{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where 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"], ["http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398658", "Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 12.26.16", "2016-12-26", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Morgan Griffith", "G000568", "morgangriffith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Celebrating All Twelve Days of Christmas\r\n\u201cThe Twelve Days of Christmas\u201d is one of the most popular carols for this time of the year. Its alliteration like \u201cswans a swimming,\u201d outlandish gifts like \u201ctwelve lords a leaping,\u201d and repetition make it an enjoyable song to sing and hear. Artists from Perry Como to John Denver and the Muppets have recorded their own versions that are played during the Christmas season.\r\nThe exact origins of the lyrics have been lost to time. Some theories suggest the song originated in France, while others point to the north of England.\r\nBut we should not let the unusual nature of the song\u2019s gifts or uncertainty about the origins of the carol to take away from the point that there are twelve days of Christmas. When decorations appear in stores and promotions for holiday shopping start in October, it may seem that everything is building towards Christmas Day on December 25th\u00a0alone. But the days after Christmas have their own meanings, too.\r\nTake Boxing Day. On December 26th, Britain and many countries with strong cultural ties to it celebrate Boxing Day, although it is not a tradition that made it to the British colonies that became the United States.\r\nProfessor Mark Connelly of the University of Kent notes, \u201cWhile Christmas Day was about being at home with your family, Boxing Day was a time to get outside, to get away from the home.\u201d1\u00a0Fox hunting and horse racing are pastimes often associated with the day. It is also a popular day for soccer, just as many Americans look forward to watching football on our Thanksgiving.\r\nPerhaps the name of the holiday came from the boxed gifts given by aristocrats to their servants for the Christmas season. Or perhaps the name came from the church boxes which contained donations for the poor and were opened the day after Christmas. This suggestion seems appropriate, for December 26th\u00a0is also St. Stephen\u2019s Day. The day\u2019s link to charity is immortalized in the first lines of the traditional Christmas carol, \u201cGood King Wenceslas:\u201d\r\nGood King Wenceslas looked out  \r\nOn the Feast of Stephen  \r\nWhen the snow lay 'round about  \r\nDeep and crisp and even\r\nAs the song goes, when the king looked out on St. Stephen\u2019s Day, he saw a poor man gathering fuel. Wenceslas called for his page to gather food and drink to take to the poor man\u2019s house. As the pair went forth to their task on the freezing day, the page found warmth by following in the footsteps of the good king.\r\nAnother tradition involving good kings comes at the end of the Twelve Days, on January 6th, which is Epiphany. The kings celebrated on this day are known variously as the Three Kings, the Three Wise Men, or the Magi. We are familiar with them through the Book of Matthew and carols such as \u201cWe Three Kings.\u201d\r\nEpiphany celebrates the visit of the Three Kings to Jesus in Bethlehem bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In Spain and Latin America, the day is also known as \u201cThree Kings\u2019 Day.\u201d Just as children here write letters to Santa, in cultures that celebrate this day, they write to the Three Kings asking for gifts.\r\nOn January 5th, the kings arrive in a parade atop live camels and accompanied by floats and pages tossing candy into the crowd. That night, children put out bread and water for the camels and awake the next morning to find their shoes filled with presents from the kings.2\r\nLike the lyrics of \u201cThe Twelve Days of Christmas,\u201d many of these holiday celebrations originated in past ages, when the world looked much different, and for reasons we might not even know with certainty. I believe it is a testament to the magic of the Christmas season that these celebrations remain vital and beloved in many places around the modern world.\r\nWhether they are spent outdoors, as Boxing Day is often done, or performing acts of charity, as the carol of \u201cGood King Wenceslas\u201d celebrates, I hope you can treasure all the days of Christmas.\r\nBy the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas, we will have begun the 115th\u00a0Congress and will hopefully do great things for America during this session. On the eighteenth day of this Congress, Donald Trump will be inaugurated, and then we will have real change and hope.\r\nIf you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. \u00a0You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.\u00a0To reach my office via email, please visit my website at\u00a0www.morgangriffith.house.gov. Also on my website is the latest material from my office, including information on votes recently taken on the floor of the House of Representatives.\r\n1http://www.historyextra.com/feature/brief-history-boxing-day\u00a02http://www.spain.info/en_US/reportajes/la_magica_espera_de_los_reyes_magos.html\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398657", "Ninth District Traveling Staff Office Hours for January", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Morgan Griffith", "G000568", "morgangriffith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Griffith\u2019s Ninth District\u00a0STAFF\u00a0will be available at the following locations during the month of\u00a0January. In the event of inclement weather (heavy snow, sleet, icy rain, etc.), traveling office hours may be rescheduled to avoid putting constituents at risk.\u00a0 Please contact the Christiansburg Office at 540-381-5671 or the Abingdon Office at 276-525-1405 with any questions or to confirm that traveling hours are still in effect.\r\nJanuary 3, 2017\r\nRichlands: 10:00 am \u2013 12:00 pm\r\nRichlands Town Hall\r\n200 Washington Square\r\nRichlands, VA 24641\r\nBuchanan County: 2:00 pm \u2013 4:00 pm\r\nGrundy Town Hall\r\n1185 Plaza Dr.\r\nGrundy, VA 24614\r\nPulaski County: 2:00 pm \u2013 4:00 pm\r\nDublin Town Hall\r\nRoute 100, 1 mile North of I-81\r\nDublin, VA\u00a0 24084\r\nJanuary 4, 2017\r\nSmyth County: 10:00 am \u2013 12:00 pm\r\nTown Council Chambers\r\n138 West Main Street\r\nMarion, VA 24354\r\nCovington: 10:00 am \u2013 12:00 pm\r\nCovington City Hall\r\nCity Hall Conference Room\r\n333 W. Locust Street\r\nCovington, VA 24426\r\nCraig County: 2:00 pm \u2013 4:00 pm\r\nCraig County Administration Bldg.\r\n108 Court Street\r\nNew Castle, VA 24127\r\nBristol: 2:00 pm \u2013 4:00 pm\r\nBristol VA Public Library\r\nUpstairs Conference Room\r\n701 Goode Street\r\nBristol, VA 24201\r\nJanuary 5, 2017\r\nLee County: 10:00 am \u2013 12:00 pm\r\nLee County Sheriff\u2019s Office\r\nConference Room\r\n33640 Main Street \u2013 Suite U101\r\nJonesville, VA 24263\r\n\u00a0Martinsville: 12:00 noon \u2013 2:00 pm\r\nNew College Institute\r\nRoom 106 \u2013 Classroom Building\r\n30 Franklin Street\r\nMartinsville, VA 24112\r\nNorton: 2:00 pm \u2013 4:00 pm\r\nCity Council Chambers\r\n618 Virginia Ave NW\r\nNorton, VA 24273\r\nJanuary 10, 2017\r\nGiles County: 10:00 am \u2013 12:00 pm\r\nPearisburg Town Hall\r\n112 Tazewell Street\r\nPearisburg, VA 24134\r\nDickenson County: 10:00 am. \u2013 12:00 pm\r\nDickenson Center for Education & Research\r\n818 Happy Valley Drive\r\nClintwood, VA 24228\r\nSalem: 2:00 pm \u2013 4:00 pm\r\nSalem Town Hall\r\n114 N. Broad Street\r\nSalem, VA 24153\r\nWise County: 2:00 pm \u2013 4:00 pm\r\nBig Stone Gap Federal Courthouse\r\n3rd\u00a0Floor Room 303\r\n322 Wood Ave. E\r\nBig Stone Gap, VA 24219\r\nJanuary 11, 2017\r\nRadford: 10:00 am \u2013 12:00 pm\r\nRadford Public Library\r\nMeeting Room\r\n30 West Main Street\r\nRadford, VA 24141\r\nRoanoke County: 2:00 pm\u2013 4:00 pm\r\nRoanoke Library Hollins Branch\r\n6624 Peters Creek Rd\r\nRoanoke, VA 24019\r\nJanuary 12, 2017\r\nGrayson County: 10:00 am \u2013 12:00 pm\r\nGrayson County Administration Building\r\nBoard of Supervisors Room\r\nSuite 206\r\n129 Davis Street\r\nIndependence, VA 24348\r\n\u00a0Russell County: 10:00 am \u2013 12:00 pm\r\nSouthwest Virginia Technology Development Center\r\n141 Highland Drive\r\nLebanon, VA\u00a0 24266\r\nTazewell County: 2:00 pm \u2013 4:00 pm\u00a0\r\nBluefield Town Hall \u2013 Council Chambers\r\n112 Huffard Drive\r\nBluefield, VA 24605\r\nGalax: 2:00 pm \u2013 4:00 pm\r\nGalax Municipal Building\r\nConference Room\r\n111 E. Main Street\r\nGalax, VA 24333\r\nJanuary 17, 2017\r\nCarroll County: 10:00 am \u2013 12:00 pm\r\nCarroll County Administration Building\r\nBoard of Supervisors Room\r\n605 \u2013 1 Pine Street\r\nHillsville, VA 24343\r\nFloyd County: 2:00 pm \u2013 4:00 pm\r\nFloyd Town Hall\r\n134 Wilson St SE\r\nFloyd, VA 24091\r\nJanuary 18, 2017\r\nHenry County: 10:00 am \u2013 12:00 pm\r\nBassett Historical Society \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\r\n3964 Fairystone Parkway\r\nBassett, VA 24055\r\nBland County: 10:00 am \u2013 12:00 pm\r\nBland County Courthouse\r\nAdmin. Office Room 200\r\n612 Main Street\r\nBland, VA 24315\r\nWythe County: 2:00 pm \u2013 4:00 pm\r\nWythe County Sheriff\u2019s Office\r\nConference Room\r\n245 South 4th\u00a0Street\r\nWytheville, VA 24382\r\nPatrick County: 2:00 pm \u2013 4:00 pm\r\nPatrick County Administration Building\r\nConference Room\r\n106 Rucker Street\r\nStuart, VA 24171\r\nJanuary 19, 2017\r\nAlleghany County: 10:00 am \u2013 12:00 pm\r\nClifton Forge Library\r\nConference Room\r\n535 Church Street\r\nClifton Forge, VA 24422\r\nScott County: 10:00 am. \u2013 12:00 pm\r\nCommunity Services Building\r\nCommunity Room\r\n190 Beech Street\r\nGate City, VA 24251\r\nWise County: 2:00 pm \u2013 4:00 pm\r\nBig Stone Gap Federal Courthouse\r\n3rd\u00a0Floor Room 303\r\n322 Wood Ave. E\r\nBig Stone Gap, VA 24219\r\nPulaski County: 2:00 pm \u2013 4:00 pm\r\nPulaski Library\r\n60 3rd\u00a0Street NW\r\nPulaski, VA 24301** Please contact the Christiansburg Office at 540-381-5671 or the Abingdon Office at 276-525-1405 with any questions.\r\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"], ["http://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1088", "Wittman Praises Navy\u2019s Plan for USS Fort Lauderdale", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Robert Wittman", "W000804", "wittman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wittman Praises Navy\u2019s Plan for USS Fort Lauderdale  \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 20, 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      WASHINGTON \u2013 Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) praised the U.S. Navy's decision today to move forward with its plans for USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) by officially putting the ship under contract. As Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, Wittman has been committed to funding the LPD-28 to ensure the Marine Corps receives its next amphibious transport ship:\u201cToday marks a major milestone for our Navy and for our Marine Corps as they look to add more capacity and capability for the amphibious fleet,\u201d Wittman said. \u201cThe USS Fort Lauderdale contract comes at a critical time. After our 15 years valiantly serving on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, our U.S. Marine Corps has begun to refocus on its core, amphibious, fighting function using warships like USS Fort Lauderdale. In action, USS Fort Lauderdale will transport Marines, their vehicles, and their equipment to distant operating areas allowing them to conduct expeditionary operations ashore. Our Marines must be ready to \u2018fight tonight,\u2019 and ships like the USS Fort Lauderdale will get them where they need to go.\u201dCongressman Rob Wittman represents the 1st District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, where he is Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee.   \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://brat.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=310", "Rep. Brat Invited as Keynote Speaker at Jerusalem Leaders Summit", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "David Brat", "B001290", "brat.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "JERUSALEM - Rep. Brat (R-Va.) was invited as the keynote speaker at the second annual Jerusalem Leaders Summit, an event that brings together members of Parliament from Europe and other legislative bodies from India and around the world to discuss the 21st centurys global threats and security challenges, the weakening of the rule of law, and obstacles to economic freedom and free trade.The event provides a strategic platform to affirm the foundational principles of the rule of law  protecting life, liberty and private property.Speakers focused on key policy areas, including foreign policy, global security, economic growth solutions, technology and the significance of strengthening Israels security and sovereignty. The panel also highlighted the benefits of economic freedom and the contributions citizens have made to the world economy through innovation and technology.\"I am delighted to have been invited as the keynote speaker at yesterday's event in Jerusalem,\" said Rep. Dave Brat. \"Three pillars made our country the greatest on earth: the Judeo-Christian tradition, the rule of law, and the free market system. These pillars are crucial to our success, fundamentally connected, and can be adopted by any nation in the world to emulate American success.\"The Jerusalem Leaders Summit is co-hosted by the International Leaders Summit, the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe (ADDE) and the Heritage Foundation.", 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"], ["http://goodlatte.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=732", "Goodlatte Shepherds Important Cultural Exchange & Preservation Bills Into Law", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Robert Goodlatte", "G000289", "goodlatte.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, released the following statement upon the signing of both the Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act (H.R. 6477) and the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act (H.R. 6130) into law:   \r\n\r\n\u201cOur museums and art galleries are some of the best outlets for Americans young and old to experience not only our own culture, but the cultures of others from around the world. Many of the world\u2019s greatest works of art and artifacts are preserved in museums around the globe, and this legislation makes these pieces more accessible to American museums and galleries. \u201cThese two bipartisan bills signed into law will not only allow for a greater exchange of culture with partners around the world, but will help preserve world cultures.\u201cAdditionally, both of these bills contain vital provisions which will help return artwork and other cultural property that was stolen by the Nazis during the Holocaust. The return of these important pieces to their rightful owners is a simple measure we can take to preserve the culture of Europe, which the Nazis attempted to destroy during the atrocities of the Holocaust.\u201dBackground: Congressman Goodlatte introduced H.R. 6130, the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016, which allows civil actions to recover certain artwork or other property that was lost because of Nazi persecution without regard to State statutes of limitations. H.R. 6477, the Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act, provides sovereign immunity for a foreign state for works of art that are imported into the United States from the foreign state for temporary exhibition or display.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398655", "Griffith Statement on Release of Final Stream Protection Rule", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Morgan Griffith", "G000568", "morgangriffith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior\u2019s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) unfortunately released the final version of its Stream Protection Rule (SPR).\u00a0 The Department first revealed the proposed rule in July 2015. With today\u2019s release, the rule will be published in the Federal Register tomorrow and would therefore take effect thirty days after publication on January 19th, 2017.\r\nCongressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) said, \u201cI will continue to fight this rule with every tool available, including, but not limited to, filing a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution. This rule is so unpopular that there will probably be many in Congress who will wish to lead this CRA resolution and I will either join with other Members to file a resolution or I will file it myself.\u201d\r\n\u201cWe must prevent the costly and job-killing Stream Protection Rule from going into effect. I am disappointed that OSM decided to go forward with a regulation they know kills jobs, is unpopular, and will take effect a mere day before the new President is sworn in.\u201d\r\n\u201cAnd the Democrats have the gall to accuse the incoming Republican majorities and the new President of using the lawful process to undo those Obama Administration regulations that are job-killing, unpopular, unlawful, and/or unconstitutional. They have chosen to take this action knowing that the war on jobs and coal was rejected by the voters in November.\u201d\r\nSPR Background\r\nAccording to the National Mining Association, as many as 78,000 coal mining jobs will be lost if SPR is implemented, on top of thousands of jobs already lost during the Obama Administration.\u00a0 If jobs in fields related to coal mining are included, up to 281,000 people could be put out of work, with an estimated 190,000 lost jobs in the Appalachian region alone.\r\nCRA Background: \r\nThe Congressional Review Act is a law that allows Congress to overturn rules issued by federal agencies. Once a rule is finalized, Congress has a limited period of time to pass a joint resolution of disapproval preventing it from taking effect. The CRA was last utilized successfully in 2001, when President George W. Bush signed a joint resolution of disapproval overturning a regulation finalized in the last days of the Clinton Administration.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398656", "Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 12.19.16", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Morgan Griffith", "G000568", "morgangriffith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "A Christmas MessageThe Christmas season is a time to gather to celebrate. The Nativity story is familiar to most, whether Christian or not: Mary and Joseph with Jesus in a manger, where shepherds and kings came to honor him. For over two thousand years, we have celebrated this event and pondered its meaning. The Christmas story celebrates the promise of redemption for our world.\r\nWhile I respect those of all faiths, as a believer, Christmas is most important to me and to many in the Ninth Congressional District. Also, the Christmas season has a way of bringing out the best in people, even during horrific times.\r\nIt is hard to imagine a bleaker place than the Western Front in World War I. For four years, the armies of Germany and the Allied Powers engaged in trench warfare. Soldiers lived in muddy trenches crawling with vermin. They were under bombardment and sniper fire constantly. When they attacked the enemy, they charged into \u201cNo Man\u2019s Land\u201d between the trenches, where they were unprotected from machine gun fire. Over a million died.\r\nBut in many places along the Western Front on Christmas Eve 1914, the misery was put on hold. According to \u201cThe Story of the WWI Christmas Truce\u201d by Mike Dash of Smithsonian.com, German soldiers sang \u201cSilent Night\u201d and the British responded with \u201cThe First Noel.\u201d A few from both sides left their lines and met in No Man\u2019s Land. Then, a few became hundreds. Men who had shot at each other hours before now shook hands, swapped gifts, and even played soccer. \r\nThe truce lasted through Christmas Day, and then the men returned to fighting each other. World War I lasted nearly four more years. As casualties mounted and new horrors such as poison gas were introduced, people looked back on the Christmas Truce with astonishment.\r\nDecades later, the folk musician John McCutcheon wrote a song about this episode called \u201cChristmas in the Trenches.\u201d He sings it from the perspective of a fictional Liverpool soldier named Francis Tolliver who experiences the Christmas Truce. When McCutcheon performed the song in Denmark in 1988, he met a group of four old men who had traveled from Berlin to hear him. The men had taken part in the truce, but when they told younger generations their story, no one believed them.*\r\nMcCutcheon\u2019s song captured a moment that seemed too incredible to be true. Amid the hatred and violence of World War I, men could join in goodwill for at least one night to share in the celebration of Christmas.\r\nAnother event during a terrible war hits closer to home. According to historian Robert Thompson writing for the Civil War Trust, Union and Confederate armies at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, were awaiting the next day\u2019s battle one December night during the War Between the States. A Union band played \u201cYankee Doodle\u201d and \u201cHail Columbia.\u201d Soldiers in the Confederate camps heard the songs, and one of their bands responded with \u201cDixie.\u201d \r\nThis friendly musical battle continued until a Union band started playing \u201cHome, Sweet Home.\u201d The song, written by John Howard Payne, was a popular tune for men on both sides who missed home and their families, especially around Christmastime. Soon Union and Confederate bands were playing the song together.\r\nIn the words of one soldier, \u201cafter our bands had ceased playing, we could hear the sweet refrain as it died away on the cool frosty air.\u201d\r\nIn the film history publication Classic Images, Frances Ingram writes about a direct descendant and namesake of the songwriter John Howard Payne. This John Payne grew up in southwest Virginia and attended Salem High School on Broad Street. He worked hard to bring a Christmas tale of childhood faith to the silver screen, and then starred in it as a lawyer who proved that Santa Claus is real. The film is Miracle on 34th Street. \r\nAs it was true for the soldiers in the trenches in Flanders and in the encampments at Murfreesboro, the message of Christmas is true for you, too. No matter what your circumstances are this year, I pray you will remember what the angel of the Lord told the shepherds on that field over two thousand years ago: \u201cFear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born . . . a Savior . . .\u201d (Luke 2:10-11).\r\nMerry Christmas! Peace and good will to all.\r\nIf you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office.\u00a0 You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.\u00a0 To reach my office via email, please visit my website at\u00a0www.morgangriffith.house.gov.\r\n*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIxqJlnH2m8", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://comstock.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/provisions-congresswoman-comstock-s-research-and-development-efficiency", "Provisions of Congresswoman Comstocks Research and Development Efficiency Act to Become Law", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Barbara Comstock", "C001105", "comstock.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA) issued the following statement after the House cleared on Friday the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, included in which are provisions from Congresswoman Comstock\u2019s Research and Development Efficiency Act.\u00a0 It is expected the president will sign the legislation in the coming days:\n\u201cNorthern Virginia is home to many professionals who are conducting significant research in a variety of fields leading to innovative breakthroughs.\u00a0Reports indicate that researchers spend on average 42 percent of their time on administrative requirements instead of conducting vital research.\u00a0 The provisions of my Research and Development Efficiency Act that are included in the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act will ensure that more federal research dollars will be spent directly on the important research we are funding.\u00a0 By limiting redundant regulations and focusing our research dollars more efficiently, the included provisions from my legislation clear the way for researchers to do their job without being bogged down under a mountain of paperwork.\u201d\nProvisions from the Research and Development Efficiency Act that are in the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act require that the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in coordination with the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall establish an interagency working group for the purpose of reducing administrative burdens on federally funded researchers while protecting the public interest through the transparency of and accountability for federally funded activities.", 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"], ["http://goodlatte.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=731", "Goodlatte Applauds Congressman Mulvaney\u2019s Selection as OMB Director", "2016-12-17", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Robert Goodlatte", "G000289", "goodlatte.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) released the following statement applauding President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s selection of Congressman Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): \u201cCongressman Mick Mulvaney is the right choice to help bring fiscal sanity to Washington. As Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Congressman Mulvaney will have the opportunity to provide much-needed oversight of federal regulations, change the culture of rampant spending and deficits, and take hold of the massive federal debt that weighs down our economy and will be passed down to the next generation. I look forward to working with him to bring more balance to the federal budget.\u201d", 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"], ["http://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1086", "Wittman Response to Navy FSA", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Robert Wittman", "W000804", "wittman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) released the following statement today on the Secretary of the Navy\u2019s announcement of the 2016 Force Structure Assessment:\u201cThe Force Structure Assessment released today confirms what I, and many of my colleagues in Congress, have known for a while: our Navy's current size and structure doesn't fully meet America's national security needs. \u201cIn an increased threat environment where China and Russia are rapidly expanding their naval capabilities, increasing the size of the Navy's fleet must be the top priority. The FSA clearly defines the need for 18 more Virginia-class attack submarines and 12 aircraft carriers to provide increased U.S. global presence. \u201cThis vision is a critical first step, but there's a long road ahead. It's time for us to rebuild our Navy to ensure dominance of the seas deep into the 21st Century. I am committed to working with the incoming administration and my colleagues in Congress next year to shape the size and scope of the Navy to meet future threats, grow our industrial base and advance U.S. national security.\u201d Congressman Rob Wittman represents the 1st District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, where he is Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://comstock.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/rep-comstock-finding-and-funding-cures", "Loudoun Times: Rep. Comstock: Finding and funding cures", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Barbara Comstock", "C001105", "comstock.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "On Dec. 8, I joined with a bipartisan group of House and Senate members and the Speaker of the House, as the speaker signed the 21st Century Cures Act. It was a joyful occasion as we concluded this year\u2019s session with what I believe is one of the most important and game changing pieces of legislation passed this year.\u00a0\nRead the rest of my op-ed in the Loudoun Times-Mirror here.", 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"], ["http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398653", "Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 12.12.16", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Morgan Griffith", "G000568", "morgangriffith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Clearing the Air at the EPA\r\nPresident-elect Donald Trump\u2019s appointment of Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is welcome news. As Oklahoma\u2019s attorney general, Pruitt has strongly pushed back against many rules and regulations coming from Washington, DC. In particular, he has led states in suing to block the EPA\u2019s overreaching policies.\r\nMany in the media report this news with shock. They wonder how someone \u201cCURRENTLY SUING\u201d the EPA could possibly be fit to lead it. I wish those stunned by this appointment would listen to or read the testimony I have heard from EPA officials in Energy and Commerce Committee hearings. What I find stunning is the logic offered by agency officials to justify actions at odds with the plain text of laws passed by Congress.\r\nTake the Clean Power Plan. I have written often in this column about the EPA\u2019s claim that it can use the Clean Air Act to force states to create and implement a plan to reduce their carbon emissions. It is bad for coal miners and all consumers of electricity, but it is also bad for the rule of law. Under the Clean Power Plan, the EPA claims it can regulate existing power plants under Section 111(d) of the\u00a0Clean Air Act, but the EPA already regulates them under Section 112. The problem is that the language of the Clean Air Act prohibits this type of dual regulation, a point that the EPA itself has conceded in the past (before changing its tune).\r\nWhen famed liberal legal scholar Laurence Tribe, who taught America\u2019s first environmental law class and mentored President Obama, testified before the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power, he stated:\r\n\u201cEPA is attempting an unconstitutional trifecta: usurping the prerogatives of the States, Congress, and the Federal Courts \u2013 all at once.\u00a0 Much is up for grabs in this complex area.\u00a0But burning the Constitution of the United States \u2013 about which I care deeply \u2013 cannot be part of our national energy policy\u2026\u201d\r\nThe EPA cited the Clean Air Act in another power grab, this time to regulate truck trailers. The law authorizes the EPA to regulate emissions from motor vehicles, defined in the US code as follows:\r\n42 USC 7550(2)\r\nThe term \u201cmotor vehicle\u201d means any self-propelled vehicle designed for transporting persons or property on a street or highway.\r\nWhen I asked EPA official Janet McCabe how a trailer could be considered a self-propelled vehicle, she claimed that trailers are covered because, \u201cwithout a trailer, a truck is not transporting goods.\u201d Based on this logic, because trucks don\u2019t currently drive themselves, the EPA could regulate the size of the driver, too!\r\nOn a number of occasions during the current administration, the courts have found that federal agencies exceeded their authority in making rules. The fact that this has happened repeatedly tells me that many of the lawyers employed by the federal government are not doing their jobs.\r\nLawyers employed by the federal government should not evaluate proposed regulations by their goal or their supervisors\u2019 wishes, but rather by their compliance with the Constitution and the law. \r\nI believe that the lawyers for the EPA and other agencies have acted with malfeasance in this regard. When the federal government\u2019s lawyers improperly sign off on ridiculous arguments, Scott Pruitt and other state attorneys general have a duty to stand up for the powers the Constitution reserves to the states, just as congressmen have the duty to stand up for the powers delegated to the legislative branch.\r\nAs EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt\u2019s first task should be to clean house in the EPA\u2019s Office of General Counsel, which provides legal advice to the agency.\r\nUnder its present leadership, the EPA apparently believes that it\u2019s better for a thousand people to lose their jobs than for a single tree to be axed or one chunk of coal to be burned. We need the EPA to balance protecting our environment without destroying our economy. As the Supreme Court ruled in Michigan v. Environmental Protection Agency, it should not pursue an environmental agenda at all costs.\r\nThe EPA must also recognize that it should carry out the laws passed by Congress, not rewrite them or create new ones. \r\nScott Pruitt has shown that he understands the proper role of the EPA. He is an excellent choice to lead the EPA and I urge the Senate to confirm him promptly.\r\nIf you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. \u00a0You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.\u00a0To reach my office via email, please visit my website at\u00a0www.morgangriffith.house.gov. \u00a0Also on my website is the latest material from my office, including information on votes recently taken on the floor of the House of Representatives.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398654", "Griffith Congratulates Virginia Tech on Transportation Grant Award", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Morgan Griffith", "G000568", "morgangriffith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) congratulates Virginia Tech Transportation Institute for being named a national safety center by the U.S. Department of Transportation, winning almost $28 million over five years to study benefits of connected and automated vehicles. The grant supports the Safety Through Disruption (SafeD): Goal Zero Center, with an overall aim to increase safety through technology on U.S. roads.\r\nCongressman Griffith said, \u201cVirginia Tech is home to some of the strongest research and engineering programs in the United States and I congratulate them on earning this grant. I supported their efforts to secure the award and I am pleased that Virginia Tech will have the ability to contribute significantly to the research priorities set forth by the FAST Act. (H.R.22 - Fixing America\u2019s Surface Transportation Act)\u201d\r\nCongressman Griffith is an original co-sponsor of the FAST Act.\r\n\u201cIn Southwest Virginia, we are proud of the research and development that takes place at Virginia Tech. I look forward to the potential advances made possible with this funding. It is my hope that the vehicle automation and connectivity studies and other testing will result in new breakthroughs, create opportunities for students, and expand workforce development in our area, in addition to safety advances that can benefit those across the country.\u201d\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"], ["http://goodlatte.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=727", "Goodlatte & Conyers Release First Policy Proposal of Copyright Review", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Robert Goodlatte", "G000289", "goodlatte.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released the first policy proposal to come out of the Committee\u2019s review of U.S. Copyright law.  This first proposal identifies important reforms to help ensure the Copyright Office keeps pace in the digital age.  With the release of this document, the Committee requests written comments from interested stakeholders by January 31, 2017.  These comments will be shared with members of the House Judiciary Committee as they come in and the Committee intends to make comments publicly available after the comment period closes. Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers released the following statement via video:\u201cWe would like to take a few minutes to share with you our plan for the next stage of the House Judiciary Committee\u2019s review of our nation\u2019s copyright laws. For years now, we have deliberately listened \u2013 through hearings, listening sessions, and site visits \u2013 to the views and concerns of stakeholders from all sides of the copyright debate. \u201cNow, it is time to move forward into the next stage.  We intend to periodically release policy proposals on select, individual issue areas within the larger copyright system that are in need of reform where there is a potential for consensus.  These policy proposals are not meant to be the final word on reform in these individual issue areas, but rather a starting point for further discussion by all stakeholders, with the goal of producing legislative text within each issue area.\u201cToday, we are releasing our first policy proposal, which identifies reforms to modernize the Copyright Office so that it can meet the challenges of the 21st Century.  Among the reforms in this document are granting the Copyright Office autonomy with respect to the Library of Congress, requiring the Copyright Office to maintain an up-to-date digital, searchable database of all copyrighted works and associated copyright ownership information, and many others reforms. \u201cNothing should be read into the fact that we are only releasing a policy proposal on one topic today. This is just the beginning of this stage of the copyright review, and we intend to release policy proposals on music licensing issues and other individual issue areas in time. \u201cBut this is not a one way street.  We need your help to turn these policy proposals into legislation.  It is only through the input of all interested parties that agreements can be successfully achieved. \u201cThank you to everyone who has participated in the copyright review, and we look forward to continuing to work with you to improve our nation\u2019s copyright system.\u201dBackground: Chairman Goodlatte first announced the House Judiciary Committee\u2019s intention to undertake a comprehensive review of U.S. copyright law on April 24, 2013, in a speech before the World Intellectual Property Day celebration at the Library of Congress.  As part of the copyright review, the House Judiciary Committee has held 20 hearings which included testimony from 100 witnesses.  Following these hearings, Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers invited all prior witnesses of the Committee\u2019s copyright review hearings and other interested stakeholders to meet with Committee staff and provide additional input on copyright policy issues.  In addition, the House Judiciary Committee conducted a listening tour with stops in Nashville, Silicon Valley, and Los Angeles where they heard from a wide range of creators, innovators, technology professionals, and users of copyrighted works.  More information on the House Judiciary Committee\u2019s comprehensive copyright review can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://goodlatte.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=728", "Goodlatte Applauds Passage of Bill to Protect Children with Autism & Those with Alzheimer\u2019s from Wandering", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Robert Goodlatte", "G000289", "goodlatte.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The House of Representatives today approved Kevin and Avonte\u2019s Law (H.R. 4919) by a vote of 346-66 to help protect children with autism and individuals with Alzheimer\u2019s from wandering.Kevin and Avonte\u2019s Law is named in honor of two boys with autism, Kevin Curtis and Avonte Oquendo, who both wandered away from supervision and tragically drowned. The bill reauthorizes an existing Department of Justice grant program, the \u201cMissing Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Patient Alert Program,\u201d and extends the program to cover children with autism, who may be susceptible to the same type of wandering behavior as those with Alzheimer\u2019s. It is estimated that 60 percent of the 5.3 million individuals with Alzheimer\u2019s, and 49 percent of the 1 in 68 children with autism, have wandered.H.R. 4919 authorizes the Justice Department to make grants to law enforcement agencies, public safety agencies, and nonprofit organizations, to provide proactive, educational, voluntary wandering-prevention programming to families and caretakers of individuals who wander, as well as training to first responders and school personnel in order to recognize and respond to endangered missing individuals and facilitate their rescue and recovery. The bill contains important grant accountability and transparency requirements to ensure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently.Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, praised today\u2019s approval of the bill:\u201cIt\u2019s a family\u2019s worst nightmare when a loved one goes missing, especially if their child has autism or their parent has Alzheimer\u2019s. Children with autism and people with Alzheimer\u2019s are prone to wandering and the results can be devastating if they are not found immediately. \u201cKevin and Avonte\u2019s Law reauthorizes a critical grant program to help prevent folks with Alzheimer\u2019s from wandering and also extends it to children with autism. Police searches are expensive and this voluntary preventative grant program can help avoid costly searches and also spare the heartache that families and caretakers feel when a loved one goes missing. It\u2019s also important that first responders and teachers are equipped to recognize and respond to missing individuals so that they can be brought home safely. I thank Representative Chris Smith for his tireless work on this pressing issue and call on the Senate to pass his bill.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1077", "Wittman Opposes Continuing Resolution", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Robert Wittman", "W000804", "wittman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) released the following statement today after voting against H.R. 2028, a short-term continuing resolution that would extend government operations through April 28, 2017:\u201cI\u2019ve said it before, and I\u2019ll say it again: continuing resolutions are a bad way for Washington to do business. This bill is the result of broken process and a lack of accountability. Our job is to do the people\u2019s work and to do it on time. These last-minute, stop-gap measures create economic uncertainty and job insecurity. In the context of national security, they prevent planning, keep critical programs from moving forward, and deplete our forces. Congress needs time for measured debate. We should be making decisions about spending far in advance of December, and I promise to keep fighting for regular order in Washington.\u201d Congressman Rob Wittman represents the 1st District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, where he is Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee.", 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://comstock.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/comstock-announces-millbrook-high-school-s-logan-apple-winner", "Comstock Announces Millbrook High Schools Logan Apple As Winner Of Congressional App Challenge", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Barbara Comstock", "C001105", "comstock.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA) released the following statement announcing that Millbrook High School\u2019s Logan Apple is this year\u2019s winner of the Congressional App Challenge:\n\u201cStudents from Virginia\u2019s Tenth Congressional District put in countless hours of hard work to develop innovative apps for the Congressional App Challenge.\u00a0 I would like to congratulate Logan Apple from Millbrook High School on his victory in the 2016 Congressional App Challenge.\u00a0 Logan\u2019s app, iSight, is designed to help people utilize their cell phone cameras to translate sign language in real time, helping break down speech barriers.\u00a0 His app can translate more than 150 signs around the world. Coding is becoming an increasingly valuable skill in today\u2019s 21st Century economy and, after viewing these apps, I am confident the next generation in Virginia\u2019s Tenth Congressional District will lead the charge as entrepreneurs and innovators.\n\u201cThank you to our judges who volunteered their time for the challenge: Dr. Scott Martin of the Computer Game Design Program, Troy Murphy of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, and Sandra Chin of Hyperdoc Link.\u201d\nTo view Logan\u2019s app in action, click here.\nThe Congressional App Challenge will invite winners from across the country to showcase their apps to the Members of Congress and members of the tech community at #HouseOfCode, a DC-based reception to be held in April of 2017. Their work will be featured for one year on the permanent display in the U.S. Capitol Building, and on the House.gov website. Winning students will also be awarded a portion of $50,000 in credits, generously donated by Amazon Web Services.", 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"], ["http://goodlatte.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=725", "Goodlatte & Grassley Call on Obama Administration to Declassify Secret Refugee Deal", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Robert Goodlatte", "G000289", "goodlatte.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today called on the Obama Administration to declassify its plan to admit into the United States potentially over 2,400 refugees who Australia has refused to admit. Last month, Chairmen Goodlatte and Grassley expressed concern that the Obama Administration\u2019s secret negotiations with Australia left Americans in the dark about the full scope of its resettlement plans and requested a briefing to review the classified agreement. It is unprecedented to classify an agreement to usher in refugees to the United States and the Chairmen\u2019s review of the agreement further confirms that it should never have been classified in the first place.In their letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and Secretary of State John Kerry, Goodlatte and Grassley call for the declassification of the agreement so the American people can review it.  Full text of the Goodlatte-Grassley letter to Kerry and Johnson follows:December 6, 2016\r\nVIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSIONThe Honorable Jeh Johnson  \r\nSecretary               \r\nDepartment of Homeland Security  \r\nWashington, D.C. 20528The Honorable John Kerry  \r\nSecretary  \r\nDepartment of State  \r\nWashington, D.C. 20520Dear Secretaries Johnson and Kerry:We write to follow up on our November 22, 2016 letter regarding the agreement between the United States and Australia for the United States to consider for admission as refugees, potentially over 2,400 migrants currently detained in Papua New Guinea and Nauru, whom Australia has refused to admit.  These migrants are nationals of countries like Somalia, Syria, Pakistan, Iran, and Sudan, as well as others.  As you know, your agencies have deemed the agreement classified.  This is despite the fact that classification of an agreement regarding individuals to be considered for admission by the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program is unprecedented.    We appreciate your making staff available to provide us with the document in a classified setting and to brief us regarding the circumstances surrounding the agreement.  It is now absolutely apparent to us that there was no reason for the agreement to be classified from the outset, and that it should not continue to be classified.  To that end, we request that you declassify the document outlining the agreement so that the American people can read it.   The American people have a right to be fully aware of the actions of their government regarding foreign nationals who may be admitted to the United States.  American taxpayers not only foot the bill for the majority of the refugee resettlement in the United States, but they bear any consequences regarding the security implications of those admitted to the U.S.       Please respond by December 13, 2016, with your decision as to whether or not you will declassify the U.S.-Australia refugee agreement document.  If your decision is not to seek declassification, please include your justification for such decision in your response.Thank you in advance for your prompt response.  Sincerely,Bob Goodlatte   \r\nChairman\u00a0  \r\nCommittee on the JudiciaryCharles E. Grassley   \r\nChairman   \r\nCommittee on the Judiciary", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://goodlatte.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=726", "Goodlatte, Gowdy, Jackson Lee Introduce Bill to Help Child Pornography Trafficking Victims", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Robert Goodlatte", "G000289", "goodlatte.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Representative Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), and Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) today introduced Justice for Child Victims Act of 2016 (H.R. 6440) to ensure child trafficking victims are able to seek and obtain the restitution that they need and deserve. Under current law, federal courts are required to award any child depicted in sexually explicit material restitution in \u201cthe full amount of the victim\u2019s losses,\u201d which can include medical services, physical or occupational therapy, and attorneys\u2019 fees. However, the Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Paroline that an individual defendant who may have received, distributed, or possessed child pornography may not be held liable for a victim\u2019s aggregate damages incurred by potentially thousands of others who have viewed her images, and that defendants may be made liable only for the harm caused by their own conduct, not the conduct of others. Because of the nature of the crime, child pornography trafficking victims are involved in countless cases across multiple jurisdictions and time. This means that in order to obtain restitution, a victim\u2019s request must be presented in multiple cases across the country. Since the process is so lengthy and overwhelming, only about 20 out of the thousands of child pornography trafficking victims have sought restitution. The Justice for Child Victims Act remedies this problem by creating a compensation fund that is paid for by child pornography defendants as an alternative avenue for victims to obtain financial support for their losses. This simple, one-step alternative allows child pornography trafficking victims to quickly access financial support for their own recovery. Chairman Goodlatte, Representative Gowdy, and Crime Subcommittee Ranking Member Jackson Lee issued the statements below on the introduction of Justice for Child Victims Act.  Chairman Goodlatte: \u201cThe trafficking of child pornography is a serious crime and those who cause the most vulnerable among us pain and suffering deserve to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Although no amount of money can ever take away the trauma these children have experienced, we must ensure that victims of child exploitation receive the full amount of their losses from the production and ongoing trafficking of their images. \u201cThe Justice for Child Victims Act creates a straight-forward and easily accessible compensation fund that provides child pornography victims the financial support they need and deserve. Protecting our nation\u2019s children is a top priority for the House Judiciary Committee and we plan to move this bill in the new Congress.\u201d Rep. Gowdy: \u201cEnforcing the rule of law and protecting human dignity through a fair justice system are among the chief responsibilities of Congress. Victims of child pornography endure severe trauma mentally, physically and emotionally. Ensuring they are able to obtain full restitution is the very least we can do to help them with the recovery process. \u201cThe Justice for Child Victims Act will ensure child pornography trafficking victims are fully compensated for their losses as they begin to recover. I thank Chairman Goodlatte and Representative Jackson Lee for their leadership on this legislation and their steadfast commitment to a fair and equal justice system.\u201dRep. Jackson Lee: \u201cI\u2019m pleased to cosponsor this important bill that will ensure the effective implementation of restitution to the victims of child pornography.  We must do all we can to make sure that offenders pay restitution to their victims and that we mitigate the suffering of the victims, whose victimization continues so long as the images continue to be shown.  This bipartisan bill adopts important suggestions by the Department of Justice and is based on their experience in enforcing the law.  Adoption of this legislation should be a top priority in the new Congress.\u201d", 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"], ["http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398652", "Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 12.5.16", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Morgan Griffith", "G000568", "morgangriffith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "A Date Which Will Live in Infamy?\r\nSeventy-five years ago, on the morning of December 7, 1941, the United States of America was \u201csuddenly and deliberately attacked.\u201d\r\nAt the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes destroyed eight massive battleships and more than 300 airplanes and killed 2,000 Americans.\r\nOne ship, the USS Oklahoma, was hit with torpedoes and capsized with 400 men trapped inside.\u00a0 In a horrifying scenario, the men trapped under the water slowly ran out of air. Rescuers heard taps from inside the ship but could only save a handful of men, and after a few days the tapping stopped.\r\nThe day after the attack, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered a moving speech to a joint session of Congress in which he declared that December 7, 1941 was \u201ca date which will live in infamy.\u201d In the speech, he also asked Congress to declare war on Japan, stating, \u201cNo matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion... I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.\u201d\u00a0\r\nAs families were receiving word of lost loved ones, Americans were reeling with the news of this horrific attack on our soil, and men on the USS Oklahoma were still trapped gasping for air, one member of Congress voted against declaring war on Japan.\r\nJeannette Rankin was the only member of Congress to vote against declaring war on Japan and entering World War II. She had been one of a handful of members who earlier in her life had voted against entering World War I as well.\u00a0 While some may present an argument for the vote against WWI, there is no justifying voting against defending ourselves from the Japanese. This attack occurred seventy-five years ago this week. So imagine my surprise when, this April, the House voted to name a federal science and technology program after Congresswoman Rankin (H.R.4570).\u00a0 I voted against this bill but was only joined by five of my colleagues.\r\nI will note the bill was on suspension and perhaps some of my colleagues did not pay attention to who they were voting to honor.\u00a0 Perhaps some of my colleagues wouldn\u2019t vote against honoring Rankin because it wouldn\u2019t be politically correct to vote against the first female elected to Congress. But political correctness does not excuse Rankin\u2019s vote against self-defense. When voting no, Rankin said, \u201cAs a woman I can\u2019t go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else.\u201d However, women had been among the forty-nine civilian casualties on Oahu, and thousands of women across the nation had husbands, fathers, and brothers among the dead and wounded. During the war, nearly 350,000 brave women enlisted in the Women\u2019s Auxiliary Army Corps, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES), and the Women\u2019s Airforce Service Pilots. Rankin\u2019s sex did not justify voting against the declaration of war then, and it does not justify honoring her now.It is my opinion that despite other achievements of Congresswoman Rankin, it is more important to remember Pearl Harbor and honor the lives lost than to honor someone who voted against defending the United States while our ships were still on fire, while our troops in the Philippines were under attack, and while men inside the Oklahoma were tapping desperately hoping someone would come to their rescue.\r\nWhen I talk to my children about WWII, they react as though it was ancient history, but I am teaching them that December 7, 1941, is \u201ca date which will live in infamy.\u201d Although the world is much changed since those times, it was not so long ago.\u00a0 In my life, I have been honored to know brave soldiers, sailors, and airmen who fought for our nation in that gruesome war.\u00a0 For the WWII veterans that are alive today, and all those who served, we must remember and honor their sacrifices.\r\nOn this year\u2019s seventy-fifth anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, it is particularly important to remember the lives lost in the devastating attack and in the war that followed. In this seventy-fifth anniversary year, voting to honor Jeannette Rankin showed that many in Congress no longer regard December 7 as \u201ca date which will live in infamy.\u201d\r\nIf you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. \u00a0You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. \u00a0To reach my office via email, please visit my website at\u00a0www.morgangriffith.house.gov. \u00a0Also on my website is the latest material from my office, including information on votes recently taken on the floor of the House of Representatives.\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"], ["http://goodlatte.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=720", "Goodlatte Elected Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Robert Goodlatte", "G000289", "goodlatte.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the following statement after the House Republican Conference voted to confirm the GOP Steering Committee\u2019s recommendation that he continue to serve as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in the 115th Congress.Chairman Goodlatte: \u201cI am honored to have been chosen to continue my service as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. The Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over some of the most important issues facing our country, including constitutional freedoms and civil liberties, legal and regulatory reform, competition and antitrust laws, terrorism and crime, immigration enforcement and reform, and intellectual property protections. \u201cAs Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee I have worked with my committee members on both sides of the aisle to tackle a broad portfolio of issues and compile a strong record of bipartisan accomplishments. From banning bulk data collection and protecting Americans\u2019 privacy in the digital age to banning Internet access taxes, the House Judiciary Committee has solved some of our nation\u2019s most difficult issues. In the 115th Congress, we intend to build on these successes and will continue to advance an agenda focused on making America stronger and more competitive.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://goodlatte.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=721", "Judiciary Committee Uncovers that USCIS Fails to Conduct Background Checks on Immigration Applicants", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Robert Goodlatte", "G000289", "goodlatte.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) today pressed Secretary Jeh Johnson on the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s (DHS) failure to ensure immigration benefits applicants have received full background checks prior to approval of their applications.The House Judiciary Committee received from a confidential source an email that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Associate Director for the Field Operations Directorate sent to agency staff on November 29, 2016. In the email, he states that an issue had been identified with the key background system used to vet immigration benefits applicants and that proper background checks have not been run on certain applications. He further states that the agency is uncertain about the scope of the problem.In his letter to Secretary Johnson, Chairman Goodlatte demands answers from USCIS and DHS about the problems with the background check system, potential security risks, and what is being done to immediately resolve the problem.Below is Chairman Goodlatte\u2019s letter. The signed letter can be found here.December 2, 2016Dear Secretary Johnson, I write regarding background checks for foreign nationals seeking immigration benefits and the seeming lack of ability of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to ensure the completion of such background checks prior to approval of immigration benefits applications.  Specifically, on the morning of November 29, 2016, the Associate Director for the Field Operations Directorate at USCIS, sent an email to USCIS regional and district officials as well as USCIS leadership and senior officials, stating \u201cEffective immediately offices are instructed not to approve or oath any naturalization cases in ELIS.  We have identified an issue with FBI Name Checks initiated through ELIS.  At this point we are not confident that proper FBI Name Checks have been run on certain ELIS cases.  At this point we are uncertain of the scope of the problem\u2026.\u201d   The email went on to require that any scheduled naturalization ceremonies be cancelled and that no naturalization applications be approved.    As you know, the FBI Name Check process is an integral and absolutely necessary part of the immigration benefits adjudication process.  No applicant should be approved prior to such a check being completed in and with a result showing no concerns.  And no immigration benefit application should be approved without ensuring that the Electronic Immigration System (ELIS) is working properly.     I am troubled by the fact that as the Chairman of the Committee of jurisdiction over USCIS, I was not informed about this epic USCIS failure to ensure that immigration benefits applicants were properly vetted as required by law.  Your agency made no effort to notify me of this problem.  Instead, I was only made aware of it by a confidential source.  As such, I request a briefing from USCIS and DHS officials as to the current and any prior concerns with ELIS regarding background checks.  In addition, please answer the following questions:1.\tSince ELIS\u2019 implementation, how many times has it not run the requisite background checks?  For which immigration benefits categories did this occur?  How many applications were affected?  How was the situation resolved?  Were the checks ultimately run? 2.\tHow many naturalization cases were affected by the most recent failure of ELIS to run the requisite Name Checks, as discussed in the November 29, 2016, email?3.\tOn what date and at what time did USCIS become aware of the ELIS failure to run FBI Name Checks on naturalization cases?  4.\tHow many naturalization applications were approved after USCIS became aware of the ELIS failure?  Of those cases, how many of the individuals for which the naturalization application was approved, have been naturalized?   5.\tWhat action will USCIS take to ensure that individuals already naturalized have had the proper background checks run?  6.\tWhat action will USCIS take to ensure the initiation of denaturalization proceedings for those  individuals who are found to have been improperly naturalized?  7.\tHow many individuals have been naturalized to date this fiscal year and how many were naturalized in each of the fiscal years since ELIS implementation?  8.\tWhat is the total cost of ELIS implementation to date?  9.\tWhat other problems have occurred with regard to ELIS implementation?10.\tWhat plan does USCIS have to fix ELIS?  Please respond to this request by December 9, 2016.  If you have any questions about this request, please contact Andrea Loving, Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee, at (202) 225-3926. Thank you for your attention to this matter.Sincerely,Bob Goodlatte  \r\nChairman", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://comstock.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-defense-bill-comstock-heller-service-member-job-training", "House Passes Defense Bill with ComstockHeller Service Member Job Training Amendment", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Barbara Comstock", "C001105", "comstock.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA) and Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) released the below statement after the House passed a conference report to accompany S. 2943, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 by a bipartisan vote of 375-34.\u00a0 The legislation included two of the Congresswoman\u2019s amendments including one that she worked on with Senator Heller.\n\u201cThis bipartisan NDAA includes an amendment that I worked on with Nevada Senator Dean Heller to support service members who are transitioning out of the military by providing better access to job training programs. \u00a0These initiatives foster a smoother transition for outgoing members of our military as they look to build a new career,\u201d said Congresswoman Barbara Comstock.\u00a0 \u201cOur men and women in uniform have sacrificed much for us, and this is just one of the ways we can repay them for their service to our country.\u00a0 I look forward to seeing this provision go to work for our veterans.\u00a0 I have numerous businesses and groups in my district, including the Northern Virginia Technology Council\u2019s Veteran Employment Initiative and this provision can assist them.\u201d\u00a0\n\u201cAs a member of the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee, I remain focused on ensuring our nation\u2019s members of the military returning from duty receive the access to resources they need to transition smoothly into civilian life. This means allowing service members to participate in civilian job and employment training, including apprenticeships and internships. These important opportunities can be seized before members leave the military so they are able to be fully-trained and equipped with skillsets employers are seeking,\u201d said Senator Dean Heller.\nCongresswoman Comstock went on to say:\n\u201cOur troops make sacrifices daily so that we may remain safe, and this legislation gives them more certainty with the largest boost in pay in six years at 2.1 percent.\u00a0 For over 50 years, Congress has worked across the aisle to annually reauthorize this important legislation, ensuring a strong national security apparatus is ready to protect the homeland.\u00a0 A strong national defense is essential to preserving the freedoms that are the bedrock of our nation and this legislation actually goes above the administration\u2019s request by $9 billion to provide critical funding to support those in our military as they fight for us and our freedoms.\u00a0\n\u201cThis important legislation also included another amendment I worked on that seeks to enhance protections for our children from increasingly easy to access opioids.\u00a0 This is a valuable tool in our ongoing battle against the opioid epidemic that is sweeping our nation and the numerous overdoses that have resulted from this scourge.\u00a0 The language directs the Department of Defense to analyze the feasibility of new prescription bottle lock mechanisms for opioid medications.\u00a0 Addiction often starts early in life with an adolescent taking a pill from medicine that was not prescribed for them, and this is designed to limit illicit access to prescribed medications.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\nBackground on NDAA:\n Boosts base funding by $9 billion over the administration\u2019s request to\u00a0close the readiness gap, rebuild our military, and ensure our troops have the tools necessary to carry out their missions.\n\tProvides our troops with the\u00a0largest pay raise\u00a0they\u2019ve seen in six years at 2.1 percent.\n\tReforms our acquisition process\u00a0to spend taxpayer dollars more wisely and get our troops cutting-edge technology quickly and efficiently.\n\tMaintains longstanding provisions to\u00a0prohibit transferring Guantanamo Bay detainees\u00a0to American soil.\n\tHelps\u00a0combat sexual assault\u00a0in the military by building upon past efforts with an improved reporting process and mandatory sentences for certain offenses.", 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"], ["http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398651", "Griffith Statement on Roe Chairmanship", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Morgan Griffith", "G000568", "morgangriffith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:\r\n\u201cToday, my friend and colleague, Congressman Phil Roe, who represents the 1st Congressional District of Tennessee, was recommended by the House Republican Steering Committee to serve as the new Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.\u201d\r\n\u201cCongressman Roe and I share a large portion of the Virginia-Tennessee border, and it has always been a pleasure working with him on so many issues.\u00a0 I look forward to supporting Congressman Roe on this critical post at tomorrow\u2019s Conference meeting and subsequently working with him in his new role as Chairman on important Veterans\u2019 Affairs issues.\u201d\r\n###", 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"], ["http://brat.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=299", "Rep. Brat on Passage of 21st Century Cures Act", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "VA", "David Brat", "B001290", "brat.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Brat (R-Va.) issued the following statement after the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act\u00a0H.R. 34,\u00a0which funds the National Institutes\u00a0of Health (NIH) initiatives\u00a0and the\u00a0fight against opioid abuse:\r\n\u201cI represent all my constituents and their interests in Washington, and I am particularly sensitive to their needs when I am called to vote. While this bill helps fund cures for thousands of diseases including cancer and Alzheimer\u2019s, and provides funds to fight the opioid epidemic, it leaves members with a Faustian bargain.\r\nThis 996 page bill is a cynical ploy engineered by D.C. lobbyists to pit very serious diseases and concerns, some of which do have legitimate need for Federal funds, against fiscal responsibility and sanity.\r\nOver the past several months, I have met with many parents who have lost their children to the ravages of vicious diseases and to the nightmare of the heroin epidemic. I have heroic sheriffs in my district who are creating \u00a0programs to rehabilitate addicts in their prisons virtually out of thin air and lack the Federal help they need.\r\nAll my constituents deserve their interests heard in Washington, and there is no question that funds are needed \u00a0for the fight. At the same time, those funds should have flowed through the regular order process. Despite my persistent advocacy, we did not pass a budget this year, and failed to pass all the spending bills.\r\nLast year when this legislation was brought up for a floor vote,\u00a0it\u00a0was set on auto-pilot\u00a0spending. I introduced an amendment to\u00a0move funding for this legislation back into\u00a0the budget and subject to appropriations\u00a0, according to\u00a0regular order. This bill does that; but it authorizes $6 billion in discretionary spending that will not be subject to scoring by the Congressional Budget Office.\u00a0The Cures Act also creates a spending account for the FDA and NIH that is not subject to the budgetary caps. Its spending is structured in a convoluted and disingenuous way, relying on bogus savings that do not exist. For instance, the bill claims to be paid for with slush funds created by Obamacare, even though we\u2019ve promised to repeal that bill in its entirety next year. Equally problematic, each of the individual bills which were wrapped up into this one are so enormous that the connections between the benefits of the bill and how each individual bill is paid for are are almost impossible to follow.\r\nThe draft of this bill was put out the day after Thanksgiving and less than a week later, we are voting on it. We\u00a0are not taking the time to make the tough decisions on which areas the Federal government has a role to play, and which problems should be sent back to the states. Thus we are left\u00a0in the position that epidemics like opioid addiction do not receive the attention they need.\r\nThis\u00a0bill was bundled together in a week by approximately 1500 lobbyists \u2013 3 lobbyists for every 1 member of Congress.\u00a0I could not be more upset with the process used to create this. While members may be criticized for their votes on this, I believe that the true blame lies with lobbyists and leadership who are pitting funding for the neediest of our constituents against fiscal responsibility.\u201d###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398650", "Griffith Statement on 21st Century Cures Act", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Morgan Griffith", "G000568", "morgangriffith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today the House of Representatives voted on the revised 21st Century Cures Act (House Amendment to Senate Amendment to\u00a0H.R. 34\u00a0), which passed 392-26.\u00a0 Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) is a co-sponsor of the original bill (H.R. 6) that passed the House in July, 2015.\r\nCongressman Griffith issued the following statement:  \r\n\r\n\u201cThe 21st Century Cures Act facilitates the discovery of new treatments for patients with rare diseases that currently have no cure.\u00a0 Further, the bill cuts out bureaucratic red tape in order to help speed up the approval of these medical breakthroughs, new discoveries, and biological treatments.\u201d  \r\n\r\n\u201cIn addition, the bill has several aspects that are important to patients and families in the Ninth District, including grants to the states to help combat the opioid epidemic and reforms to improve our mental health system.\u201d  \r\n\r\n\u201cI am pleased with provisions that allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to streamline the approval of regenerative therapeutic products and encourage the FDA to identify opportunities for accelerated approval without lowering the current standards of evidence.\u00a0 Regenerative medicine involves cutting-edge technology that has the ability to repair tissues and organs, or regenerate cells. If a drug shows potential to treat or cure a serious or life-threatening disease, the bill facilitates a program for expedited review.\u201d  \r\n\r\n\u201cThe bill requires new federal spending, but Congress has identified ways to fund the research.\u00a0 Although this means the money can\u2019t be spent in other ways, research to cure rare diseases that currently have no cure, I believe, is an appropriate use of federal funding.\u201d  \r\n\r\n\u201cWhile the private sector does undertake their own medical research and development, they focus on treatments and cures that can be sold on a large scale.\u00a0 The federal government must spearhead the research for treatments for rare conditions or cures for diseases that may only affect a few thousand people.\u201d  \r\n\r\nBackground:  \r\n\r\n21st Century Cures brings our health care infrastructure into the 21st century, delivering much needed hope for patients and their loved ones. It accelerates the cycle of discovering, developing, and delivering new cures and treatments and ensures that America remains the global leader in biomedical innovation. The bill provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help researchers change the way we fight disease.\r\nThe Energy and Commerce Committee, on which Congressman Griffith serves, has worked on this initiative since May of 2014, and held hearings in Washington, D.C. and roundtable discussions throughout the nation at which medical experts and patient advocates shared their perspective on how to best accelerate the pace of cures to help patients.\u00a0 On October 22, 2014, Congressman Griffith held one such roundtable in Blacksburg with Congressman Phil Roe M.D. (R-TN) and a number of the region\u2019s medical experts.\u00a0 Ideas from these hearings and roundtables were used to craft the 21st Century Cures Act, which went on to pass the Energy and Commerce Committee on May 21, 2015 in a bipartisan vote of 51-0.\u00a0  \r\n\r\nFurther, Congressman Griffith and Congressman Roe held a roundtable about opioid abuse, and funding to help combat the epidemic is included in the revised Cures bill.  \r\n\r\nSince the time that the Cures bill passed the House in 2015, the Senate passed a number of corresponding bills, and the two chambers have worked to craft a final bill to pass a vote in both houses. \u00a0If passed in the Senate, it will head to President Obama who supports the passage and has indicated he will sign it into law.  \r\n\r\n###", 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://comstock.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/landmark-21st-century-cures-act-passes-house", "Landmark 21st Century Cures Act Passes House", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Barbara Comstock", "C001105", "comstock.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA) released the following statement after voting in favor of the House-Senate negotiated 21st Century Cures Act, which passed the House by a vote of 392 to 26.\u00a0 The legislation will now go to the Senate for final approval before being sent to the president for signature:\n\u201cThe 21st Century Cures Act is a game changer in medical innovation in the fight for cures of chronic diseases.\u00a0 This legislation will help the United States lead the way in medical research and brings hope to patients with cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s, diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions as we fight to find new cures.\u00a0 The 21st Century Cures Act brings together both public and private investment toward medical research, while streamlining the testing and approval process that will lead to new lifesaving treatments getting to patients faster.\u00a0 We must unleash medical innovation across the country to save lives, and this bill does just that.\u00a0 Northern Virginia is home to the Inova Schar Cancer Institute which is ranked in the nation\u2019s top ten percent of cancer centers and the world class research being done there will be helped by the passage of this legislation.\n\u201cChildhood cancer has devastated families throughout the country and the 21st Century Cures Act includes $1.8 billion for cancer research, $1 billion of which will support the Cancer Moonshot over the next three years.\u00a0 Two families I know in the Tenth District have been personally touched by childhood cancer, having lost children to cancer.\u00a0 The Miller family, who lost their daughter Gabriella, and the Giordano family, who lost their son Mathias, have made it their mission to bring awareness and research dollars to the types of cancers that took their own children and this legislation is a big step forward for more resources to stamp out childhood cancers.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u201cAnother issue that our community sees the effects of daily is opioid abuse. $1 billion in the 21st Century Cures Act will be used to fight this disease that has taken so many victims and was recently declared a Public Health Emergency in Virginia.\u00a0 Fighting addiction requires an all-of-the-above approach and we have talked to medical professionals, healthcare providers, and law enforcement, among others in our region, to better target our response to opioid abuse.\u00a0 This legislation is another powerful tool in this ongoing battle.\n\u201cAlso incorporated into the 21st Century Cures legislation is the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, important reforms that will pave the way for greater resources to improve the lives of many in our communities.\u00a0 Years of valuable input from a wide array of stakeholders has been taken into account and, most importantly, there has been input from families, caregivers, and those personally affected by mental health conditions and a wide spectrum of other illnesses and disorders. This bill is a critical step toward providing integrated resources for those in need.\u201d\nBackground 21st Century Cures:\n21st Century Cures is designed to help accelerate the discovery, development, and delivery of promising new treatments and cures for patients and maintain our nation\u2019s standing as the biomedical innovation capital of the world. There are 10,000 known diseases, but we only have cures and treatments for 500 of them. The bill would help patients suffering from those diseases by:\n Streamlining and improving the FDA\u2019s review of life-saving drugs for patients\n\tModernizing clinical trials and removing regulatory uncertainty for the development of new medical apps\n\tSupporting and investing in the next generation of Scientists\n The bill provides $4.8 billion over 10 years to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for:\n The Precision Medicine Initiative\n\tThe Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative\n\tCancer research\n\tRegenerative medicine using adult stem cells\n Additionally, the bill provides:\n $500 million to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over 10 years to move drugs and medical devices to patients more quickly\n\t$1 billion over 2 years for grants to states to supplement opioid abuse prevention and treatment activities, such as improving prescription drug monitoring programs and implementing prevention", 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"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 903, "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 \"state\" = :p0 and \"year\" = :p1 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "VA", "p1": "2016"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?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&party=Democrat", "selected": false}, {"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 341, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=VA&year=2016&party=Republican", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=VA&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 903, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=VA&year=2016&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=VA&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "VA", "label": "VA", "count": 903, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=VA&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "2016", "label": "2016", "count": 903, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=VA", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2016-11-30,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ekaine~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fpress-releases~2Fwarner-kaine-announce-175-million-in-federal-grants-for-virginia-preschools", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=VA&year=2016&_next=2016-11-30%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Ekaine~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fpress-releases~2Fwarner-kaine-announce-175-million-in-federal-grants-for-virginia-preschools&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 263.1205949001014, "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"}