\nDear President-Elect Trump:\r\nWe write to express our great concern regarding the protection of our nation\u2019s family planning centers in the next Congress and under your Administration. The economic security of women and their families is directly tied to a woman\u2019s access to reproductive health care, including birth control and counseling.\r\nDespite numerous Court decisions supporting and reiterating the importance of reproductive health care for women and families, Republicans in Congress have repeatedly attempted to restrict federal funding from supporting Title X family planning centers in communities nationwide. Quality of care, not politics, should drive a health care provider\u2019s eligibility for federal funding. We urge you to stand with women and against Congressional Republicans by committing to implement a recently finalized rule stopping extreme Republicans from limiting communities\u2019 health care options for purely ideological reasons.\r\nEnacted with strong bipartisan support in 1970, the Title X family planning provider network is the only federal grant program dedicated solely to providing individuals with comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services. In fact, four out of ten women who received care at health centers funded by Title X consider it to be their only source of health care.[1] And last year alone, Title X provided basic primary and preventive health care services such as pap tests, breast exams, and HIV testing to more than 4.1 million low-income women and men at over 4,100 health centers.\r\nOn December 14, 2016, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized a historic rule which ensures that federal funds are awarded to health care providers based on their ability to serve patients and not for discriminatory or political reasons. This regulation clarifies and reinforces existing protections in the Title X program to ensure no qualified provider is excluded from eligibility for federal funding, and guarantee that women and LGBT Americans have access to the care entitled to them under federal law. However, before the ink was even dry on this rule, Senate Republicans had already threatened to undo this historic rule, jeopardizing the health of millions of women and families.[2]\r\nRegrettably, your selection of Congressman Tom Price for HHS Secretary further reinforces threats to women\u2019s reproductive health care. To cite one example, in response to a question about what would happen to women if the birth control benefit was taken away, Congressman Price stated in 2012, \u201cBring me one woman who has been left behind. Bring me one. There\u2019s not one.\u201d[3] As the head of HHS, Congressman Price will have unprecedented authority to target women\u2019s health and turn back decades of progress based on misinformation about women\u2019s health care needs.\r\nDespite your decision to nominate Congressman Price, you have as recently as this year claimed to support Planned Parenthood, the nation\u2019s largest family planning provider, recognizing that the organization \u201chas done very good work for millions of women.\u201d[4] Family planning services, like those provided at Planned Parenthood and other family planning centers, should be available to all women, no matter where they live or how much money they make. It is critical that you take a stand against efforts to undermine women\u2019s access to reproductive health care.\r\nPresident-elect Trump, women across the country have reason to be deeply concerned about the impact your administration could have on their health, their access to care, and therefore their economic security. We urge you to take clear position in favor of women\u2019s health by supporting access to birth control and family planning services at Planned Parenthood and other Title X clinics nationwide.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=1BDBB011-431A-4AE2-B256-B2B0F890FA66", "Warner & Kaine Call on President-Elect to Protect Access to Family Planning Centers", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), along with 32 of their Senate colleagues, sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump urging him to oppose any efforts to restrict federal funding from supporting Title X family planning centers.\r\n\u201cThe economic security of women and their families is directly tied to a woman\u2019s access to reproductive health care, including birth control and counseling,\u201d wrote the Senators in the letter. \u201cDespite numerous Court decisions supporting and reiterating the importance of reproductive health care for women and families, Republicans in Congress have repeatedly attempted to restrict federal funding from supporting Title X family planning centers in communities nationwide.\u201d\r\nEnacted with strong bipartisan support in 1970, the Title X family planning provider network is the only federal grant program dedicated solely to providing individuals with comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services. In fact, four out of ten women who received care at health centers funded by Title X consider it to be their only source of health care. Last year alone, Title X provided basic primary and preventive health care services such as pap tests, breast exams, and HIV testing to more than 4.1 million low-income women and men at more than 4,100 health centers, more than 130 of them in Virginia. In 2014, Title X-funded health centers served more than 66,000 Virginia residents, more than half of whom had incomes at or below the federal poverty level, meaning they earned $11,670 a year or less.\r\nIn December, the Obama Administration finalized a historic rule that protects the Title X program from partisan efforts to undermine women\u2019s access to health care, by ensuring that federal funds are awarded based on a provider\u2019s ability to serve patients\u2014not based on any discriminatory purpose.\r\nIn today\u2019s letter, the Senators called on President-elect Trump to commit to implement a final rule by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which reinforces existing protections in the Title X program to ensure no qualified health care provider, like Planned Parenthood, is excluded from eligibility for federal funding. The final rule will help guarantee that women and LGBT people have access to the care entitled to them under federal law.\r\n\u201cPresident-elect Trump, women across the country have reason to be deeply concerned about the impact your administration could have on their health, their access to care, and therefore their economic security. We urge you to take clear position in favor of women\u2019s health by supporting access to birth control and family planning services at Planned Parenthood and other Title X clinics nationwide,\u201d wrote the Senators.\r\nIn additions to Sens. Warner and Kaine, the letter was signed by Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Edward Markey (D-MA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\r\n\r\nSenate Family Planning Letter 20161222 by MarkWarner on Scribd\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=CE3107FE-1E32-4697-885A-15BCCEF7CAFE", "Banking Committee Democrats Press Wells Fargo for Answers on Phony Accounts Scandal", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Democrats on the U.S. Senate Banking Committee including Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today called on Wells Fargo\u2019s board of directors to respond to questions that the bank\u2019s management has failed to answer following a scandal over its fraudulent sales practices.\r\nIn response to questions from Sen. Warner, Wells Fargo previously indicated that as many as 41,000 fraudulent accounts could have been opened in Virginia without customers\u2019 knowledge.\r\nIn a letter, the Senators asked Wells Fargo\u2019s board for details about its ongoing investigation of the fraud, the timeline of when the board learned about the bank\u2019s illegal practices, actions the board took to address the problem, and reasons why it didn\u2019t investigate the misconduct sooner. The Senators also asked for responses to questions that Wells Fargo\u2019s management has continued to dodge but the board is in a position to answer.\r\n\u201c[C]ontinued failure to answer questions \u2013 especially basic questions \u2013 about the causes and consequences of the fraud that Wells Fargo permitted for many years does nothing to restore the trust of Wells Fargo\u2019s customers and shareholders, many of whom are our constituents,\u201d the Senators wrote. \u201cIn our view, waiting until spring 2017 to provide more documents and information to our questions is not diligence.\u201d \u00a0\r\nThe Senators asked Wells Fargo's board to respond by Jan. 6, 2017. The letter was jointly submitted by Sens. Warner, Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and Joe Donnelly (D-IN).\r\nIn September, the Banking Committee Democrats asked Wells Fargo to answer dozens of questions for the record to clarify and supplement the Sept. 20 testimony of the bank\u2019s former chief executive, John Stumpf, before the Banking Committee. Wells Fargo's response on Nov. 15 either ignored or provided insufficient responses to a host of the Senators\u2019 questions. In several instances, Wells Fargo declined to provide direct answers, citing the ongoing investigation that its board launched on Sept. 27.\r\nEarlier this month, Sen. Warner introduced legislation, the Justice for Victims of Fraud Act, that would allow customers victimized by Wells Fargo the opportunity to take the banking giant to court.\r\nThe full text of the Senators\u2019 letter to Wells Fargo\u2019s board follows.\u00a0\r\n2016 12 22 - Letter to Wells Board by MarkWarner on Scribd\r\n ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=805", "Engel-Connolly Offer Sanctions Legislation To Respond to Election Interference", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Gerald Connolly", "C001078", "connolly.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\u201cWe need to know exactly who was behind the foreign interference in our election and we need to respond swiftly and effectively.\"\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      Democratic members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs have introduced legislation that would impose sanctions on any foreign person or entity found to interfere illegally with a U.S. election. The Protect American Democracy Act (H.R. 6533), authored by Ranking Member Eliot L.  Engel (NY) and Representative Gerald E. Connolly (VA), would bar entry to the United States and freeze U.S.-based assets of anyone involved in such interference.All 19 Democratic members of the Foreign Affairs Committee are original cosponsors of the bill.\u201cWe need to know exactly who was behind the foreign interference in our election and we need to respond swiftly and effectively. We also need to make sure governments don\u2019t view future U.S. elections as an easy target. This legislation is a no-brainer. It sends a clear message that the United States won't stand quietly by as Russia or any other foreign power tries to undermine our democracy,\u201d said Rep. Engel. \u201cThe Democrats on the Foreign Affairs Committee are speaking with a unified voice, and I hope members on both sides of the aisle will do the right thing by getting behind this legislation and other efforts and respond to this attack on the United States.\u201d\u201cThere is a broad consensus among the U.S. intelligence community that Russia directed a deliberate effort to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. That should trouble every American,\" said Rep. Connolly. \"One of our most cherished institutions, democratic elections free of foreign interference, has been attacked. Congress must come together in a bipartisan fashion to demonstrate that there is a cost to such attacks on American democratic institutions. I am glad to join with Ranking Member Engel to introduce legislation that would publicly identify and authorize sanctions against foreign persons and countries that unlawfully interfere in U.S. federal elections. This situation demands transparency and decisive action.\"The Protect American Democracy Act would require the Secretary of State to compile a public list of foreign persons and entities who have, since January 1, 2015, unlawfully interfered in U.S. elections for federal office. Those on the list would be barred from entering the United States and have their financial assets in this country frozen.  The bill also requires the Secretary to submit a report to Congress after each federal election summarizing any foreign interference in the previous cycle.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=806", "Connolly Urges Russian Authorities To Drop Charges Against Ukrainian Journalist Mykola Semena", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Gerald Connolly", "C001078", "connolly.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Connolly Urges Russian Authorities To Drop Charges Against Ukrainian Journalist Mykola Semena \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 21, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) released the following statement today urging Russian authorities to drop all charges against Ukrainian journalist, Mykola Semena, and allow him to seek immediate medical attention.\u201cUkrainian journalist Mykola Semena was formally charged on December 7 under the Russian criminal code for allegedly violating Russia\u2019s territorial integrity by expressing the view that Crimea is Ukrainian territory. Semena\u2019s wrongful arrest follows Russia\u2019s forcible and illegal annexation of Crimea and willful violation of Ukraine\u2019s territorial integrity in 2014. Semena is currently under house arrest in Simferopol and needs urgent medical attention in Kyiv. Russian authorities should drop the charges against him and permit him to leave the peninsula in order to seek immediate medical treatment in Ukraine.\u201dCongressman Connolly is the sponsor of the Crimea Annexation Non-recognition Act. The legislation prohibits federal agencies from taking action that recognizes Russian sovereignty over Crimea. In July, Connolly successfully offered an amendment to the STAND for Ukraine Act, which would create only one condition under which the President can relax Crimea-related sanctions - the restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty over Crimea. He also successfully amended the National Defense Authorization Act to prohibit the use of funds on any activity that recognizes Russian sovereignty over Crimea.\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=463", "Beyers Science Prize Competitions Act Passes, Set To Become Law", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Donald Beyer", "B001292", "beyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As the 114th Congress drew to a close last week, the House and Senate passed the America COMPETES reauthorization which included text from Rep. Don Beyer's Science Prize Competitions Act. The measure encourages federal agencies to use prize competitions as incentives for innovation in scientific research. The President is expected to sign the larger bill, including Rep. Beyer's provision, into law before the end of the year.\r\nI'm so pleased that we ended this Congress on a bipartisan note, passing a bill which will encourage scientific research and development, said Rep. Don Beyer. Prize competitions have a centuries-old history of motivating exploration and innovation. Some of America's best moments, including the Space Race and Charles Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic, were motivated by competition. When we reach new frontiers of science and technology, all of us win. I would like to thank Senator Udall for his tremendous support and recognize his efforts to push the legislation over the finish line in the final days. \r\nSuccessful prize competitions attract innovators and entrepreneurs who apply American ingenuity to solve problems, said Sen. Tom Udall, sponsor of the Senate version of the bill. Past competitions hosted in New Mexico, for instance, helped develop commercial spaceflight and improve water desalination technology. Prizes are often a cost-effective way to spur innovation, and I am proud to have worked with Congressman Beyer to see this visionary measure enacted.  \r\n\r\nPrize competitions date back centuries and have a successful track record accelerating technological development in many fields. Their goal is to incentivize problem solving and reward cash prizes for the best solution, often from new and unorthodox ideas.  \r\n\r\nPrize competitions allow federal agencies to crowdsource creative solutions and tap into both traditional and non-traditional sources of innovation, said Chris Frangione, Vice President of Prize Development for XPRIZE. We applaud the bipartisan, bicameral effort on the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, and believe the bill's updates to federal prize authority will deepen existing public-private partnerships and result in more effective public prize competitions. In particular, we commend Senator Udall, Congressman Beyer, and Congressman Johnson for their tireless leadership on federal prize policy in Congress, which will help keep our nation at the forefront of innovation and exploration for years to come.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-tours-opioid-abuse-treatment-center-in-newport-news-", "Kaine Tours Opioid Abuse Treatment Center In Newport News", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Tours Opioid Abuse Treatment Center In Newport News \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 20, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, who will join the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) next year, visited an opioid/methadone treatment facility in Newport News to discuss how recent legislation will help address the opioid epidemic hitting Virginia, which claimed more lives in the state in 2014 than vehicle crashes and has been declared a public health emergency. Kaine toured the facility, which is a residential and day treatment program for recent mothers and pregnant women dealing with substance use disorders.\u00a0\r\n\u201cThe opioid addiction problem is a public health emergency in Virginia,\u201d Kaine said. \u201cAs a member of the HELP Committee next year, with increased ability to work closely on legislation that will address this epidemic, I wanted to come to this facility today to see a unique addiction treatment program for pregnant and expecting mothers. So much of the success of this facility is about the coordination of care and being able to offer comprehensive services to mothers who come here looking for help. That is a key piece of the strategy to address this crisis that I will take back with me to Congress.\u201d\r\nThis month, Congress passed the\u00a021st\u00a0Century CURES Act\u00a0with strong bipartisan support to fund critical biomedical research, including the Cancer Moonshot Initiative and research on the opioid abuse crisis. This July, the\u00a0Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act\u00a0(CARA) that included several measures to curb opioid abuse authored by Kaine, became law. The bill expanded the availability of Naloxone to first responders and law enforcement. The overdose antidote has reversed more than 26,000 overdose cases between 1996 and 2014. CARA will also support additional resources to identify and treat incarcerated individuals struggling with substance use disorders, expand drug take-back efforts to promote safe disposal of unused or unwanted prescriptions, and launch prescription opioid and heroin treatment and intervention programs.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/at-roundtable-discussion-on-importance-of-protecting-the-affordable-care-act-kaine-announces-new-appointment-to-senate-help-committee", "At Roundtable Discussion On Importance Of Protecting The Affordable Care Act, Kaine Announces New Appointment To Senate HELP Committee", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "At Roundtable Discussion On Importance Of Protecting The Affordable Care Act, Kaine Announces New Appointment To Senate HELP Committee\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tKaine to serve in key legislative role on healthcare and education issues\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 19, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine announced his appointment to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) during a discussion on health care access with health care providers and advocacy groups in Richmond.\u00a0\r\n\u201cI\u2019m excited to announce that I will be a member of the Senate HELP Committee in the next Congress and will have the chance to work on two long-time passions of mine, healthcare and education.\u00a0This is a critical moment for healthcare in America and I\u2019m motivated now more than ever to fight against harmful policy proposals that seek to reverse the progress we\u2019ve made in increasing access to care for millions of Americans. In this new role, I will also look for ways to further address the opioid abuse epidemic that affects every corner of the Commonwealth.\r\n\u201cFrom my experience growing up and working in my dad's ironworking shop and as the co-founder of the Senate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, I\u2019m a strong believer that high-quality CTE programs are a proven pathway to success. Serving on the HELP Committee will allow me to continue my work in the Senate to advocate for CTE, ensure postsecondary education opportunities are affordable and high-quality early childhood education programs are accessible, and support job training initiatives to expand economic growth in the U.S. I look forward to working closely with Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray, and building relationships with other members on the HELP Committee, in order to advance commonsense legislation on issues that directly impact the Virginia economy and working families in the Commonwealth.\u201d\r\nToday at the Daily Planet, a Richmond community health center, Kaine toured new facilities available to patients and hosted a roundtable discussion on the importance of protecting the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and other health programs. This month on the Senate floor, Kaine\u00a0discussed the importance of not repealing the ACA\u200e and the critical role the law and other health programs play in ensuring access to health care for over 20 million Americans.\u200e Committee assignments for the 115th Congress are still pending official ratification by the Democratic Caucus. \u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=570EF920-3FA8-4C70-847A-B05D00BFE8BC", "Warner & Stabenow Make Friendly Wager on Bahamas Bowl", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014 U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) made a friendly wager today on the outcome of the 2016 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl between the Old Dominion University Monarchs from Norfolk, Va. and the Eastern Michigan University Eagles from Ypsilanti, Mich. Sen. Warner is wagering a case of beer from Norfolk-based brewery\u00a0O\u2019Connors\u00a0against beer that Sen. Stabenow will provide from\u00a0Ypsilanti\u2019s\u00a0Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery. This is the first bowl bid for ODU (9-3, 7-1 C-USA), and only the second in program history for EMU (7-5, 4-4 MAC).\r\n\u201cCoach Bobby Wilder and the ODU Monarchs are headed to the Bahamas after winning eight of their last nine games and finishing their season 9-3,\u201dsaid Sen. Warner. \u201cIt is impressive the Monarchs are bowl-bound in just their eighth season of football, and I\u2019m confident ODU will defeat EMU for the third time in three years.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe mighty Eastern Michigan University Eagles are one of four talented teams from our great state headed to a bowl game this year,\u201d\u00a0said Senator Stabenow. \u201cI have no doubt that Coach Creighton has the team focused, determined, and prepared to topple the Old Dominion Monarchs. We are all looking forward to a big win for the Eagles in Nassau.\u201d\r\nThe event, officially known as the \u201cPopeyes Bahamas Bowl,\u201d is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-sanctioned Division 1 college football game, which will be played in Nassau, Bahamas at the Thomas Robinson Stadium\u00a0on December 23rd\u00a0this year.\u00a0\r\n#\u00a0#\u00a0#", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-nomination-of-mick-mulvaney-as-omb-director", "Kaine Statement On Nomination Of Mick Mulvaney As OMB Director", "2016-12-17", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Statement On Nomination Of Mick Mulvaney As OMB Director\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSaturday, December 17, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Budget Committee,\u00a0released the following statement following President-elect Trump\u2019s announcement that he will nominate Rep. Mick Mulvaney to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):\u00a0\r\n\u201cI\u2019m worried by President-elect Trump's nomination of Rep. Mike Mulvaney as Director of OMB due to his past unwillingness to support bipartisan budget compromises, his pro-shutdown record, his advocacy for slashing federal services and workers and his goal of defunding Planned Parenthood. As a member of the Budget Committee, and as a Senator who represents more than 170,000 federal employees, I intend to question Rep. Mulvaney on his approach to budgeting and vision for this important agency.\u201d\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=801", "Connolly Statement on Metro GM Personnel Actions Following the Falls Church Derailment", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Gerald Connolly", "C001078", "connolly.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Connolly Statement on Metro GM Personnel Actions Following the Falls Church Derailment \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 15, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n      \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Congressman Gerry Connolly released the following statement after Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld announced 28 personnel actions, including 6 terminations and 9 more pending: \"I applaud the tough decisions and decisive personnel actions by Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld. Accountability and commitment to safety must be the new standard. This should serve as a clarion call to the workforce, from top-to-bottom, that the status quo is no longer acceptable.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-kaine-introduce-bill-to-reinvigorate-coal-communities-", "Warner, Kaine Introduce Bill To Reinvigorate Coal Communities", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Warner, Kaine Introduce Bill To Reinvigorate Coal Communities \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 15, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine introduced the RECLAIM Act last week, legislation that will provide funds to states and Indian tribes for the purpose of promoting economic revitalization, diversification, and development in economically distressed communities through the reclamation and restoration of land and water resources adversely affected by coal mining.\r\n\u201cWe have a lot of work to do to ensure that communities that have historically relied on coal are not being left behind by rapid technological and economic shifts,\u201d said Warner. \u201cThe RECLAIM Act will speed up the release of a billion dollars already set aside to help Appalachian communities respond to environmental damage from coal mining, and fast-track investments in projects to restore the environment, create new jobs, and diversify the economy so that more people have greater access to economic opportunities.\u201d\r\n\u201cMine reclamation supports 300 to 400 Virginia jobs per year, contributes to economic revitalization, and cleans up contaminated land and water. For decades, coal companies have been paying fees per ton of coal to support reclamation projects, and today, many of those dollars sit in a federal account, unused. Senator Warner and I are proud to co-sponsor this common-sense bill, with our Democratic colleagues from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, that will turn those dollars loose to support new reclamation projects in Southwest Virginia,\u201d Kaine said.\r\nThe RECLAIM Act aims to support new economic and community development opportunities in impacted coal communities. This legislation utilizes $1 billion of existing funds from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to revitalize coal communities. Last week, Warner spoke on the Senate floor to push Congress to protect the health and pension benefits of retired coal miners and their families by passing the bipartisan Miners Protection Act, which both he and Kaine sponsored.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=F0D09B9C-39C0-4FCC-9C70-FF5CCA313D32", "President Obama Signs Sen. Warner's Bill to Honor OSS Veterans", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 This morning the White House announced that President Obama has signed into law legislation authored by Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) to honor veterans of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) with the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their superior service and major contributions during World War II.\r\n\u201cThe members of the OSS were essential to the Allied forces\u2019 victory in World War II, but for many years, their heroic contributions \u2013 which included some of the most daring covert operations of the war \u2014 remained shrouded in secrecy, their impact largely unknown to the American people. I am pleased that we are finally able to recognize them publicly with the Congressional Gold Medal,\u201d said Sen. Warner, the incoming Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. \u201cThe members of the OSS are part of the proud tradition of American intelligence professionals who have worked tirelessly and quietly in defense of our nation since its founding. They serve in anonymity, \u00a0knowing that their greatest contributions to our safety and security may never be made public. We seldom hear about their successes or their sacrifices, but they allow us to go about our everyday lives free from fear of those who wish to do us harm, and for that, we owe these brave men and women not only respect, but enduring gratitude.\u201d\r\nThe OSS conducted critical operations during the war including establishing intelligence networks, training resistance organizations throughout Europe and Asia, and carrying out \u201cmercy missions\u201d at the end of the war to save the lives of thousands of Allied prisoners of war. It was created in 1942 under the leadership of General William J. Donovan to better coordinate and oversee American intelligence operations. At its peak, 13,000 members served in the OSS including notable names such as Julia Child, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., John Ford, and James Donovan, who was depicted in the 2015 movie, \u201cBridge of Spies.\u201d\r\nSen. Warner is the incoming Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. This summer, he lead an effort to recognize Virginia OSS veteran Stephanie Rader by posthumously awarding her the Legion of Merit.\r\nThe OSS Congressional Gold Medal Act was co-sponsored by 73 Senators, including all 15 members of the Senate Intelligence Committee.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=461", "Beyer Assails Triumvirate of Anti-Environment Cabinet Nominees", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Donald Beyer", "B001292", "beyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Don Beyer issued the following statement today on President-elect Trump's recent nominations:\r\nThe trio of Scott Pruitt for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State, and Gov. Rick Perry for Secretary of Energy confirms our worst fears about President-elect Trump's intentions on climate change and the environment.\r\nAs Oklahoma's Attorney General, Scott Pruitt organized and led a national push to oppose the EPA. He made himself the mouthpiece for the fossil fuel industry as it fought protections of air and water quality. As a denier of climate science, he is unqualified to run the nation's premiere agency on the environment and the fight against climate change.\r\nAt the helm of Exxon-Mobil, Rex Tillerson continued the corporation's efforts to undermine climate science as well as its unyielding insistence that fossil fuels remain the dominant, if not sole, energy source for the immediate future. Exxon-Mobil's regard for shareholders alone, and its refusal to acknowledge that stock value could be married with a wiser and more sustainable long-term world energy portfolio caused untold harm. It is appalling that the Secretary of State who negotiated the Paris Agreement, perhaps the most ambitious step towards fighting climate change in history, could be followed by this nominee.\r\nRick Perry impressed almost no one during his presidential run, and his most famous statement was his call to abolish the very agency he has been tapped to lead, once he remembered that it is called the Department of Energy.' The notion that he will succeed the Obama-era Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize winner, and incumbent Ernest Moniz, an MIT nuclear physicist, is at once saddening and frightening, as was his call to close the agency tasked with developing clean energy technologies.\r\nClimate change remains the world's greatest threat. Delaying or reversing our efforts to fight climate change will have potentially catastrophic effects on the planet.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=800", "Connolly Statement on the Nomination of Rick Perry to Lead the Department of Energy", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Gerald Connolly", "C001078", "connolly.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Connolly Statement on the Nomination of Rick Perry to Lead the Department of Energy \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 13, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n        Congressman Gerry Connolly, co-chair of the House Sustainable Energy and Environmental Coalition, released the following statement on the nomination of former Texas Governor Rick Perry to lead the Department of Energy. Read more.\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      Congressman Gerry Connolly, co-chair of the House Sustainable Energy and Environmental Coalition, released the following statement on the nomination of former Texas Governor Rick Perry to lead the Department of Energy:\"President-elect Trump\u2019s selection of Rick Perry to lead the Department of Energy continues a troubling pattern of selecting individuals to head agencies they actually wish to dismantle. These are important agencies critical to the success and future of our nation. We need leaders who inspire the career civil servants that power these agencies, not someone who denigrates their service. I will continue to vigorously oppose this Cabinet of Horrors.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=830", "Connolly Calls on Trump to Immediately Act on Rampant Conflicts of Interest", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Gerald Connolly", "C001078", "connolly.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\u201cThe tentacles of the Trump Organization run far and wide. How is the President-elect to act responsibly, ethically, and in our nation\u2019s best interest, if he is still heavily invested in these holdings?\u201d said Rep. Connolly\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      In advance of tomorrow\u2019s House Oversight and Government Reform Forum on the President-elect\u2019s blatant conflicts of interest, Congressman Connolly called on Trump to immediately divest and place his holdings in a blind trust. \u201cThe President of the United States must avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. Unfortunately, the President-elect\u2019s vague, and now delayed, twitter promises of a \u201cfuture plan\u201d fall far short of past practice and our reasonable expectations,\u201d said Connolly. \u201cThe president cannot serve himself while serving the nation, and the president is not above the law,\u201d added Connolly. \u201cIt is important that Americans understand what is going on here and how far the President-elect\u2019s conflicts of interest run. That demands transparency.\u201d \u201cThe tentacles of the Trump Organization run far and wide. How is the President-elect to act responsibly, ethically, and in our nation\u2019s best interest, if he is still heavily invested in these holdings?\u201d\u201cIn fact, the problems of turning his business operations over to his children are made pretty obvious by the recent reports of Ivanka sitting in on his meeting with Prime Minister Abe of Japan, and by comments by some foreign dignitaries that they may opt to stay at Trump International Hotel to curry favor.\u201d\u201cFor example, he will be making decisions about regulation of the financial sector and the potential dismantling of the Dodd-Frank banking law, as the Trump Organization, like most real estate empires, is heavily indebted to banks and other lenders.\u201d\u201cEven worse, if any foreign government or a company controlled by a foreign government does business with a Trump entity with his involvement, the President could be accused of accepting a payment in violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, creating a constitutional crisis that could even result in threats of impeachment.\u201d\u201cThe only solution is divestiture and a blind trust managed by a neutral party,\u201d Connolly said. \u201cAll past presidents in modern history have employed the use of a blind trust so that their presidency  is not overshadowed by conflicts such as those found between Trump\u2019s business interests and the public interest.\u201dBackground: On November 30, 2016, Connolly joined with Ranking Member Cummings of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and Ranking Member DeFazio and Mr. Carson of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in asking for information about how the General Services Administration (GSA) plans to address the imminent breach-of-lease and conflict of interest issues created by President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s lease with the U.S. Government for the Trump International Hotel building in Washington, D.C", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/in-northern-virginia-kaine-rides-silver-line-with-metro-gm-to-assess-progress-on-extension-to-dulles-airport", "In Northern Virginia, Kaine Rides Silver Line With Metro GM To Assess Progress On Extension To Dulles Airport", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In Northern Virginia, Kaine Rides Silver Line With Metro GM To Assess Progress On Extension To Dulles Airport\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 13, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, in an effort to assess progress on Phase II of the Silver Line, Kaine rode the Metro from Tyson\u2019s Corner to the Wiehle-Reston stop with\u00a0Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld and received a tour and briefing on construction of the extension to Dulles International Airport from Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA)\u00a0officials. As Governor of Virginia, Kaine made securing $900 million in federal funding for Phase I of the Silver Line project a top transportation priority.\r\n\u201cI\u2019m a huge supporter of the Silver Line,\u201d Kaine said. \u201cFrom working on getting Phase I from the drawing board to the groundbreaking as Governor, and now seeing the progress being made on Phase II; this is exciting. It is such a necessary project to keep up with the growth of Northern Virginia, and especially to serve Dulles International Airport, which is one of the two key hubs for Virginia\u2019s national economic reach.\u201d\r\nLater in the day, Kaine visited Prince William Forest National Park as part of the National Park Service (NPS) centennial celebration. Kaine and his staff committed to visit every NPS unit in Virginia by the end of 2016, and the visit to Prince William Forest Park completed Kaine\u2019s effort. He also met with a chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) in Annandale to discuss workforce development and issues affecting Virginia\u2019s federal workers.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-nomination-of-rex-tillerson-as-secretary-of-state", "Kaine Statement On Nomination Of Rex Tillerson As Secretary Of State", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Statement On Nomination Of Rex Tillerson As Secretary Of State\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 13, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees,\u00a0released the following statement following President-elect Trump\u2019s announcement that he will nominate Rex Tillerson to be Secretary of State:\u00a0\r\n\u201cI have significant concerns about the nomination of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State that I intend to explore thoroughly as part of the confirmation process. His close connection to Vladimir Putin and the Russian government raises serious questions at a time when our national intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia engaged in cyber espionage against the United States during the 2016 Presidential election.\u00a0Further, the documented efforts by ExxonMobil to fund organizations denying climate science during Tillerson's tenure at the company deserve critical attention as Virginia grapples with sea level rise in Hampton Roads and other climate driven issues.\u201d\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=460", "National Capital Region Members Support Second Memorial Bridge Grant Application", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Donald Beyer", "B001292", "beyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressional representatives from Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia urged Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to support the National Park Service's (NPS) FASTLANE grant application for $60 million to complete Arlington Memorial Bridge repairs, a project estimated to require upwards of $250 million. The letter was sent by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Representatives Don Beyer, Gerry Connolly, Barbara Comstock, and Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.\r\nEarlier this year, the Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded NPS $90 million to begin necessary repairs. This grant would bring the total FASTLANE federal contribution to $150 million. The FASTLANE program requires NPS to provide 40 percent in matching funds.\r\nThe lawmakers released the following joint statement today:\r\nWe encourage Secretary Foxx and the Department of Transportation to support the National Park Service's FASTLANE application. Arlington Memorial Bridge is a critical multimodal link in the national capital region's transportation network. This additional federal money is necessary to avoid a costly, prolonged repair project that will add to the region's congestion problems for years. It is vital that this project is completed promptly, with federal support.\r\nWithout an additional FASTLANE grant, NPS will need to complete the project in phases stretching multiple years, raising the potential for an extended construction timeline, additional traffic delays, and increased construction costs. A multi-phased rehabilitation project also increases the likelihood of additional emergency repairs.\r\nThe full text of the delegation's letter follows, and the original copy can be viewed online here.\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Anthony Foxx  \r\nU.S. Department of Transportation  \r\n1200 New Jersey Ave, SE  \r\nWashington, D.C. 20590\r\nDear Secretary Foxx:\r\nWe are pleased to provide this letter in support of the National Park Service's (NPS) Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National Efficiencies (FASTLANE) grant application for the Arlington Memorial Bridge Reconstruction Project. As you know, the bridge spans the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., connecting Northern Virginia with the District of Columbia. It is not only a national memorial, but a critical multimodal link in the national capital region's transportation network.  \r\n\r\nWe appreciate the U.S. Department of Transportation's commitment to this project and previous award of a $90 million grant to enable major construction activities to begin. Unfortunately, the grant and associated matching funds will not cover the full $250 million needed for repairs. Without the remaining balance of $60 million, the construction schedule could be prolonged, raising the potential of increased travel delays and continual ad hoc repairs until the bridge would ultimately need to be completely closed by 2030, or sooner.  \r\n\r\nArlington Memorial Bridge is structurally deficient and its poor condition has already begun to significantly constrain regional movement. In May of 2015, NPS suddenly closed portions of two lanes for emergency repairs. Without a major overhaul the bridge will be closed to all vehicle traffic by 2021. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments projects a full bridge closure would cost the region $75.4 million per year in traffic delays alone. Traffic diversions would also put even more strain on already crowded nearby bridges.  \r\n\r\nThe bridge carries 68,000 vehicles per day, which is one of the highest volumes for any one bridge administered by NPS. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) engineering evaluations have demonstrated the Arlington Memorial Bridge is the worst condition of all high-volume urban federally-owned bridges in the country. Given the bridge's state of disrepair, historical significance, traffic volume, and overall size, it is the estimated that it is the most costly identified federally-owned bridge rehabilitation project across the country.  \r\n\r\nArlington Memorial Bridge is also entirely owned by the federal government, under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. State governments have no legal obligation to provide financial support for maintenance of the bridge. Therefore, without significant federal investment, a project of this magnitude poses a nearly impossible challenge to NPS's transportation budget. A weight limit, which disrupts freight flows in the region, has already been instituted for Arlington Memorial Bridge. Closing the bridge entirely would have a cascading effect on all modes of transportation within the region. Finally, it is important to note that the bridge serves as a designated emergency route which would support the evacuation of over one million people in the event of a threat to the seat of government.  \r\n\r\nThe Arlington Memorial Bridge Reconstruction Project would completely rehabilitate Arlington Memorial Bridge, protecting its memorial character while improving safety and preventing disruption to freight flows on other Potomac River crossings. The project supports the Department of Transportation's emphasis on economic growth; transportation safety; and federal, state and local partnerships; and is an outstanding example of regional cooperation. It also reflects the calls for addressing infrastructure bottlenecks and improving safety in your department's National Freight Strategic Plan.  \r\n\r\nFor these reasons, we enthusiastically support the NPS's FASTLANE grant application for the remaining funding required to repair and preserve Arlington Memorial Bridge.  \r\n\r\nIf you have any questions please feel free to contact our offices. \r\nSincerely,  \r\n\r\n\r\nDonald S. Beyer Jr. Eleanor Holmes Norton  \r\n\r\n8th District, VirginiaAt-large, District of Columbia\r\n\r\nSenator Mark Warner Senator Tim Kaine\r\nVirginia Virginia\r\n\r\nBarbara Comstock Gerald E. Connolly \r\n10th District, Virginia 11th District, Virginia\r\n\r\nJohn K. Delaney\r\n6th District, Maryland", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=798", "Connolly Commends President Obama's Call for Comprehensive Investigation into Cyber Attacks Related to the 2016 Election", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Gerald Connolly", "C001078", "connolly.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, Congressman Gerry Connolly sent a letter to President Obama commending his recent directive to U.S. intelligence agencies to conduct a comprehensive investigation into cyber attacks related to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. This follows a November 17 letter he led with 15 other members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee requesting hearings regarding deliberate attempts by foreign countries to interfere in U.S. elections.\"I welcome the broadening interest in this matter and hope Congress can work in a bipartisan fashion to examine this threat,\" said Connolly. \"Regardless of the outcome of this investigation, Russia\u2019s actions during the 2016 election have exposed a clear and present threat to one of our most fundamental democratic institutions \u2013 elections free of foreign interference.\"In his letter, Connolly wrote, \"Following the USIC's assertion that \"the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of emails from U.S. persons and Institutions, including from U.S. political organizations\" on October 7, 2016, the American people have been demanding a response. These actions by Russia constitute an assault on our democracy. We cannot allow Russia to undermine people's faith in our democratic institutions.\"\"As we look into the specific circumstances of the 2016 election, Congress should develop a deterrence to attacks on the U.S. political system. There must be a cost to undermining American democracy,\" Connolly added.\"President-elect Donald Trump continues to deny any evidence of Russian interference and insults the professionalism of our intelligence community by accusing them of acting with political motivation. This is disturbing. President-elect Trump\u2019s education on protecting our country should begin now. I encourage him to participate in his intelligence briefings and remain focused on the threats facing our nation.\"The full letter can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/in-chesterfield-kaine-meets-with-paralyzed-veterans-discusses-healthcare-", "In Chesterfield, Kaine Meets With Paralyzed Veterans, Discusses Healthcare", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In Chesterfield, Kaine Meets With Paralyzed Veterans, Discusses Healthcare \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 12, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was in Chesterfield to meet with members of Paralyzed Veterans of America and discuss veterans\u2019 healthcare. In the Senate, Kaine has been a strong advocate for improved healthcare services at the VA.\r\n\u201cMy work on the Senate Armed Services Committee keeps me very involved in veterans\u2019 healthcare and service reform issues, so I was glad I had the chance today to hear directly from Virginia\u2019s veterans on how I can best represent their needs in Congress,\u201d Kaine said. \u201cI just co-sponsored a bill that would help speed up the process of determining disability benefits at the VA. It just takes too long and there\u2019s now a backlog of about 450,000 cases. We need to devote more personnel, resources, and technology systems to work on this.\u201d\r\nLast week, Kaine announced\u00a0his \u200esupport for a bill to reform the benefits appeals process at the\u00a0Department of Veterans\u2019 Affairs (VA) and address the significant backlog of appeals at the agency. In September, Kaine and U.S. Senator Mark Warner introduced the\u00a0Providing Veterans Overdue Care Act, which would authorize leases for medical facilities in 15 states, including an outpatient facility in Hampton Roads. Today kicks off three days of events that Kaine will hold across Virginia focused on issues affecting families and the economy in the Commonwealth.\r\n###\u200e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=AD2D9329-B90C-475E-9CBB-D0DEFC49A1F1", "Warner Joins National Capital Region Members to Support Second Memorial Bridge Grant Application", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined congressional representatives from Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia to urge Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to support the National Park Service\u2019s (NPS) FASTLANE grant application for $60 million to complete Arlington Memorial Bridge repairs, a project estimated to require upwards of $250 million. The letter also included Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Representatives Don Beyer, Gerry Connolly, Barbara Comstock, and Sen. Tim Kaine.\r\nEarlier this year, the Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded NPS $90 million to begin necessary repairs. This grant would bring the total FASTLANE federal contribution to $150 million. The FASTLANE program requires NPS to provide 40 percent in matching funds.\r\nThe lawmakers released the following joint statement today:\r\n\u201cWe encourage Secretary Foxx and the Department of Transportation to support the National Park Service\u2019s FASTLANE application. Arlington Memorial Bridge is a critical multimodal link in the national capital region\u2019s transportation network.\u00a0 This additional federal money is necessary to avoid a costly, prolonged repair project that will add to the region\u2019s congestion problems for years. It is vital that this project is completed promptly, with federal support.\u201d\r\nWithout an additional FASTLANE grant, NPS will need to complete the project in phases stretching multiple years, raising the potential for an extended construction timeline, additional traffic delays, and increased construction costs. A multi-phased rehabilitation project also increases the likelihood of additional emergency repairs.\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe full text of the delegation\u2019s letter follows, and the original copy can be viewed online here.\r\nThe Honorable Anthony Foxx\r\nU.S. Department of Transportation\r\n1200 New Jersey Ave, SE\r\nWashington, D.C. 20590\r\n\u00a0\r\nDear Secretary Foxx:\r\nWe are pleased to provide this letter in support of the National Park Service\u2019s (NPS) Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National Efficiencies (FASTLANE) grant application for the Arlington Memorial Bridge Reconstruction Project. As you know, the bridge spans the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., connecting Northern Virginia with the District of Columbia.\u00a0 It is not only a national memorial, but a critical multimodal link in the national capital region\u2019s transportation network.\r\nWe appreciate the U.S. Department of Transportation\u2019s commitment to this project and previous award of a $90 million grant to enable major construction activities to begin.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the grant and associated matching funds will not cover the full $250 million needed for repairs. Without the remaining balance of $60 million, the construction schedule could be prolonged, raising the potential of increased travel delays and continual ad hoc repairs until the bridge would ultimately need to be completely closed by 2030, or sooner.\r\nArlington Memorial Bridge is structurally deficient and its poor condition has already begun to significantly constrain regional movement.\u00a0 In May of 2015, NPS suddenly closed portions of two lanes for emergency repairs.\u00a0 Without a major overhaul the bridge will be closed to all vehicle traffic by 2021.\u00a0 The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments projects a full bridge closure would cost the region $75.4 million per year in traffic delays alone.\u00a0 Traffic diversions would also put even more strain on already crowded nearby bridges.\r\nThe bridge carries 68,000 vehicles per day, which is one of the highest volumes for any one bridge administered by NPS.\u00a0 The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) engineering evaluations have demonstrated the Arlington Memorial Bridge is the worst condition of all high-volume urban federally-owned bridges in the country.\u00a0 Given the bridge\u2019s state of disrepair, historical significance, traffic volume, and overall size, it is the estimated that it is the most costly identified federally-owned bridge rehabilitation project across the country.\r\nArlington Memorial Bridge is also entirely owned by the federal government, under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.\u00a0 State governments have no legal obligation to provide financial support for maintenance of the bridge.\u00a0 Therefore, without significant federal investment, a project of this magnitude poses a nearly impossible challenge to NPS\u2019s transportation budget.\u00a0 A weight limit, which disrupts freight flows in the region, has already been instituted for Arlington Memorial Bridge.\u00a0 Closing the bridge entirely would have a cascading effect on all modes of transportation within the region.\u00a0 Finally, it is important to note that the bridge serves as a designated emergency route which would support the evacuation of over one million people in the event of a threat to the seat of government.\u00a0\r\nThe Arlington Memorial Bridge Reconstruction Project would completely rehabilitate Arlington Memorial Bridge, protecting its memorial character while improving safety and preventing disruption to freight flows on other Potomac River crossings.\u00a0 The project supports the Department of Transportation\u2019s emphasis on economic growth; transportation safety; and federal, state and local partnerships; and is an outstanding example of regional cooperation.\u00a0 It also reflects the calls for addressing infrastructure bottlenecks and improving safety in your department\u2019s National Freight Strategic Plan.\r\nFor these reasons, we enthusiastically support the NPS\u2019s FASTLANE grant application for the remaining funding required to repair and preserve Arlington Memorial Bridge.\u00a0\r\nIf you have any questions please feel free to contact our offices.\r\n\u00a0\r\nSincerely,\r\n\u00a0\r\nDonald S. Beyer Jr.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eleanor Holmes Norton\r\n8th District, Virginia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0At-large, District of Columbia\r\n\u00a0\r\nSenator Mark Warner\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Senator Tim Kaine\r\nVirginia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Virginia\r\n\u00a0\r\nBarbara Comstock\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gerald E. Connolly\u00a0\r\n10th District, Virginia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 11th District, Virginia\r\n\u00a0\r\nJohn K. Delaney\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\n6th District, Maryland\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-kaine-praise-final-passage-of-bipartisan-water-infrastructure-bill", "Warner, Kaine Praise Final Passage Of Bipartisan Water Infrastructure Bill", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Warner, Kaine Praise Final Passage Of Bipartisan Water Infrastructure Bill\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSaturday, December 10, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine applauded final passage of the bipartisan Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act), also known as the\u00a0Water Resources Development Act\u00a0(WRDA), which authorizes water infrastructure projects across the nation. This bill makes investments in harbor dredging, maintenance of locks and dams, flood control, ecosystem restoration and other water-related priorities. Additionally, the bill includes a package of measures to address the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan, as well as steps to lessen risks for similar communities across the country with aging drinking water infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers\u2019 biennial infrastructure report card\u00a0gives Virginia\u00a0an overall grade of C- for the state of its water and transportation infrastructure.\r\n\u201cWe voted for this bill because it makes overdue investments in many priorities important to Virginia \u2013 dredging and port infrastructure, restoration of important ecosystems like the Chesapeake Bay, and resilience to flooding and sea level rise for large coastal communities like Hampton Roads and small rural ones like Chincoteague. This bill also devotes emergency funding to deal with lead-contaminated drinking water for the people of Flint, Michigan. We appreciate the inclusion of Virginia provisions we authored and applaud the bipartisan vote on this commonsense infrastructure bill,\u201d the Senators said.\r\nThe following list includes several provisions for which Warner and Kaine advocated that were included in the final bill:\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A study of Chincoteague Island evaluating the perennial flooding and erosion challenges\u00a0facing the region and examining options of how to fix these issues, how much they would cost, and how much the federal cost-share would be. With nearly 2.3 million visitors last year, Assateague Island National Seashore and the adjacent Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge are premiere tourism destinations on Virginia\u2019s Eastern Shore. Extreme weather events have occurred frequently in recent years, including last January\u2019s blizzard that caused some $725,000 in damage and nearly destroyed the recreational beach parking lot.\u00a0\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Reauthorization and funding increase for the\u00a0Chesapeake Bay Oyster Restoration Program, a successful public-private partnership among the Army Corps of Engineers, states, localities, and groups like The Nature Conservancy. This program has helped reverse years of declining oyster populations in the Bay by supporting oyster reef projects in key Virginia locations, such as the Rappahannock, Lafayette and Piankatank Rivers. The additional funds authorized in this provision will help Virginia and other Bay watershed states reach the 2025 pollution reduction goals laid out in the Chesapeake Bay Agreement.\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Section 4013 updates an existing coastal resiliency program\u00a0to prioritize federal funds for projects in communities threatened by sea level rise while creating an interagency working group to coordinate data on sea level rise across federal agencies.\u00a0It also requires federal consultation with state organizations working to coordinate resilience investment across federal, state, regional, and local bureaucratic entities. This will promote more informed decision-making about sea level rise planning in key regions like Hampton Roads, while ensuring that resilience-related grants from multiple agencies are serving complementary objectives. This provision will also provide formal federal backing for state-sponsored task forces like the Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency \u2013 an interagency, cross-jurisdictional clearinghouse for Hampton Roads sea level rise planning co-led by Old Dominion University and William & Mary\u2019s Virginia Institute of Marine Science.\r\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/scott-receives-the-restoring-the-balance-award-from-the-national", "Scott Receives the Restoring the Balance award from the National Conference of State Legislatures", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Robert Scott", "S000185", "bobbyscott.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 On Wednesday, December 7, 2016, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) received the \u201cRestoring the Balance\u201d award from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), a bipartisan national organization committed to improving the quality and effectiveness of state legislatures.\nCongressman Scott, the Ranking Member of House Committee on Education and the Workforce, received the award in recognition of his leadership in negotiating and advocating for the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and replaced the No Child Left Behind Act.\u00a0 This prestigious award also highlights Congressman Scott\u2019s efforts to ensure that the Department of Education\u2019s regulations adhere to the intent of Congress.\n\u201cI am honored to receive the \u2018Restoring the Balance\u2019 award and grateful for the National Conference of State Legislatures\u2019 support,\u201d said Congressman Scott. \u201cWhen I began negotiating the Every Student Succeeds Act, my goal was to protect the civil rights legacy of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. In the coming years, it will be important for state legislators across the country to continue their hard work of engaging stakeholders and protecting the civil rights of our most vulnerable students.\u201d\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-vote-to-avert-a-shutdown-and-fund-government-through-april-28-", "Kaine Statement On Vote To Avert A Shutdown And Fund Government Through April 28", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Statement On Vote To Avert A Shutdown And Fund Government Through April 28 \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 9, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on his vote for a spending bill to fund the government through April 28 and avert a government shutdown:\r\n\u201cI voted in favor of this short-term spending measure because the alternative\u2014a government shutdown\u2014would be disastrous for Virginia. But the default to a continuing resolution rather than a long-term appropriations package is a Congressional failure that has real-world consequences across the Commonwealth. While I\u2019m pleased the CR will allow a 2.1 percent pay raise for military servicemembers and that it contains an exception providing the necessary funding and authorities for the Ohio Replacement Submarine Program, many other important defense priorities included in this year\u2019s National Defense Authorization Act will go unfunded for months. I am particularly dismayed that this resolution will delay funding for the construction of a new aircraft carrier in Newport News and will only preserve the health benefits of retired mine workers and their families for four months. I urge my colleagues to abandon such backward-looking budgeting and commit to passing full-year appropriations bills forged by bipartisan compromise.\u201d\r\nIn recent weeks, Senator Kaine wrote to Defense appropriators to request procurement funding for the Ohio Replacement Program.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=2A874922-A935-4EBB-B99C-E3647F44AE23", "Sen. Warner Statement on Investigation of Russian Interference in 2016 Election", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued a statement after President Barack Obama announced he has directed the intelligence community to investigate the cyberattacks that plagued the 2016 election. On October 7, the U.S. intelligence community announced publicly that it is \u201cconfident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails\u2026\u201d and that \u201cthese thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the US election process.\u201d\r\n\u201cInterference in America\u2019s democracy and our electoral process by any outside power is unacceptable. I commend the President for undertaking a comprehensive review of meddling in the election by Russia. Similarly, I strongly believe Congress must play a proactive role in this investigation,\u201d said Sen. Warner. \u201cAs the incoming Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I know that one of the primary missions of the intelligence professionals in this country is to render their best professional judgment, regardless of political considerations. I look forward to working in a bipartisan manner to ensure this matter is thoroughly investigated.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=4C3EDD3F-A4FC-4C7B-9567-269A0B6F99F7", "Sen. Warner Floor Remarks on CR & Miners", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014Friday evening, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate about the Continuing Resolution to fund the government through April 28th and efforts to protect the health and pension benefits of retired mineworkers and their families. A transcript and a link to download video of those remarks are below.\r\nSen. Warner and colleagues from West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania spearheaded an effort this week to extend healthcare benefits for retired mineworkers beyond the four-month extension that was included in the House-passed Continuing Resolution stopgap spending bill.\r\nTranscription: \r\n\u00a0\r\nFirst of all, let me echo everything that Senator Casey and Senator Brown have said. But the reason why we're here, beyond the justness of our cause, is the fact that the Senator from West Virginia, Senator Manchin, has been absolutely relentless. He has not let this issue die. For 18 months he has gone through every hoop that has been put in front of him. And it's getting through. The fact is, Senator Manchin today reintroduced the Miners Protection Act. In one day -- in one day he picked up 49 cosponsors to this legislation.\r\nWe're going to have a vote later tonight. Let me be clear, I\u2019m going to join in that protest. But as somebody who's got one heck of a lot of federal employees, we are not going to shut down the government on this issue. We should not even be even thinking about choices where we have to trade off federal workers and miners. That's not what we're sent here to do. But we are going to make sure that this fight does not end tonight. And the 49 who signed up today will be in the 50's and the 60's when we come back. Let me just close before -- and I know we've got other colleagues, but others have commented. I went through these talking points at other times. But you got to hear the voices of people being affected. \r\n\u00a0\r\nI got a letter recently from Sharon. Sharon has a coal miner's family from coal mines in Dickenson County, not too far from West Virginia and Kentucky. Here is what she wrote:\r\n\u201cMy father is a retired coal miner. For many years, he worked at Clinchfield Coal Company Moss number 2 mine. He gave them his time, sweat, hard work, and even his health. In return, he expected nothing more than a paycheck, a little pension and health care when he retired. He was promised that, and he deserves that.\u201d\r\nHe went on to -- she went on to talk about the fact that her dad grew up in the depression. She said he grew up at a time when you took care of your things. He believed that you paid for what you got. He paid dearly for his pension and health care. Please don't let that get away from him. He planned for years for his retirement. She said he was always tight with his money. He planned for years for his retirement. He saved and budgeted so he would have enough with his pension to be able to support himself through the rest of the years and not be a burden on anyone.\r\nSharon and her coal miner family and countless thousands of others, Americans, are waiting for us to honor our commitments. We're taking a step forward tonight, echoing what other Senators have said before. This issue will not go away until these miners get their justice.\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/scott-statement-on-no-vote-on-fy-2017-continuing-resolution", "Scott Statement on No Vote on FY 2017 Continuing Resolution", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Robert Scott", "S000185", "bobbyscott.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on his No vote on H.R. 2028, the Further Continuing and Security Assistance Appropriations Act, 2017:\n\u201cI am disappointed that House and Senate Republicans could not advance a more responsible bill to fund the federal government. Continuing Resolutions are inherently bad policy and hinder the work of the federal government. Considering the uncertainty that surrounds the incoming administration, I think it is more responsible for this Congress to enact a yearlong omnibus appropriations bill for the remainder of fiscal year 2017.\n\u201cWith that said, the bill considered in the House today is woefully inadequate. First, the legislation fails to protect health care and pension benefits for coal miners and their families. This bill simply kicks the can down the road by extending their health care benefits for a mere four months. The bill also fails to include the bipartisan Coal Health Care and Pensions Protection Act that is paid for and would fully extend coal miner health benefits and shore up their pension fund. Failure to include this legislation breaks a promise to these hard working men and women, and jeopardizes benefits for approximately 7,600 families in Virginia.\n\u201cSecondly, while the bill does address funding issues for the Ohio Replacement Program, it unfortunately does not include adequate funding for the Carrier Replacement Program. The entire Virginia congressional delegation raised this issue with House and Senate appropriators earlier this month. Without necessary funding for this program, advanced procurement for the next Ford-class aircraft carrier may be unnecessarily delayed, potentially resulting in added construction costs and likely another temporary but costly reduction in the Navy\u2019s aircraft carrier force.\n\u201cWe have plenty of time left in this session of Congress to responsibly address these issues and others. We should do so before returning home tomorrow.\u201d\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=458", "Beyer Statement On His Vote Against the Continuing Resolution", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Donald Beyer", "B001292", "beyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) issued the following statement today on his vote against final passage of the continuing resolution (CR):\r\nI voted today against the continuing resolution (CR), which would fund the U.S. government for four months. Although there are components of the CR that I support, such as funding for Flint, Michigan's water crisis, the CR also all-too-conveniently sets the stage for a more conservative and destructive long-term funding vehicle come April. Today's effort was a legislative maneuver designed to limit bipartisan cooperation and enact destructive Republican principles through the budget process.\r\nIt was months ago that Congress began the appropriations process to adequately fund government operations, with key investments in infrastructure, technology, research and development, the middle class, and the armed services. Yet here we are, more than two months into the fiscal year, with a harmful continuing resolution with historically low non-defense discretionary spending that forces federal agencies to meet budget shortfalls by slashing programs that help those most in need.\r\nThis is not regular order despite six years of promises and single party control, and I am disappointed but not surprised that a full-year funding bill continues to elude this chamber. This bill ignores the budget agreement made last winter, breaks parity between defense and non-defense discretionary programs that many Americans rely on, and fails to appropriately address the needs of our government.\r\nThe bill also grants a waiver to a recently retired general to become Secretary of Defense, a waiver only extended once in history. Such a move involves questioning of one of our most important foundational doctrines --civilian control of the military -- and deserves full debate by both chambers of Congress. Attaching this waiver to a funding bill through a midnight maneuver is an attempt to sneak that waiver past the American people without any discussion, which is not a precedent we can accept, especially given the controversy surrounding the President-elect's other Cabinet nominees.\r\nI take funding the government and keeping the many federal employees I represent at work extremely seriously, but this bill is not one which I could have voted for in good conscience. I opposed the continuing resolution. It is my hope that Senate will reject the CR so that we can get to work on a bipartisan full year funding bill instead of rushing out the door for our holiday vacations with many priorities unaddressed.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-nomination-of-scott-pruitt-as-epa-administrator-", "Kaine Statement On Nomination Of Scott Pruitt As EPA Administrator", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Statement On Nomination Of Scott Pruitt As EPA Administrator \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 8, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on President-elect Trump\u2019s nomination of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):\r\n\u201cThere are few agencies that depend more on careful review of science than the EPA. Every rule or regulation depends on an intellectually honest review of scientific consensus. And the consequences for the health and safety of the American public are critical. The nomination of an EPA Administrator who does not accept basic climate science is deeply troubling.\u201d \u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-passage-of-defense-bill", "Kaine Statement On Passage Of Defense Bill", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Statement On Passage Of Defense Bill\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 8, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on final passage of the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which contains provisions he helped secure that will benefit Virginia\u2019s shipbuilding industry and defense community:\r\n\u201cEach year, I work across the aisle with my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee to craft an annual defense bill that supports our military and helps our country meet today\u2019s complex national security challenges. I was proud to support final passage of the NDAA, which contains funding and provisions to support Virginia\u2019s defense community, ship builders constructing our Ford-class carriers and Virginia-class submarines, and public and private shipyards doing the indispensable work that keeps our nation\u2019s strategic assets the strongest in the world. However, I am deeply disappointed that Congress has resigned itself to passing a Continuing Resolution which will threaten many of the programs we have just agreed to authorize.\u00a0The inability to work in a bipartisan fashion to find compromise on a long-term appropriations bill threatens our national security, unnecessarily delays programs which increases costs, and jeopardizes the future of countless workers across the Commonwealth and the country.\u201d\r\nThe bill also included a provision, authored by Kaine, to help combat violent extremism by giving the Department of Defense (DoD) the flexibility to work cooperatively with civilian agencies like the State Department and USAID. The provision allows DoD to transfer funds to support programs at civilian agencies designed to address drivers of violent extremism.\r\n\u201cBattlefield commanders repeatedly testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee that military force alone cannot defeat terrorist groups and eliminate the scourge of violent extremism. This provision authorizes the flexibility our military officials have asked for to work in closer coordination with civilian agencies that are best equipped to tackle the root causes of violent extremism,\u201d said Kaine.\r\nThe following list includes many of the programs and provisions Kaine supported that were included in the final bill:\r\nSupports Shipbuilding: Provides funding for research, procurement and sustainment of an 11-carrier fleet.\u00a0The bill continues to fund construction of the USS\u00a0Gerald R. Ford\u00a0(CVN 78), USS\u00a0John F. Kennedy\u00a0(CVN 79) and research and purchasing of the future USS\u00a0Enterprise(CVN 80). Additionally, the bill funds the refueling and complex overhauls (RCOH) of the USS\u00a0George Washington\u00a0(CVN 73) and the USS\u00a0John C. Stennis\u00a0(CVN 74). The bill also authorizes full funding for the\u00a0Virginia-class and\u00a0Ohio-class\u00a0submarine programs, the LHA-8 amphibious assault ship and the\u00a0Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The bill ensures the vitality of Virginia\u2019s shipyards by supporting the President\u2019s budget request for Navy Operations and Maintenance account.\r\nAuthorizes Military Construction (MILCON):\u00a0The bill authorizes over $190 million in critical military construction projects throughout the Commonwealth, including $87 million for two projects at Fort Belvoir, $59 million for two projects at Joint Base Langley Eustis, over $20 million for two projects at the Pentagon, $27 million for a project at Naval Station Norfolk, and $6 million for a project in Dublin, VA.\r\nBolsters DoD-Virginia Tech Industry Relationship:\u00a0 The bill included a Kaine provision to extend the Information Technology Exchange Program (ITEP) which exchanges best practices and IT personnel between the Department and the private sector.\u00a0The bill also expands ITEP and encourages greater outreach to private sector partners in Northern Virginia and other high density technology hubs.\r\nNo BRAC Round:\u00a0The bill rejects the Department of Defense proposals for a new Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round.\r\nSequestration:\u00a0A modification of Senator Kaine\u2019s language puts Congress on record denouncing the shortsighted, non-strategic and across-the-board sequestration cuts and their harmful impact on our national security. \u00a0Final language states the Committee\u2019s belief that these methods remain an unreasonable and inadequate budgeting tool to address deficits and debt of the federal government.\r\nCommissaries:\u00a0The bill makes some reforms to the commissary system but without reducing the benefits to patrons.\u00a0 Kaine sponsored a provision in the Senate bill that delayed a proposal to conduct a pilot program privatizing the commissary system believing it would compromise its value.\r\nCountering Violent Extremism (CVE): \u00a0Senator Kaine offered an amendment to provide Combatant Commanders increased flexibility in addressing violent extremism by facilitating cooperation between DoD\u2019s counterterrorism operations and State Department and USAID\u2019s governance, justice, and youth development efforts. The amendment was drafted with input from senior military commanders who believe that violent extremist organizations are far more agile and complex than the current DoD tools being used to defeat them.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-kaine-announce-more-than-176-million-in-funding-for-virginia-health-services-and-early-childhood-education", "Warner, Kaine Announce More Than $17.6 Million In Funding For Virginia Health Services And Early Childhood Education", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Warner, Kaine Announce More Than $17.6 Million In Funding For Virginia Health Services And Early Childhood Education\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 8, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will award $17,631,822 in grants for various health care organizations, medical research and Head Start programs across the Commonwealth.\r\n\u201cThis funding is an investment in the health and education of our communities,\u201d the Senators said. \u201cCommunity health centers and Head Start programs help create a strong foundation for Virginia families, and we will continue to be steadfast supporters of these critical programs and services in Congress.\u201d\r\nThe following entities will be awarded funding directed at health and social services:\r\n \r\nU.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Inc. in Arlington will receive $4,786,611 for refugee health and social services;\r\nYouth For Tomorrow - New Life Center in Bristow will receive $2,985,400 for unaccompanied migrant children services;\r\nAlexandria Neighborhood Health Services will receive $1,448,057;\r\nJohnson Health Center in Lynchburg will receive $1,285,709;\r\nSouthern Dominion Health Systems in Victoria will receive $1,073,689;\r\nGeorge Mason University will receive $197,795 for research into maternity and childhood development;\r\nVirginia Commonwealth University will receive $114,375 for research into oral diseases and disorders and $76,250 for research into maternity and childhood development; and,\r\nOld Dominion University will receive $77,500 for research into maternity and childhood development.\r\n \r\nThe following entities will be awarded funding for Head Start programs:\r\n \r\nMile High Kids and Community Development, Inc. in Virginia Beach will receive $2,479,370;\r\nPeople Incorporated of Virginia in Abingdon will receive $ 2,017,141; and,\r\nAugusta County School Board will receive $1,089,925.\r\n \r\nDuring a visit this week to Alexandria Neighborhood Health \u2013 one of the recipients of today\u2019s funding \u2013 and in remarks on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Kaine discussed the positive impacts of the\u00a0Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid in Virginia, and why it is critical that Congress defend these landmark health care programs going into the next Administration. Both Senators have supported quality early childhood education programs in federal spending bills, through the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014, and in each year of funding for the Preschool Development Grant program.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=5051DD56-5273-4A63-857F-DCF61E102D6C", "Warner Introduces the FAST Voting Act to Help States Improve Access to Voting", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Richard Durbin (D-IL), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced legislation today to help states make voting faster and more accessible to all voters by making substantial improvements in the administration of their elections. The Fair, Accurate, Secure and Timely (FAST) Voting Act of 2016 would create a competitive grant program in the model of Race to the Top, encouraging states to aggressively pursue election reform. Those states that demonstrate the most comprehensive and promising reform plans will earn a greater portion of the grant funding.\r\n\u201cThe right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy. But during this last election, reports indicated that computer problems, long lines, poorly trained poll workers, and outdated equipment all made it harder for voters in some places to cast their ballots,\u201d said Sen. Warner. \u201cThe FAST Voting Act addresses these challenges by encouraging and helping states to make voting faster and more accessible through commonsense reforms like reducing long waiting times, expanding early voting opportunities, and eliminating other obstacles that prevent people from exercising their franchise.\"\r\nIn the 2016 election, long lines and voting-machine problems were reported in well over a dozen states, including Virginia, Pennsylvania, Utah, Colorado, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Montana, Tennessee, Hawaii, Arizona, Rhode Island, and more.\u00a0 There were also reports of confusion over new voter ID laws in Texas and Wisconsin, improper refusals of voter registrations in West Virginia, delayed absentee ballots in Pennsylvania and Alabama, and an absence of required bilingual support in Arizona and Florida.\r\nThe program tasks applicant states with creating a comprehensive and coherent plan to improve their election processes by:\r\n \r\nProviding flexible registration opportunities, including same-day registration;\r\nProviding early voting, at a minimum of 9 of the 10 calendar days preceding an election;\r\nProviding absentee voting, including no-excuse absentee voting;\r\nProviding assistance to voters who do not speak English as a primary language;\r\nProviding assistance to voters with disabilities, including visual impairment;\r\nProviding effective access to voting for members of the armed services;\r\nProviding formal training of election officials, including State and county administrators and volunteers;\r\nAuditing and reducing waiting times at polling stations; and\r\nCreating contingency plans for voting in the event of a natural or other disaster.\r\n \r\nThe program also requires an assessment of steps the state has taken to eliminate statutory, regulatory, procedural, and other barriers to expedited voting and accessible voter registration.\u00a0Sens. Warner and Coons first introduced the legislation in November 2012, just after Election Day, and have reintroduced the bill in subsequent Congresses.\r\nSen. Warner has long been an advocate for the protection of voting rights and the integrity of the electoral process. He has introduced legislation to restore and advance provisions of the Voting Rights Act that were recently struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Sen. Warner has also cosponsored legislation which would remove partisanship out of the often divisive process of drawing congressional district lines.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=972C1B0C-15D1-4788-A06A-85ED20DCC30A", "Sen. Warner Statement on Passage of the Defense Authorization Bill", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), who will serve as Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee in the 115th Congress, voted today in favor of final passage for S. 2943, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). After the bill passed the Senate in a 92 to 7 vote, sending the legislation to the President, Sen. Warner released the following statement:\u00a0\r\n\u201cThe defense bill that I voted for today provides important support for our men and women in uniform. It includes a 2.1 percent pay raise for service members and fully funds the Navy\u2019s shipbuilding programs, including the Ohio-class replacement program, the Ford-class carrier program, the Virginia-class submarine program, and refueling and overhaul for the Nimitz-class carriers. These programs are all essential to maintaining our nation\u2019s security, and they support thousands of shipyard workers in Hampton Roads.\r\n\u201cAs we face the growing threat of cyberattacks, the bill also includes provisions I championed to improve technological innovation and efficiency at the Department of Defense.\r\n\u201cI\u2019m pleased that the NDAA includes authorization to elevate U.S. Cyber Command to its own unified command. We should give our military the tools they need to do battle in the 21st century, whether it takes place on the field or in cyberspace, and elevating CYBERCOM will improve mission outcomes and make us more agile in defending against 21st century threats.\r\n\u201cThis bill also includes my legislation to reform DoD\u2019s criteria for purchasing cybersecurity services and products to ensure that taxpayers are getting the best long-term deal for their investment by discouraging the misapplication of Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) as a source selection method for cyber procurement. The guidance contained in the NDAA provides DoD with the necessary tools and flexibility to ensure that the United States maintains our strategic edge in using, producing, and driving innovative and cutting-edge IT and engineering.\r\n\u201cAdditionally, I\u2019m pleased that the bill includes bipartisan legislation I sponsored with Senator Kaine to authorize the National Park Service to expand the Petersburg National Battlefield in Virginia. The Petersburg National Battlefield bore witness to the longest sustained siege in our nation\u2019s military history and draws visitors from all across the country, injecting millions of dollars into the local economy every year. Expanding the park will encourage tourism to the region while preserving this important piece of American history for future generations.\r\n\u201cAs the co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, I also applaud the inclusion of forward-leaning provisions designed to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation with India, including expanded military-to-military engagement, increased defense trade, and greater cooperation on technological development. As the world\u2019s largest democracy and one with which U.S. strategic interests increasingly align, India is an important partner in promoting economic growth and global security.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/scott-levin-pallone-statement-on-court-order-to-delay-house-v-burwell", "Scott, Levin, Pallone Statement on Court Order to Delay House v. Burwell", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Robert Scott", "S000185", "bobbyscott.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As originally released by the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Democrats\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013\u00a0Ranking Members Bobby Scott (D-VA), Sandy Levin (D-MI), and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) of the House Committees on Education and the Workforce, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce respectively, made the following joint statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued an order to delay the consideration of House v. Burwell:\n\u201cThis decision to delay the consideration of House v. Burwell until after Inauguration Day puts millions of Americans at risk of losing their health insurance coverage next year. Republicans have relentlessly attempted to repeal and undermine the Affordable Care Act since the law was enacted. If the incoming Trump Administration decides not to defend the legality of the ACA\u2019s cost-sharing subsidies in court, the lower court ruling stands; and we would see the undermining of the insurance market as a whole \u2013 both the coverage of those American families who rely on the financial assistance, as well as those who purchase coverage on their own. President-elect Trump promised to stand up for working Americans, but this action would make people worse off, not better, and he hasn\u2019t even taken office yet. Instead of rallying behind partisan attacks without proposing a real replacement to strengthen the law, we urge the incoming Trump Administration and Republican-led Congress to stand on the side of America\u2019s families, students, and working people.\u201d\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=457", "Beyer Introduces Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act To Protect Biodiversity", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Donald Beyer", "B001292", "beyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This week, Representative Don Beyer introduced the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act of 2016 to begin reversing the tide of habitat loss and fragmentation for U.S. fish, wildlife, and plant species. \r\nWildlife corridors are stretches of habitat that allow species to move from one area of habitat to another for such purposes as accessing resources, establishing new territories, shifting ranges, promoting gene flow, and adapting to the impacts of a changing climate. Corridors have been successfully implemented around the world and throughout the U.S., yet current law provides limited requirements for land and water managers to address species' connectivity needs. \r\nWith roughly one in five animal and plant species in the U.S. at risk of extinction due to habitat loss and fragmentation, one of the simplest yet most effective things we can do is to provide them ample opportunity to move across lands and waters, said Rep. Beyer. \r\nThe Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act establishes a National Wildlife Corridors System to ensure that species are able to move between habitats less encumbered by obstacles. The bill directs key Federal land and water management agencies to work with each other, as well as with States, tribes, local governments, and private landowners, to develop and manage national wildlife corridors in accordance with existing laws and the habitat connectivity needs of native species.\r\nPaired with a new public-facing geographic information system (GIS) database of corridors and modest additional funding to the key agencies, the National Wildlife Corridors System promises the framework to strengthen fish, wildlife, and plant species populations, while at the same time improving recreational opportunities and roadway safety for people. \r\nThe bill enjoys broad support from the scientific community and more than 60 conservation organizations, including the National Wildlife Federation.\r\n\"The Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act would provide the most important step of any single piece of legislation at the present time in enlarging the nations protected areas and thereby saving large swaths of America's wildlife and other fauna and flora, especially in this critical time of climate change and shifting locations of the original environments in which a large part of biodiversity has existed, renowned biologist E.O. Wilson said of the bill.\r\n\"Habitat loss and fragmentation are the biggest drivers of species declines,\" said Susan Holmes, Policy Director for the Wildlands Network. \"We thank Congressman Beyer for introducing this important legislation to better connect wildlife, from the bald eagle to the Florida panther, with important habitat.\"\r\nCorridors increase wildlife movement between habitat areas by approximately 50 percent compared to areas not connected by corridors. By creating a system of national wildlife corridors, this bill will help protect and restore America's wildlife, said Leda Huta, Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition.\r\nDefenders of Wildlife appreciates Representative Beyer's leadership in protecting America's wildlife and their habitats through this strategic and collaborative approach to conservation planning, said Mark Salvo, Vice President of Landscape Conservation at Defenders of Wildlife. Connecting our public wildlands and waters is key to the survival of a diverse array of treasured species, from the grizzly, to the elk, to the monarch butterfly. The Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act is an investment in our natural heritage and the type of proactive wildlife stewardship that transcends political affiliation, speaking to the heart of our American values.\r\nText of the bill can be read here.\r\nThe Wildlands Network has also created a fact sheet for the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act, as well as facts sheets for potential impacts of the bill on specific species, including the grizzly bear, the monarch butterfly, the Florida panther, and the pronghorn.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=796", "Connolly Statement on Trump EPA nominee", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Gerald Connolly", "C001078", "connolly.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Connolly Statement on Trump EPA nominee \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 7, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n        \"Donald Trump\u2019s selection of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency is the latest in a Cabinet of Horrors.\"\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      Congressman Gerry Connolly released the following statement on President-elect Trump's nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency:\"Donald Trump\u2019s selection of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency is the latest in a Cabinet of Horrors. This appointment is a devastating setback for public health and safety, addressing global climate change and is nothing more than a giveaway to the Koch Brothers and Big Oil industry. The decision to appoint an individual who has repeatedly tried to stymie and rollback important environmental regulations \u2013 and a climate change denier no less - to head the very agency charged with protecting public health and safety is reckless, cynical and must be opposed.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=797", "Connolly Named New Dem Whip", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Gerald Connolly", "C001078", "connolly.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, New Dem Chair-Elect Rep. Jim Himes (CT-04) announced that Congressman Gerry Connolly, who previously served as a Vice-chair but was term-limited, will remain in leadership and serve as the Coalition's Whip.\u201cWith the election of Donald Trump, the New Democrat Coalition is more important than ever before,\u201d said Congressman Gerry Connolly. \u201cWe will be the front line in winning back disaffected working men and women while building the innovative economy of the future where millions of jobs and rich opportunity await. I look forward to continuing to be a part of the leadership team advocating this important agenda.\u201dThe New Democrat Coalition\u2019s leadership team will take office in the 115th Congress.The New Democrat Coalition is dedicated to maintaining America\u2019s standing as the world\u2019s strongest, most successful nation. Founded in 1997, the New Dems believe firmly in the power of American ingenuity and innovation, and are focused on finding ways to foster and harness this creativity to grow our economy, create new American jobs, and ensure a safer and more secure future for our country.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/citing-impact-on-virginia-families-and-economy-kaine-says-affordable-care-act-repeal-would-be-malpractice", "Citing Impact on Virginia Families & Economy, Kaine Says Affordable Care Act Repeal Would be ‘Malpractice’", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Citing Impact on Virginia Families & Economy, Kaine Says Affordable Care Act Repeal Would be \u2018Malpractice\u2019\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 In remarks on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine discussed the positive impacts of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid in Virginia, and why it is critical that Congress defend these landmark health care programs going into the next administration. Repealing the Affordable Care Act, Kaine argued, would inject needless uncertainty into the economy and have a painful impact on American families. He instead urged his colleagues to meet for bipartisan discussions on how to make improvements to the law. \u201cA repeal [of the Affordable Care Act] without a replacement would be malpractice to the health of millions of Americans, but also malpractice to the American economy,\u201d Kaine said. \u201cThe percentage in the nation of people who were uninsured when the Affordable Care Act was passed was 16 percent - one in six Americans was uninsured. Now, it\u2019s 8.6 percent\u2026327,000 more Virginians have health insurance in 2015 than in 2010.\u201d\r\n\u201cIf you tell the entire American economy that, \u2018we are going to go into the largest sector of the economy and we\u2019re going to repeal it,\u2019\u2026you will inject uncertainty into an economy by a degree that has never been done by this body. I think it would have catastrophic consequences, even beyond healthcare,\u201d Kaine continued. \u201cIf this body goes down the path of repealing this important law that provides important protections to millions\u2026 it will be one of the low moments in the history of the United States Senate.\u201d\r\nKaine also discussed his visit to a community health center in Alexandria, Virginia on Monday where he heard directly from patients and providers about the importance of access to quality and affordable health care. \u00a0 \u00a0\r\nFull transcript of Kaine\u2019s remarks:\r\nI rise to discuss the Affordable Care Act and want to make the case that its repeal without a replacement being known would be malpractice to the health care of millions of Americans but also malpractice to the American economy. Before I talk about why I just want to tell two stories.\r\nMonday, I visited Neighborhood Health which is a community health center in northern Virginia that serves 14,000 patients. It's not a walk-in clinic. They're sort of a medical home for 14,000 low-income northern Virginians, mostly working people. Community health centers in Virginia, West Virginia, every state, are a critical part of the health care safety net in Virginia. They serve about 300,000 patients, millions nationally. They are medicine with a mission. They don't deny anybody primary health care services because of inability to pay and residents have equal access regardless of where they live, their culture, their gender, their race or resources.\r\nMany centers, including the one that I visited just twenty minutes from here, were centers that were able to build or expand because of the Affordable Care Act. The facilities have gotten better in communities across the country because of the Affordable Care Act. That visit really made powerfully clear to me how much every zip code in this country has been affected by the Affordable Care Act because of these centers and other services that are provided.\r\nThe second story is a story from my recently completed 105-day unsuccessful venture as part of a national ticket. I was at the Iowa State Fair. A grandfather was carrying a little boy who looked to be about 3 and a half years old. I said tell me this youngster's name. The grandfather said, \u201cThis is Jude.\u201d Of course I said, \u201cHey Jude!\u201d I said, \u201cTell me about Jude.\u201d The grandfather, now the father, walked over and started to talk to me.\r\nWhat they said was Jude is 3 and a half years old and has already had five open heart operations at the Omaha Children's Hospital which is just across the river western Iowa in Nebraska. They looked at me and they said he couldn\u2019t have had these operations had it not been for the Affordable Care Act. Had it not been for the Affordable Care Act he now would have exceeded the lifetime limit of any policy he could ever get, and he also would have a preexisting condition because of his heart condition that would render him unable to get insurance for the rest of his life.\r\nThey looked at me, and the father is a pretty big guy. They said, will you do all you can, will you do all you can to make sure that this Act is not repealed? You can strengthen it. You can improve it, but will you do all you can to make sure it's not repealed. I looked at them and I said, because I believed this even before they asked me the question, I\u2019ll do anything to my last breath to make sure that we improve this but that we don't get rid of it. That's why I stand on the floor today.\r\nSince the Affordable Care Act was passed in March 2010, 20 million Americans have health insurance and many of them for the first time in their life. That's, I think, the combined population of about 14 or 15 states. Having health insurance for the first time in your life.\r\nNow, when you have health insurance, it's not only that you can get care for an illness or an accident. Even when you're healthy, you can go to bed at night with the knowledge that if something happens to my wife tomorrow, if something happens to me tomorrow, if something happens to my child tomorrow, they will be able to receive care.\r\nThe percentage in the nation of people who were uninsured when the Affordable Care Act was passed was 16 percent, one in six Americans was uninsured. Now it's down to 8.6 percent. That's the lowest level of uninsured that we've had probably since we've measured that. In Virginia the drop has been from 13 percent. We were a little better than the national average, and we've dropped down to 9.1 percent uninsured. We're a little higher than the national average now because my state has not accepted Medicaid expansion, but the difference in six years is 327,000 more Virginians have health insurance in 2015 than had in 2010. That's a powerful, powerful thing.\r\nIn addition to having health insurance, families are protected with insurance. They can't get turned away because of pre-existing conditions. They can't get turned away because they've reached lifetime limits in terms of their medical care as Jude would have reached by age 3 and a half. Children can stay on family policies till age 26. Women cannot be charged different health care premiums than men. Insurance companies are required to rebate excess premium payments back to consumers if they overcharge. It's not just about the millions who have health insurance who never had it before. There's also millions and millions more who receive protections that they've never had before. And these are important, important provisions.\r\nThere's been discussion that I\u2019ve been reading and following here that what we need to do or what some want to do is just repeal the Affordable Care Act with a vague promise that something will happen down the line. Of course, those who want to repeal the Affordable Care Act who voted against it in March 2010 have had six or now nearly seven years to come up with what they think would be better. And there's been no consensus about what they think would be better. So the notion of we're going to repeal it and don't worry we will come up with a better alternative, that rings pretty hollow to a family like Jude\u2019s parents and grandparents who have a 3 and a half-year-old boy who needs open-heart surgery, the notion that don't worry, we will find a replacement, we will find a fix, I think we can forgive somebody like Jude\u2019s family for not having a lot of confidence in that. And if in fact we're serious about finding a fix, why don't we go to work finding a fix before we pass legislation to repeal the law.\r\nI've said that I think it is malpractice, both health malpractice and economic malpractice. Let me start with the economic malpractice.\r\nThe worst thing Congress can do for the economy is to inject uncertainty into it. I've been a mayor and I\u2019ve been a governor and I\u2019m a certainty fanatic. What I\u2019ve learned about the economy is that our strong and resilient business sector, if you give them certainty, they can plan. They may not like a policy, they might not like a budget number but if you tell them this is the way it's going to be, the ingenuity of our private sector is significant. They're going to be able to plan. They'll be able to make the best of it. They're going be able to figure it out. But if you don't tell people what you're going to do, that is very devastating.\r\nI\u2019m on the budget committee. I came onto the budget committee in the Senate and I told my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I\u2019m a certainty fanatic. We should be doing budgets, we shouldn't be doing a continuing resolution right now. We should be doing appropriations bills. Because when we tell our own planners, our own departments, and also the private economy, this is what it\u2019s going to be for the next year, they can figure it out, they can adjust, and they can do well. But when we instead deliver a message that we don't know what we're going to do, oh, yeah there will be a fix but it will be a few years from now, we can't tell you what it is going to be now, and really we can't even promise we'll do it since we haven't come up with it for six years, you inject uncertainty into the economy, and that is the worst thing we could do.\r\nI have made the argument that the recovery we've been on economically, which is not a robust recovery but it\u2019s been a steady recovery, the principal reason it's been steady but not robust is because of uncertainty and the principal generator of uncertainty in the United States is this body: Congress.\r\nCongress\u2019 inability to do budgets in regular order.\r\nCongress\u2019 inability to tackle priorities.\r\nCongress\u2019 inability to work on big-picture fiscal issues generates uncertainty.\r\nNow we're talking about a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, the single-largest sector of the economy. One-sixth of the GDP of this country is health care. If you tell the entire American economy we're going to go into the largest sector of the economy, we\u2019re going to repeal it and don't worry we'll get to something down the road as a replacement, you will inject uncertainty into an economy in a degree that has never been done by this body that I think will have catastrophic economic consequences even beyond health care.\r\nIt is also malpractice in the health lives of Americans. The Urban Institute has come out with a study today, and it was an update of a study they did a year ago, because there was a proposal a year ago to repeal the Affordable Care Act that President Obama vetoed, but they did a study, \u201cwhat would repeal mean?\u201d This is what repeal means to the American public as we get ready to celebrate the holidays, a time when we are mindful of the needs of others.\r\nThe number of uninsured people in the United States, if the ACA is repealed, would rise from its current 28.9 million to 58.7 million, an increase of 29.8 million uninsured in this country. The share of non-elderly people without insurance would increase from 11 percent to 21 percent. Of the 29.8 million newly uninsured as a result of the repeal, 22.5 million will become uninsured as a result of eliminating premium tax credits, Medicaid expansion and the individual mandate, and the additional 7.3 million would become uninsured because of the near-collapse of the non-group insurance market.\r\n82 percent of the new 29 million who will become uninsured are working families. 82 percent.\r\n38 percent would be ages 18-34.\r\n56 percent would be non-Hispanic whites.\r\n80 percent of adults becoming uninsured are adults who do not have college degrees.\r\nThere will be 12.9 million fewer people with Medicaid or CHIP coverage in 2019 if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.\r\nNearly 9.5 million people who have received tax credits to help them purchase private non-group health coverage in 2019 will no longer receive that assistance.\r\nThis is catastrophic to tens of millions of Americans.\r\nI\u2019ll tell you a third story that's a story about me. I have to have the healthiest family in the United States. My wife and I and our three children. The only hospitalizations we've ever had until my wife recently broke a bone was for three childbirths. Our kids are 27, 24, and 21. We are the healthiest family in the United States. I was required once to go out right after the Affordable Care Act passed to buy health insurance on the open market. I didn't have an employer who could cover it, and two insurers turned me down because they said we can't write a policy for your whole family because of a preexisting condition, and one insurer turned me down because of something about me and one insurer turned me down because of something about one of my children. And, again, we are the healthiest family there is.\r\nWe were able to say, wait a minute, the Affordable Care Act just passed. You are not legally allowed to do that now. You have to write a policy for the whole family. And the insurance agent that dealt with us on the phone said, let me talk to my supervisor, then called back and said you're right. We have to write you a policy. This is a law that not only provides health insurance to 20 million people who never had it before but for even healthy families like mine provides benefits to protect against some of the worst and most predacious behaviors of insurance companies. And if the Act is repealed, this all goes away.\r\nAmericans agree repeal is not the answer. A Kaiser Foundation poll that was done in the last two weeks showed that only 26 percent of Americans support a repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Of the other 75 percent, some think it should stay the same. Some think it should be tweaked backwards a little bit. Some think it should be advanced. But only one in four Americans believe we should repeal this law. Overwhelmingly, what the American public is telling us is we should improve the law. And that's what we should be about in this body.\r\nWhen I was the governor of Virginia, I noticed at the end of every legislative session there would be 1,100 bills on my desk for me to review, sign, veto, or amend. And of the 1,100 bills, pretty much every year, 200 or 300 would be new, but 800 would be improvements to existing law. The job of a legislator is more about taking existing laws and reforming and improving it than repealing or doing something brand new. And that's what puzzles me. Why aren't we doing that?\r\nClearly there's no rush. There's no rush because the discussions are, we would repeal the Affordable Care Act with a promise that we'll find a replacement in two or three years. So if the notion is, we're going to work for two or three years to find a replacement, there's no rush. And if there's no rush, why aren\u2019t we sitting down right now instead of repealing the law? Why aren't we sitting down right now, let's sit down around the table, let\u2019s talk about what we don't like, let's talk about what we do like, let's talk about what it means to have 20 million people in this country with health insurance, many for the first time in their lives, what they might think. Let's get the perspectives of hospitals, of doctors, of insurers and other medical professionals. That's what we should be doing. What's the rush?\r\nI fear that the rush is for one reason: a desire to do something before this President leaves office that can be a little bit of a poke in his eye. But it's a poke in his eye politically in a way that takes families like Jude\u2019s family or the families that I saw at the neighborhood health center in Alexandria and puts deep fear and uncertainty in their lives, and also puts uncertainty into one-sixth of the American economy.\r\nI know, madam president, that we'll be having this discussion in earnest. I suspect a little bit over the next couple of days, but more when the year begins just as we're going to be having discussions about Medicare and Medicaid. 1 .3 million Medicare enrollees in Virginia, as of 2015, the CHIP and Medicaid programs in Virginia have an additional 970,000 enrollees. I read about dramatic discussions about these programs as well, these basic safety net programs. And I\u2019ll just conclude and say, there is no reason that we shouldn't be able to sit down around the table and talk about improvements. And what I might call a reform, somebody else could call a replace. And I don't care about the label. But what I do care about is repealing the law that provides millions of people the confidence that they have health care for the first time in their life.\r\nDoing it and having the discussion during the holiday season. Doing it in a way that will hurt working people, will hurt working people who don't have high school degrees. Doing it that will hurt people that are already sick, who are already dealing with illnesses in their families.\r\nI am a student of this body. I am not a historian. I am a student of this body. But my prediction would be this: if this body goes down the path of repealing this important law that provides important protections to millions, with no idea about what the replacement is, I think it will be a day that we will look back on and those who care about this body will look back on probably in the not-too-distant future and will say, this will be one of the low moments in the history of the United States Senate. And there's no need for it because there are people of goodwill in this body who are willing to sit down, and find solutions, and find improvements and find reforms. But nobody seems willing to have that discussion.\r\nLet's have that discussion rather than the repeal discussion and we will serve our constituents better.\r\nWith that, madam chair, I yield the floor.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-announces-support-for-bill-to-ease-benefits-appeals-process-for-veterans", "Kaine Announces Support For Bill To Ease Benefits Appeals Process For Veterans", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Announces Support For Bill To Ease Benefits Appeals Process For Veterans\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced co-sponsorship of legislation to reform the benefits appeals process for veterans. Because of redundancies and inefficiencies in the current process, most veterans wait years for a decision on their appeals. The Department of Veterans Affairs Appeals Modernization Act of 2016 would replace the current process \u2013 which today stands at over 450,000 appeals awaiting a decision \u2013 with one that is simpler, more fair, and transparent.\r\n\u201cThis bill will streamline the appeals process for veterans and make it easier for the VA to address a drastic backlog,\u201d said Kaine. \u201cFor the nearly 800,000 veterans who call Virginia home, I am committed to supporting policies that uphold the promise of high-quality healthcare and services.\u201d\r\nThe legislation would give veterans clear options after receiving an initial decision by consolidating the current appeals process into three distinct tracks:\r\n \r\nLocal Higher Level Review:\u00a0 This lane would provide the opportunity for a quick resolution of the claim by a higher-level adjudicator at the VA Regional Office. This lane would be a good option for veterans who are confident they have all the evidence necessary to win their claim.\r\nNew Evidence: This lane would be for submitting new evidence at the VA Regional Office. This lane would serve as a good option for veterans who believe that they can succeed on their claim by providing additional evidence.\r\nBoard Review: In this last lane, intermediate steps currently required by statute to receive Board review would be eliminated. Furthermore, hearing and non-hearing options at the Board would be handled on separate dockets so these distinctly different types of work can be better managed.\u00a0\r\n \r\nAlso co-sponsoring this bill are U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal, Jon Tester, Angus King, Tom Udall, Tammy Baldwin, Bob Casey, Mazie Hirono, Joe Manchin, Patrick Leahy, Patty Murray, Sherrod Brown, Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar, Ben Cardin, and Ron Wyden.\r\nThe Department of Veterans Affairs Appeals Modernization Act of 2016 is supported by the Disabled American Veterans, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, AMVETS, the Military Officers Association of America, the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers, and the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-passage-of-the-bipartisan-21st-century-cures-act", "Kaine Statement On Passage Of The Bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Statement On Passage Of The Bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on final Senate passage of the 21st Century CURES Act, which passed both chambers of Congress with strong bipartisan support and now heads to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law:\r\n\u201cThanks to this bipartisan legislation, our nation\u2019s top researchers will have additional resources they need to find cures and treatments for the devastating diseases that touch us all. The bipartisan 21st Century CURES Act includes critically important funding for breakthrough biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, including the Cancer Moonshot Initiative. The bill also includes $1 billion in funding to combat the opioid abuse crisis, which was recently declared a public health emergency in Virginia, as well as policies to improve access to mental health care.\u201d\r\nKaine has been a leader in Congress on efforts to address the opioid epidemic and support disease research. In July, provisions he authored to expand opioid abuse prevention and education became law with passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. Kaine also partnered with former Congressman Eric Cantor to champion the Gabriella Miller Kids First Act, which authorized pediatric research within the Common Fund at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The legislation was named for 10 year-old Gabriella Miller of Loudoun County who passed away from cancer in October of 2013. During the 2015 appropriations process, Kaine secured $12.6 million in pediatric research funding for the Gabriella Miller Kids First Act.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=BF813906-99F8-45B1-8EFA-FA858616F883", "Sen. Warner Statement On Passage of 21st Century Cures Act", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014Today, the U.S. Senate voted 94-5 to pass bipartisan legislation to facilitate medical research and innovation, accelerate the delivery of medical treatments to patients by advancing the drug approval process, and improve our mental health system. The legislation also creates a mechanism for providing funding to address the growing opioid epidemic, and to advance National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiatives, such as Alzheimer\u2019s research and Vice President Biden\u2019s Cancer Moonshot. Following the vote, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued a statement noting that a number of his priorities to expand access to chronic care and infusion treatments and provide additional Alzheimer\u2019s research funding were included in the final bill. It now heads to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\r\n\u201cThis bipartisan legislation will encourage biomedical innovation to target deadly diseases like cancer and Alzheimer\u2019s and help scientists and researchers deliver cures to patients. It will also expand access to critical mental health services, and provides a way to send much-needed help to hard-hit communities in Virginia and the rest of the country struggling with the devastating effects of opioid and heroin abuse,\u201d said Sen. Warner. \u201cI am particularly pleased that the bill also includes some of my proposed approaches to expand care for individuals suffering from chronic diseases. While the bill is not perfect, it is a balanced compromise that will help us improve our nation\u2019s health system and enhance patient outcomes.\u201d\r\nThe 21st Century Cures Act makes significant changes to how the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tests and approves medical treatments that are brought to the market. It also will help NIH researchers deliver new cures by enhancing our research workforce, facilitating collaborative research, and providing a mechanism for Congress to provide nearly $3 billion in additional funding for NIH biomedical research initiatives\u2014like the BRAIN and Precision Medicine Initiatives\u2014over the next decade, to tackle diseases like Alzheimer\u2019s and create new research models to find cures and better target treatments. An additional $1 billion could also be provided in funding to fight the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic. Finally, the 21st Century Cures Act includes landmark reforms to modernize our nation\u2019s mental health system, by giving the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) new tools to ensure mental health coverage parity.\r\nThe following list includes several provisions advocated by Sen. Warner that were included in the final bill:\r\n \r\nHome Infusion:\u00a0Includes a version of Sen. Warner\u2019s legislation to allow Medicare beneficiaries who need intravenous medication to receive their infusion treatments from the comfort of their home. The language included in the final bill provides this benefit for many Medicare-covered drugs.\r\nChronic Care: Incorporates two measures from the bipartisan CHRONIC Care Act. These provisions expand patient choice by allowing Medicare beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease to choose a Medicare Advantage plan beginning in 2021, and help Medicare Advantage plans better provide care to patients with multiple chronic conditions by more accurately accounting for these individuals.\r\nNIH funding: Sen. Warner has long championed increased funding investments in NIH\u2019s biomedical research during the annual appropriations process. He is a lead Senate supporter in the Senate of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act to support NIH\u2019s pediatric medical research, which was signed into law by the President in April 2014 and honors the memory of Gabriella Miller, a young girl from Leesburg who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor the size of a walnut at age 9. As Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer\u2019s Disease, Sen. Warner also regularly advocates for increased funding to cure Alzheimer\u2019s disease. The 21st Century Cures Act provides a mechanism for increased funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including for the BRAIN Initiative, focused on enhanced understanding of brain-related diseases such as Alzheimer\u2019s, and the Cancer Moonshot. In addition, legislation cosponsored by Sen. Warner, the EUREKA Act, is included and would require NIH to establish prize competitions to achieve high-priority breakthroughs in Alzheimer's disease and dementia prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care.\r\nAdditional measures from legislation cosponsored by Sen. Warner: The 21st Century Cures Act includes text from the Patient Access to Durable Medical Equipment Act, which would preserve patient access to durable medical equipment in rural areas so that beneficiaries have access to quality items and services in all parts of the country. Cures also includes language in the spirit of the Anna Westin Act, which clarifies the coverage of eating disorder benefits.\r\n \r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-president-obamas-national-security-address", "Kaine Statement On President Obama's National Security Address", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Statement On President Obama's National Security Address\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 6, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, released the following statement on the President\u2019s address and memorandum outlining the rules governing the use of force:\r\n\u201cI strongly agree with the President that democracies should not operate in a state of perpetual war and that Congress has a solemn duty to authorize the current mission against ISIL. I also agree with what the President wrote in the memo released this week: Decisions as important as war and peace must be made pursuant to a legal framework and that detracting from that legal framework increases the risk of ill-considered decisions by current and future presidents. However, a presidential memorandum does not achieve these goals in the same way that an open debate in Congress about the contours of proposed military action does. In addition to avoiding dangerous precedents of unilateral executive power and overreach, an open debate in the legislative branch affords the public an opportunity to understand our military engagements and sends a message of resolve to our servicemembers who risk their lives for the sake of the mission.\r\n\u201cIn May 2013, President Obama committed to engage Congress in an effort to update the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force. More than three years later, the Administration continues to stretch the 2001 AUMF well beyond its intended scope, and Congress remains unwilling to debate, clarify, and authorize our current military actions in multiple countries. I hope that a transition to a new Administration and Congress in January will give us the opportunity to review ongoing military action against terrorist groups, redraft the 2001 AUMF, and reassert Congress\u2019 rightful place in decisions of war and peace.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C77DCBA9-0442-4770-BC6A-1E5B2749F24A", "Warner Applauds Final Passage of Bill to Improve DNA Testing & Forensic Technology", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today applauded a unanimous Senate vote to reauthorize Justice Department programs to support cutting-edge DNA testing and forensic technology. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016, which was cosponsored by Sen. Warner and which originally passed the Senate last June, has been approved by the House of Representatives and now is headed to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law. The Act reauthorizes programs which have not been updated or strengthened in twelve years, since passage of the original legislation in 2004. There have been dramatic changes in forensic technology and DNA testing practices since that time. \u00a0\r\n\u201cVirginia\u2019s DNA program has been a model for the rest of the country, showing how advances in forensic technology can have profound impacts in delivering justice to those wrongfully convicted and to victims of unsolved crimes,\u201d said Sen. Warner. \u201cIn the 21st century, the responsible use of the latest technological advances should not only be expected -- it should be required. I am proud to see Congress embrace this same principle by authorizing support programs that invest in the modernization of the criminal justice system.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0\r\nThe Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016 focuses on ensuring our criminal justice system is fair and effective. It provides resources for public forensic laboratories, which are critical to ensuring the efficient and accurate testing of evidence, and reducing the rape kit backlog. It strengthens crime victims\u2019 rights and programs by increasing restitution for crime victims, requiring that interpreters be available to all federal crime victims who wish to participate in a court proceeding, and reauthorizing important programs used to notify crime victims of their rights and provide them with legal assistance.\r\nThis legislation reauthorizes programs that directly benefit Virginia\u2019s Department of Forensic Science by providing funding for the state\u2019s DNA testing centers to develop strong programs and acquire necessary testing equipment. The bill also protects the innocent by expanding access to exculpatory DNA testing for the wrongfully convicted. Since 1989, there have been 347 post-conviction exonerations in the United States as a result of DNA testing. These people served an average of 14 years in prison before their exoneration and release. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016 eliminates barriers to post-conviction DNA testing if untested evidence is available and potentially exculpatory for individuals expressing claims of innocence.\r\nSince the establishment in 1989 of one of the first DNA Data Banks in the United States in Virginia, the Commonwealth has continued to lead the nation in the use of cutting edge DNA technology to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. Sen. Warner has promoted advances in DNA testing since his time as Governor of Virginia, becoming the first Governor to order posthumous DNA testing in a capital case. In 2005, then-Gov. Warner ordered a large scale review and testing of approximately 850 criminal cases following the exoneration of five Virginia men by DNA testing. The post-conviction DNA testing program spearheaded by Sen. Warner as Governor has exonerated eleven individuals and enabled additional testing in hundreds of cases, which have resulted in the match of 10,000 cold case hits since Sen. Warner helped modernize the system.\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-nomination-of-ben-carson-as-hud-secretary", "Kaine Statement On Nomination Of Ben Carson As HUD Secretary", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Statement On Nomination Of Ben Carson As HUD Secretary\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 5, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today on President-elect Trump\u2019s nomination of Dr. Ben Carson to serve as the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):\r\n\u201cThe next HUD Secretary will lead an organization with over 8,000 employees and a budget of $47 billion that is charged with addressing the housing needs faced by our most vulnerable populations and enforcing the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits housing discrimination. Families face the challenge of finding an affordable and decent place to live with access to good jobs and quality schools when rents are exploding and access to the mortgage market is limited.\u00a0It\u2019s critical that Congress act to address these problems and have a strong partner at HUD to achieve results. I am interested to learn Dr. Carson\u2019s approach to these issues.\u201d\r\nBefore serving in federal, state and local government, Kaine spent his legal career as a fair housing lawyer from 1984 to 2001. During that time, his cases were focused on implementing provisions of the Fair Housing Act throughout Virginia. As a Richmond lawyer, he represented Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Inc. (HOME) in its historic suit against Nationwide Mutual Insurance for industry-wide redlining practices in the issuance of homeowners insurance.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-nomination-of-general-james-mattis-to-be-secretary-of-defense", "Kaine Statement On Nomination Of General James Mattis To Be Secretary Of Defense", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Statement On Nomination Of General James Mattis To Be Secretary Of Defense\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 5, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on President-elect Trump\u2019s nomination of General James Mattis to be the next Secretary of Defense:\r\n\u201cGeneral Mattis has unquestionable expertise in military operations and a unique understanding of our complex security environment. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I look forward to hearing General Mattis\u2019 plans for addressing both the security environment and organizational reforms to the Department of Defense. I would also like to hear how the Trump Administration intends to address the destabilizing role state actors like Russia have played on Western democracies, the threat to global security posed by nationalist movements, and considerations for a more effective counter-terrorism strategy.\r\n\u201cWith respect to the legal barrier to General Mattis serving as Secretary of Defense, I plan to carefully evaluate any exceptions to this law with respect to their implications for civilian control of the military.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-tours-alexandria-community-health-center-discusses-importance-of-preserving-the-affordable-care-act-and-expanding-coverage", "Kaine Tours Alexandria Community Health Center, Discusses Importance Of Preserving The Affordable Care Act And Expanding Coverage", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Tours Alexandria Community Health Center, Discusses Importance Of Preserving The Affordable Care Act And Expanding Coverage\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 5, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine toured a community health center in Alexandria, Virginia to discuss the importance of protecting health center funding, the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid going into the next administration. Kaine also highlighted how community health centers are critical in providing quality healthcare to underserved communities in Virginia and received an award from the Virginia Community Healthcare Association for his legislative work on behalf of community health centers in Congress.\r\n\u201cCommunity health centers serve Virginians by providing a medical home through integrated care. It\u2019s primary medical care, dental care, behavioral health care for all ages, for people of all status,\u201d said Kaine. \u201cThese are critical services for communities in the most urban parts of the state in Northern Virginia and some of the most rural parts.\r\n\u201cWith the incoming Congress and the new Administration, I\u2019m going to do everything I can to continue to be a strong supporter for community health centers which are an absolutely critical part of the nation\u2019s health care system,\u201d Kaine continued. \u201cWe\u2019ve made a lot of advances in providing new protections and reducing the uninsured rate across the country, and we need to work to keep those in place. We have to embrace a discussion about improvements and reforms, but we need to maintain coverage, not shed coverage, and maintain great programs like community health centers.\u201d\r\nKaine has advocated to ensure funding for community health centers in Virginia since taking office in 2013.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=623F28B8-E9A3-4F7F-98C7-0FB30DFF3B36", "FCC Response to IoT Concerns Offers Foundation for Trump Administration to Build Upon", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) applauded the response of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to his October 25th letter raising concerns about the proliferation of insecure Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Sen. Warner, co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Cybersecurity Caucus and the incoming Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the FCC response, which offers a plan to reduce risks from insecure devices, provides the incoming Trump Administration with a roadmap for additional work in this area.\u00a0\r\nThe FCC letter resulted from Sen. Warner\u2019s questions about the October 2016 Mirai botnet attack, which utilized vulnerable devices such as internet-connected cameras and DVRs to temporarily overwhelm popular Internet sites including Twitter, Amazon, Tumblr, Reddit, Spotify and Netflix. In the past week, a sophisticated variant of Mirai reportedly infected over one-million routers in Germany, the United Kingdom and Brazil.\r\n\u201cThe Commission\u2019s response to my questions validates my concerns about the risk of crippling cyberattacks made easier through connected consumer appliances and wirelessly connected household devices,\u201d Sen. Warner\u00a0 said. \u201cThe FCC chairman confirms that internet service providers already have the authority \u2013 if not the responsibility \u2013 to protect their networks by blocking malicious and harmful traffic. I also am pleased to learn the FCC also has been discussing improved tools, including setting security standards for IoT devices, to better protect consumers as well as the broader Internet.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe commission\u2019s proposal for a device certification process, either by the agency or through industry self-certification, deserves strong consideration,\u201d Sen. Warner continued. \u201cSimilarly, the FCC\u2019s suggestion of consumer labeling requirements echoes the call by many security experts for metrics that will empower and educate consumers. \u00a0I strongly urge the incoming Trump Administration to make cybersecurity a top priority, because we simply must move forward with responsible new initiatives to better engage consumers, manufacturers, retailers, internet sites and service providers in improving our nation\u2019s cybersecurity posture.\u201d\r\nSen. Warner\u2019s Oct. 25 letter to the FCC can be accessed here, and FCC Chair Tom Wheeler\u2019s Dec. 2 reply is available here.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=E40A4081-5E84-45DE-83FE-AEC55268F4F2", "Warner: No Special Consideration for Other Bills Until We Save Coal Miners Healthcare, Retirement", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, a coalition of Senators fighting to protect the health and pensions of more than 120,000 retired coalminers nationwide announced their intent to use any means necessary to make sure that these workers and their families are protected. With 16,300 retired coal miners set to lose healthcare by Dec. 31, 2016 without Congressional action, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Bob Casey (D-PA) announced that they will block all attempts to pass legislation by unanimous consent in the Senate until the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) healthcare and pension shortfall is adequately addressed to give miners long-term certainty. By blocking other bills from sailing through with special privileges, the Senators hope to force House and Senate leadership to include the bipartisan mineworkers fix in the year-end spending package or allow an independent vote on the bill. \u00a0\u00a0\r\nThe Senators released the following joint statement:\r\n\u201cFor several months, we have joined thousands of our states\u2019 retired coal miners and their families to call for a vote on this bipartisan, paid-for bill. And for several months those calls have gone unanswered. These miners cannot wait another day and it\u2019s up to us to protect what they\u2019ve earned for a lifetime of dangerous, backbreaking work. We are confident this bill would pass on the floor and we demand action to provide long-term certainty for these miners.\u201d \r\n   \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/floor-statements/conference-report-on-s-2943-national-defense-authorization-act-for", "CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 2943, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Robert Scott", "S000185", "bobbyscott.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Before addressing matters of concern to the Education and the Workforce Committee, I want to underscore my strong support for the shipbuilding and ship maintenance provisions. I have the honor of representing Hampton Roads, Virginia, the heart of our nation's shipbuilding industrial base. I strongly support the conference report's shipbuilding and ship maintenance provisions, specifically language urging the Secretary of the Navy to speed up the procurement schedule for aircraft carriers to ensure that our carrier fleet is not again reduced to 10 carriers. These provisions in the\u00a0conference report will not only significantly benefit my region, but will be critical for our nation's security. I'd like to commend Congressman\u00a0FORBES\u00a0and Congressman\u00a0COURTNEY\u00a0for their efforts on this area.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As a conferee and Ranking Member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, I was pleased to see that the final conference report eliminated matters of grave concern.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0First, the Conference Report removed Section 3512 of the House bill which redefined ``recreational vessels'' across almost all statutes.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The aim of this provision was to exempt workers repairing vessels over 65 feet in length from coverage under the Longshore and Harbor Workers Act (LHWCA), such as very large yachts and luxury watercraft. By stripping injured workers of the protections under LWHCA, these workers would have been shifted into coverage under state workers' compensation laws. Many state workers' compensation benefit levels are substantially inferior to LHWCA coverage, especially in states such as Florida.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Earlier this year, the Florida Supreme Court found that the Florida workers' compensation law was unconstitutional because the duration of disability benefits was so truncated and the benefit levels so anemic that they did not constitute ``a system of redress'' that ``functions as a reasonable alternative to tort litigation.''\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Both the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) opposed Section 3512.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The DOL noted that Section 3512 would ``lead to uncertainty and foster litigation regarding Longshore Act coverage'' because the new definition of ``recreational'' vessel introduced subjective criteria. For example, would vessels with paid crews or which are leased out for commercial purposes be deemed recreational or commercial? DOL also expressed concern that this ``legislation will simply encourage employers to shift their employees out of the more protective federal longshore workers' compensation system,'' and into inferior state workers' comp coverage.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Coast Guard noted changing the definition of ``recreational vessel'' under Section 4301 of Title 46 (the Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971) would have adverse impacts on Coast Guard regulatory and enforcement authorities.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Second, I was pleased to see that Impact Aid has been preserved for Local Educational Agencies consistent with past precedent.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Third, there were two provisions that adversely impacted employee protections in the workplace, which were deleted in the conference report.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0One such provision was Section 1094 of the House bill, which was misleadingly labeled ``Protections Relating to Civil Rights and Disabilities'' authorized taxpayer-funded employment discrimination in every grant, cooperative agreement, contract, subcontract, and purchase order awarded by every Federal agency doing business with a religiously affiliated organization.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Section 1094 would effectively nullify the protections from workplace discrimination for LGBT workers that were provided in Executive Order 13672 (Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity by Contractors and Subcontractors) that was signed on July 21, 2014.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Further, the provision would incorporate an exemption from the Americans with Disabilities Act that could permit taxpayer-funded discrimination not only against employees and applicants who are not members of the same religion, but also against those who fail to adhere to the organization's religious tenets.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Accordingly, religious organizations in receipt of federal dollars could use their religious viewpoint to: discharge working women who use birth control or who is pregnant and unmarried; fire employees who engage in premarital sex; deny employment or health benefits to married same-sex couples that they already provide to married opposite-sex couples; or refuse to consider for employment anyone, however qualified, whose religion is inconsistent with the employer's religious tenets.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ninety-one religious, education, civil rights, labor, and women's organizations wrote to express their opposition in a letter dated August 25, 2016. The groups noted that: ``effective government collaboration with faith-based groups does not require the sanctioning of federally funded religious discrimination.''\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I am pleased that the conference report did not authorize religious employers to discriminate in hiring using federal funds. I want to applaud Senator\u00a0Blumenthal\u00a0for his leadership in helping to remove this provision.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In addition, Sections 1095 of the House bill and Section 829-I of the Senate bill would have eliminated or diminished the application of the ``Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces'' Executive Order.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0This executive order requires companies to disclose whether they have engaged in serious, repeated, willful or pervasive violations of any of 14 long-standing labor laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act, and nondiscrimination laws.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Each year, thousands of federal contractor workers are deprived of overtime wages, denied basic workplace protections, forced to endure illegal discrimination, and made to tolerate unwarranted health and safety risks. Companies supported by and entrusted with federal government contracts should be expected to represent the gold standard in the American workplace.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The executive order aims to level the playing field so that those who repeatedly violate those laws do not gain competitive advantage over those law abiding contractors who expend the funds and make the effort to ensure full compliance.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Finally, I want to recognize the exceptional effort made by Ranking Member\u00a0Smith\u00a0and his staff to work with the Education and Workforce Committee to produce a final bill that meets the defense needs of this nation and also ensures workers are treated fairly.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/scott-floor-statement-in-support-of-final-national-defense-authorization", "Scott Floor Statement in Support of Final National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Robert Scott", "S000185", "bobbyscott.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman\u00a0Bobby Scott (VA-03) delivered the following remarks on the House floor in support of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017. Congressman Scott, as Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce,\u00a0was appointed to the conference committee in July and successfully advocated for the removal of several harmful workplace provisions that were eliminated from the final bill text.\n\u201cMr. Speaker, I rise to support the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017. \n\u201cI have the honor of representing Hampton Roads, Virginia, the heart of our nation\u2019s shipbuilding industrial base. So I want to underscore my support for the shipbuilding and ship maintenance provisions in the bill, including the language urging the Secretary of the Navy to speed up the procurement schedule for aircraft carriers to ensure that our carrier fleet is not again reduced to 10 carriers. These provisions will not only significantly benefit my region, but will be critical to our nation\u2019s security. I want to particularly commend my colleague from Virginia, the chair of the Seapower Subcommittee, Mr. Forbes, and the ranking member of that Subcommittee, Mr. Courtney, for their hard work on the shipbuilding aspects of the bill.\n\u201cAs the Ranking Member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, I was pleased to see that the final conference report eliminated three matters of grave concern that would have adversely affected working conditions for shipyard workers and employees of government contractors. \n\u201cThe first provision eliminated from the bill would have severely undermined the workers\u2019 compensation benefits that many shipyard workers\u2019 now receive under the Longshore and Harbor Workers\u2019 Compensation Act.\n\u201cThe second problematic provision would have authorized taxpayer-funded employment discrimination by religious organizations.\n\u201cAnd, a third provision would have significantly diminished the application of the Executive Order on Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces. This order will now remain in effect and will help level the playing field so that those contractors who willfully and repeatedly violate workplace safety, labor, and civil rights laws will not gain competitive advantages over those law-abiding contractors who faithfully comply with employment laws.\n\u201cIn closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the exceptional work made by the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, Mr. Smith, with the cooperation of the chair of the committee, Mr. Thornberry, to produce a bill that addresses the defense needs of our nation, but also ensures that workers are treated fairly.\u201d\n# # #\nConference Committee Related Letters Led by Congressman Scott:", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/scott-forbes-wittman-rigell-applauds-award-of-contract-for-new-lab-at", "Scott, Forbes, Wittman & Rigell Applaud Award of Contract for New Lab at NASA Langley", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Robert Scott", "S000185", "bobbyscott.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Representatives Bobby Scott (VA-03), Randy Forbes (VA-04), Rob Wittman (VA-01) and Scott Rigell (VA-02) issued the following joint statement applauding today\u2019s announcement by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) that it has awarded a $95.6 million contract to W.M. Jordan Co. of Newport News to construct the Measurement Systems Laboratory (MSL) at NASA Langley Research Center:\n\u201cToday\u2019s announcement by the General Services Administration is great news for NASA Langley and science research in Hampton Roads,\u201d said Rep.Scott. \u201cThis project, part of NASA Langley\u2019s 20-year revitalization plan, will expand NASA Langley\u2019s research capabilities while saving millions of dollars in annual maintenance. As NASA Langley celebrates its 100th Anniversary next year, we look forward to continuing to work with NASA, the Virginia aerospace community, and our colleagues in Congress to ensure that NASA Langley is able to continue to implement its 20-year plan and remains an integral part of accomplishing NASA\u2019s missions.\u201d\u00a0\nRep J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) said \u201cNASA is doing cutting-edge work and much of it is happening right here in Virginia. This contract award is part of what will enable NASA to make exciting new breakthroughs and reach new horizons \u2013 and is a sign of the bright days ahead for NASA Langley.\u00a0I am proud of the bipartisan support from the Hampton Roads congressional delegation to support and advance the critical research being done there every day.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\n\u201cNASA Langley is such an incredible Virginia and national asset. Construction of the MSL is a key component of NASA Langley Research Center\u2019s long-term revitalization plan, setting course for 21st Century space and aeronautics innovation,\u201d said Rep. Rob Wittman (VA-01)\n\"NASA Langley has always meant a lot to me and my family,\" Rep.Rigell said. \"I am proud that, through the bipartisan work of the delegation and others, the Research Center will be able to continue to inspire many people with the construction of the MSL, which is crucial to a path forward to innovation.\"\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/scott-to-hold-health-care-town-hall-in-newport-news", "Scott to Hold Health Care Town Hall in Newport News", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Robert Scott", "S000185", "bobbyscott.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Bobby Scott will hold a health care town hall in Newport News on Monday, December 12, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.\n\t\tCongressman Scott will be joined by a representative from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Ashley Richard and Jamila Allen, both Navigators at ENROLL Virginia!, a nonpartisan, community-based organization dedicated to assisting Virginians with enrolling in health insurance offered by the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.\n\t\tThe town hall will provide an overview of the Affordable Care Act, the Marketplace enrollment process, and other health care initiatives at the federal level.\u00a0Open Enrollment for 2017 began on November 1, 2016. December 15, 2016 is the enrollment deadline for coverage to take effect on January 1, 2017. January 31, 2017 is the final enrollment deadline for coverage to take effect on March 1, 2017.\u00a0 Following this date, enrollment and changes to plans can occur only if you qualify for a\u00a0Special Enrollment Period. Constituents will also have the opportunity to ask questions and share their concerns.\u00a0This event is free and open to the public.\n\t\tNewport News Healthcare Town Hall  \n\t\t\tMonday, December 12, 2016  \n\t\t\t6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.  Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center\n\t\t\t2410 Wickham Ave\n\t\t\tNewport News, VA 23607\n\t\tFor more information about this town hall, please contact Congressman Scott's Newport News District Office at (757) 380-1000.\n\t\t# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=4A369F83-0039-409E-B75E-701607555EDD", "Warner Introduces Bill to Help Wells Fargo Victims Get Their Day in Court", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, introduced legislation to give Wells Fargo customers who were victims of a fraudulent account scheme their day in court. The bank was involved in a scandal this year after it was revealed that Wells Fargo employees secretly opened roughly 1.5 million bank accounts and issued 565,000 credit cards without customers\u2019 consent. Wells Fargo is using the forced arbitration clauses it tucked away in the fine print of contracts customers signed when they opened legitimate accounts to block them from suing over the fraudulent accounts.\r\n\u201cWells Fargo should not be able to take advantage of arbitration agreements customers signed when they opened legitimate accounts in order to avoid answering for the fakes ones bank employees created without customers\u2019 knowledge,\u201d said Sen. Warner. \u201cConsumers who were defrauded by Wells Fargo in one of the most outrageous examples of misconduct since the financial crisis deserve their day in court.\u201d\r\nThe Justice for Victims of Fraud Act of 2016 will work hand-in-hand with a new oversight rule that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) put out in May to strengthen protections for consumers. Whereas the CFPB proposal would apply only to contracts signed after the rule is final \u2013 this bill would allow victims of Wells Fargo\u2019s fraud to seek their day in court even if they signed contracts that included arbitration for their legitimate accounts in the past.\r\nThe bill has been endorsed by The American Association for Justice, Consumers Union, the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients), Americans for Financial Reform, the Center for Responsible Lending, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Media Voices for Children, Allied Progress, the Woodstock Institute, the Franciscan Action Network, the Economic Policy Institute Center, California Reinvestment Coalition, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, National Consumers League, and Public Justice.\r\nOther bill sponsors are U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Robert Casey (D-PA), Jon Tester (D-MT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Al Franken (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND).\r\nSen. Warner has been a strong proponent of consumer protections in the banking industry, previously\u00a0urging the CFPB\u00a0to require banks to offer better consumer protections for prepaid card users, including\u00a0formerly incarcerated individuals\u00a0who are provided prepaid cards with the money they earned or saved upon their release.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/floor-statements/honoring-the-life-of-debra-saunders-white", "HONORING THE LIFE OF DEBRA SAUNDERS-WHITE", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Robert Scott", "S000185", "bobbyscott.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the loss of one of our nation's finest public servants, Dr. Debra Saunders-White. She was a good friend and a tireless advocate for increasing access to higher education for all students. This past Saturday, Debra Saunders-White passed away, and I would like to take a brief moment to celebrate her life and legacy.\nFor many years, Debra Saunders-White was a leading voice in education as she fought to strengthen historical black colleges and universities and other minority serving institutions. As a first generation college graduate, Debra understood both the opportunities afforded by higher education and the many challenges that accompany students as they attempt to access and afford a higher education.\nA native of Hampton, Virginia, she attended the University of Virginia before receiving her Masters of Business Administration from the College of William and Mary and her Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from George Washington University. After completing her education, Mrs. Saunders-White spent 15 years in the private sector, working for IBM as a systems engineer before transitioning to marketing.\nFrom 1999 until 2006, Dr. Saunders-White served as the Assistant Provost of Technology at Hampton University. While at Hampton, she designed and implemented the university's first information technology organization. Her efforts made Hampton University the first HBCU in the nation to join the Internet2 community, where they earned the ``most wired university'' title by Forbes Magazine and the Princeton Review.\nUltimately, Dr. Saunders-White left Hampton University and spent some time at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) as the Vice Chancellor and later served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Education in President Obama's administration. In 2011, Mrs. Saunders-White became the 11th chancellor of North Carolina Central University. During her tenure, Dr. Saunders-White was held in high regard by all of her colleagues and students. Known for her strong vision and leadership, Debra was extremely dedicated to ensuring the success of the students at NCCU while she carried out her vision for growth at the university.\nMr. Speaker, the education and NCCU communities have lost a tremendous advocate for our nation's students. I want to extend my deepest sympathies to her two children, Elizabeth Paige and Cecil III; her mother, Irene Saunders; her brothers, Roger, Ralph and Kyle Saunders, and the rest of her family, friends, and countless students she positively impacted during her life.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=444", "Beyer Seeks Answers In Hearing On Skyrocketing Rates For Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Donald Beyer", "B001292", "beyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Beyer demanded answers at a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on the rapidly rising rates for policy holders of the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP). He expressed the anguish of constituents who contacted him about their premium increases, some of which went up by as much as 126 percent, in an exchange with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).\r\nThe sudden FLTCIP rate increases shocked and upset many of my constituents, said Rep. Don Beyer. Unfortunately many of their questions remain unanswered. We need to continue to push OPM to fully explain why so little information was communicated to policy-holders sooner, especially when OPM knew years in advance that premium increases would be expected.We need tangible adjustments to ensure the long-term affordability and sustainability of this program.\r\nRep. Beyer does not sit on the Oversight Committee, but asked to take part in the hearing because of its significance to his constituents. Fellow Virginia Representative Gerry Connolly, who sits on the Oversight Committee, initially requested the hearing.\r\nBeyer added, Congress held a hearing in 2009 and nothing improved. Insurers again issued a contract with even worse price shock to beneficiaries. The conversation cannot end with this hearing.\r\nNorthern Virginia is home to the largest concentration of federal employees in the nation, many of whom purchase through FLTCIP.\r\nVideo of Rep. Beyer's exchanges at the hearing can be viewed here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/feinstein-kaine-statement-on-clean-extension-of-the-iran-sanctions-act", "Feinstein, Kaine Statement On Clean Extension Of The Iran Sanctions Act", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Feinstein, Kaine Statement On Clean Extension Of The Iran Sanctions Act\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 1, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013\u00a0Today,\u00a0U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations & Armed Services Committees and co-author of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act,\u00a0released the following statement on\u00a0the unanimous vote to extend the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA), a critical component of the U.S. sanctions architecture against Iran:\r\n\u201cWe voted today to extend ISA because it is consistent with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which we strongly support.\u00a0 In line with the agreement, the President is currently waiving sanctions as Iranian compliance with the deal is tested over the next eight years.\u00a0 Until then, sanctions legislation must remain in place to allow an immediate \u2018snap-back\u2019 should Iran violate the JCPOA.\u00a0 This is not a new sanction, but signals the continued commitment of Congress to vigorously enforce Iran\u2019s compliance with the JCPOA and to make clear that there will be immediate consequences should Iran break the terms of the agreement, including the re-imposition of sanctions.\u00a0 \r\n\u201cToday\u2019s vote is in support of the agreement.\u00a0 All parties to the JCPOA contemplated that sanction statutes would remain in place until the IAEA reaches the conclusion that all nuclear material in Iran remains for peaceful purposes.\u00a0 At that time, Congress is to seek termination of statutory sanctions and Iran will permanently ratify the Additional Protocol.\u00a0 Today, the U.S. and Iran are honoring the agreement, and it would be a significant error for the U.S. to walk away from the agreement in the future.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-and-kaine-announce-legislation-to-expand_petersburg-national-battlefield-expected-to-become-law", "Warner & Kaine Announce Legislation to Expand  Petersburg National Battlefield Expected to Become Law", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Warner & Kaine Announce Legislation to Expand  Petersburg National Battlefield Expected to Become Law\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 1, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Today U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced that legislation to add more than 7,000 acres to the Petersburg National Battlefield is on track to be approved by Congress as soon as next week.\r\nText of the annual defense authorization bill released by a congressional conference committee includes legislation sponsored by the two Virginia Senators authorizing the National Park Service to acquire additional historic land sites related to the Siege of Petersburg, the longest military event of the Civil War. The National Defense Authorization Act is expected to pass the House of Representatives on Friday, with the Senate projected to follow suit early next week.\r\n\u201cThe Petersburg National Battlefield bore witness to the longest sustained siege in our nation\u2019s military history and draws visitors from all across the country, injecting millions of dollars into the local economy every year,\u201d said Sen. Warner. \u201cExpanding the park will encourage tourism to the region while preserving this important piece of American history for future generations. After working on this legislation for several years now, it\u2019s great news that we are so close to seeing it a reality.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe NDAA ensures that the Petersburg National Battlefield will become the nation's largest protected battlefield,\u201d Sen. Kaine said. \u201cThis hallowed ground bears witness to one of the longest, hardest and most decisive contests of the Civil War.\u00a0\u00a0 The stories of all the combatants--including more than 16,000 African-American troops--will now be more accessible to the current generation.\u00a0 I thank my colleagues for their support and acknowledge the work of my predecessor Jim Webb in getting us to this day.\u201d\r\n\u201cAfter working for years with my colleagues to secure the expansion of the Petersburg National Battlefield Park, I am proud to be able to say that we have protected these hallowed grounds and ensured that the lands and history of this battlefield will be preserved for future generations,\u201d said Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), who introduced the legislation in the House. \u00a0\r\n\"Having worked toward this goal for years, I am pleased to see this important legislation being made into law during my final weeks in office,\u201d said Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA), who sponsored the House legislation. \u201cThe Petersburg area contains so much of history and heritage, and I thank my colleagues in both parties and both chambers for their efforts to protect it.\u201d\r\nThe Petersburg National Battlefield \u2013 which injects more than $10 million into the local economy annually \u2013 currently protects over 2,500 acres of battlefield and historic buildings that were involved in General Ulysses S. Grant\u2019s 10 month Siege of Petersburg, Virginia in 1864-1865. During the Civil War, Petersburg was an important supply post for General Robert E. Lee\u2019s army and the Confederate Capital of Richmond, Virginia. General Grant\u2019s victory over Lee\u2019s army at Petersburg in March of 1865 directly precipitated Lee\u2019s surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. This was the longest siege in American military history and was an important event for the United States Colored Troops (USCT) as over 16,000 African-American soldiers served in battle.\r\nIn 2005, the National Park Service recommended modifying the Petersburg National Battlefield to include 7,238 acres of significant core battlefield land. The land identified for inclusion was the site of 18 major battles during the Civil War and are in danger of being lost to development. These sites are not currently protected within the National Battlefield and have been identified by the Civil War Trust as one of the most endangered group of historic battlefields in the country. The Petersburg National Battlefield Boundary Modification Act does not spend any money, only authorizes the National Park Service to acquire the land. The legislation also authorizes one small land transfer between Fort Lee and the battlefield.\r\nThe acquisition \u2013 through purchase or donation of the land \u2013 would make the Petersburg National Battlefield the largest Civil War historic battlefield in the nation. Several nonprofits, including the Civil War Preservation Trust, already acquired key acreage that will be turned over to the National Park Service to expand the Battlefield.\r\nIn August of this year, Sen. Warner joined the National Park Service on a tour of Grant\u2019s Headquarters at the Petersburg National Battlefield. Photos from that visit are available for media use here.\r\nSen. Kaine\u2019s bill to reauthorize and expand the National Park Service\u2019s American Battlefield Protection Program was signed into law in 2014, and his bill to create a National Park Service commission honoring 400 years of African American history has passed out of committee and is before the full Senate.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-kaine-urge-action-to-authorize-delayed-v-a-medical-leases-before-the-end-of-the-year-", "Warner, Kaine Urge Action To Authorize Delayed V-A Medical Leases Before The End Of The Year", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Warner, Kaine Urge Action To Authorize Delayed V-A Medical Leases Before The End Of The Year \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 1, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined 16 of their Senate colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter urging Congressional leaders to authorize leases for 24 Department of Veterans Affairs (V-A) medical facilities before the end of the 114th Congress. Congress has not authorized major medical facility leases since 2014, which are necessary to enable the department to deliver vital care and services to veterans in Virginia and across the country. Most of these leases have been pending congressional approval for more than a year.\r\n\u201cVeterans in each of these states deserve the timely and quality health care benefits they have earned through their service. As such, we ask that you work to include authorization for these leases in the December funding bill, or another appropriate vehicle, to be signed into law this year,\u201d the Senators wrote.\r\nUnder law, the Department of Veterans Affairs (V-A) must receive specific legislative authorization to lease medical facilities with average annual rental payments in excess of $1 million. However, Congress has not, through a regular process, recently authorized any V-A major medical facility leases, hampering the ability of the V-A to provide much-needed health care and services to veterans around the country. Among the leases that are pending is a 155,000 square foot outpatient facility in Hampton Roads, Va., which has one of the fastest-growing veterans populations in the country. Patient visits in Hampton Roads\u2019 service area increased by 30.5 percent from 2011 to September 2014, while the national average across the V-A system was 8.6 percent.\r\nFull list of leases pending authorization include:\r\n \r\nAnn Arbor, MI - Outpatient Clinic\r\nBirmingham, AL - Outpatient Mental Health Clinic\r\nBirmingham, AL - Outpatient Specialty Clinic\r\nBoston, MA \u2013 Research Space\r\nCharleston, SC \u2013 Research Space\r\nDaytona Beach, FL - Outpatient Clinic\r\nDenver, CO - Chief Business Office Purchased Care\r\nGainesville, FL - Outpatient Clinic\r\nHampton Roads, VA - Outpatient Clinic\r\nMission Bay, CA \u2013 Research Space\r\nMissoula, MT - Outpatient Clinic\r\nNorthern Colorado, CO - Outpatient Clinic\r\nOcala, FL - Outpatient Clinic\r\nOxnard, CA - Outpatient Clinic\r\nPike County, GA - Outpatient Clinic\r\nPortland, ME - Outpatient Clinic\r\nRaleigh, NC - Outpatient Clinic\r\nSanta Rosa, CA - Outpatient Clinic\r\nJacksonville, FL \u2013 Outpatient Clinic\r\nPontiac, MI \u2013 Outpatient Clinic\r\nRochester, NY \u2013 Outpatient Clinic\r\nTampa, FL \u2013 Outpatient Clinic\r\nTerre Haute, IN \u2013 Outpatient Clinic\r\n \r\nOther Senators who signed the letter are Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Burr (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), Steve Daines (R-MT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Angus King (I-ME), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).\r\nIn September, Sens. Warner and Kaine introduced the Providing Veterans Overdue Care Act, which would authorize leases for medical facilities in 15 states. \u00a0\r\nA signed PDF of the letter is available here.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=84F6FB22-938A-4C79-9F90-97254109A25B", "Sen. Warner, Intelligence Committee Colleagues Urge the President to Declassify Information on Russia and the U.S. Election", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington \u2013 Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), incoming Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and co-founder of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, joined a group of committee members in asking President Obama to declassify information relating to the Russian government and the U.S. election.\r\nIntelligence Committee members Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King, (I-ME), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and ex-officio member Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) signed the letter.\r\n\u201cWe believe there is additional information concerning the Russian Government and the U.S. election that should be declassified and released to the public.\u00a0 We are conveying specifics through classified channels,\u201d the members wrote.\r\n###\r\nLetter on Russia & U.S. Election by MarkWarner on Scribd", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C045989B-33A2-4B73-A15B-8E54BA2AE481", "Sen. Warner Statement on Congressional renewal of U.S. sanctions on Iran", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014Today U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), incoming Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement on Senate passage of legislation which imposes a 10-year extension of sanctions on Iran. The Iran Sanctions Act, which Sen. Warner co-sponsored, now heads to the President:\r\n\u201cToday I voted to extend the Iran Sanctions Act for another decade. Last renewed in 2006, this Act imposes sanctions on U.S. and foreign companies investing in Iran\u2019s energy sector\u2014a major component of its economy\u2014but allows the President to waive sanctions on a case-by-case basis.\u00a0 Many of the Act\u2019s sanctions, including those targeting investment in Iran\u2019s oil and gas sector, have been waived as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that the United States and five other countries have signed with Iran to rein in Tehran\u2019s nuclear program. I firmly believe the continuation of these sanctions is prudent to preserve America\u2019s ability to re-impose sanctions should Iran violate that agreement and to signal to Tehran that its continued threatening and aggressive behavior will not be tolerated.\u00a0 In the last year alone, Iran has conducted at least four ballistic missile tests, illegally detained U.S. sailors in the Persian Gulf, threatened to shoot down U.S. Navy planes, and continued to support terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and dictators like Syria\u2019s President Assad.\u00a0 I will continue to support efforts to keep Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and encourage Tehran to abide by international law and norms of behavior.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=EA679E20-6669-4201-BDE4-59C3FC75910B", "Warner Applauds House Passage of Bill to Honor OSS Veterans", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Last evening, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation authored by Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) to honor veterans of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) with a Congressional Gold Medal. The bill recognizes the members of the intelligence agency for their \u201csuperior service and major contributions during World War II.\u201d It now heads to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\r\n\u201cFor many years, the heroic contributions of the OSS \u2013 which included some of the most daring covert operations of World War II \u2014 remained shrouded in secrecy, their impact largely unknown to the American public. Today, Congress is able to publicly recognize the members of the OSS for their remarkable heroism and many sacrifices,\u201d said Sen. Warner. \u201cAs the predecessor to the modern CIA, other elements of the U.S. intelligence community, and U.S. special operations forces, the OSS once boasted nearly 13,000 members, but more than 70 years after they won the war, fewer than 100 are still with us. I know how much it means to the veterans of the OSS, as well as their families, that this legislation is finally making its way to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law. Congress has now ensured that their courage of spirit and their love of country will long live on in our nation\u2019s memory.\u201d\r\nThe OSS conducted critical operations during the war including establishing intelligence networks, training resistance organizations throughout Europe and Asia, and carrying out \u201cmercy missions\u201d at the end of the war to save the lives of thousands of Allied prisoners of war. It was created in 1942 under the leadership of General William J. Donovan to better coordinate and oversee American intelligence operations. At its peak, 13,000 members served in the OSS including notable names such as Julia Child, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., John Ford, and James Donovan, who was depicted in the 2015 movie, \u201cBridge of Spies.\u201d A number of OSS veterans were present in the House gallery when the legislation was approved.\r\nSen. Warner is the incoming Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. This summer, he lead an effort to recognize Virginia OSS veteran Stephanie Rader by posthumously awarding her the Legion of Merit.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=EBDAEDB2-FFC7-4D2C-95E3-9E49E1D07CA7", "Legislation to Expand Petersburg National Battlefield on Track to Become Law", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced that legislation to add more than 7,000 acres to the Petersburg National Battlefield is on track to be approved by Congress as soon as next week.\r\nText of the annual defense authorization bill released by a congressional conference committee includes legislation sponsored by the two Virginia Senators authorizing the National Park Service to acquire additional historic land sites related to the Siege of Petersburg, the longest military event of the Civil War. The National Defense Authorization Act is expected to pass the House of Representatives on Friday, with the Senate projected to follow suit early next week.\r\n\u201cThe Petersburg National Battlefield bore witness to the longest sustained siege in our nation\u2019s military history and draws visitors from all across the country, injecting millions of dollars into the local economy every year,\u201d said Sen. Warner. \u201cExpanding the park will encourage tourism to the region while preserving this important piece of American history for future generations. After working on this legislation for several years now, it\u2019s great news that we are so close to seeing it a reality.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe NDAA ensures that the Petersburg National Battlefield will become the nation's largest protected battlefield,\u201d Sen. Kaine said. \u201cThis hallowed ground bears witness to one of the longest, hardest and most decisive contests of the Civil War.\u00a0\u00a0 The stories of all the combatants--including more than 16,000 African-American troops--will now be more accessible to the current generation.\u00a0 I thank my colleagues for their support and acknowledge the work of my predecessor Jim Webb in getting us to this day.\u201d\r\n\u201cAfter working for years with my colleagues to secure the expansion of the Petersburg National Battlefield Park, I am proud to be able to say that we have protected these hallowed grounds and ensured that the lands and history of this battlefield will be preserved for future generations,\u201d said Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), who introduced the legislation in the House. \u00a0\r\n\"Having worked toward this goal for years, I am pleased to see this important legislation being made into law during my final weeks in office,\u201d said Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA), who sponsored the House legislation. \u201cThe Petersburg area contains so much of history and heritage, and I thank my colleagues in both parties and both chambers for their efforts to protect it.\u201d\r\nThe Petersburg National Battlefield \u2013 which injects more than $10 million into the local economy annually \u2013 currently protects over 2,500 acres of battlefield and historic buildings that were involved in General Ulysses S. Grant\u2019s 10 month Siege of Petersburg, Virginia in 1864-1865. During the Civil War, Petersburg was an important supply post for General Robert E. Lee\u2019s army and the Confederate Capital of Richmond, Virginia. General Grant\u2019s victory over Lee\u2019s army at Petersburg in March of 1865 directly precipitated Lee\u2019s surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. This was the longest siege in American military history and was an important event for the United States Colored Troops (USCT) as over 16,000 African-American soldiers served in battle.\r\nIn 2005, the National Park Service recommended modifying the Petersburg National Battlefield to include 7,238 acres of significant core battlefield land. The land identified for inclusion was the site of 18 major battles during the Civil War and are in danger of being lost to development. These sites are not currently protected within the National Battlefield and have been identified by the Civil War Trust as one of the most endangered group of historic battlefields in the country. The Petersburg National Battlefield Boundary Modification Act does not spend any money, only authorizes the National Park Service to acquire the land. The legislation also authorizes one small land transfer between Fort Lee and the battlefield.\r\nThe acquisition \u2013 through purchase or donation of the land \u2013 would make the Petersburg National Battlefield the largest Civil War historic battlefield in the nation. Several nonprofits, including the Civil War Preservation Trust, already acquired key acreage that will be turned over to the National Park Service to expand the Battlefield.\r\nIn August of this year, Sen. Warner joined the National Park Service on a tour of Grant\u2019s Headquarters at the Petersburg National Battlefield. Photos from that visit are available for media use here.\r\nSen. Kaine\u2019s bill to reauthorize and expand the National Park Service\u2019s American Battlefield Protection Program was signed into law in 2014, and his bill to create a National Park Service commission honoring 400 years of African American history has passed out of committee and is before the full Senate.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=F60FCA4F-CA96-4018-922C-F05C34143441", "Warner, Kaine Urge Action to Authorize Delayed V-A Leases", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined 16 of their Senate colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter urging Congressional leaders to authorize leases for 24 Department of Veterans Affairs (V-A) medical facilities before the end of the 114th Congress. Congress has not authorized major medical facility leases since 2014, which are necessary to enable the department to deliver vital care and services to veterans in Virginia and across the country. Most of these leases have been pending congressional approval for more than a year.\r\n\u201cVeterans in each of these states deserve the timely and quality health care benefits they have earned through their service. As such, we ask that you work to include authorization for these leases in the December funding bill, or another appropriate vehicle, to be signed into law this year,\u201d the Senators wrote.\r\nUnder law, the Department of Veterans Affairs (V-A) must receive specific legislative authorization to lease medical facilities with average annual rental payments in excess of $1 million. However, Congress has not, through a regular process, recently authorized any V-A major medical facility leases, hampering the ability of the V-A to provide much-needed health care and services to veterans around the country. Among the leases that are pending is a 155,000 square foot outpatient facility in Hampton Roads, Va., which has one of the fastest-growing veterans populations in the country. Patient visits in Hampton Roads\u2019 service area increased by 30.5 percent from 2011 to September 2014, while the national average across the V-A system was 8.6 percent.\r\nFull list of leases pending authorization include:\r\n \r\nAnn Arbor, MI - Outpatient Clinic\r\nBirmingham, AL - Outpatient Mental Health Clinic\r\nBirmingham, AL - Outpatient Specialty Clinic\r\nBoston, MA \u2013 Research Space\r\nCharleston, SC \u2013 Research Space\r\nDaytona Beach, FL - Outpatient Clinic\r\nDenver, CO - Chief Business Office Purchased Care\r\nGainesville, FL - Outpatient Clinic\r\nHampton Roads, VA - Outpatient Clinic\r\nMission Bay, CA \u2013 Research Space\r\nMissoula, MT - Outpatient Clinic\r\nNorthern Colorado, CO - Outpatient Clinic\r\nOcala, FL - Outpatient Clinic\r\nOxnard, CA - Outpatient Clinic\r\nPike County, GA - Outpatient Clinic\r\nPortland, ME - Outpatient Clinic\r\nRaleigh, NC - Outpatient Clinic\r\nSanta Rosa, CA - Outpatient Clinic\r\nJacksonville, FL \u2013 Outpatient Clinic\r\nPontiac, MI \u2013 Outpatient Clinic\r\nRochester, NY \u2013 Outpatient Clinic\r\nTampa, FL \u2013 Outpatient Clinic\r\nTerre Haute, IN \u2013 Outpatient Clinic\r\n \r\nOther Senators who signed the letter are Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Burr (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), Steve Daines (R-MT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Angus King (I-ME), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).\r\nIn September, Sens. Warner and Kaine introduced the Providing Veterans Overdue Care Act, which would authorize leases for medical facilities in 15 states. \u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/floor-statements/filipino-veterans-of-world-war-ii-congressional-gold-medal-act-of-2015", "FILIPINO VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT OF 2015", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Robert Scott", "S000185", "bobbyscott.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Mr. SCOTT of Virginia.\u00a0Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1555, the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Filipino Americans have contributed to American life and culture in countless ways, and one of the most noble is through military service. Over 200,000 Filipino soldiers and guerrilla fighters served with the United States Armed Forces during World War II. Their invaluable service helped provide the necessary support to defeat the Japanese in the Pacific.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0For over 60 years, Filipino veterans and community advocates have fought to obtain benefits and recognition that they were promised. In 2009, Congress created the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, where eligible veterans who are U.S. citizens could receive a one-time payment of $15,000; eligible veterans who are not U.S. citizens could receive a one-time payment of $9,000. While this fund has allowed many of them to receive some compensation, in Congress we are still working to make sure these families get all of the benefits they earned, they deserved and were promised.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Another way that we can recognize these heroes is by awarding them the Congressional Gold Medal. The Senate unanimously passed the Filipino World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act in July. Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of the House version of the bill and co-chair of the U.S.-Philippines Friendship Caucus, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation so that approximately 18,000 surviving Filipino veterans of World War II may be recognized for their service to our Nation. We are forever indebted to these brave soldiers, and it is important that we appropriately express our gratitude for that service.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Speaker, I therefore urge my colleagues to support the bill.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/floor-statements/recognizing-retiring-members-of-the-virginia-delegation", "RECOGNIZING RETIRING MEMBERS OF THE VIRGINIA DELEGATION", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Robert Scott", "S000185", "bobbyscott.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding and for organizing tonight's Special Order.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Tonight, we honor three retiring members from the Virginia delegation to Congress: Congressmen\u00a0Randy Forbes,\u00a0Robert Hurt, and\u00a0Scott Rigell.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Despite our differences from time to time on national policy, the Virginia delegation has a long history of being able to constructively work together on issues of importance to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Former-Senator John Warner, the longtime dean of our delegation, embodied this bipartisan work ethic, and we have already heard it referred to as the Virginia way of doing things.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0During their service in Congress,\u00a0RANDY,\u00a0ROBERT, and\u00a0SCOTT\u00a0have each put their mark on this institution and on national policy.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Robert Hurt\u00a0has been a leader on the Financial Services Committee and focused on policies to expand economic opportunity in south side Virginia and communities around the Nation. A strong advocate for community banks and credit unions over his three terms in Congress,\u00a0ROBERT\u00a0has also worked to ensure that consumers are financially literate with the necessary information to make the best financial choices for their families.\u00a0ROBERT\u00a0has always fought for what he believed to be the best interest of his constituents, and so I wish him and his family well as he returns to his home in Chatham.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I have come to know\u00a0SCOTT\u00a0and\u00a0RANDY\u00a0very well as our congressional districts are adjacent to one another in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Along with our colleague,\u00a0Rob Wittman, we have participated in countless joint appearances and events across Hampton Roads.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In both the private and public sector,\u00a0Scott Rigell\u00a0has dedicated his life to serving the Hampton Roads community. In his three terms in Congress, he has developed a well-deserved reputation as a pragmatic, bipartisan leader as he addresses the Nation's fiscal issues and reforming how Congress operates. We have been working together on many issues, but I especially appreciate his strong support and advocacy of the SAFE Justice Act, a comprehensive criminal justice reform bill that the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr.\u00a0Sensenbrenner) and I introduced last year. I wish\u00a0SCOTT, his wife Terry, and his children and grandchildren all the best as he transitions back to private life.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0RANDY\u00a0and I have become good friends during his time in Congress as we served together for many years on the House Judiciary Committee. Hampton Roads is the home to many military facilities, both private-sector defense contractors and military facilities, particularly those associated with the Navy. There is no Member of Congress who knows more about our Navy than\u00a0Randy Forbes. As chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee, he has been an important voice on defense and shipbuilding policy. Hampton Roads has been fortunate to have\u00a0RANDY\u00a0fighting for our region's military and shipbuilding interests over the last 50 years. I will also miss working with him on modeling and simulation. He was the founder of the Modeling and Simulation Caucus. He promoted the modeling and simulation technology as a way to increase efficiency and to save the taxpayers money.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I wouldn't count\u00a0RANDY\u00a0out just yet. I know he will find ways to continue to serve our men and women in uniform in the months and years ahead, and so I wish him, his wife Shirley, and children and grandchildren well as they start the next chapter of their lives.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Speaker, I, again, want to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.\u00a0Goodlatte) for organizing tonight's Special Order. The departure of Congressmen\u00a0Robert Hurt,\u00a0Scott Rigell, and\u00a0Randy Forbes\u00a0is a loss for the House of Representatives and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Each of these men deserve our sincere gratitude for their service to our Nation and the civility that they have exemplified during their service.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=443", "Beyer Presents Congressional Badge of Bravery Award to U.S. Park Police Officer Carl Hiott, Constituent Who Saved Lives During the 2013 Navy Yard Shooting", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Donald Beyer", "B001292", "beyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "November 30, 2016 (Washington, DC)  Rep. Don Beyer yesterday presented U.S. Park Police Officer Carl Hiott the Congressional Badge of Bravery, an award recognizing law enforcement officers for exceptional acts of bravery in the face of great personal risk. Officer Hiott, who lives in Alexandria, was part of a team which saved the lives of workers at the Washington Navy Yard in 2013, during the shooting there which claimed the lives of twelve people.\r\nOfficer Hiott did a tremendous service to his community and his country, and I'm thrilled to be able to recognize him for his courageous actions during the Washington Navy Yard shooting, said Rep. Don Beyer. He put his life at risk to protect others, and undoubtedly saved lives that day. His service represents the finest example of law enforcement, and I am so proud to present him with the Congressional Badge of Bravery.\r\nThe presentation was made at a ceremony in Rep. Beyer's Washington office, and attendees included Interior Secretary Sally Jewel, Jonathan Jarvis, Director of the National Park Service, and Robert Maclean, Chief of U.S. Park Police.\r\nThe Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery is presented to individuals who sustain injury or put their lives at risk to perform an act characterized as bravery by the agency head who makes the nomination that placed the individual at risk of serious physical injury or death.\r\nOn September 16, 2013, a lone gunman entered the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, DC, and began killing people. The suspect entered the building with a disassembled shotgun, assembled the shotgun in a fourth-floor bathroom, and then proceeded to make his way through the building shooting civilians and staff. At one point, he shot a security officer and took his pistol. Following 911 calls, multiple agencies, including the United States Park Police and the District's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), began arriving and searching the building for the active shooter.\r\nUnited States Park Police Offers Carl Hiott and Andrew Wong and Metropolitan Police Officer Dorian DeSantis were among the initial responders. The officers arrived separately and were directed by an MPD official to move into the building with other officers arriving from multiple agencies. The officers were given a general description of the suspect and advised that the suspect was possibly located on the third floor\r\nOfficers Hiott and Wong, initially operating within two separate entry teams, moved into the building and began the process of clearing office spaces and escorting civilians out of the building. Both officers' teams moved to the third floor, where they encountered additional civilians. While the other officers escorted civilians out of the area, Officer Hiott, Officer Wong, and Metropolitan Police Officer Dorian DeSantis teamed up and continued the search.\r\nAs Officers DeSantis, Hiott, and Wong were clearing the third floor, they entered an open office space. Officer Wong remained at the entrance of this office space to provide cover, while Officers DeSantis and Hiott began clearing individual cubicles.\r\nAs Officer De Santis moved into the opening of the last cubicle; Officer Hiott, who was providing cover, observed movement within a cubicle. He then observed muzzle flashes and heard gunshots come from within the cubicle. Officer Hiott, using his patrol rifle, returned fire at the suspect. Officer DeSantis also returned fire. They then entered the cubicle, while Officer Wong moved up to the entrance of the cubicle and covered areas that had not been cleared. Fortunately, the officers were not injured. Within the cubicle, they located a suspect who fit the description of the active shooter. He was found to be incapacitated with a handgun laying at his feet. The suspect ultimately killed 12 people and injured others, including two MPD officers.\r\nOfficers Hiott, DeSantis, and Wong then cleared the remaining offices and found several more civilians, who were then escorted out of the area by Officer Wong. The action of these officers in direct response to the active shooter threat demonstrated the highest levels of professionalism and courage in the face of imminent danger.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=786", "Top Oversight and Transportation Committee Dems Request Briefing and Documents from GSA on President-Elect Trump's D.C. Hotel Lease", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Gerald Connolly", "C001078", "connolly.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\"This is not a hypothetical conflict\u2014there is a clear and very real conflict that will be triggered the moment Mr. Trump is sworn in as President of the United States unless concrete steps are taken now to avert it.\"\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Peter DeFazio, Ranking Member of the and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rep. Gerry Connolly, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, and Rep. Andr\u00e9 Carson, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, sent a letter to the General Services Administration requesting information about the \u201cimminent breach-of-lease and conflict of interest issues created by President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s lease with the U.S. Government for the Trump International Hotel building in Washington, D.C.\u201d \u00a0The lease bars any \u201celected official of the Government of the United States\u201d from deriving \u201cany benefit\u201d from the agreement.\r\nClick here and see below to read the letter:\r\nNovember 30, 2016\r\nThe Honorable Denise Turner Roth  \r\nAdministrator  \r\nU.S. General Services Administration  \r\n1800 F Street, NW  \r\nWashington, DC 20405\r\nDear Administrator Roth:\r\nWe write to request information about how the General Services Administration (GSA) plans to address the imminent breach-of-lease and conflict of interest issues created by President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s lease with the U.S. Government for the Trump International Hotel building in Washington, D.C.\r\nMr. Trump\u2019s lease contains a provision specifically barring any \u201celected official of the Government of the United States\u201d from deriving \u201cany benefit\u201d from the agreement.\u00a0 We do not see this as an ambiguous provision, but as a strict and categorical ban.\u00a0 The contractual breach threatened by Mr. Trump\u2019s swearing-in is compounded by the general and egregious conflict of interest posed by his appointing the GSA Administrator who will oversee this lease with his hotel.\r\nThis is not a hypothetical conflict\u2014there is a clear and very real conflict that will be triggered the moment Mr. Trump is sworn in as President of the United States unless concrete steps are taken now to avert it.\r\nThe 60-year, $180 million lease for the Old Post Office building, where Mr. Trump opened the Trump International Hotel, is between the \u201cUnited States of America\u201d and \u201cTrump Old Post Office LLC,\u201d a corporation based in Delaware which the lease identifies as being owned by Mr. Trump and his three adult children, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump.\r\nThe lease agreement explicitly prohibits any elected official of the U.S. Government from serving as a lessee or from obtaining any benefit that may arise from the lease. Article 37.19 of the lease, which is posted on GSA\u2019s FOIA reading room, states:\r\nNo member or delegate to Congress, or elected official of the Government of the United States or the Government of the District of Columbia, shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom; provided, however, that this provision shall not be construed as extended to any Person who may be a shareholder or other beneficial owner of any publicly held corporation or other entity, if this Lease is for the general benefit of such corporation or other entity.\r\nMr. Trump will become \u201can elected official of the Government of the United States\u201d when he takes office as President in January 2017.\u00a0 Even if Mr. Trump transfers control of the Trump International Hotel to his children or places it into a trust, he will still derive a financial benefit, thereby violating the terms of the lease.\r\nOn November 15, 2016, federal procurement experts Steven L. Schooner and Daniel I. Gordon warned that this deal \u201cpresents unprecedented and intolerable conflicts of interest.\u201d\u00a0 They explained that \u201chaving the president\u2019s adult children negotiate with the staff of the president\u2019s appointee at GSA presents what any reasonable person would view as the appearance of a conflict of interest.\u201d\u00a0 As a result, they urged Mr. Trump and GSA to \u201cnegotiate a mutually agreeable termination and transfer to an unrelated firm.\u201d\r\nFederal contracting rules prohibit awarding \u201ca contract to a Government employee or to a business concern or other organization owned or substantially owned or controlled by one or more Government employees.\u201d\u00a0 The rationale for this policy is \u201cto avoid any conflict of interest that might arise between the employees\u2019 interests and their Government duties, and to avoid the appearance of favoritism or preferred treatment by the Government toward its employees.\u201d\u00a0 While the contract has already been awarded to Mr. Trump\u2019s company, the rationale for avoiding conflicts certainly applies to the President-elect.\r\nGSA has authority under Article 5.3 of the lease to obtain \u201cdetailed information\u201d from Mr. Trump about \u201cthe financial affairs of Tenant.\u201d\u00a0 As a result, GSA has the authority to inquire now as to how Mr. Trump plans to address this conflict of interest and divest himself of all \u201cbenefits\u201d from the lease.\r\nThe lease also requires Mr. Trump to make monthly and annual financial reports to GSA, produce an organizational chart, disclose revenues generated by the property, and disclose \u201cwhether to the best of Tenant\u2019s knowledge there exists an event or circumstance which constitutes a default or Event of Default by Tenant.\u201d It appears that an annual statement is required to be filed with GSA by early December.\r\nFor the reasons outlined above, we request a briefing no later than December 7, 2016, to address the following questions:\r\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What communications, if any, did Mr. Trump or his representatives have with GSA after announcing his intention to run for President regarding the potential impact of his candidacy on the lease for the Old Post Office building?\r\n2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What communications, if any, did Mr. Trump or his representatives have with GSA after the election regarding its impact on the lease for the Old Post Office building?\r\n3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What communications, if any, have Mr. Trump or his representatives had with GSA about his proposed or actual approach to addressing the conflict of interest caused by Mr. Trump\u2019s interest in the Old Post Office building lease?\r\n4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What information has GSA requested from Mr. Trump or his representatives pursuant to the terms of the lease, and what information have they provided?\r\n5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What steps is GSA now taking to protect the interest of taxpayers with regard to the lease?\r\nTo further inform this inquiry, we also request unredacted copies of all lease agreements, administration agreements, amendments, attachments, appendixes, and annual and monthly statements between Trump Old Post Office LLC and the United States of America.\r\nWe appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.\u00a0\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-renews-call-for-congress-to-vote-on-war-against-isil-encourages-new-debate-on-changing-security-challenges", "Kaine Renews Call For Congress To Vote On War Against ISIL, Encourages New Debate On Changing Security Challenges", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Renews Call For Congress To Vote On War Against ISIL, Encourages New Debate On Changing Security Challenges\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 30, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 In remarks on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, renewed his call for Congress to vote on an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) specific to the terrorist group ISIL.\u00a0He also paid tribute to Senior Chief Petty Officer Scott C. Dayton of Woodbridge, Virginia who was killed in combat in Syria last week, highlighting the costs of two and a half years of war against ISIL.\r\n\u201cI continue to believe, and I will say this in a very personal way as a military dad, that the troops we have deployed overseas deserve to know that Congress is behind this mission,\u201d Kaine said. \u201cAs this war has expanded into two-plus years \u2026 more and more of our troops are risking and losing their lives far from home, I am concerned and raise again something I\u2019ve raised often on this floor \u2013 that there is a tacit agreement to avoid debating this war in the one place it ought to be debated: in the halls of Congress.\u201d\r\n\u201cTwo and a half years of war against the Islamic State and 15 years now after the passage of the authorization in September of 2001, we see that that authorization has been stretched way beyond what it was intended to do,\u201d Kaine continued. \u201cPresident Obama recently announced that the authorization is now going to be expanded to allow use of military action against al-Shabaab, the African terrorist group - a dangerous terrorist group to be sure - but al-Shabab did not begin until 2007. So an original authorization that was very specific by this body to allow action against the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks is now being used all over the globe against organizations that didn't even exist when the 9/11 attack occurred.\u201d\r\nAs President-elect Trump prepares to take office and a new Congress will be sworn-in in January 2017, Kaine urged members of Congress to reverse the dangerous precedent that has been set by finally voting to authorize the war against ISIL and re-write the 2001 AUMF that has been stretched far beyond its original intent.\r\nFull transcript of Kaine\u2019s remarks:\r\nI rise today to honor Naval Chief Officer Scott Dayton. A Virginian who became America\u2019s first combat casualty in Syria. Scott was a resident of Woodbridge, Virginia, here in Northern Virginia. He enlisted in the military in 1993 in the Navy and had a distinguished 23-year career, finishing his time in one of the most dangerous billets in the military, as a bomb disposal expert.\r\nHe was working in Syria pursuant to Operation Inherent Resolve and on Thanksgiving Day was killed. A 42-year-old Virginian, based out of Virginia Beach, but he was killed working to dispose of bombs about 30 miles from Raqqa, Syria, which is one of the two main headquarters of ISIL.\r\nScott Dayton was a decorated sailor in his 23-year military career. He won virtually every award there was, including a bronze star \u2013 19 different awards and commendations. Because of the fact that it occurred over a holiday weekend, there wasn't a lot of attention to it, but it was something I really wanted to come to the floor today to talk about because he is the first combat death in Syria of an American servicemember in Operation Inherent Resolve. I wish we were paying more attention to this, and that's what I want to devote the rest of my comments to.\r\nWe began Operation Inherent Resolve, which is a war against ISIL, on August 7, 2014. President Obama announced at the time that we were engaging in targeted airstrikes against ISIL because of their advance torward Irbil. There\u2019s a U.S. consulate in Irbil, so that was part of the President's inherent powers to defend the nation to protect our consulate.\r\nBut within a very few weeks, we had completely protected American interests, and President Obama said now is the time to go on offense against ISIL. He appeared before Congress \u2013 before the American public in a televised speech the evening of September 10, 2014, and said we had taken care of the imminent threat to the United States but now we needed to go on an offensive war to \u201cdegrade and ultimately destroy the Islamic State\u201d. That description of what the mission is has now been broadened in the words of current Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to \u201cfocusing on ISIL's lasting defeat\u201d.\r\nSince the war against ISIL began in August of 2014, more than 5,000 members of the U.S. military have served in Operation Inherent Resolve either in Iraq or Syria, and right now just as an example from my home state, there is a carrier, the U.S.S. Eisenhower, that\u2019s homeported in Norfolk that is in the Gulf right now as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.\r\nThe U.S. military has launched over 12,600 airstrikes. We're carrying out Special Forces operations. We're assisting the Iraqi military, Syrians fighting against the Islamic State in Syria, as well as the Kurdish Peshmerga in the northern part of the Iraq. Because of the work of the American troops and those they're working with, we've made major gains against ISIL in northern Iraq. The territory they control in northern Iraq has dramatically shrunk. We've made major gains in shrinking their territory in northern Syria, and that is to be credited to brave folks like Chief Petty Officer Scott Dayton. But the threat posed by the Islamic State continues, and increasingly, as their battle space shrinks in real estate, they undertake efforts off that battleground to try to destabilize us around the world.\r\n\r\nSo this fight against ISIL, which is a key, maybe the key national security priority involving U.S. combat operations in Iraq and Syria, will likely continue for the long foreseeable future even after the complete liberation of Mosul and Raqqa which I\u2019m confident will occur.\r\n\r\nThe war has cost $10 billion, 800 days of operations, an average of $12 million a day, and I began honoring Scott Dayton, but Scott Dayton is not the only military member who's lost his life in this war. Five have been killed in combat. In total 28 American service members have lost their lives supporting Operation: Inherent Resolve.\r\nAs we speak, there are more than 300 Special Forces now in Syria fighting in a very complex battlefield where Turkish, Syrian, Russian, Iranian, Lebanese Hezbollah, and Kurdish forces are operating in close proximity as evidenced by recent developments in the growing humanitarian catastrophe in Aleppo.\r\nI continue to believe, and I will say this in a very personal way as a military dad, that the troops we have deployed overseas deserve to know that Congress is behind this mission. As this war has expanded into two-plus years, I don\u2019t know whether that would\u2019ve been the original expectation, but more and more of our troops are risking and losing their lives far from home, I am concerned and raise again something I\u2019ve raised often on this floor \u2013 that there is a tacit agreement to avoid debating this war in the one place it ought to be debated: in the halls of Congress.\r\nThe President maintains that he can conduct this war without a new authorization from Congress, relying upon an authorization that was passed on September 14, 2001. When the new Congress is sworn in in early January, I think 80% of the members of Congress were not here when the September 14, 2001 authorization was passed. So the 80% of us that were not here in 2001 have never had a meaningful debate or vote upon this war against ISIL.\r\nI've been very critical of this president. I\u2019m a supporter of the President. I am a friend of the President. I respect the Office of the President, but I\u2019ve been very critical of this President for not vigorously attempting to get an authorization done. When the President spoke about the need to go on offense against ISIL in September of 2014, it took him six months from the start of hostilities to even deliver to Congress a proposed authorization. I actually think that's the way the system is supposed to work, that the President delivers the proposed authorization.\r\nBut I\u2019ve also been harshly critical of the Article 1 branch because, regardless of whether or not the president promptly delivers an authorization or not, it is Congress under article 1 of the Constitution that has the obligation to initiate war. As my President knows, who not only is a Senator but a historian, the founding documents of this country are so unusual still today in making the initiation of war a legislative rather than an executive function.\r\nMadison and the other drafters of the Constitution knew that the history of war was a history of making it about the executive, the king, the monarch, the sultan, the emperor. But we decided we would be different and that war would only be initiated by a vote of the people's elected legislative body and at that point would only be conducted by only one commander-in-chief, not 435.\r\nWe've not had the debate. We've not had the vote.\r\nThis has been ironic because I have for four years been in a Congress that's been very quick to criticize the President for using executive action. This is an executive action that most clearly is in the legislative wheelhouse and yet it has been an executive action that the body \u2013 and I am making this as a bipartisan and bicameral comment \u2013 the body has been very willing to allow the president to make.\r\nI introduced a resolution for the first time to get Congress to debate and do its job in September of 2014, two days after the president spoke to the nation about the need to take military action against ISIL. That authorization led to a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing and a vote in December of 2014 to authorize military action against ISIL, but that committee resolution never received any debate or vote on the Senate floor.\r\nIn 2015 working together with a Senate colleague from Arizona, Senator Flake, we decided that we really needed to show that our opposition to ISIL and our belief that appropriate military force from the United States should be used against them was bipartisan, we introduced a bipartisan authorization of military force on June 8, 2015, in an attempt to move forward with some Congressional debate on this most important issue. Aside from a few informal discussions in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, there's never been a mark-up, there\u2019s never been a discussion, there has never been a committee vote, and no floor vote either.\r\nSo two and a half years of war against the Islamic State and 15 years now after the passage of the authorization in September of 2014, we see that that authorization has been stretched way beyond what it was intended to do. The authorization September 14, 2001, is a 60-word authorization giving the President the tools to go after the perpetrators of the attacks of 9/11. ISIL didn't exist on September 11, 2001. ISIL was formed in 2003.\r\nPresident Obama recently announced that the authorization is now going to be expanded to allow use of military action against al-Shabaab, the African terrorist group, a dangerous terrorist group to be sure, but al-Shabab did not begin until 2007.\r\nSo an original authorization that was very specific by this body to allow action against the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks is now being used all over the globe against organizations that didn't even exist when the 9/11 attack occurred.\r\nJust to give you an example, the 2001 authorization has been cited by Presidents Bush and Obama in at least 37 instances to justify sending armed forces to send military force to 14 nations. The nations where we have currently justified military action pursuant to the authorization to go after the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack, we've authorized military action in the Bush and Obama Administrations in Libya, Turkey, Georgia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, and the Philippines as well as authorizing military activity in Cuba at Guantanamo to maintain detainees.\r\nJust in the last week, the New York Times reported that President Obama is expanding the legal scope of the war against al-Qaeda by easing targeting restrictions against al-Shabaab. But again this was a group that didn\u2019t exist until 2007, six years after the 9/11 attack.\r\nI'll just conclude and say, having been very vocal about this issue for a number of years \u2013 it's been disappointing but we're all used to not getting our way on all kind of things \u2013 it's been disappointing to me that we haven't been willing to take up this matter. I do think that a transition to a new Administration. A transition to a new Congress that will be sworn-in in early January always gives you the opportunity to review the status of affairs and make a decision about what to do. I believe it is time that we review the progress of the war against non-state terrorist groups \u2013 al-Qaeda, ISIL, al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, al-Nusra.\r\nIt is time for us to review military action against non-state terrorist organizations.\r\nIt is time for us to redraft the 2001 authorization that has been stretched far beyond its original intent.\r\nIt is time for us to recognize that this is a continuing threat that's not going away anytime soon.\r\nBut I guess what I\u2019ll say most importantly, it's time for Congress to reassert its rightful place in this most important set of decisions.\r\nOf all the powers that we would have as Congress, I can\u2019t think of any that are more important than the power to declare war. I view that as the most important, the most difficult, the most challenging, the power that we should approach with the most sense of gravity. That is the most important thing that we should do.\r\nIt should never be an easy vote. It should be a hard vote but it should be a necessary vote.\r\nI think the inability or unwillingness of Congress to grapple with this sends a message that's unfortunate. It send a message of lack of resolve to allies. It might even send a message of lack of resolve to our adversary. But the thing I\u2019m most concerned about are people like Chief Petty Officer Scott Dayton, people who are serving in the theater of war, who are risking their lives in the theater of war, who are giving their lives in the theater of war, and doing it without the knowledge that Congress supports the mission that they are on.\r\nAs I conclude, the Article 1, Article 2, allocation of responsibilities is not just about what's constitutional; I think it reflects a value. The value is this: we shouldn't order people into harm's way to risk their lives unless there is a political consensus that the mission is worth it.\r\nAnybody that volunteers for military service knows it\u2019s going to be difficult and we won\u2019t be able to change that. But if we're going to order people into a war zone, into combat, and order them to risk their lives. Even if they're not harmed, they may see things happen to colleagues of theirs that could affect them for the rest of their lives.\r\nIf we're going to order them to do that, then there should at least be a national political consensus that the mission is worth it, and the way the Constitution sets that up is the president makes a proposal, but then Congress, the people's elected body, votes and says \u201cyes, the mission is worth it\u201d.\r\nNow that we've had that vote, now that we've had that debate and we\u2019ve educated the public about what's at stake and now we said the mission is worth it, it is fair then to ask, are two million active duty guard and reserve, folks like Chief Petty Officer Scott Dayton, folks like my oldest son, it is then fair to ask them to go and risk their lives in a mission like this.\r\nBut if we're unwilling to have the debate and have the vote it seems to me to be almost the height of public immorality to force people to risk and give their lives in support for a mission we're unwilling to discuss.\r\nI offer these words in honor of a brave Virginian who lost his life on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, and I hope this growing number of people losing their lives in Operation Inherent Resolve may spur this body to take this responsibility with more gravity.\r\nWith that, I yield the floor.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-kaine-announce-175-million-in-federal-grants-for-virginia-preschools", "Warner, Kaine Announce $17.5 Million In Federal Grants For Virginia Preschools", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Warner, Kaine Announce $17.5 Million In Federal Grants For Virginia Preschools\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 30, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced that Virginia preschools have been awarded $17.5 million in grants from the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue their work \u200eexpanding access to high-quality preschool for children from low- to moderate-income families in the communities of Brunswick, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Giles, Henrico, Norfolk, Petersburg, Prince William, Richmond, Sussex, and Winchester.\r\nBoth Senators have advocated for quality early childhood education since their days as governor. Kaine expanded the Virginia Preschool Initiative by increasing Pre-K enrollment by 40 percent in the Commonwealth. Warner helped secure funding for Virginia\u2019s Smart Beginnings program, an initiative that helps local communities deliver on ensuring conditions for a strong, healthy start for young children and their families.\r\n\u201cDuring each of our governorships, we worked tirelessly to improve and expand quality education to more Virginians,\u201d said the Senators. \u201cThese continued federal grants are a testament to our Commonwealth\u2019s commitment to expanding access to high-quality preschool, as it is a key to a promising economic future.\u201d\r\nIn the Senate, they have both supported the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 and backed continued Preschool Development Grant funding as well as authorizing the Grants in the Every Student Succeeds Act. The grants comprise the third year of awards to states that are working with local communities to prepare the nation\u2019s most vulnerable children for success in school and beyond. This year ED recognized Virginia for serving more children under the grant than originally planned. \u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/view/kaine-renews-call-for-congress-to-vote-on-war-against-isil", "Kaine Renews Call For Congress To Vote On War Against ISIL", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In remarks on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, renewed his call for Congress to vote on an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) specific to the terrorist group ISIL. He also paid tribute to Senior Chief Petty Officer Scott C. Dayton of Woodbridge, Virginia who was killed in combat in Syria last week, highlighting the costs of two and a half years of war against ISIL.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=774797B0-0CA4-46B8-854A-C098753993BD", "Warner Leads Senate In Recognizing 20th Anniversary of Virginia-based NGA", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen.\u00a0Mark R. Warner (D-VA), incoming Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, alongside committee member Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), released the following statement after the Senate passed their resolution recognizing the 20th anniversary of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The NGA was founded on October 1, 1996.\r\n\u201cFor over 20 years, the intelligence personnel at NGA have quietly served in defense of our nation. By helping us map and understand the globe, NGA has proven to be an invaluable resource for policymakers to make the best decisions to protect our citizens in an uncertain world,\u201d said Sen. Warner. \u201cI am proud that Virginia is home to this vital intelligence agency. The men and women that serve there are essential not only to our intelligence gathering, but to disaster relief and humanitarian efforts that exemplify the true meaning of public service. As the incoming Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I am honored to be a part of this well-deserved recognition for their quiet sacrifice.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\u201cThroughout its 20 year history, the NGA and its dedicated team of intelligence professionals have provided vital, timely information to keep our country safe,\u201d Sen. Blunt said. \u201cThe agency\u2019s work has proved invaluable to U.S. policy makers and military commanders in both war and peacetime, and during significant national security and natural disaster events. I\u2019m proud to have NGA facilities in St. Louis and Arnold, Mo., and will continue working to support the agency\u2019s critical mission.\u201d\r\nThe military and civilian employees serving at NGA headquarters in Springfield, VA, as well as locations throughout the United States and across the globe, produce crucial mapping, charting, and intelligence products to warfighters, first responders, civil authorities, policy makers, and the maritime and aviation communities.\r\nIn the upcoming 115th Congress, Sen. Warner has been selected to serve as the highest ranking Democrat on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Last summer, Sen. Warner introduced a resolution designating July 26, 2016 as \u201cIntelligence Professionals Day.\u201d\r\nThe full text of the resolution is available here.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C10D3F50-75DB-4181-BC64-1F26951BA841", "Warner, Lankford, Booker Introduce Legislation to Codify Presidential Innovation Fellows Program", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), James Lankford (R-OK), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced bipartisan legislation that would codify the Presidential Innovations Fellows (PIF) program, enshrining in law a pathway for government to attract experienced technology entrepreneurs and innovators to public service. The program, which was established by the White House in 2012 and enjoys bipartisan support, brings the innovation economy into government by pairing talented, diverse technologists, entrepreneurs, and innovators with top civil-servants and change-makers within the federal government to tackle some our nation\u2019s biggest challenges. A similar bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and was overwhelmingly passed by the House back in June.\r\n\u201cTechnology has changed dramatically since I first became involved in the telecommunications business, but government has been slow to adapt to new changes in productivity and data access,\u201d said Sen. Warner. \u201cThis bill creates a permanent pipeline for our nation\u2019s best and brightest to innovate inside government agencies, allowing for an injection of private sector expertise without creating bureaucratic bloat or displacing change-makers within government. The contributions of the talented participants of the Presidential Innovation Fellows program will help us build a more efficient, accessible, and accountable government for generations to come.\u201d \u00a0\r\n\u201cThis is commonsense legislation that is the first step in addressing the many pressing needs of our federal workforce,\u201d said Sen. Lankford. \u201cI hope that, in the coming months, we can continue to identify areas to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our federal workforce. I am pleased to introduce this bill with Senator Warner and recognize the efforts of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who has a companion bill that has already passed the House.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe Presidential Innovation Fellows program has furnished our nation\u2019s boldest engineers and technologists with a unique opportunity to work with government agencies on providing more innovative and engaging services to the public,\u201d said Sen. Booker. \u201cBy making this program permanent, Congress can ensure that government keeps up with the pace of innovation while fostering transparency, saving taxpayer dollars, and developing collaborative programs that work for the American people.\u201d\r\nThe program is administered as a partnership between the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the General Services Administration (GSA). Fellows serve for between 6 and 24 months, during which they will collaborate with each other and federal agency partners on high-profile initiatives aimed at saving lives, saving taxpayer money, fueling job creation, and building the culture of entrepreneurship and innovation within government. The program does not create any new funding obligations, and agencies requesting a fellow reimburse GSA for both direct and indirect costs incurred by the program.\r\nIn a letter sent today to Congressional leadership, a wide range of innovators and technology leaders endorsed the legislation, including Ron Conway, Dan Doctoroff, Craig Newmark, Tim O\u2019Reilly, Shervin Pishevar, and Ev Williams.\r\n\u201cBy codifying the Presidential Innovation Fellows Program, the TALENT Act will ensure that this innovative program continues to provide fresh thinking and cutting-edge expertise to our 21st century federal government. We urge the Senate to take up and pass the legislation this work period,\u201d they wrote.\r\nSen. Warner is a former business executive, governor of Virginia, and chairman of the Budget Committee\u2019s bipartisan Government Performance Task Force from 2010-15. He has been a leader in advocating for the use of technology as a tool for supporting and enhancing public policy objectives, and bringing government into the 21st century. During his time in Congress, Sen. Warner has worked to promote the digital economy and an innovation agenda in the public sector, including expanding broadband access, promoting open data, modernizing government IT, and eliminating duplicative government reporting. His efforts have led to the enactment of two major measures: the Digital Accountability and Transparency (DATA) Act\u2014the 2014 bipartisan federal financial management and transparency legislation which has been described as the most significant open-government initiative since the Freedom of Information Act of 1966 and is the nation\u2019s first open data law\u2014and the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act (GPRA)\u2014 which requires federal agencies to report results quarterly on their highest priority programs, and to designate a performance improvement officer for each agency.\r\nMore details on the bill can be found here.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=785", "Connolly Statement on Trump Transportation Secretary Nominee Elaine Chao", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Gerald Connolly", "C001078", "connolly.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Connolly Statement on Trump Transportation Secretary Nominee Elaine Chao \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington, DC,\r\n        November 29, 2016\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Congressman Gerry Connolly released the following statement on President-elect Trump\u2019s announcement of former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao as his Transportation Secretary nominee: \r\n\u201cThe challenge facing the new Transportation Secretary from day one will be to increase federal support for Metrorail and resolve long-running questions about the ability of the FTA to provide robust safety oversight of our nation\u2019s transit system. The federal government can no longer be a deadbeat when it comes to operating funds for Metrorail, and I look forward to working with the new Transportation Secretary to secure appropriate federal support for the very transit system that delivers many DOT employees to work each day.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-and-kaine-call-on-congressional-appropriators-to-secure-funding-for-carrier-replacement-program", "Warner & Kaine Call On Congressional Appropriators To Secure Funding For Carrier Replacement Program", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Warner & Kaine Call On Congressional Appropriators To Secure Funding For Carrier Replacement Program\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, November 29, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) asked the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense to protect funding for the Carrier Replacement Program during the Fiscal Year 2017 appropriations process. If the Department of Defense is funded temporarily through a Continuing Resolution, as is currently expected, the advance procurement funding for the program will continue at FY 2016 levels \u2013 delaying shipbuilding, jeopardizing national security and threatening jobs in Hampton Roads \u2013 unless the legislation includes an exception for the Navy to move forward with the program at funding levels requested by the President in the FY 2017 budget.\r\n\u201cAs you know, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier fleet is already stretched thin, and as a result, the Navy has required a waiver to have one fewer operational carrier than the 11 required by Congress. The current fleet of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers is being utilized at unprecedented rates because of a complex security environment and a delayed procurement of additional ships.\u00a0 This over-utilization is resulting in extended deployments, deferred maintenance, reduced operational availability, increased ownership costs and potentially shortened life spans for these strategic assets,\u201d wrote Sens. Warner and Kaine in a letter to the leaders of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. \u201cEnsuring stable and adequate funding for the Carrier Replacement Program is one of the foremost steps Congress can take to allay the risks associated with the current shortfall in available aircraft carriers.\u201d\r\nHuntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) in Newport News, Va., is the sole designer and builder of aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy.\r\nFor FY 2017, the Department of Defense requested \u2013 and the Subcommittee recommended \u2013 funding the Carrier Replacement Program at $1.37 billion, about $500 million more than the FY 2016 appropriation, in order to ensure the timely procurement of long-lead items required for planned cost and delivery schedules for the USS Enterprise (CVN-80), the third Ford-class aircraft carrier that will be constructed by NNS. A Continuing Resolution funded at the lower FY 2016 level would force delays that will increase the cost of the Carrier Replacement Program, delay the already-strained carrier schedule, and put local jobs at risk.\r\nMaintaining the Navy\u2019s fleet of 11 aircraft carriers, which are vital to projecting the country\u2019s strength around the world, has been a bipartisan priority for Virginia\u2019s congressional delegation. In 2014, when the 11-carrier fleet was in danger, the delegation successfully restored funding for the refueling and overhaul of the USS George Washington (CVN-73) after the Pentagon did not include it in its FY 2015 budget request.\r\nWrote the Senators today, \u201cWe appreciate any consideration the Committee can give to keeping the Carrier Replacement Program on track and helping to preserve one of our nation\u2019s most vital national security assets.\u201d\r\nThe Honorable Thad Cochran \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0ChairmanDefense SubcommitteeUnited States Senate Committee on AppropriationsS-128, the CapitolWashington, D.C. 20510\r\nThe Honorable Richard DurbinRanking MemberDefense Subcommittee\u00a0United States Senate Committee on AppropriationsS-128, the CapitolWashington, D.C. 20510\r\nDear Chairman Cochran and Ranking Member Durbin:\r\nWe write to make you aware of a funding issue that would arise for the Carrier Replacement Program should a continuing resolution (CR) be required through March. Funding for the Carrier Replacement Program at FY16 levels would trigger costly schedule delays and have a negative impact on our Navy\u2019s operational capability.\u00a0\r\nAs you know, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier fleet is already stretched thin, and as a result, the Navy has required a waiver to have one fewer operational carrier than the 11 required by Congress. The current fleet of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers is being utilized at unprecedented rates because of a complex security environment and a delayed procurement of additional ships.\u00a0 This over-utilization is resulting in extended deployments, deferred maintenance, reduced operational availability, increased ownership costs and potentially shortened life spans for these strategic assets.\u00a0 Ensuring stable and adequate funding for the Carrier Replacement Program is one of the foremost steps Congress can take to allay the risks associated with the current shortfall in available aircraft carriers.\r\nAs you are aware, the Fiscal Year 2017 President\u2019s Budget requested, and your Committee recommended, $1.37 billion for the Carrier Replacement Program to ensure the timely procurement of long-lead items required for planned cost and delivery schedules.\u00a0 These schedules were developed in accordance with operational demands.\u00a0 The FY17 budget request is roughly $500 million more than the FY16 appropriation for the Carrier Replacement Program. A CR at FY16 levels will force delays that will increase the cost of the program and delay the already-strained schedule. There are critical orders that must be made before the third quarter of FY17 to support the advanced steel fabrication required to maintain delivery timelines for equipment like shaft forgings, propulsion machinery, major pumps, and large complex valves. If FY17 level funding is not executed until the third quarter of FY17, the program cost and schedule will be at significant risk.\r\nBecause of the harmful effects a CR would have to the Carrier Replacement Program, including increased costs, schedule delays and potentially degraded operational capability, we request special consideration in any potential continuing resolution reflecting the President\u2019s FY17 budget request for CVN 80. We appreciate any consideration the Committee can give to keeping the Carrier Replacement Program on track and helping to preserve one of our nation\u2019s most vital national security assets.\r\nThank you for your consideration of this matter.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=26C358DE-C69B-4CE6-AE38-754B399660F6", "Warner & Kaine Call on Congressional Appropriators to Secure Funding for Carrier Replacement Program", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) asked the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense to protect funding for the Carrier Replacement Program during the Fiscal Year 2017 appropriations process. If the Department of Defense is funded temporarily through a Continuing Resolution, as is currently expected, the advance procurement funding for the program will continue at FY 2016 levels \u2013 delaying shipbuilding, jeopardizing national security and threatening jobs in Hampton Roads \u2013 unless the legislation includes an exception for the Navy to move forward with the program at funding levels requested by the President in the FY 2017 budget.\r\n\u201cAs you know, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier fleet is already stretched thin, and as a result, the Navy has required a waiver to have one fewer operational carrier than the 11 required by Congress. The current fleet of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers is being utilized at unprecedented rates because of a complex security environment and a delayed procurement of additional ships.\u00a0 This over-utilization is resulting in extended deployments, deferred maintenance, reduced operational availability, increased ownership costs and potentially shortened life spans for these strategic assets,\u201d wrote Sens. Warner and Kaine in a letter to the leaders of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. \u201cEnsuring stable and adequate funding for the Carrier Replacement Program is one of the foremost steps Congress can take to allay the risks associated with the current shortfall in available aircraft carriers.\u201d\r\nHuntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) in Newport News, Va., is the sole designer and builder of aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy.\r\nFor FY 2017, the Department of Defense requested \u2013 and the Subcommittee recommended \u2013 funding the Carrier Replacement Program at $1.37 billion, about $500 million more than the FY 2016 appropriation, in order to ensure the timely procurement of long-lead items required for planned cost and delivery schedules for the USS Enterprise (CVN-80), the third Ford-class aircraft carrier that will be constructed by NNS. A Continuing Resolution funded at the lower FY 2016 level would force delays that will increase the cost of the Carrier Replacement Program, delay the already-strained carrier schedule, and put local jobs at risk.\r\nMaintaining the Navy\u2019s fleet of 11 aircraft carriers, which are vital to projecting the country\u2019s strength around the world, has been a bipartisan priority for Virginia\u2019s congressional delegation. In 2014, when the 11-carrier fleet was in danger, the delegation successfully restored funding for the refueling and overhaul of the USS George Washington (CVN-73) after the Pentagon did not include it in its FY 2015 budget request.\r\nWrote the Senators today, \u201cWe appreciate any consideration the Committee can give to keeping the Carrier Replacement Program on track and helping to preserve one of our nation\u2019s most vital national security assets.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe Honorable Thad Cochran\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \r\nChairman\r\nDefense Subcommittee\r\nUnited States Senate Committee on Appropriations\r\nS-128, the Capitol\r\nWashington, D.C. 20510\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe Honorable Richard Durbin\r\nRanking Member\r\nDefense Subcommittee\u00a0 \r\nUnited States Senate Committee on Appropriations\r\nS-128, the Capitol\r\nWashington, D.C. 20510\r\n\u00a0\r\nDear Chairman Cochran and Ranking Member Durbin:\r\nWe write to make you aware of a funding issue that would arise for the Carrier Replacement Program should a continuing resolution (CR) be required through March. Funding for the Carrier Replacement Program at FY16 levels would trigger costly schedule delays and have a negative impact on our Navy\u2019s operational capability.\u00a0\r\nAs you know, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier fleet is already stretched thin, and as a result, the Navy has required a waiver to have one fewer operational carrier than the 11 required by Congress. The current fleet of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers is being utilized at unprecedented rates because of a complex security environment and a delayed procurement of additional ships.\u00a0 This over-utilization is resulting in extended deployments, deferred maintenance, reduced operational availability, increased ownership costs and potentially shortened life spans for these strategic assets.\u00a0 Ensuring stable and adequate funding for the Carrier Replacement Program is one of the foremost steps Congress can take to allay the risks associated with the current shortfall in available aircraft carriers.\r\nAs you are aware, the Fiscal Year 2017 President\u2019s Budget requested, and your Committee recommended, $1.37 billion for the Carrier Replacement Program to ensure the timely procurement of long-lead items required for planned cost and delivery schedules.\u00a0 These schedules were developed in accordance with operational demands.\u00a0 The FY17 budget request is roughly $500 million more than the FY16 appropriation for the Carrier Replacement Program. A CR at FY16 levels will force delays that will increase the cost of the program and delay the already-strained schedule. There are critical orders that must be made before the third quarter of FY17 to support the advanced steel fabrication required to maintain delivery timelines for equipment like shaft forgings, propulsion machinery, major pumps, and large complex valves. If FY17 level funding is not executed until the third quarter of FY17, the program cost and schedule will be at significant risk.\r\nBecause of the harmful effects a CR would have to the Carrier Replacement Program, including increased costs, schedule delays and potentially degraded operational capability, we request special consideration in any potential continuing resolution reflecting the President\u2019s FY17 budget request for CVN 80. We appreciate any consideration the Committee can give to keeping the Carrier Replacement Program on track and helping to preserve one of our nation\u2019s most vital national security assets.\r\nThank you for your consideration of this matter.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-nomination-of-governor-nikki-haley-to-be-us-ambassador-to-the-united-nations", "Kaine Statement On Nomination Of Governor Nikki Haley To Be U.S. Ambassador To The United Nations", "2016-11-23", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Statement On Nomination Of Governor Nikki Haley To Be U.S. Ambassador To The United Nations\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 23, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tRICHMOND, VA\u00a0\u2013 U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees,\u00a0released the following statement following President-elect Trump\u2019s announcement that he will nominate South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations:\u00a0\r\n\u201cI look forward to meeting with Governor Haley and considering her nomination in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.\u00a0 As a former Governor, I believe that Governor Haley\u2019s\u00a0executive experience\u00a0would serve her well in\u00a0the challenging role of negotiating with all\u00a0United Nations member states and representing the United States on the Security Council. \u00a0\u00a0\r\nDuring this time of unprecedented humanitarian crisis around the globe from Syria, Yemen,\u00a0and\u00a0Iraq to Central African Republic and South Sudan, a responsive and consequential United Nations is necessary, and this will only happen through strong U.S. leadership.\u00a0 Other top challenges I plan to discuss with Governor Haley include how the United Nations can continue to counter the destabilizing activities of Iran, North Korea, terrorist groups such as ISIS and more powerfully implement its resolutions.\u201d\r\n\u00a0###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=784", "Connolly to Hold FEHBP Open Season Workshop for Federal Employees and Retirees on December 3", "2016-11-22", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Gerald Connolly", "C001078", "connolly.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Gerry Connolly will hold his 8th annual Federal Open Season Workshop on Saturday, December 3, 2016 at the Fairfax County Government Center to assist federal employees and retirees in navigating through the many changes in the 2017 Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans (FEHBP), dental and vision insurance programs.\r\nThe federal government\u2019s Open Season for federal employees and retirees to change their health plans runs from November 14, 2016 through December 12, 2016.\r\nConnolly\u2019s Open Season Workshop will take place at the Fairfax County Government Center on Saturday, December 3, 2016 from 10:00 am \u2013 1:00 pm.\u00a0 The Government Center is located at 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035.\r\nThis year\u2019s event will once again feature FEHBP expert Walt Francis, author of CHECKBOOKS\u2019s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees as well as a representative of the Office of Personnel Management.\u00a0 Representatives from the various FEHB plans and Medicare will be available to answer questions and discuss their programs with participants.\r\n\u201cMost FEHB plans have benefit and rate changes for 2017 so it is important that federal employees and retirees know the details on how their current plans are changing and whether or not there is another option that better suits their needs,\u201d Connolly said.\u00a0 \u201cWith these possible changes, it is important that every federal employee and retiree review the status of their current coverage.\u201d\r\nConnolly urged every federal employee and retiree, as well as survivor and former spouse annuitants to make sure they review their FEHB plan coverage and other benefits before Open Season ends on December 12, 2016.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cFederal employees, retirees, and annuitants who have questions or want to make sure that they have the coverage they need are welcome to attend my Open Season Workshop on December 3rd \u201d he said.\r\nCongressman Connolly\u2019s Open Season workshop will feature:\r\n10:00 am \u2013 11:00 am\u00a0 \r\nPanel Discussion featuring experts on FEHB programs and available health plan options, including FEHBP expert Walt Francis, author of CHECKBOOKS\u2019s Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees and a representative from OPM\r\nHosted in the Government Center Board Room\r\n11:00 am \u2013 1:00 pm\r\nRepresentatives of various FEHB health plans and Medicare will be available to provide information and answer questions concerning plan offerings for 2017\r\nHosted in adjoining conference rooms\r\nFederal employees seeking further information about FEHB plans can visit OPM\u2019s Open Season website at: http://www.opm.gov/insure/openseason/ .\r\nThe OPM website contains detailed information about FEHB plans, dental insurance, vision insurance, and flexible spending accounts for federal employees and dependents.\u00a0 The site also provides links to frequently asked questions and other information that federal employees and retirees might need to help them make decisions about their current and future coverage.\r\nFederal employees, retirees, or annuitants seeking more information about the Open Season workshop can call Connolly\u2019s District Office at 703-256-3071.\r\nCongressman Connolly has held an Open Season event each year since he took office in January 2009.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-kaine-urge-congressional-leadership-to-take-action-to-protect-miners-before-the-end-of-the-year", "Warner, Kaine Urge Congressional Leadership To Take Action To Protect Miners Before The End Of The Year", "2016-11-22", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Warner, Kaine Urge Congressional Leadership To Take Action To Protect Miners Before The End Of The Year\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t~ Without the Miners Protection Act, an estimated 10,000 retired coal miners in Virginia are at risk of losing health and pension benefits in the coming months ~\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, November 22, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined 20 of their Senate colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to Congressional leadership urging passage of the Miners Protection Act by the end of this year. The bill, which would protect the hard-earned health and pension benefits of retired mine workers, has bipartisan support and is currently awaiting consideration in the Senate after passing through the Senate Finance Committee in September by a large margin.\u00a0\r\n\u201cThis bill is simple \u2013 it is the continuation of a longstanding commitment by our government to lifetime health and retirement benefits for our miners,\u201d the Senators wrote.\u00a0\r\nRetired miners are facing uncertainty because the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) 1974 Pension Plan is severely underfunded, still reeling from the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and the effects of a downturn in the coal industry. The Miners Protection Act\u00a0 would take leftover funds from a federal government program that cleans up abandoned mines to shore up the underfunded health insurance and pension plan. Without the legislation, thousands of retired coal miners \u2013 including nearly 20,000 retirees whose companies filed for bankruptcy last year alone \u2013 face the prospect of significant cuts to their pensions and health care.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\u201cThe Miners Protection Act is a responsible, bipartisan solution to an immediate problem that is fully offset and has gone through regular order.\u00a0 We strongly encourage you to pass the Miners Protection Act of 2016 (S. 1714) by the end of this year,\u201d the Senators concluded.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nOther signatories to the letter included Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bob Casey (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Al Franken (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Richard Burr (R-NC), Rob Portman (R-OH), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jim Risch (R-ID), Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS). \u00a0\u00a0\r\nFull text of the letter can be found here and below.\r\nThe Honorable Paul Ryan Speaker U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\r\nThe Honorable Mitch McConnell\r\nMajority Leader\r\nUnited States Senate\r\nWashington, D.C. 20510\r\nThe Honorable Nancy Pelosi\r\nDemocratic Leader U.S. House of Representatives\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe Honorable Harry Reid\r\nDemocratic Leader\r\nUnited States Senate\r\nWashington, D.C. 20510 \u00a0 \u00a0\r\nDear Senator McConnell, Senator Reid, Speaker Ryan and Representative Pelosi:\r\nDuring the month of October, approximately 12,500 of our nation\u2019s retired coal miners received notices\u00a0 informing them that their healthcare benefits will be terminated at the end of this year.\u00a0\u00a0 The funding provided for Patriot Retirees Voluntary Employee\u2019s Beneficiary Association (Patriot VEBA) will be exhausted by December 31, 2016, leaving these miners and their families without the essential healthcare benefits they earned through a lifetime of hard work.\u00a0 On November 1st, another 3,600 miners began to receive notices.\u00a0 And next year, 6,500 more will suffer the same fate.\u00a0\u00a0 Additionally, the pension fund that these miners and their widows rely on for life\u2019s basic necessities will reach the point of no return shortly thereafter.\u00a0 Therefore, we ask that you pass the Miners Protection Act of 2016 (S. 1714) by the end of this year. \u00a0\r\nIn March of this year, the Miners Protection Act was the subject of a legislative hearing before the Senate Committee on Finance.\u00a0 On September 21st, S. 1714 was approved by the Committee with a strong bipartisan vote of 18 to 8.\u00a0 We worked closely with our colleagues to ensure that the bill was fully offset and that no funding was diverted away from either abandoned mine reclamation efforts or annual payments to certified states.\u00a0\r\nThis bill is simple \u2013 it is the continuation of a longstanding commitment by our government to lifetime health and retirement benefits for our miners.\u00a0 The Krug-Lewis Agreement was signed in 1946 at the White House in front of President Truman by UMWA president John L. Lewis and Secretary of the Interior Julius Krug.\u00a0 This agreement ended a government seizure of the nation\u2019s coal industry after a widespread strike by coal miners.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nWhile the agreement itself was not drafted in perpetuity, Congress essentially codified the promises made in that agreement by subsequently passing the Coal Act.\u00a0 The Coal Act and its 2006 amendments re-committed the government to the health and retirement security of our nation\u2019s miners and their families.\u00a0 In fact, prior to passage of the 1992 Coal Act, the Dole Commission (appointed by President George H.W. Bush) issued a report stating that, \u201cThe UMWA Health and Retirement Funds is as much a creature of government as it is of collective bargaining. There is a line running from the original Boone Report to the present system. In a way, the original Krug-Lewis agreement predisposed, if not predetermined, the system that evolved.\u201d \u00a0\r\nThe Miners Protection Act is a responsible, bipartisan solution to an immediate problem that is fully offset and has gone through regular order.\u00a0 We strongly encourage you to pass the Miners Protection Act of 2016 (S. 1714) by the end of this year.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=6FC28119-4671-4100-93DC-C9EC491818EB", "Warner, Kaine Urge Congressional Leadership to Protect Miners Before End of Year", "2016-11-22", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined 20 of their Senate colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to Congressional leadership urging passage of the Miners Protection Act by the end of this year. The bill, which would protect the hard-earned health and pension benefits of retired mine workers, has bipartisan support and is currently awaiting consideration in the Senate after passing through the Senate Finance Committee in September by a large margin.\r\n\u201cThis bill is simple \u2013 it is the continuation of a longstanding commitment by our government to lifetime health and retirement benefits for our miners,\u201d the Senators wrote.\r\nRetired miners are facing uncertainty because the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) 1974 Pension Plan is severely underfunded, still reeling from the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and the effects of a downturn in the coal industry. The Miners Protection Act\u00a0 would take leftover funds from a federal government program that cleans up abandoned mines to shore up the underfunded health insurance and pension plan. Without the legislation, thousands of retired coal miners \u2013 including nearly 20,000 retirees whose companies filed for bankruptcy last year alone \u2013 face the prospect of significant cuts to their pensions and health care.\u00a0\r\n\u201cThe Miners Protection Act is a responsible, bipartisan solution to an immediate problem that is fully offset and has gone through regular order.\u00a0 We strongly encourage you to pass the Miners Protection Act of 2016 (S. 1714) by the end of this year,\u201d the Senators concluded.\r\nOther signatories to the letter included Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bob Casey (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Al Franken (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Richard Burr (R-NC), Rob Portman (R-OH), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jim Risch (R-ID), Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS).\u00a0\r\nFull text of the letter can be found here and below.\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe Honorable Paul Ryan Speaker U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nThe Honorable Mitch McConnell\r\nMajority Leader\r\nUnited States Senate\r\nWashington, D.C. 20510\r\nThe Honorable Nancy Pelosi Democratic Leader U.S. House of Representatives \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nThe Honorable Harry Reid\r\nDemocratic Leader\r\nUnited States Senate\r\nWashington, D.C. 20510\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \r\n\u00a0\r\nDear Senator McConnell, Senator Reid, Speaker Ryan and Representative Pelosi:\r\nDuring the month of October, approximately 12,500 of our nation\u2019s retired coal miners received notices\u00a0 informing them that their healthcare benefits will be terminated at the end of this year.\u00a0\u00a0 The funding provided for Patriot Retirees Voluntary Employee\u2019s Beneficiary Association (Patriot VEBA) will be exhausted by December 31, 2016, leaving these miners and their families without the essential healthcare benefits they earned through a lifetime of hard work.\u00a0 On November 1st, another 3,600 miners began to receive notices.\u00a0 And next year, 6,500 more will suffer the same fate.\u00a0\u00a0 Additionally, the pension fund that these miners and their widows rely on for life\u2019s basic necessities will reach the point of no return shortly thereafter.\u00a0 Therefore, we ask that you pass the Miners Protection Act of 2016 (S. 1714) by the end of this year.\u00a0\r\nIn March of this year, the Miners Protection Act was the subject of a legislative hearing before the Senate Committee on Finance.\u00a0 On September 21st, S. 1714 was approved by the Committee with a strong bipartisan vote of 18 to 8.\u00a0 We worked closely with our colleagues to ensure that the bill was fully offset and that no funding was diverted away from either abandoned mine reclamation efforts or annual payments to certified states.\r\nThis bill is simple \u2013 it is the continuation of a longstanding commitment by our government to lifetime health and retirement benefits for our miners.\u00a0 The Krug-Lewis Agreement was signed in 1946 at the White House in front of President Truman by UMWA president John L. Lewis and Secretary of the Interior Julius Krug.\u00a0 This agreement ended a government seizure of the nation\u2019s coal industry after a widespread strike by coal miners.\r\nWhile the agreement itself was not drafted in perpetuity, Congress essentially codified the promises made in that agreement by subsequently passing the Coal Act.\u00a0 The Coal Act and its 2006 amendments re-committed the government to the health and retirement security of our nation\u2019s miners and their families.\u00a0 In fact, prior to passage of the 1992 Coal Act, the Dole Commission (appointed by President George H.W. Bush) issued a report stating that, \u201cThe UMWA Health and Retirement Funds is as much a creature of government as it is of collective bargaining. There is a line running from the original Boone Report to the present system. In a way, the original Krug-Lewis agreement predisposed, if not predetermined, the system that evolved.\u201d\u00a0\r\nThe Miners Protection Act is a responsible, bipartisan solution to an immediate problem that is fully offset and has gone through regular order.\u00a0 We strongly encourage you to pass the Miners Protection Act of 2016 (S. 1714) by the end of this year.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=441", "Beyer Introduces NO HATE Act To Strengthen Reporting Of Hate Crimes", "2016-11-21", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Donald Beyer", "B001292", "beyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Following a sharp rise in hate crimes across the country, Representative Don Beyer introduced the National Observations of Hate, Assaults, and Threats to Equality (NO HATE) Act to improve federal data on hate crimes. \r\nIn the current climate, reducing hate crimes must be an imperative for every police department in the United States, said Rep. Don Beyer. Only by accurately tracking hate crimes can we know whether we are making progress towards their prevention.\r\nHate crime reporting is deeply flawed due to underreporting or complete lack of reporting by local law enforcement. Rep. Beyer's bill would aim to fill those gaps by requiring the Justice Department to ensure localities receiving federal funding are credibly reporting hate crimes. The bill is supported by the Anti-Defamation League, Human Rights Campaign, Southern Poverty Law Center, and other civil liberties organizations.\r\nWe support Rep. Beyer's legislative initiative to connect federal funding to credible participation in the HCSA program, said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League. Data drives policy. Communities cannot know the nature and magnitude of the threat hate violence poses unless their police department is actively tracking them, training their officers to identify them, and reporting to the FBI and state officials on these specially-impactful criminal acts.\r\nWith the spike in bias-motivated violence and harassment across the country, the need to address the crisis of anti-LGBTQ hate is more urgent than ever, said David Stacy, HRC's Government Affairs Director. Without a clearer picture of the full scope of this problem, our policymakers, elected officials, and law enforcement are deprived of the necessary tools to fully combat this epidemic. The No Hate Act is a necessary fix to our data-reporting requirements and we applaud Rep. Beyer for working to fill this significant hole in our nation's ability to address this often deadly violence.\r\nOver 3,000 law enforcement agencies do not report hate crimes to the FBI, creating gaps in data on hate crimes which include major metropolitan areas such as Miami, Portland, or Orlando as well as the majority of the localities in the states of Mississippi and Louisiana. \r\n\"Hate crimes are woefully underreported nationwide and have been for decades, said Heidi Beirich, Director of Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project. Without accurate statistics, we can't even understand the full scope of the problem we face in terms of hate violence. This is particularly important now as the Southern Poverty Law Center continues to see a rise in reported hate incidents after the election, especially those targeting immigrants, the LGBT community, Muslims and Jewish and black community members alike. This important legislation brings critical attention to the need for all states and local officials to accurately report hate crimes.\"\r\nFBI Director James Comey previously said that we need to do a better job of tracking and reporting hate crimes to fully understand what is happening in our communities and how to stop it.\r\nThe full text of the NO HATE Act can be read here.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-joins-118-lawmakers-to-file-bicameral-amicus-brief-to-safeguard-rights-of-students-with-disabilities-to-receive-meaningful-public-education", "Kaine Joins 118 Lawmakers To File Bicameral Amicus Brief to Safeguard Rights of Students With Disabilities to Receive Meaningful Public Education", "2016-11-21", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Joins 118 Lawmakers To File Bicameral Amicus Brief to Safeguard Rights of Students With Disabilities to Receive Meaningful Public Education\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSupreme Court to hear Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, a case about the level of educational benefit school districts must provide students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, November 21, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tToday, current and former Members of Congress filed an amicus brief to affirm Congressional intent to raise expectations for the quality of education provided to students with disabilities under IDEA\r\nAt stake in the case is the ability of students with disabilities to receive access to meaningful public education\r\nMembers of Congress: \u201cCongress intended\u2026IDEA to provide meaningful educational benefits for students with disabilities and\u2014significantly\u2014raise expectations for their educational outcomes.\u201d\r\n(Washington, D.C) -\u00a0Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and a bicameral group of 118 current and former Members of Congress in filing an amicus brief in the case of\u00a0Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. Currently pending before the Supreme Court of the United States, this case focuses on what Congress intended when it required that school districts provide students with disabilities a \u201cfree appropriate public education\u201d under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Congress has repeatedly reaffirmed through multiple reauthorizations of IDEA that school districts have an obligation to provide educational benefit to students with disabilities that is substantial, not trivial.\u00a0\r\nHowever, if the Supreme Court were to uphold the lower court ruling that IDEA requires only a slightly more than de minimus educational benefit, it would negate the clear meaning of IDEA, diminish the statute to a paperwork formality, and could turn back years of progress made by students with disabilities.\r\n\u201cCongress passed the [IDEA] to ensure that students with disabilities receive meaningful education benefits in school.\u00a0Prior to the passage of the [IDEA], millions of children with disabilities effectively were denied an education in public schools in this country\u2014either because they received little to no education in the classroom, or because they were shut out of schools altogether,\u201d\u00a0Members of Congress wrote in the brief.\u00a0\u201cRespondent asks this Court to adopt a drastically lower standard than the meaningful educational benefit that Congress intended to enable students with disabilities to attain their full potential\u2026Congress enacted the IDEA to solve the real and serious problem of under-education of students with disabilities.\u201d\r\nFull list of current and former Senate signers include: Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bob Casey (D-PA), Al Franken (D-MN), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Harry Reid (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark Warner (D-VA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\u00a0\r\nFull list of current and former House signers include: Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA), Alma S. Adams (D-NC), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (D-VA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Robert A. Brady (D-PA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), G. K. Butterfield (D-NC), Tony C\u00e1rdenas (D-CA), Andre Carson (D-IN), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Judy Chu (D-CA), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Steve Cohen (D-TN), John Conyers Jr. (D-MI), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Susan Davis (D-CA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Mike Doyle (D-PA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Donna F. Edwards (D-MD), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), Sam Farr (D-CA), Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH), Alan Grayson (D-FL), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL), Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI), Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Mike Honda (D-CA), Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Shelia Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX),\u00a0 Henry C. \"Hank\" Johnson Jr. (D-GA), William R. Keating (D-MA), Dan Kildee (D-MI), James R. Langevin (D-RI), Brenda L. Lawrence (D-MI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander M. Levin (D-MI), John Lewis (D-GA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Dave Loebsack (D-IA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Betty McCollum (D-MN), James P. McGovern (D-CA), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Grace Meng (D-NY), George Miller (D-CA), Gwen Moore (D-MI), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Richard M. Nolan (D-MN), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), Jared Polis (D-CO), Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-MP), Linda T. S\u00e1nchez (D-CA), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Jos\u00e9 E. Serrano (D-NY), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Mark Takano (D-CA), Paul D. Tonko (D-NY), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Nydia M. Vel\u00e1zquez (D-NY), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL).\r\nRead the full text of the amicus brief HERE.\r\nBackground on Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District case\u00a0\r\nEndrew F. (Drew), a student with autism, attended a public school in Colorado from preschool to fourth grade. During this time, Drew received some special education services but made minimal progress. His parents rejected the district\u2019s individualized education plan (IEP) for fifth grade, which guides the education of a student with a disability, and withdrew him from public school to place him in a private school that specialized in providing services for students with autism. He made substantial progress at the new school and his parents filed a due process claim to seek reimbursement from the public school district for the tuition of the private school, which is allowed under IDEA. The family claimed the school district denied Drew a free appropriate public education because it was unable to provide him with an educational benefit.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nThe administrative hearing officer determined that IDEA is only \u201cdesigned to provide a floor\u201d of educational quality and, as Drew had received \u201csome\u201d educational benefit, the school did not deny his rights under IDEA. The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado and the Tenth Circuit Court agreed with the hearing officer. The Tenth Circuit observed that it was a \u201cclose case\u201d and that Drew had made \u201cjust above-trivial\u201d academic progress, thus the school district had satisfied its obligations. Other Circuit Courts have reached different conclusions in similar cases.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-receives-halifax-builder-award-discusses-national-security-at-2016-halifax-international-security-forum", "Kaine Receives Halifax Builder Award, Discusses National Security At 2016 Halifax International Security Forum", "2016-11-19", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Receives Halifax Builder Award, Discusses National Security At 2016 Halifax International Security Forum\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSaturday, November 19, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tHALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA \u2013 U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees,\u00a0received the\u00a02016 Halifax Builder Award at the Eighth Annual\u00a0Halifax International Security Forum\u00a0in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In accepting the award, Kaine discussed\u00a0American national security strategy and the important role democratic alliances have had throughout\u00a0history.\u00a0The Builder Award\u00a0recognizes individuals who have been instrumental to the success of the Forum and demonstrate a tireless commitment to advancing global security and strategic cooperation among democracies.\u00a0\r\nKaine traveled with a bipartisan congressional delegation to the Forum, a gathering of global leaders he has attended every year since arriving in the Senate in 2013.\u00a0This year\u2019s delegation was led by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and included Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and U.S. Representatives Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), and Representative-Elect Mike Gallagher (R-WI).\r\nFull transcript of Kaine\u2019s remarks:\u00a0\r\nI was going to come either with a big entourage or without. I do not have a big security entourage but I have a great entourage of members of the House and Senate, Republicans and Democrats, we\u2019re here because we value this opportunity very much.\r\nA few years ago, I went to a fortune teller and she told me I was going to win something very big in November 2016...\r\nYour welcome has been incredible, I was at a reception outside and everyone was coming up to me saying, \u201cyou have my condolences, I feel so bad.\" People were being so kind to me and I kept thinking, \u201cit\u2019s not so bad traveling with John McCain, what\u2019s this condolence thing?\u201d\r\nI will say, I was proud to be on a ticket with a strong woman who made history as the first woman nominee to be president. We have an interesting system, we did very well in my home Commonwealth of Virginia and with the popular vote, but those aren\u2019t the rules that we understand. The rules are different, and it is a mark of her leadership that she immediately understood and grasped that, and we respect rules and we protect peaceful transition of power as this candidate, that is an important differentiator between our societies and so many around the world. These are traditions that are so very important.\r\nI just wanted to say this. I come every year. I\u2019m in the Senate now. I\u2019m on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees. The first year I was in the Senate, Senator McCain asked if I would come, I\u2019ve come every year I\u2019ve been in the Senate, but I come for two reasons to Halifax. I really come first because of the Americas. In the United States, but not only in the United States and other liberal democracies, we often think that foreign policy has only an East-West axis. It might be about Europe, it might be about Russia, it might be about China, it might be about the Middle East.\r\nI am a deep believer in the unity of the Americas, from Yukon to Patagonia. We are North, Central, and South America, and we named ourselves after one of history\u2019s great overachievers, Americo Vespucci, we've got two continents named after him. We are so connected in culture, 37 nations and 1 billion people. With the cease-fire arrangement in Colombia in the civil war between Colombia and the FARC, two continents without war for the first time in recorded human history. There are tons of challenges because we\u2019re humans, but I so deeply believe that we need forums like this in the Americas that can focus upon the cultural, linguistic, population and value commonalities between our 37 nations and that\u2019s one of the reasons I come and always look forward to it.\r\nThe second reason I come is strategy. In a hearing that our Chairman held within the last year on the Armed Services Committee, we had a senior American military leader who said we have OPLANs, but no strategy. We have operation plans for virtually every contingency, but we don\u2019t have strategy.\r\nThe last comprehensive American strategy for national security was the Truman Doctrine; we\u2019re celebrating the 70th anniversary of it this year. It was a doctrine that was laid out in three speeches: a speech of Winston Churchill at Westminster College in Missouri in March 1946; a speech of Harry Truman\u2019s to Congress in March 1947; and, a speech of George Marshall to Harvard University that went on to be the Marshall Plan in June 1947.\r\nThat Doctrine, the Truman Doctrine, which was basically three pillars: a description of the world as it was at the time, a description of America\u2019s role in the world, and a description of the role of alliances among the liberal democracies. That was a doctrine that lasted for forty years among Presidents, both Republican and Democrat, and among Congresses, both Republican and Democrat. But since the end of the Soviet Union, the United States has not had a comprehensive security doctrine that\u2019s not just about the military. The Truman Doctrine had a lot to do to explain the Peace Corps, the race to the moon, Fulbright Scholarships. We had a comprehensive strategy, and I think we need one.\r\nI think the United States needs one and I think the liberal democracies need one, and it\u2019s got to involve the same three pillars.\r\nA description of the world as it is now, which is not the world of 1947. It\u2019s a world where there are three power centers: democracies, authoritarians and non-states. A description of the role of the United States. But here is where I\u2019ll finish: a continuous description with an underline and an exclamation point in the value of alliances.\r\nI think a lot of us who are in policy-making positions come here because we are questing for more than just OPLANS, but we\u2019re questioning and questing for strategy. And the Truman Doctrine was named after a President, and often strategies have to be enunciated with the imprimatur of the Executive to be strategy, but Congress has a role as do all of you.\r\nBut I will tell you this. As we are questing for that strategy not only for the United States but for the liberal democracies represented here, the role of alliances is not less important than it was in 1947; it\u2019s more important than it was in 1947, and that is why it is so important that we gather here and Mr. Minister to you, and to the Government of Canada, thank you for continuing your commitment to this. And to the mayor of Halifax, he\u2019s the sister city mayor to my city of Norfolk, Virginia, two great shipbuilding cities, but thank you for your continued commitment for doing this here.\r\nWe need this. Thank you very much.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-and-kaine-call-on-defense-appropriations-to-secure-procurement-funding-for-ohio-replacement-program", "Warner & Kaine Call On Defense Appropriations To Secure Procurement Funding For Ohio Replacement Program", "2016-11-19", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Warner & Kaine Call On Defense Appropriations To Secure Procurement Funding For Ohio Replacement Program\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSaturday, November 19, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine sent a letter to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense asking them to protect funding for the Ohio Replacement Program (ORP) during the Fiscal Year 2017 appropriations process. If the Department of Defense is funded through a Continuing Resolution, the Navy will lose the authority to execute advance procurement funding for the program\u2014halting shipbuilding, jeopardizing national security and threatening jobs in Hampton Roads\u2014unless the legislation includes an exception for the Navy to continue moving forward with the program.\u00a0U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined Warner and Kaine in sending the letter.\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u201cWith an uncertain path forward for the fiscal year 2017 appropriations process, we urge you to take action to keep the Navy\u2019s top modernization program on track to maintain delivery schedules and avoid program costs increases,\u201d the Senators wrote. \u201cUnless the Congress provides (1) the first year of ORP funding provided through a defense appropriations bill, or (2) an anomaly in a CR, the Navy and contractor team would have to cut up to 2,300 jobs from the engineering, design, and support staff across Virginia, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. As you review funding priorities in the waning days of the 114th Congress, we urge you to include ORP in any anomalies list in the event that we are faced with funding the Department of Defense through another CR for 2017.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe text of the letter is available here and below:\r\n\u00a0\r\nDear Chairman Cochran and Ranking Member Durbin:\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe Ohio-class strategic ballistic missile submarine fleet is our nation\u2019s most survivable leg of the nuclear triad safeguarding our national security. This fleet is rapidly approaching the end of its useable life, leaving efforts to sustain our nuclear deterrence at a crucial juncture. As such, replacing the 14 Ohio-class submarines with 12 new strategic ballistic missile submarines through the Ohio-class Replacement Program (ORP) remains paramount to national security.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nORP is on schedule, but will reach a critical transition point in the coming months. To begin the transition of ORP from research and development into procurement, the Navy requested $773.1 million in shipbuilding funding for fiscal year 2017 \u2013 the first year of such funding. The Navy has testified that this funding is critical to maintaining the program\u2019s already tight schedule. The nation has previously accepted risk by delaying ORP construction when the Navy delayed the program in 2013. Any further postponement will prevent the Navy from meeting STRATCOM requirements for conducting the first ORP strategic deterrent patrol in fiscal year 2031. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Richardson noted in September 2016 at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that there is no further margin for delay in ORP. He testified, \u201cIf we cannot find a way to begin this [detailed design] work by the beginning of the calendar year, ORP will almost certainly experience unnecessary cost growth, as well as experience delays that threaten the conduct of an existential mission that we have covered continuously since 1960.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nWith an uncertain path forward for the fiscal year 2017 appropriations process, we urge you to take action to keep the Navy\u2019s top modernization program on track to maintain delivery schedules and avoid program costs increases. Absent a special anomaly in any continuing resolution (CR), the Navy would be precluded from spending the shipbuilding funding for ORP, since the shipbuilding funding would be treated as a new start. As you review funding priorities in the waning days of the 114th Congress, we urge you to include ORP in any anomalies list in the event that we are faced with funding the Department of Defense through another CR for 2017.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nEnsuring ORP remains on schedule is also important to the shipbuilding workforce of highly skilled workers spanning multiple states. In fact, the shipyard cut steel for the hull plate of the first ORP boat in August 2016. The contractor team has also begun construction of several missile tubes and has placed material orders with over 320 suppliers nationwide. Unless the Congress provides (1) the first year of ORP funding provided through a defense appropriations bill, or (2) an anomaly in a CR, the Navy and contractor team would have to cut up to 2,300 jobs from the engineering, design, and support staff across Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Virginia. This would result in the loss of an indispensable knowledge base and critical skills that cannot be rebuilt without incurring considerable cost, schedule delay, and technical risk. Therefore, we must do everything we can to ensure ORP remains on schedule.\r\n\u00a0\r\nThank you for your consideration of this matter. We look forward to working with you on this critical national security issue.\r\n\u00a0\r\nSincerely,\r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=439", "Beyer On Latest Trump Appointments: The President-elect Has Made Pervasive Islamophobia A Central Qualification For His National Security Team.", "2016-11-18", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Donald Beyer", "B001292", "beyer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "I do not expect to agree with President-elect Trump on most issues, but I do expect him to lead responsibly. By appointing Senator Sessions and Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn to key positions on his administration's national security team, he has abdicated that duty.His chosen advisors have expressed views attacking women, African Americans, Jews, Muslims, Hispanics and Latinos, immigrants and new Americans, and numerous other groups. I urge him to reconsider this divisive course and withdraw these appointments.\r\nLt. General Michael Flynn, Trump's choice for National Security Advisor, publicly stated that fear of Muslims is rational. Flynn's financial ties to Russia and Turkey represent a significant potential conflict of interest as he leads the National Security Council. He also said just a month ago that the Muslim faith itself is a political ideology, not a religion, which is the source of an existential threat on a global scale.\r\nSenator Jeff Sessions, nominated to be Attorney General, defended Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States in an interview during which he also defended Trump's attacks on the Gold Star family of Captain Humayun Khan. Sessions once referred to an African American attorney as boy, and said that civil rights groups like the ACLU, the NAACP, and Martin Luther King Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference were un-American and were attempting to force civil rights down the throats of people. As Attorney General, Sessions  who has criticized the Voting Rights Act  would be in charge of enforcing civil rights laws and investigating police departments for incidents of racial profiling and race-based-violence. Sessions' has also made his stance on immigration  which borders on nativism  the focus of many public statements.\r\nRepresentative Beyer previously signed the letter led by Rep. David Cicilline urging President-elect Trump to reconsider his appointment of white nationalist Steve Bannon to the position of Chief White House Strategist.\r\nHe is the sponsor of a House resolution, H. Res. 569, Condemning violence, bigotry, and hateful rhetoric towards Muslims in the United States. He also proposed the Freedom of Religion Act, a bill which would bar the President from using religious beliefs to prevent travelers, refugees, or immigrants from entering the United States. The bill enjoys bipartisan support in the House as well as the backing of a coalition of civil liberties organizations and groups representing a broad spectrum of religious faiths.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=782", "FairfaxNews: Connolly wants probe of foreign influence on election", "2016-11-18", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Gerald Connolly", "C001078", "connolly.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Representative Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and 15 members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee today requested an urgent hearing to examine reportedly deliberate attempts by foreign governments to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.\r\nIn a letter sent to Ranking Member Eliot Engel, the Members wrote, \u201cWe cannot ignore these facts merely because Election Day has come and gone. The Committee must understand and be prepared to counter what constitutes a potentially unprecedented intervention by a foreign government into U.S. elections.\u201d\r\nBesides Connolly, the letter was signed by Reps. Brad Sherman, Gregory Meeks, Albio Sires, Ted Deutch, Brian Higgins, William R. Keating, David Cicilline, Ami Bera, Alan Lowenthal, Grace Meng, Lois Frankel, Joaquin Castro, Brendan F. Boyle, Robin Kelly, and Karen Bass.\r\nThe Members noted that, \u201cOn October 7, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Election Security released a joint statement saying \u2018The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of emails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations.\u2019 The USIC went further to explicitly state that \u201cthese thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the U.S. election process,\u2019 and \u2018only Russia\u2019s senior-most officials could have authorized these activities.\u2019 We cannot ignore these facts merely because Election Day has come and gone.\u201d\r\nThe members added, \u201cThe Committee must understand and be prepared to counter what constitutes a potentially unprecedented intervention by a foreign government into U.S. elections.\u201d\r\nhttps://fairfaxnews.com/2016/11/connolly-wants-probe-foreign-influence-election/", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=783", "House Democrats Send Letter to Obama Urging Denial of Easement for Dakota Access Pipeline", "2016-11-18", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Gerald Connolly", "C001078", "connolly.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In a letter to President Obama, House SEEC members Representatives Huffman, Grijalva and Connolly\u00a0 urged the Administration to\u00a0 take concrete steps to reduce the tensions at the Dakota Access Pipeline, including denying the easement for the pipeline to cross Lake Oahe. The letter also calls for the President to send Department of Justice observers to protect the rights and civil liberties of the water protectors. The letter was signed by Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), John Conyers (D-MI), Sam Farr (D-CA), Mike Honda (D-CA), Henry C. \u201cHank\u201d Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), John Lewis (D-GA), Ted W. Lieu (D-CA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI),\u00a0 and Luis V. Guti\u00e9rrez (D-IL).\r\nThe letter follows yesterday\u2019s announcement by the Army Corps of Engineers that the agency will continue consultations with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe before making a final decision on the fate of the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline.\r\nThe full letter follows and can be found here.\r\nDear President Obama,\r\nWe were encouraged by your recent comments regarding the Dakota Access Pipeline, and we thank you for recognizing the importance of preserving and protecting the sacred lands of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the importance of allowing for peaceful demonstrations.\r\nWatching the historic, peaceful gathering in and around the Standing Rock Sioux reservation of hundreds of Americans from all corners of the United States, we are shocked to see increasingly hostile tactics deployed by state and local law enforcement officials. We believe that the federal government can take one important step today to immediately de-escalate growing tensions, by denying the easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross Lake Oahe.\r\nIn addition, we urge you to take the necessary steps to protect the rights and civil liberties of the water protectors by directing the Department of Justice to send observers, as well as request that North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple to reduce tension in the area by withdrawing the National Guard and other law enforcement personnel that have been deployed around the camp.\r\nRecent reports show an escalation in force with riot gear, batons, armed vehicles, sound cannons, and pepper spray being deployed against the demonstrators, resulting in over one hundred arrests. As part of this show of force, the Macon County Sheriff\u2019s Department called for additional resources from other states under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), with assistance being provided from state and local officials of Wisconsin, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Indiana, and Nebraska.\r\nThis use of the EMAC raises questions when compared to the original legislative intent of Congress in 1996 to allow member states to provide emergency assistance after natural disasters overwhelm a state\u2019s capacity to respond. Passed following the devastation of Hurricane Andrew, EMAC has had a successful history in responding to natural disasters such as the recent Hurricane Matthew. Its use for additional law enforcement personnel and equipment to respond to this peaceful demonstration is part of a recent trend away from historical precedent; the EMAC was used following protests after the Freddie Gray murder in Baltimore, Maryland, and in advance of expected protests at this year\u2019s Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.\r\nUnder the EMAC, the requesting state is typically responsible for the reimbursement of other states for personnel and equipment, absent decisions by donating states to decline to request reimbursement. However, the state of North Dakota will reportedly be requesting federal reimbursement to cover the estimated $10 million it has expended in protecting the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline. We would strongly oppose the use of federal funds to bail out North Dakota for its decision to expedite the construction of this controversial $3.8 billion pipeline project by pushing aside and jailing demonstrators.\r\nMorton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier has called the protests \u201ccriminal behavior,\u201d and blames the water protectors for these recent events. This rhetoric is consistent with efforts to undermine press freedoms at the site, including the three felony conspiracy charges, which could carry up to forty-five years in prison, that were brought against one journalist. This legal pursuit of reporters is worrying, and is why representatives from both Amnesty International the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues are on the ground to observe and investigate the treatment of demonstrators.\r\nOur founding ideals include the right to peaceful assembly and the freedom of the press, and we as a nation deserve better than what is happening around the Dakota Access Pipeline. We respectfully ask that you continue to work to de-escalate the situation in North Dakota, protect the safety and rights of the water protectors, deploy observers from the Department of Justice, and urge the state of North Dakota to stand down from its escalation of the use of force.\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-introduces-bipartisan-resolution-commemorating-national-apprenticeship-week-and-renewing-efforts-to-ensure-workforce-excellence-in-21st-century-economy-", "Kaine Introduces Bipartisan Resolution Commemorating National Apprenticeship Week & Renewing Efforts To Ensure Workforce Excellence In 21st Century Economy", "2016-11-18", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Introduces Bipartisan Resolution Commemorating National Apprenticeship Week & Renewing Efforts To Ensure Workforce Excellence In 21st Century Economy \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, November 18, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined 13 Senators to introduce a bipartisan resolution in the Senate designating the week of November 14, 2016, National Apprenticeship Week.\r\nSenators joining Kaine to introduce the resolution were U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Al Franken (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE) and Cory Booker (D-NJ). \u00a0\r\nA 2012 evaluation of registered apprenticeship programs by Mathematica Policy Research found that the tax return on every public dollar invested in registered apprenticeship programs was $27. It further found that individuals who completed registered apprenticeship programs earned over $240,000 more throughout their careers than individuals not participating in such programs.\r\nRead the full resolution HERE. \u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-and-kaine-call-for-service-improvements-at-us-postal-service", "Warner & kaine Call For Service Improvements At U.S. Postal Service", "2016-11-18", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Warner & kaine Call For Service Improvements At U.S. Postal Service\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, November 18, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine sent a bipartisan letter to the leadership of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), calling for the improvement of mail delivery service to be a critical component of any comprehensive USPS reform bill.\u00a0\r\n\u201cWhile the importance of reliable mail delivery for customers, especially those living in rural areas, has not changed, the Postal Service\u2019s ability to perform that service has substantially declined,\u201d wrote the Senators. \u201cFor any comprehensive postal reform bill to have a chance of passing this Congress, it needs to truly address the key problem facing customers across the country, which is the need for better service performance.\u201d\r\nAlso co-signing the letter were U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Tammy Bladwin (D-WI), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Gary Peters (D-MI), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Angus King (I-ME), Al Franken (D-MN), Tom Udall (D-NM), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).\r\nThe full text of the letter can be found here.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=3BEAB97C-10F5-4EE8-A6CF-1459AC483C72", "Sen. Warner Statement on Nomination of Rep. Pompeo for CIA Director", "2016-11-18", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), incoming Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in the 115th Congress, released the following statement on President-Elect Donald J. Trump\u2019s selection of Rep. Mike Pompeo to head the Central Intelligence Agency:\r\n\u201cI congratulate Congressman Pompeo on his nomination. As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Pompeo has a firsthand appreciation for Congress\u2019 responsibility to provide vigilant oversight of our nation\u2019s intelligence activities, and I look forward to learning more about his views on national security and intelligence policy and his vision for the CIA. \u00a0\r\n\u201cAs incoming Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I will fulfill the Committee\u2019s primary obligation: to conduct vigorous, and bipartisan, oversight of the nation\u2019s intelligence agencies, and to ensure that their work is effective, efficient, and legal, and adheres to America\u2019s principles and international obligations.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://bobbyscott.house.gov/media-center/floor-statements/midnight-rules-relief-act-of-2016", "MIDNIGHT RULES RELIEF ACT OF 2016", "2016-11-17", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Robert Scott", "S000185", "bobbyscott.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Mr. SCOTT of Virginia.\u00a0Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to H.R. 5982, the so-called Midnight Rules Relief Act, which amends the Congressional Review Act. This bill would allow Congress to consider a joint resolution to simultaneously disapprove multiple regulations en bloc, all at once, when such rules are issued within the last 60 legislative days of a session of Congress in the final year of a President's term. Now, that is legislative days. In this case, 60 legislative days\u00a0would reach back until May of this year, almost 8 months before the end of the President's term. To call the rules issued last spring a midnight rule is a curious use of the word.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0This bill puts in place an indiscriminate process to eliminate rules, many of which have been under consideration for years, even decades, to protect consumers, working people, and students. This bill denies Congress the opportunity for a careful case-by-case review that the congressional review process now provides, and that process would be appropriate for reasoned decisionmaking by a legislative body.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0This bill would jettison rules without even considering the costs and benefits of whether the rule followed the least burdensome approach to achieve a goal under the law. Once a rule is rejected, the rule can never be taken up again in substantially similar form. So after a thoughtful review, we might decide that the unpleasant regulation was actually the better way to address a problem than any alternative, but by then it is too late.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Chairman, under the Congressional Review Act, the Senate could pass its en bloc resolution of disapproval without even holding a hearing, and send it to the House for a vote on the floor without any form of consideration by the committee of jurisdiction. So we would end up just voting on a slogan or a sound bite without any opportunity for deliberative consideration. That is not a responsible way to legislate.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There has always been criticism of a tendency of a significant number of rules and regulations to be issued following a Presidential election before the President leaves office, regardless of the party in control. However, the nonpartisan congressionally mandated Administrative Conference of the United States found that ``a dispassionate look at midnight rules issued by past administrations of both political parties reveals that most were under active consideration long before the November election.''\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0They go on to say that many of the rules involved routine matters or were required by law. For example, a final OSHA rule to prevent injuries caused by inadequate fall protection has been under development for over 26 years.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Administrative Conference called for Congress to put in place a 60-day waiting period for rules that are issued after a Presidential election so that the new incoming administration can review the rules. Now, that legislation is what we really ought to be considering, not the bill before us today.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I think it is important to look at some of the rules that could be impacted under this bill:\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Department of Labor issued a rule requiring Federal contractors to provide up to 7 days of paid sick leave annually for people working on Federal contracts.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A forthcoming OSHA regulation, which has been under development for over 18 years, would protect workers from overexposure of beryllium. That is a substance that causes incurable lung disease often resulting in death by\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0suffocation. That rule has been under consideration for 18 years and we are finally getting to the actual rule.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The rule to implement the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order, which ensures that taxpayer dollars support those Federal contractors who comply with labor, civil rights, and workplace safety laws, not those who routinely and seriously violate such laws.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The EEOC's pay data rule, which helps eliminate pay disparities due to race, ethnicity, and gender.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Department of Education's borrower's defense rule, which helps protect student borrowers who were defrauded by their universities.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Department of Education's forthcoming K-12 accountability rule, which provides clarity and ensures faithful implementation of the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act in order to graduate all students ready for success in college and career.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Department of Education's forthcoming supplement not supplant rule, which ensures that Federal dollars actually supplement State and local education funds that target at-risk youth.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And, finally, another Health and Human Services' Head Start rule, which improves quality and access for our Nation's most vulnerable early learners.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Each of these rules involves complex issues that cannot be discussed or properly addressed through the en bloc process where you have a bunch of regulations all in one bill. Now, if a rule needs to be challenged, the present law provides for a deliberative process to challenge the rule. Regrettably, H.R. 5982 is poised to allow the wholesale undermining of critical protections for students, workers, taxpayers, and consumers.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I, therefore, urge a ``no'' vote on the bill.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=781", "Connolly and House Foreign Affairs Democrats Request Urgent Hearing To Examine Potential Foreign Attempts to Influence U.S. Elections", "2016-11-17", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Gerald Connolly", "C001078", "connolly.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\u201cWe cannot ignore these facts merely because Election Day has come and gone. The Committee must understand and be prepared to counter what constitutes a potentially unprecedented intervention by a foreign government into U.S. elections.\u201d\r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      Today, Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and 15 members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee requested an urgent hearing to examine reportedly deliberate attempts by foreign governments to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. In a letter sent to Ranking Member Eliot Engel, the Members wrote, \u201cWe cannot ignore these facts merely because Election Day has come and gone. The Committee must understand and be prepared to counter what constitutes a potentially unprecedented intervention by a foreign government into U.S. elections.\u201d\r\nThe letter was signed by Representatives Gerald E. Connolly, Brad Sherman, Gregory Meeks, Albio Sires, Ted Deutch, Brian Higgins, William R. Keating, David Cicilline, Ami Bera, Alan Lowenthal, Grace Meng, Lois Frankel, Joaquin Castro, Brendan F. Boyle, Robin Kelly, and Karen Bass.\r\nThe Members note that, \u201cOn October 7, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Election Security released a joint statement saying \u201cThe U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of emails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations.\u201d The USIC went further to explicitly state that \u201cthese thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the U.S. election process,\u201d and \u201conly Russia\u2019s senior-most officials could have authorized these activities.\u201d We cannot ignore these facts merely because Election Day has come and gone.\u201d\r\nThe members added, \u201cThe Committee must understand and be prepared to counter what constitutes a potentially unprecedented intervention by a foreign government into U.S. elections.\u201d\r\nFull letter follows and is available here:\r\nNovember 17, 2016\r\nThe Honorable Eliot Engel, Ranking Member\r\nCommittee on Foreign Affairs\r\nU.S. House of Representatives\r\nWashington, D.C. 20515\r\nDear Ranking Member Engel:\r\nWe write to ask that you request an urgent hearing in the House Foreign Affairs Committee to examine reportedly deliberate attempts by foreign governments to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.\r\nOn October 7, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Election Security released a joint statement saying \u201cThe U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of emails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations.\u201d The USIC went further to explicitly state that \u201cthese thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the U.S. election process,\u201d and \u201conly Russia\u2019s senior-most officials could have authorized these activities.\u201d We cannot ignore these facts merely because Election Day has come and gone.\r\nThe Committee must understand and be prepared to counter what constitutes a potentially unprecedented intervention by a foreign government into U.S. elections. The Committee has previously seen fit to examine foreign propaganda directed at American audiences. On April 15, 2015, the Committee conducted a hearing titled \u201cConfronting Russia\u2019s Weaponization of Information.\u201d This hearing examined Russia\u2019s use of media to destabilize Ukraine, Eastern Europe and beyond, and the U.S. government\u2019s inability to respond effectively.\r\nThe Committee\u2019s initiative to respond to this threat is appreciated. We believe this front against foreign influence is a potential venue for bipartisan collaboration.\r\nRanking Member Engel, one of our most cherished institutions, democratic elections free of foreign interference, is in question. We believe our committee can play a critical and constructive role in investigating and highlighting such foreign influence, and we respectfully request that you convene a hearing on the matter.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-rubio-introduce-legislation-to-combat-anti-semitism-in-europe", "Kaine, Rubio Introduce Legislation To Combat Anti-Semitism In Europe", "2016-11-17", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine, Rubio Introduce Legislation To Combat Anti-Semitism In Europe\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 17, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013\u00a0Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced\u00a0the Combatting European Anti-Semitism Act, legislation to address the troubling trend of anti-Semitism across Europe.\r\n\u201cI am alarmed by the steady increase in anti-Semitism we\u2019re witnessing in America and Europe. We must be vigilant in reporting any incidents of anti-Semitism to ensure the safety, security and inalienable rights of Jewish communities,\u201d\u00a0said Kaine. \u201cThis legislation will help the State Department and Europeans work together to combat anti-Semitism and protect religious freedom for Jews and society at large.\u201d\r\n\u201cI am deeply concerned with the recent harassment and violence seen across Europe against Jews in schools and synagogues, as well as certain governments amplifying anti-Semitic messages,\u201d\u00a0said Rubio. \u201cAmerica must prioritize working with European governments to combat this insidious global phenomenon. This bipartisan legislation will ensure the State Department has the information it needs to assess and understand the challenges so that we might combat European anti-Semitism in all its forms.\"\u200e\r\nThe bipartisan bill requires enhanced reporting to Congress in the State Department\u2019s Annual Report on International Religious Freedom anti-Semitic incidents in Europe. It also directs the State Department to include information on the security challenges and needs of European Jewish communities, efforts by the U.S. government to partner with European governments, law enforcement and civil society to combat anti-Semitism, and efforts by European governments to adopt a working definition of anti-Semitism.\r\nThis bill was introduced in the House (H.R. 6208) by the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combatting Anti-Semitism by U.S. Representatives Nita Lowey (D-NY), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Kay Granger (R-TX), Steve Israel (D-NY), Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Ted Deutch (D-FL) earlier last month.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-the-american-energy-and-conservation-act", "Kaine Statement On The American Energy And Conservation Act", "2016-11-17", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Statement On The American Energy And Conservation Act\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 17, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement after voting against cloture on the motion to proceed to the American Energy and Conservation Act:\r\n\u201cI voted no on this bill in large part because of findings from the Obama Administration earlier this year, as well as increasing opposition to speculative oil drilling off Virginia\u2019s coast from constituents in Hampton Roads and on the Eastern Shore. Department of Defense concerns about the impact mid-Atlantic oil drilling would have on military operations in Hampton Roads and subsequent conversations with DOD officials as well as regional leaders led me to conclude that speculative drilling activities would pose a risk to the Hampton Roads economy and should not be undertaken.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-and-kaine-announce-6-million-investment-in-southwest-virginia-workforce-partnership", "Warner & Kaine Announce $6 Million Investment In Southwest Virginia Workforce Partnership", "2016-11-17", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Warner & Kaine Announce $6 Million Investment In Southwest Virginia Workforce Partnership\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 17, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced that the New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Investment Area Consortium in Radford, VA will receive a $6,000,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to strengthen and expand regional workforce partnerships in Southwest Virginia. The funds are available through DOL\u2019s America\u2019s Promise Job Driven Grant Program.\r\n\u201cToday\u2019s economy requires workers to have knowledge of new and emerging technologies in order to compete for high-skilled jobs,\u201d said Warner. \u201cThis funding will be key in providing new training programs, increasing employment opportunities, and creating new partnerships between job creators in Southwest Virginia. I look forward to seeing how the New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Investment Area Consortium uses these funds to invest in the future of our local economy.\u201d\r\n\u201cThis federal funding will help equip Virginians with important occupational skills that companies are looking for in today\u2019s competitive economy,\u201d said Kaine. \u201cI supported this competitive grant for our Commonwealth and the Department of Labor agreed with its merits. I look forward to seeing these funds used by the New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Investment Area Consortium to create more opportunity in our economy and train workers who want to build a successful future for themselves.\u201d\r\nThe America\u2019s Promise grants will help develop and grow regional partnerships between workforce agencies, education and training providers and employers in a variety of industries. The America\u2019s Promise grant competition was designed to:\r\n \r\nIncrease opportunities for all Americans through tuition-free training for middle-to high-skilled occupations and industries.\r\nExpand employer involvement in the design and delivery of training programs.\r\nUtilize evidence-based sector strategies to increase employability, employment earnings, and outcomes of job seekers.\r\nLeverage additional public, private, and foundation resources to scale and sustain proven strategies.\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=071108A9-E436-427D-9380-909C23BF36EA", "Sen. Warner Statement on Today's Vote on Offshore Energy Revenue Sharing", "2016-11-17", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today the Senate voted on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S.3110, American Energy and Conservation Act. The legislation, which would provide for some revenue sharing for states as a result of onshore and offshore energy production, failed to garner the necessary votes to move forward.\r\n\u201cA fair revenue sharing agreement has always been a must-have if Virginia\u2019s coast is to be open to energy development \u2013 the key word being \u2018fair.\u2019 I voted against advancing this legislation because it would unfairly cap Virginia\u2019s revenue share.\r\n\u201cAdditionally, I\u2019ve always said that offshore exploration must be contingent on not interfering with the critical military and federal assets in the region, and the Navy continues to express serious reservations about allowing drilling off the Virginia coast.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=16E637AB-B67A-438F-82AD-EADEBA82E6EA", "Sen. Warner Statement on the Retirement of DNI James Clapper", "2016-11-17", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), incoming Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in the 115th Congress, released the following statement on the retirement of James Clapper, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence: \u00a0\r\n\u201cDirector Clapper has served his country with honor and distinction for more than 50 years, beginning as a young intelligence officer who rose to head our nation\u2019s intelligence community. I extend him and Sue my best wishes for a long, happy and well-deserved retirement following his many decades of service.\r\n\u201cToday\u2019s public announcement by Director Clapper also underscores the need for the new Administration to move expeditiously in making key national security appointments. As that process continues, I hope President-Elect Trump will seek out personnel that embody the same experience, gravity of purpose, and service to country that have been a hallmark of James Clapper\u2019s career.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 562, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"party\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Democrat", "p1": "VA", "p2": "2016"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=VA&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 562, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=VA&year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=VA&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 562, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=VA&year=2016&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=VA&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "VA", "label": "VA", "count": 562, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=VA&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "2016", "label": "2016", "count": 562, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=VA", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2016-11-17,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ewarner~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fpublic~2Findex~2Ecfm~2Fpressreleases~3FContentRecord_id~3D16E637AB-B67A-438F-82AD-EADEBA82E6EA", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=VA&year=2016&_next=2016-11-17%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ewarner~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fpublic~2Findex~2Ecfm~2Fpressreleases~3FContentRecord_id~3D16E637AB-B67A-438F-82AD-EADEBA82E6EA&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 301.9342632032931, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}