url,title,date,year,month,party,chamber,state,member_name,bioguide_id,domain,scraper,source,date_source,text,has_text,collected_at,updated_at https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/give-virginia-the-gift-of-strong-ethics-laws,Give Virginia the gift of strong ethics laws,2013-12-31,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Give Virginia the gift of strong ethics laws Washington Post Op-Ed Tuesday, December 31, 2013 The new year presents a superb opportunity to fix a major Virginia weakness: our lax ethical laws. Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe and the state legislature have a clear chance to do something right, popular and necessary. They should strike immediately and achieve a legacy accomplishment early in 2014. The principal fix needed is a dramatic restructuring of gift laws. Under current law, anyone can give anything to an elected official so long as it is reported. If the gift is from a “friend,” it need not be reported. If the gift is to an official’s spouse or other family members, it need not be reported. Virginia’s wide-open rule is justified by a smug attitude: We can trust ourselves to do the right thing, and transparency is all that is needed to keep the system honest. But since the 2011 prosecution of former Newport News delegate Phil Hamilton for bribery and extortion, the revelation that advocates of uranium mining in the commonwealth flew legislators to France and the recent controversy around gifts to the family of Gov. Bob McDonnell, we can no longer pretend Virginia’s law makes sense. Gifts to elected officials can create a subconscious sense of gratitude in even the most upright public servants. And the public probably will perceive such gifts as creating improper influence, whether or not that happens. With no limit on the amount of such gifts and with the exceptions for friends and family so broad, Virginia’s system is all but guaranteed to create problems. Meanwhile, many people who advocate for important positions and perspectives cannot afford to give gifts to officials. This puts them at a disadvantage when compared with those who can. I served under the Virginia law for nearly 15 years and received gifts that were duly reported. But serving in the U.S. Senate, I must abide by a much tougher standard. Gifts from lobbyists are banned, as are gifts worth more than $50 from anyone else. All gifts, aside from a narrowly defined exception for friends, must be reported. Most states have similar rules, and some are even stricter. Having served under both systems, I can say that the benefits of the federal rule are obvious. I regret that I didn’t propose adopting it when I was governor of Virginia. If a bipartisan group of Virginia’s leaders were to propose a gift ban, it would have huge popular support. This would fix a problem that has become embarrassing for the commonwealth. A few legislators who have grown used to the current system may be reluctant to adopt such a ban, but most of them realize that our state’s reputation needs a boost. The real benefits of public office are the intangible joys of helping others rather than advancing oneself. Gifts to officials and their families need to be restricted to show that Virginia understands what public service is all about. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/sens-warner-and-kaine-applaud-faas-selection-of-virginia-tech-proposal-to-test-unmanned-aircraft-systems,Sens. Warner and Kaine Applaud FAA’s Selection of Virginia Tech Proposal to Test Unmanned Aircraft Systems,2013-12-30,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sens. Warner and Kaine Applaud FAA’s Selection of Virginia Tech Proposal to Test Unmanned Aircraft Systems Region to be one of six U.S. sites chosen to test and research variety of UAS issues Monday, December 30, 2013 WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) released this statement today following the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) selection of Virginia Tech’s proposal to spearhead a regional research effort on  the safest and most effective ways to incorporate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the existing airspace.  Virginia Tech’s proposal, one of six from across the country selected by the FAA today,  includes a cooperative agreement to work with research institutions and facilities across  Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey. “We want to congratulate Virginia Tech and its partners for this success. Virginia’s selection provides an opportunity for the mid-Atlantic region to become a major hub for UAS research and testing, leveraging the growing private sector interest in UAS as well as incorporating military and NASA assets across our region. That’s why we have long supported Virginia's selection, and have worked to highlight the strengths of a Virginia-Maryland-New Jersey partnership with the FAA,” Sens. Warner and Kaine said. “We hope this FAA research and testing also helps sort-out the legitimate public concerns about privacy and air safety as we move toward a safe and responsible integration of unmanned aircraft.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=0d57aa3a-821b-431a-acda-e3e1b79e1e93,Sens. Warner & Kaine Applaud FAA Selection of VaTech Proposal on Unmanned Aircraft,2013-12-30,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Mark Warner,W000805,www.warner.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) released this statement today following the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) selection of Virginia Tech’s proposal to spearhead a regional research effort on the safest and most effective ways to incorporate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the existing airspace. Virginia Tech’s proposal, one of six from across the country selected by the FAA today, includes a cooperative agreement to work with research institutions and facilities across Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey. “We want to congratulate Virginia Tech and its partners for this success. Virginia’s selection provides an opportunity for the mid-Atlantic region to become a major hub for UAS research and testing, leveraging the growing private sector interest in UAS as well as incorporating military and NASA assets across our region. That’s why we have long supported Virginia's selection, and have worked to highlight the strengths of a Virginia-Maryland-New Jersey partnership with the FAA,” Sens. Warner and Kaine said. “We hope this FAA research and testing also helps sort-out the legitimate public concerns about privacy and air safety as we move toward a safe and responsible integration of unmanned aircraft.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=a61cf7b4-5603-49bb-b0b0-9578e6756aa1,Sen. Warner Calls for Hearing into Target Consumer Data Breach,2013-12-30,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Mark Warner,W000805,www.warner.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today requested a hearing by the Senate Banking Committee to examine whether companies and financial service providers are taking all actions necessary to safeguard consumer data and protect against fraud and identity theft, and whether stronger industry-wide cybersecurity standards are needed. In the wake of Target’s recent account data breach affecting some 40 million U.S. customers, Sen. Warner and Banking Committee colleague Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) wrote to Chairman Tim Johnson and Ranking Member Mike Crapo:  “With our economy and financial sector becoming increasingly information-based and data-reliant, consumers depend on the companies and financial service providers with whom they do business to protect their sensitive information.  As companies collect, store, and process ever-greater quantities of consumer data, they—and our regulators—must become even more vigilant against breaches and improper use.” Just days before Christmas, Target announced that a data breach occurred between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15, affecting about 40 million credit and debit card accounts, compromising customers' names, card information and security codes. Target has yet to disclose how the hackers penetrated its data security. The Warner/Menendez letter follows:   December 30, 2013 The Honorable Tim Johnson Chairman Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Washington, DC 20510                     The Honorable Mike Crapo Ranking Member Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Washington, DC 20510   Dear Chairman Johnson and Ranking Member Crapo:           We write to request that the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hold a hearing as soon as reasonably possible regarding consumer financial data security.           As you know, earlier this month, Target Corporation announced a data breach that affected roughly 40 million customer credit and debit card accounts – one of the largest such corporate security breaches in history.  Thieves reportedly gained access to information including cardholders’ names, card information, and security PIN codes, potentially exposing millions of consumers to the risk of fraud, identity theft, and other hardships during the peak of the holiday shopping season.  Breaches such as this also expose businesses, banks, and card companies to losses from fraudulent charges or withdrawals using stolen information.           With our economy and financial sector becoming increasingly information-based and data-reliant, consumers depend on the companies and financial service providers with whom they do business to protect their sensitive information.  As companies collect, store, and process ever-greater quantities of consumer data, they—and our regulators—must become even more vigilant against breaches and improper use.           We believe it would be valuable for the Committee to examine whether market participants are taking all appropriate actions to safeguard consumer data and protect against fraud, identity theft, and other harmful consequences, and whether we need stronger industry-wide cybersecurity standards.  Some industry experts, for example, have called for faster and more uniform adoption of technologies such as EMV “smart” chips to improve credit and debit card transactional security, among other proposals.  We also believe it would be helpful for the Committee to hear from our financial regulators as to whether they have the necessary tools, information, and authority to ensure that financial companies and service providers are doing enough to protect consumer data, and, in the event that a breach does occur, to minimize the harm to affected parties and take appropriate enforcement actions.           When it comes to data security, consumers’ interests must come first.  We appreciate your attention to this important matter and look forward to working with you to address it. Sincerely,   Mark Warner United States Senator                                                   Robert Menendez United States Senator",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/time-to-pass-a-farm-bill,Time To Pass A Farm Bill,2013-12-28,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Time To Pass A Farm Bill Daily News-Record Op-Ed Saturday, December 28, 2013 As we give thanks this holiday season, it’s important to remember the family farms that produce the food we will enjoy with friends and relatives. But farmers’ hard work deserves more than recognition — Congress owes it to farmers here in the Valley and across the country to swiftly pass a final farm bill. Among all sectors of our economy, agriculture, the largest industry in Virginia, is unique for a simple reason —  its output supports our very lives. The market may wax and wane, but we will always need food. A drought or a heavy flood means a bad year for the farmer, whose output is reduced, and a bad year for the consumer, who has to pay more for groceries. In any given year, the impact of unpredictable events on agriculture could send a domino effect of either prosperity or hardship through the economy. This inherent volatility means it is in everyone’s interest to ensure there is a stable, predictable market for agricultural goods. That is why farm bills have traditionally maintained a system of payments tailored to the varying needs of different regions and crops along with federal support for crop insurance premiums. Clear flaws in this system have emerged, such as direct payments to millionaires, or to property caretakers who aren’t even farmers but qualify for payments through legal loopholes. I’m pleased that along with other important reforms, both the Senate and House farm bills end direct payments, expand crop insurance, and restructure the commodity title. But that won’t help if we fail to pass a final bill —  or if we pass another one-year extension. Whether it’s peanut and cotton farmers in Southside or poultry growers in the Valley, farmers deserve certainty from their government. That’s why I was proud to support a farm bill in the Senate last summer that passed with 66 bipartisan votes. I’m disappointed that negotiators won’t be able to work out the differences between the Senate and House bills before the end of the year, but it’s critical we pass a final package in early January to restore this certainty for Virginia farmers and to protect consumers from possible price increases. One major area in which the Senate and House bills differ is in treatment of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps. The Senate bill I voted for saves approximately $4 billion by tightening loopholes in the SNAP benefit calculation, while the House bill cuts $40 billion by reducing SNAP eligibility. The difference is between curbing program misuse and curbing actual use by the neediest Americans. I hope the final bill maintains SNAP benefits that keep millions of children, disabled, and elderly people out of hunger. Moreover, nutrition support makes economic sense as a way that food commodities produced by American farmers reach hungry people at home and abroad. Additionally, the final farm bill will likely contain incentives to bolster support for local food networks. Consumers deserve to know where their food is coming from, and farmers deserve policies that enable them to sell to local consumers and businesses. I support expanding farmers markets and access to local, healthy, and organic foods. This issue resonated with me this year when a report found that my hometown of Richmond contains the most “food deserts” – areas without easy access to fresh food – of any city of its size in the nation. Congress must do all it can to support farmers as they put quality local food on the tables of Virginians, over the holidays and every day. For the sake of our family farmers and consumers across the country, it is time to pass a farm bill. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=365063,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 12.23.13,2013-12-23,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Faith and Action People of faith often take bold action.  The Christmas season is a time to both notice and highlight the large and small acts of faith that make a difference in this world.  I can only note a few, as there are too many such actions to note them all. One of those taking bold action this year is Congressman Frank Wolf (VA-10), who has announced that he will be retiring after having served in the House of Representatives for 17 terms.   Frank has worked hard throughout the years to advance justice, human rights, and religious freedom.  He went on a secret mission to Tibet in 1997, traveling not as a Congressman but as a tourist with a home video camera.  After returning to the United States, Frank said Tibetans were living “…under unspeakably brutal conditions in the dim shadow of international awareness.  I want the world to know what is going on in Tibet.”  He has continued this work in numerous ways.  Frank has traveled throughout Asia and the Middle East advocating for religious minorities such as Coptic Christians, and also has persistently pushed to uncover the truth about the 2012 attack on the United States consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Frank is a diligent and tireless advocate for those who may otherwise be passed by.  I wish the best to Frank as he continues working on the issues important to him and to his family as they begin the next chapter of their lives. Reverend Ralph Shelba Horton was another man of deep faith, and I was saddened to learn of his December 19 passing.  Reverend Horton served the Lord as Senior Pastor of the Richlands Tabernacle since 1971, but he looked for opportunities outside of his own backyard to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He was a man of God and a friend to many, and his influence went well beyond Tazewell County.  To paraphrase a friend of mine, “Who knows how many souls are in heaven because of the work of Reverend Horton.”  My thoughts and prayers to Reverend Horton’s loved ones at this time. But not all people of faith have 700,000 constituents or a large congregation with whom to share their message.  But this does not mean that their message is any less worthy of attention. Willie Nelson’s Christmas song “Pretty Paper*” is rather easily adapted to fit one such person - a lady who hangs out every Thursday near the steps leading to the U.S. House of Representatives.      Crowded street, busy feet hustle by her.      Busy Congressmen, Christmas is nigh.              There she stands all alone on the sidewalk,      Hoping that you won't pass her by.        Should you stop?  Better not.  Much too busy.        You're in a hurry, how time does fly.      In the distance the ringing of laughter,      And in the midst of the chatter she tries. For the last three decades or so, Ms. Rita Warren has been a regular fixture on Capitol Hill.  Rain or shine, this gentle octogenarian has served as a “lobbyist for God,” playing soft music and setting up a life-size statue of Jesus Christ.  As we approach the Christmas season, Ms. Warren sets up a lovely nativity scene.  Nearby is her menorah. In my experience, she has been relatively unobtrusive.  When I see Ms. Warren and hear her music, I feel uplifted and renewed.  “Jesus is everywhere,” she knowingly tells me and others who choose to stop and speak with her.  “Mine is a mission of faith.” She gladly speaks with tourists, lawmakers, and congressional staff to share her message about God and his good works to those who will stop to listen.   Ms. Warren and her mission of faith inspire and refresh me throughout the year.  It’s a constant reminder that, through all the battles and all the rhetoric, no matter how much power we think rests in the capital city of Washington, D.C., the ultimate power belongs to God.  During the Christmas season we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who brought God’s message of forgiveness and grace to mankind.  “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16)."" Best wishes for a safe and merry Christmas. Please note that, in observance of the Christmas holiday, this column will return on Monday, January 6.  As always, if you have concerns or comments or wish to inquire about legislative issues, feel free to contact my offices. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ### * “Pretty Paper” was written by Willie Nelson and originally recorded by Roy Orbison. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=365076,Ninth District Traveling Staff Office Hours for January,2013-12-23,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Griffith’s Ninth District STAFF will be available at the following locations during the month of January.  In the event of inclement weather (heavy snow, sleet, icy rain, etc.), traveling office hours may be rescheduled to avoid putting constituents at risk.  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. January 3, 2014 Martinsville:   11:00 am – 1:00 pm NCI Room 106 – Classroom Building 30 Franklin Street Martinsville, VA Lee County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Lee County Sheriff’s Office Conference Room – Suite U101 33640 Main Street Jonesville, VA Norton:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Norton City Council Chambers 618 Virginia Avenue NW Norton, VA January 8, 2014 Radford:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Radford Public Library Meeting Room 30 West Main Street Radford, VA  Pulaski County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Pulaski County Library Meeting Room 60 3rd Street NW Pulaski, VA January 9, 2014 Grayson County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Grayson County Administration Building Board of Supervisors Room – Suite 206 129 Davis Street Independence, VA Russell County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center 141 Highland Drive Lebanon, VA  Tazewell County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Bluefield Town Hall – Council Chambers 112 Huffard Drive Bluefield, VA Galax:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Galax Municipal Building Conference Room 111 E. Main Street Galax, VA January 14, 2014 Giles County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Pearisburg Town Hall 112 Tazewell Street Pearisburg, VA Salem:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Salem Library 28 East Main Street Salem, VA January 15, 2014 Henry County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Bassett Historical Society 3964 Fairystone Parkway Bassett, VA Bland County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Bland County Courthouse Admin. Office Room 2 612 Main Street Bland, VA Wythe County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Wythe County Sheriff’s Office Conference Room 245 South 4th Street Wytheville, VA Patrick County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Patrick County Administration Building Conference Room 106 Rucker Street Stuart, VA January 16, 2014 Scott County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Community Services Building Community Room 190 Beech Street Gate City, VA January 17, 2014  Carroll County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Carroll County Administration Building Board of Supervisors Room 605 – 1 Pine Street Hillsville, VA Floyd County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Floyd County Library 321 W. Main Street Floyd, VA January 21, 2014 Tazewell County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm American Legion Building 226 Central Avenue Tazewell, VA Buchanan County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Grundy Town Hall 1185 Plaza Drive Grundy, VA January 24, 2014 Alleghany County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Clifton Forge Library Conference Room 535 Church Street Clifton Forge, VA Dickenson County:   10:00 am – 12:00 pm Dickenson Center for Education & Research 818 Happy Valley Drive Clintwood, VA Wise County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Big Stone Gap Federal Courthouse 3rd Floor Room 303 322 Wood Avenue E Big Stone Gap, VA Roanoke County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm  Roanoke Library Hollins Branch 6624 Peters Creek Road Roanoke, VA January 28, 2014 Pulaski County:   2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Dublin Town Hall Route 100, 1 mile North of I-81 Dublin, VA ** Please contact the Christiansburg Office at 540-381-5671 or the Abingdon Office at 276-525-1405 with any questions. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154440/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/483,GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON ICE'S REMOVAL NUMBERS,2013-12-20,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON ICE'S REMOVAL NUMBERS WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released its removal numbers for Fiscal Year 2013, showing a decrease in the number of illegal immigrants and criminal aliens removed.  Specifically, ICE removed roughly 369,000 individuals in FY 2013, which is a 41,000 decrease from the previous year, and the removal of criminal aliens decreased from 225,400 last year to 217,000 this year. Additionally, the removal of fugitives with final orders of deportation has decreased by over 40% and for repeat immigration violators it has dramatically declined by over 15%. Upon closer look, over 60% of the deportations claimed by ICE were actually removals of recent illegal border crossers who were apprehended by the Border Patrol and transferred briefly to ICE custody before removal.  House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte released the statement below on the removal numbers for FY 2013:   “Today’s removal numbers from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement is just more evidence that the Obama Administration refuses to enforce our immigration laws. Throughout the past five years, President Obama has sought to undermine and dismantle our immigration laws at every opportunity possible.  And the results of this comprehensive plan are revealed in this year’s removal statistics: deportations are down and fewer criminals have been deported.  And the Administration is padding its already meager removal numbers by including Border Patrol apprehensions.     “The Administration’s fuzzy math undermines the integrity of our immigration system and puts our communities needlessly at risk. While the Obama Administration may gain applause from its political base for its inaction, they will ultimately lose in the court of public opinion.  Our immigration laws do need to be reformed but ignoring the current laws on the books is not constructive to fixing our broken system.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131155404/http://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/sens-warner-and-kaine-applaud-nomination-of-hannah-lauck-to-eastern-district-court-of-virginia,Sens. Warner and Kaine Applaud Nomination of Hannah Lauck to Eastern District Court of Virginia,2013-12-20,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"Sens. Warner and Kaine Applaud Nomination of Hannah Lauck to Eastern District Court of Virginia Friday, December 20, 2013 WASHINGTON - U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statement on the White House nomination of Hannah Lauck to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia: “Judge Lauck has an exemplary record as a prosecutor and a magistrate judge, and I was pleased to support her nomination to the federal bench,” Sen. Warner said.  “I was proud to recommend Hannah for this position and am pleased the President has chosen to nominate her,” said Sen. Kaine  “Hannah’s many years of experience in the Eastern District – both as a Magistrate Judge and an Assistant U.S. Attorney has prepared her well for this post. I look forward to doing everything I can to ensure a smooth confirmation process for her in the Senate.” Lauck has been a United States Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia since 2005.  Previously, she worked as a Supervising Attorney at Genworth Financial, Inc. from 2004 to 2005.  From 1994 to 2004, she was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia.  Judge Lauck worked in private practice at Anderson Kill Olick & Oshinsky from 1992 to 1994 and began her legal career as a law clerk for Judge James R. Spencer of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia from 1991 to 1992.  She received her J.D. in 1991 from Yale Law School and her B.A. magna cum laude in 1986 from Wellesley College.     # # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=498,Wittman Introduces Legislation to Protect Military Retirees,2013-12-20,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Washington, D.C. Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) has introduced H.R. 3792 to repeal the provision in the Bipartisan Budget Act, H.J.Res. 59, affecting military retirees. I strongly believe that we cannot and should not balance the budget on the backs of the servicemembers who have given their all for our country. I was vehemently opposed to the provision in the Bipartisan Budget Act that cuts COLAs for military retirees, and today I have introduced H.R. 3792 to repeal that section. I have also written a letter to House Armed Services Committee Chairman McKeon, asking for his commitment to address this issue before it goes into effect at the end of 2014. Our retired servicemen and women who served our nation over 20 years deserve the pay and benefits they have earned. H.R. 3792 strikes Section 403 of H.J. Res. 59, which modifies the annual cost-of-living adjustment for working-age military retirees by making the adjustments equal to inflation minus one percent. This provision provides for an annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) of inflation (measured by the Consumer Price Index) less one percentage point for adjustments starting on December 1, 2015 until the retiree reaches age 62. There would be no alteration to the 2014 COLA. This change would be gradually phased in, with no change for the current year, a 0.25 percent decrease in December 2014, and a 0.5 percent decrease in December 2015. Under this provision, at age 62, the COLA would revert back to the full CPI adjustment. Wittman has also joined House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller in introducing 2 similar bills: 1) legislation that would strike Section 403 and therefore eliminate any cuts to COLAs attached to military retirement payments; and 2) legislation that would clarify and exempt all veterans who medically retire, those who receive Combat Related Specialty Compensation (CRSC), and those who receive Concurrent Receipt Pay (CRDP) from any impact of Section 403 on their disability pension. Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/kainehailspassageofdefensebill,Kaine Hails Final Passage of Defense Bill,2013-12-20,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine Hails Final Passage of Defense Bill Key provisions of Kaine’s first piece of legislation, the Troop Talent Act, will become law Friday, December 20, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today hailed final passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2014 – the annual defense bill that includes important provisions Kaine advocated for Virginia during committee markup of the legislation in June 2013. The measure was passed, 84-15. “With passage of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2014, I’m pleased we will be able to provide our nation’s military with budget certainty to maintain readiness, and our servicemembers with the support they deserve. Together with passage of a two-year budget agreement earlier this week, this legislation is a win for Virginia, authorizing full funding for our shipyards in Hampton Roads to continue producing and repairing aircraft carriers, submarines and surface ships. It also includes 36 historic reforms to tackle the serious and longstanding problem of sexual assault in the military. “I’m also proud that key provisions of the first piece of legislation I introduced, the Troop Talent Act, were included. Providing active duty servicemembers with the tools they need to more easily receive credentials for the skills they acquire through military training will now become law, greatly easing their transition to a civilian career. This is a small but important step to help whittle away at the unacceptably high rate of veterans’ unemployment – particularly among those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan - and I remain committed to exploring all avenues to address this issue.” The following list includes many of the provisions Kaine advocated for Virginia’s defense community that were included in the NDAA: Troop Talent Act Becomes Law:  Key provisions of Kaine's first bill, the Troop Talent Act of 2013, were included in the authorization act, including the main provision that requires information on civilian credentialing opportunities be made available to servicemembers at every stage of military training. It also requires that information on military training and experience be provided upon request to civilian credentialing agencies and other approved entities. Kaine's amendment to enhance Department of Defense education assistance standards by requiring that participating schools be eligible for federal funding under title IV of the Higher Education Act was also included. This provision will ensure that DoD educational programs meet the same standards currently required for other educational federal funding, such as Pell Grants. Shipbuilding and Ship Repair: The authorization act supports our shipbuilding priorities and authorizes funding for the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS John F. Kennedy, as well as the submarine fleet. Critical readiness funds were also included for Virginia’s ship repair industry. Increased funding, coupled with passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 this week, will increase certainty for shipyard workers and other civilian Department of Defense employees.  Includes Whistleblower Provisions on Sexual Assault in the Military:  The authorization bill includes 36 provisions to enhance sexual assault prevention and response, including provisions from the Military Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act that was introduced by Senators Warner and Kaine to help servicemembers report unwanted sexual contact without fear of retribution. Kaine also supported many additional measures to combat sexual assault that were included in the final bill, including the presence of a Special Victims' Counsel in each service and the requirement that any decision not to prosecute is reviewed by the service secretary. Restores Readiness to Operations and Maintenance Accounts Cut by Sequester:  Kaine has pushed for increased readiness accounts to support ship operations and repairs, many of which are done in Hampton Roads. The bill restores $3.5 billion in critical funding in all Operations and Maintenance (O&M) accounts, which will help all service branches maintain readiness for our national security.  No BRAC Round:  A new Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round is not authorized in the defense bill. Report on Long-term Impacts of Sequestration: Kaine's floor amendment requesting a GAO report on the long-term budgetary costs of sequestration was included in the authorization bill.  Includes STEM assessment: Kaine's floor amendment to assess Department of Defense  Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs was included in the authorization bill. Kaine is a longtime advocate of STEM education.   Guantanamo: Facilitates the transfer of cleared detainees, either to their country of origin or otherwise designated overseas location. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/senate-passes-key-provisions-of-kaines-first-bill-the-troop-talent-act,"Senate Passes Key Provisions of Kaine's First Bill, the Troop Talent Act",2013-12-20,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senate Passes Key Provisions of Kaine's First Bill, the Troop Talent Act Legislation increases and streamlines credentialing for veterans Friday, December 20, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, the U.S. Senate passed key provisions of U.S. Senator Tim Kaine’s first bill, the Troop Talent Act of 2013, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2014. Kaine secured inclusion of the provisions during committee markup of the legislation in June 2013. “I’m proud that key provisions of the first piece of legislation I introduced, the Troop Talent Act, were included in the 2014 defense bill that was passed with bipartisan support in the Senate,” Kaine said. “It will now be the law to provide active duty servicemembers with the tools they need to more easily receive credentials for the skills they acquire through military training, greatly easing their transition to a civilian career. This is a small but important step to help whittle away at the unacceptably high rate of veterans’ unemployment – particularly among those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan - and I remain committed to exploring all avenues to address this issue.” The Troop Talent Act provisions included in the 2014 NDAA are: 1)      A requirement that information on civilian credentialing opportunities be made available to servicemembers at every stage of their military training 2)      A requirement that information on military training and experience be provided, upon request, to civilian credentialing agencies and other approved entities  In addition, Kaine secured inclusion of an amendment to NDAA that ensures Department of Defense educational programs be eligible for funding under the Title IV Higher Education Act. This provision will ensure DoD programs meet the same standards currently required for other educational federal funding, such as Pell Grants. The Troop Talent Act has received praise from editorial boards and veterans' groups, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, IAVA, the American Legion, Student Veterans of America, the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and the Association of the United States Navy (AUSN). “The unemployment rate for Veterans who have served in the military since 2001 is nearly 10%,” said Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, the lead sponsor of the Troop Talent Act in the House. “That number is simply unacceptable. Our Veterans guarantee the quality of their work with their life and civilian employers are in need of that level of dedication and expertise. These provisions of the Troop Talent Act will enable Veterans to make the transition to the private sector more easily and help our businesses thrive at the same time.” “The VFW is glad to see that many of the key provisions from Senator Kaine’s Troop Talent Act will now be part of Defense policy moving forward,” said VFW Executive Director Bob Wallace. “Helping civilian credentialing agencies to better understand military training standards and real-life experiences, as well as ensuring service members understand the kinds of opportunities available to them, will better help qualified service members successfully transition into civilian careers.”   “On behalf of the 2.4 million members of The American Legion, I congratulate the Senate for its inclusion of the Troop Talent Act provisions within the National Defense Authorization Act,” said Daniel M. Dellinger, National Commander of the American Legion, the nation’s largest veterans service organization. “The Legion worked closely with Senator Kaine and his staff on this measure and we take pride in its passage  as part of our longstanding and ongoing campaign  to streamline military to civilian licensing and credentialing for our service members, veterans and their families.” “Sen. Kaine’s provision in the just-passed Defense authorization bill is a needed ‘next step’ in supporting our nation’s service women and men as they transition from the military to civilian careers by providing them practical information on the acquisition of civilian licenses and certifications,” said VADM Norm Ryan, USN-ret., President of the Military Officers Association of America.  The provision also gives our troops confidence that their military-funded educational assistance meets quality standards set by the Department of Education.”  ""On behalf of the Association of the United States Navy (AUSN), we are pleased to see the Senate adopt the Troop Talent Act within the Fiscal Year 2014 NDAA,” said Anthony Wallis, Legislative Director of the Association of the United States Navy. “This bill helps Veterans receive proper recognition/credentials for the skills and experiences they had while serving translate to in careers upon their transition into the civilian workforce. Our nation's Sailors and Veterans seeking employment opportunities deserve nothing less."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/sens-warner-collins-kaine-and-grassley-legislation-to-protect-military-whistleblowers-passes-congress-,"Sens. Warner, Collins, Kaine & Grassley Legislation To Protect Military Whistleblowers Passes Congress",2013-12-20,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sens. Warner, Collins, Kaine & Grassley Legislation To Protect Military Whistleblowers Passes Congress ~ Bipartisan Military Whistleblower Protection Act will now go the President for his signature ~ Friday, December 20, 2013 WASHINGTON - Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA)  to strengthen military whistleblower protection laws to ensure those who report sexual assault and other misconduct are not further victimized by retaliation passed the Senate and will become law. The Military Whistleblower Protection Act was passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on a bipartisan 85-14 vote and will now go to the President for his signature. The Military Whistleblower Protection Act is supported by over 50 good government, public health and veterans organizations, including the Service Women’s Action Network, and leading whistleblower protection organizations including the Project on Government Oversight and the Government Accountability Project.  “This legislation is an important first step toward better protecting our military men and women from misconduct, including sexual assault,” Sen. Warner said. “The Military Whistleblower Protection Act will encourage our service members to report fraud, waste and abuse and provide them with the retaliation-free working environment they deserve. Virginia has a strong military tradition and I am proud that this legislation will now become law.""   ""Whistleblowers play a crucial role in Congressional efforts to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse and to help ensure the effectiveness of government programs.  They provide crucial information that Congress needs to conduct proper oversight of the federal government,"" said Sen. Collins.  ""This amendment increases whistleblower protections for the military and encourages whistleblowers to report misconduct, especially as it relates to sexual assault. Our military men and women deserve a justice system that protects them while they serve our country."" “With passage of the Military Whistleblower Protection Act, victims and witnesses of sexual assault and other serious crimes will now be better protected from retaliation,"" said Sen. Kaine. “Too many incidents of sexual assault go unreported, and this bill works to change that by enhancing protections for whistleblowers and fostering a safer, more supportive environment for our service members. I was proud to sponsor this legislation and will continue to support measures that tackle the longstanding problem of sexual assault in the military.""  “Military personnel have an unbelievably difficult time when blowing the whistle on misconduct, fraud or even sexual assault.  Too often, these complaints get tossed into the garbage for no good reason.  To make matters worse, retaliation seems to be the norm rather than the exception.  There’s a lot left to be done in this area, but inclusion of the Military Whistleblower Protection Act in the Defense Reauthorization is a good step forward for whistleblowers,” Sen. Grassley said.  ""Today, Congress finally upgraded the protections for the brave men and women who come forward to report waste, fraud, and abuse---including sexual assault---in the military,” said Angela Canterbury, Director of Public Policy for the Project on Government Oversight. “We sincerely thank Senators Warner, Collins, Kaine, and Grassley, as well as Representatives Speier and Coffman, for championing these critical reforms to increase accountability and readiness in the military. We look forward to working with them and their dedicated staff in the new year to ensure our troops have the protections they deserve in practice.""  “This is the first significant advance in military whistleblower rights since they were enacted in 1988, and it is long overdue,” said Government Accountability Project legal director Tom Devine.   “To date the Military Whistleblower Protection Act has created far more victims than it has helped.  Our work is not done, but this reform is a giant step toward parity with civilian employees who challenge fraud, waste and abuse.  All soldiers and citizens owe special thanks to  Senators Mark Warner (D.-Va.), Timothy Kaine (D.-Va.), Susan Collins (R.-Me) and Charles Grassley (R.-Iowa). These senators’ leadership led to the Christmas present of a responsible free speech breakthrough for troops, and badly-needed military accountability for all Americans. ""At Service Women's Action Network, we've seen firsthand the devastating impacts of retaliation--personal, professional, or both--against survivors of military sexual assault,"" said Anu Bhagwati, Service Women's Action Network executive director and former Marine Corps captain. ""The unfortunate truth is that our current Inspector General investigation process fails many. With this legislation, Senators Warner, Collins, Kaine and Grassley are leading the charge to provide survivors with the relief they need and the justice they deserve.""  The bipartisan Military Whistleblower Protection Act expands whistleblower protections to witnesses as well as victims, and ensures action is taken both to provide corrective relief to victims of retaliation and to discipline those who retaliate. It also extends the current 60-day period to file a report to one year, bringing it more in line with other federal and contractor whistleblowers who have longer reporting periods—often up to three years to report misconduct. Additionally it speeds up the process and ensures accountability by compelling the Service Secretary to take action within 30 days of receiving a report from an Inspector General, and requires that the investigations are conducted by an Inspector General at least one organization higher that the individuals’ involved to prevent any conflicts of interest.  Finally, it requires the service branches to actively support those with confirmed cases of retaliation by ensuring that their military record is referred to the Board for Military Correction of Records and provides legal assistance to the victim, rather than the current policy of requiring victims to navigate that difficult process on their own.   Too often, the fear of retaliation deters service members from coming forward.  This legislation addresses that and encourages those who witness or were subject to sexual and other offenses to speak up.  A Government Accountability Office audit reported that more than 60% of service members who reported sexual assaults in 2012 experienced retaliation.  Less than 1% of whistleblowers who filed reprisal complaints obtained relief, and only 19% of those whom the Inspector Generals certified had experienced retaliation ever got their records corrected.   Additionally, a Pentagon study released in May 2013 and based on a confidential survey sent to more than 100,000 active-duty service members,  found as many as 26,000 members of the military experienced offenses ranging from sexual harassment to sexual assault last year. However, fewer than 3,400 individuals reported the incidents. The Department of Defense concluded most victims did not step forward because they worried about retaliation and believed that reporting the alleged offense would negatively impact their military careers. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=30af12c6-4486-4f27-bd6c-e7687e2d7ae0,Bipartisan Military Whistleblower Protection Act Passes Congress,2013-12-20,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Mark Warner,W000805,www.warner.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA)  to strengthen military whistleblower protection laws to ensure those who report sexual assault and other misconduct are not further victimized by retaliation passed the Senate and will become law. The Military Whistleblower Protection Act was passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on a bipartisan 85-14 vote and will now go to the President for his signature. The Military Whistleblower Protection Act is supported by over 50 good government, public health and veterans organizations, including the Service Women’s Action Network, and leading whistleblower protection organizations including the Project on Government Oversight and the Government Accountability Project. “This legislation is an important first step toward better protecting our military men and women from misconduct, including sexual assault,” Sen. Warner said. “The Military Whistleblower Protection Act will encourage our service members to report fraud, waste and abuse and provide them with the retaliation-free working environment they deserve. Virginia has a strong military tradition and I am proud that this legislation will now become law.""  ""Whistleblowers play a crucial role in Congressional efforts to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse and to help ensure the effectiveness of government programs.  They provide crucial information that Congress needs to conduct proper oversight of the federal government,"" said Sen. Collins.  ""This amendment increases whistleblower protections for the military and encourages whistleblowers to report misconduct, especially as it relates to sexual assault. Our military men and women deserve a justice system that protects them while they serve our country."" “With passage of the Military Whistleblower Protection Act, victims and witnesses of sexual assault and other serious crimes will now be better protected from retaliation,"" said Sen. Kaine. “Too many incidents of sexual assault go unreported, and this bill works to change that by enhancing protections for whistleblowers and fostering a safer, more supportive environment for our service members. I was proud to sponsor this legislation and will continue to support measures that tackle the longstanding problem of sexual assault in the military.""  “Military personnel have an unbelievably difficult time when blowing the whistle on misconduct, fraud or even sexual assault.  Too often, these complaints get tossed into the garbage for no good reason.  To make matters worse, retaliation seems to be the norm rather than the exception.  There’s a lot left to be done in this area, but inclusion of the Military Whistleblower Protection Act in the Defense Reauthorization is a good step forward for whistleblowers,” Sen. Grassley said. ""Today, Congress finally upgraded the protections for the brave men and women who come forward to report waste, fraud, and abuse---including sexual assault---in the military,” said Angela Canterbury, Director of Public Policy for the Project on Government Oversight. “We sincerely thank Senators Warner, Collins, Kaine, and Grassley, as well as Representatives Speier and Coffman, for championing these critical reforms to increase accountability and readiness in the military. We look forward to working with them and their dedicated staff in the new year to ensure our troops have the protections they deserve in practice."" “This is the first significant advance in military whistleblower rights since they were enacted in 1988, and it is long overdue,” said Government Accountability Project legal director Tom Devine.   “To date the Military Whistleblower Protection Act has created far more victims than it has helped.  Our work is not done, but this reform is a giant step toward parity with civilian employees who challenge fraud, waste and abuse.  All soldiers and citizens owe special thanks to  Senators Mark Warner (D.-Va.), Timothy Kaine (D.-Va.), Susan Collins (R.-Me) and Charles Grassley (R.-Iowa). These senators’ leadership led to the Christmas present of a responsible free speech breakthrough for troops, and badly-needed military accountability for all Americans. ""At Service Women's Action Network, we've seen firsthand the devastating impacts of retaliation--personal, professional, or both--against survivors of military sexual assault,"" said Anu Bhagwati, Service Women's Action Network executive director and former Marine Corps captain. ""The unfortunate truth is that our current Inspector General investigation process fails many. With this legislation, Senators Warner, Collins, Kaine and Grassley are leading the charge to provide survivors with the relief they need and the justice they deserve."" The bipartisan Military Whistleblower Protection Act expands whistleblower protections to witnesses as well as victims, and ensures action is taken both to provide corrective relief to victims of retaliation and to discipline those who retaliate. It also extends the current 60-day period to file a report to one year, bringing it more in line with other federal and contractor whistleblowers who have longer reporting periods—often up to three years to report misconduct. Additionally it speeds up the process and ensures accountability by compelling the Service Secretary to take action within 30 days of receiving a report from an Inspector General, and requires that the investigations are conducted by an Inspector General at least one organization higher that the individuals’ involved to prevent any conflicts of interest.  Finally, it requires the service branches to actively support those with confirmed cases of retaliation by ensuring that their military record is referred to the Board for Military Correction of Records and provides legal assistance to the victim, rather than the current policy of requiring victims to navigate that difficult process on their own.  Too often, the fear of retaliation deters service members from coming forward.  This legislation addresses that and encourages those who witness or were subject to sexual and other offenses to speak up.  A Government Accountability Office audit reported that more than 60% of service members who reported sexual assaults in 2012 experienced retaliation.  Less than 1% of whistleblowers who filed reprisal complaints obtained relief, and only 19% of those whom the Inspector Generals certified had experienced retaliation ever got their records corrected.   Additionally, a Pentagon study released in May 2013 and based on a confidential survey sent to more than 100,000 active-duty service members,  found as many as 26,000 members of the military experienced offenses ranging from sexual harassment to sexual assault last year. However, fewer than 3,400 individuals reported the incidents. The Department of Defense concluded most victims did not step forward because they worried about retaliation and believed that reporting the alleged offense would negatively impact their military careers.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=7c294b6b-faef-4177-aedd-7e660978eb3c,Sens. Warner & Kaine Statement On Nomination Of Hannah Lauck To U.S. Circuit Court For The Eastern District Of Virginia,2013-12-20,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Mark Warner,W000805,www.warner.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statement on the White House nomination of Hannah Lauck to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia: “Judge Lauck has an exemplary record as a prosecutor and a magistrate judge, and I was pleased to support her nomination to the federal bench,” Sen. Warner said.  “I was proud to recommend Hannah for this position and am pleased the President has chosen to nominate her,” said Sen. Kaine  “Hannah’s many years of experience in the Eastern District – both as a Magistrate Judge and an Assistant U.S. Attorney has prepared her well for this post. I look forward to doing everything I can to ensure a smooth confirmation process for her in the Senate.” Lauck has been a United States Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia since 2005.  Previously, she worked as a Supervising Attorney at Genworth Financial, Inc. from 2004 to 2005.  From 1994 to 2004, she was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia.  Judge Lauck worked in private practice at Anderson Kill Olick & Oshinsky from 1992 to 1994 and began her legal career as a law clerk for Judge James R. Spencer of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia from 1991 to 1992.  She received her J.D. in 1991 from Yale Law School and her B.A. magna cum laude in 1986 from Wellesley College.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=497,Wittman Statement on the Retirement of Representative Frank Wolf,2013-12-19,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Wittman Statement on the Retirement of Representative Frank Wolf f t # e Washington, D.C., December 19, 2013 Washington, D.C. Representative Rob Wittman (VA-01) released the following statement upon the announcement of Rep. Frank Wolf's (VA-10) upcoming retirement at the end of the 113th Congress, after 34 years of service: Virginia has been well-served by a man who has truly dedicated himself to the Virginia way: selfless service to his community and his country. The news today is bittersweet, as Frank's work can never be replicated; I know he will continue to do great things for the causes he cares about the most. He has been a true friend and mentor to me during my time in Congress. I have enjoyed working with him on the issues important to Virginians, and commend his 34 years of service to our Commonwealth, and to our nation. Frank Wolf is a true statesman and we will be forever grateful for his tremendous service. Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. # # # f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/sens-warner-and-kaine-lead-senate-majority-in-effort-to-allow-rollovers-for-fsa-accounts,Sens. Warner and Kaine Lead Senate Majority In Effort To Allow Rollovers For FSA Accounts,2013-12-19,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sens. Warner and Kaine Lead Senate Majority In Effort To Allow Rollovers For FSA Accounts Thursday, December 19, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, joined by their Senate colleagues Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), led an effort in the Senate urging Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Kathleen Archuleta to allow federal workers the opportunity to take advantage of the new Treasury/IRS rule allowing a $500 rollover of unused health Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA) funds towards out-of-pocket health care costs and help keep families and consumers in control of their health care decisions. The letter received the support of all 53 Senate Democrats and two Independents and follows a notable change by the Department of the Treasury on October 31that gives employers a choice to roll over their employees’ FSA fund to the following year, or provide a grace period to use available funds in the following year. “It is unreasonable to expect health FSA participants to accurately forecast their out-of-pocket medical expenses a year in advance, and it is unfair to penalize them at the end of the plan year should their estimates prove to be inaccurate,” the Senators wrote in their letter.  According to OPM’s own data, in 2012, 30,940 federal employees – nearly 10 percent of participating employees -- forfeited an average of $392 each in contributions because of the “use-or-lose” rule. The Senators noted that the U.S. Treasury and IRS have recognized the value of providing a rollover option for employees nationwide. “We urge you to provide this benefit to federal employees without delay,” they added. A copy of the letter can be found here and below. Director Katherine Archuleta U.S. Office of Personnel Management 1900 E Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20415  Dear Director Archuleta:  We write to urge you to modify the “use-or-lose” rule for Health Flexible Spending Arrangements available to federal employees through the FSAFEDS program to allow an annual rollover of up to $500 in unspent funds. The health FSA is an important financial tool that permits workers to set aside up to $2,500 annually in tax-preferred accounts to pay for unreimbursed health expenses, such as copayments for doctor visits, prescription drugs, and medical supplies. Surveys of eligible participants indicate the primary reason for declining to enroll or for underfunding their accounts I concern about the “use-or-lose” rule, which requires participants to spend their entire contribution before the end of their plan year or forfeit the unused funds back to their employer. According to OPM data, in 2012, approximately 322,700 federal workers held health FSAs, and the average election amount was $2,050. That year, 30,940 federal employees forfeited an average of $392 each in contributions because of the “use-or-lose” rule. It is unreasonable to expect health FSA participants to accurately forecast their out-of-pocket medical expenses a year in advance, and it is unfair to penalize them at the end of the plan year should their estimates prove to be inaccurate. Fortunately, on October 31, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service issues a notice modifying the “use-or-lose” rule for health FSAs, permitting employers to allow participants to carry over up to $500 of their unused balances remaining at the end of a plan year. Some plan sponsors have chosen to adopt the carryover provisions for 2013, but federal employees may only benefit from the Treasury/IRS ruling if your agency takes action. We are told that, as of last week, OPM had not yet decided whether to extend the carryover option to the federal workforce. We urge you to provide this benefit to federal employees without delay. Sincerely, Ben Cardin Barbara Mikulski Mark Warner Tim Kaine Tammy Baldwin Max Baucus Mark Begich Michael Bennet Richard Blumenthal Cory Booker Barbara Boxer Sherrod Brown Maria Cantwell Tom Carper Robert Casey Chris Coons Joe Donnelly Richard Durbin Dianne Feinstein Al Franken Kirsten Gillibrand Kay Hagan Tom Harkin Heidi Heitkamp Martin Heinrich Mazie Hirono Tim Johnson Angus King Amy Klobuchar Mary Landrieu Patrick Leahy Carl Levin Joe Manchin Claire McCaskill Ed Markey Robert Menendez Jeff Merkley Chris Murphy Patty Murray Bill Nelson Mark Pryor Jack Reed Harry Reid John Rockefeller Bernie Sanders Charles Schumer Brian Schatz Jeanne Shaheen Debbie Stabenow Jon Tester Mark Udall Tom Udall Elizabeth Warren Sheldon Whitehouse Ron Wyden ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/statement-on-white-house-response-,Statement on White House Response on Hardship Exemption,2013-12-19,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Statement on White House Response on Hardship Exemption Thursday, December 19, 2013 WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) released the following joint statement after Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that some individuals who had their health plans cancelled will be automatically eligible for a hardship exemption that allows them to purchase a catastrophic plan on the health insurance marketplace. The Senators raised the issue in a joint letter to Secretary Sebelius on Dec. 19th. In addition, Secretary Sebelius today announced that the Administration has established a dedicated hotline for consumers with cancelled plans at 1-866-837-0677: “We are pleased that the Administration appears to have responded to the concerns we’ve raised. As a result, this clarifies an option that will help those consumers who have had their plans cancelled this year transition more smoothly into the marketplace.  We will closely monitor how the Administration implements this option, and we remain committed to proposing responsible solutions.”   The Senators’ letter to Secretary Sebelius is available here. Secretary Sebelius’s response is available here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=1f5bcea7-7b11-41d9-87d1-1d07c8996947,"Statement of Sens. Warner, King, Shaheen, Landrieu, Heitkamp and Kaine on White House Response on Hardship Exemption",2013-12-19,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Mark Warner,W000805,www.warner.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) released the following joint statement after Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that some individuals who had their health plans cancelled will be automatically eligible for a hardship exemption that allows them to purchase a catastrophic plan on the health insurance marketplace. The Senators raised the issue in a joint letter to Secretary Sebelius on Dec. 19th. In addition, Secretary Sebelius today announced that the Administration has established a dedicated hotline for consumers with cancelled plans at 1-866-837-0677: “We are pleased that the Administration appears to have responded to the concerns we’ve raised. As a result, this clarifies an option that will help those consumers who have had their plans cancelled transition more smoothly into the marketplace.  We will closely monitor how the Administration implements this option, and we remain committed to proposing responsible solutions.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=672,"Federal, State, Local Leaders Support GSA/Springfield Site for FBI HQ",2013-12-18,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Gerald Connolly,C001078,connolly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Gerry Connolly joined Federal, State, and local leaders at a December press conference to show unified, bipartisan support for locating the new FBI headquarters at the GSA site in Springfield, VA. Read more. share: f t Congressman Gerry Connolly joined Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe, Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Congressmen Jim Moran and Frank Wolf, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Jim Cheng representing Governor Bob McDonnell, state Senator George Barker, Delegate Vivian Watts, and Fairfax County Supervisor Jeff McKay at a December press conference to show unified, bipartisan support for locating the new FBI headquarters at the GSA site in Springfield, VA.  “We're going to win this on the merits, not on politics,” Connolly said. “We had a number of sites under consideration in Virginia, but we put our parochial interests aside to support the best site for Northern Virginia and for our national security. The GSA site in Springfield meets the FBI’s mission-critical needs.” Connolly also cited the proximity of the FBI’s training facility in Quantico and other locations in Virginia housing federal anti-terrorism offices.  “The FBI plays a key role in fighting terrorism,” he said.  “Interaction with other agencies is critical.”Governor-elect McAuliffe cited the need to diversify Virginia’s economy and he said, The FBI headquarters means jobs.”  Senator Warner cited the proximity of the site to transportation including Metrorail, VRE, buses, and I-95.  Senator Kaine and Congressman Moran both cited the unity of Virginia officials behind the Springfield site.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-applauds-committee-action-on-bill-to-create-special-envoy-for-religious-minorities-in-the-middle-east,Kaine Applauds Committee Action On Bill To Create Special Envoy For Religious Minorities In The Middle East,2013-12-18,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine Applauds Committee Action On Bill To Create Special Envoy For Religious Minorities In The Middle East Kaine, Chairman of Middle East Subcommittee, cites growing religious persecution across region Wednesday, December 18, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern, Southern and Central Asian Affairs, today applauded committee action on the Near East and South Central Asia Religious Freedom Act of 2013, of which he is a co-sponsor. The bill, introduced by Senators Roy Blunt, Carl Levin and Bob Casey cites growing instances of religious persecution in the Middle East and calls for the creation of a special envoy within the State Department to bring attention to the problem and advocate for religious liberty in the region. It is similar to a House bill sponsored by fellow Virginian, Congressman Frank Wolf, a longtime advocate for religious freedom around the world. “I was glad to join my Senate colleagues and Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf in promoting the appointment of a full-time special envoy for religious minorities in the Middle East. I’m pleased that the Foreign Relations Committee has recognized the importance of this priority by advancing this legislation today,” said Kaine.  “The recent story about the likely kidnapping of Catholic nuns in Syria is just the latest example of an escalating epidemic of religious persecution in the Middle East,” Kaine said, referencing the alleged kidnapping of 12 Lebanese and Syrian Greek Orthodox nuns from the Syrian village of Maaloula earlier this month. “Attacks on Christians, Jews, Baha'I, Ahmadiyya Muslims and other religious minorities are occurring with greater frequency.” “The Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 1787, became the model for our constitutional protection of religious freedom for all,” Kaine continued. “The United States can and should play a key role in exposing these human rights violations and working to promote religious liberty in a region that is the birthplace for so many of the world's faith traditions.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-with-passage-of-budget-achieved-two-of-my-highest-priorities-for-first-year,"Kaine: With Passage Of Budget, Achieved Two Of My Highest Priorities For First Year",2013-12-18,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine: With Passage Of Budget, Achieved Two Of My Highest Priorities For First Year Wednesday, December 18, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the bipartisan Budget Conference Committee, released the following statement after the Senate voted to pass the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, 64-36. “With Senate passage of a two-year budget agreement tonight, I’m proud to say that we’ve achieved two of my highest priorities for my first year in office – getting a budget agreement through the House and Senate and offsetting the worst effects of sequestration that have disproportionately impacted Virginia.  During the opening meeting of the Budget Conference Committee last month, I called on my fellow conferees to ‘surprise the cynics.’ I’m so glad we did. “Over the past 11 months, I witnessed the impact of budget uncertainty and sequestration by visiting military installations, private shipyards, research universities and early childhood educations centers across the Commonwealth. With passage of this compromise budget deal, we’ll replace $63 billion in non-strategic sequester cuts and prevent another government shutdown, restoring much-needed certainty to these Virginians, and to our economy as a whole. It also allows appropriators to write full bills that will give the Department of Defense more flexibility to plan for the future and allow the Navy to continue its critical shipbuilding and repair work. “There are provisions in the compromise that I do not support, including a reduction in the cost of living increase (COLA) for certain military pensions. That’s why I co-sponsored legislation this week to replace the $6 billion in cuts by closing a corporate tax loophole that companies use to avoid paying U.S. taxes. I’m hopeful we will be able to undo these changes before they take effect in 2015 and I’ll work in the Senate Armed Services Committee to do so. “There is more work to be done to replace the remaining non-strategic sequestration cuts and address our long-term fiscal challenges, but Congress has now shown that we can work together in a bipartisan way, as the American public demands and deserves.”  Since taking office in January 2013, Kaine has consistently called for a return to normal budget order and relief from sequestration, even delivering his maiden Senate floor speech in February on the urgent need to find compromise and avert across-the-board sequester cuts. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/senators-warner-and-kaine-introduce-military-retirement-restoration-act,Senators Warner & Kaine Introduce Military Retirement Restoration Act,2013-12-18,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senators Warner & Kaine Introduce Military Retirement Restoration Act Will repeal and replace proposed cuts to military retiree benefits Wednesday, December 18, 2013 WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced legislation to repeal and replace the proposed $6 billion cut to military pensions included in the Bipartisan Budget Act. The compromise budget agreement, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week and is scheduled for a Senate vote today, would cut $6 billion over 10 years by reducing cost-of-living adjustments (COLA)  for working-age military retirees by 1 percent beginning in January 2015.   The Military Retirement Restoration Act would replace this provision with new legislation that could raise as much as $6.6 billion over ten years by preventing companies from avoiding U.S. taxes through the use of foreign tax havens. “While the changes to military pension COLA increases may look insignificant to some, this is real money to a lot of families,” Sen. Warner said. “Virginians have served with honor in our military for generations, and I want to assure our servicemen and women that there is ample time to undo these changes before they take effect. I remain committed to pursuing a comprehensive deficit reduction package, but we should not unfairly single out our military families.” “The Senate worked hard to pass a budget last March that did not contain reductions in COLA for military pensions because it was not the way we felt we should be dealing with the budget,” said Sen. Kaine. “It’s my hope that we’ll be able to undo these changes before they take effect in 2015. I’m proud to support this legislation and look forward to further reviewing the provision in the Armed Services Committee early next year, as Chairman Carl Levin has signaled.” A bill summary and text are copied below. Summary Military Retirement Restoration Act - The Military Retirement Restoration Act would replace the cuts to military retiree benefits from the Bipartisan Budget Act by preventing companies from avoiding U.S. taxes by abusing tax havens. Repeal the provision in the Bipartisan Budget Act (Section 403) that modifies the annual cost-of-living adjustment for working-age military retirees by making the adjustments equal to inflation minus one percent.  This provision, which is scheduled to go into effect in December 2015, would result in a benefit cut for working-age military retirees.  The Bipartisan Budget Act modifies the annual cost-of-living adjustment for working-age military retirees by making the adjustments equal to inflation minus one percent.  At age 62, the retired pay would be adjusted as if the COLA had been the full CPI adjustment in all previous years, and the service members would receive the full COLA from then on.  Service members would never see a reduction in benefits from one year to the next.  The provision would have saved approximately $6 billion over ten years.  Prevent companies from avoiding U.S. taxes.  The repeal would be fully offset by stopping companies incorporated offshore but managed and controlled from the United States from claiming foreign status and avoiding U.S. taxes on their foreign income by treating them as U.S. domestic corporations for tax purposes.  This provision is identical to Section 103 of the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act and is expected to raise over $6.6 billion over ten years. Bill Language SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Military Retirement Restoration Act’’. SEC. 2. REPEAL OF REDUCTIONS MADE BY BIPARTISAN BUDGET ACT OF 2013.Section 403 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 is repealed as of the date of the enactment of such Act.  SEC. 3. TREATMENT OF FOREIGN CORPORATIONS MANAGED AND CONTROLLED IN THE UNITED STATES AS DOMESTIC CORPORATIONS.(a) In General- Section 7701 is amended by redesignating subsection (p) as subsection (q) and by inserting after subsection (o) the following new subsection:`(p) Certain Corporations Managed and Controlled in the United States Treated as Domestic for Income Tax-`(1) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding subsection (a)(4), in the case of a corporation described in paragraph (2) if--`(A) the corporation would not otherwise be treated as a domestic corporation for purposes of this title, but`(B) the management and control of the corporation occurs, directly or indirectly, primarily within the United States,then, solely for purposes of chapter 1 (and any other provision of this title relating to chapter 1), the corporation shall be treated as a domestic corporation.`(2) CORPORATION DESCRIBED-`(A) IN GENERAL- A corporation is described in this paragraph if--`(i) the stock of such corporation is regularly traded on an established securities market, or`(ii) the aggregate gross assets of such corporation (or any predecessor thereof), including assets under management for investors, whether held directly or indirectly, at any time during the taxable year or any preceding taxable year is $50,000,000 or more.`(B) GENERAL EXCEPTION- A corporation shall not be treated as described in this paragraph if--`(i) such corporation was treated as a corporation described in this paragraph in a preceding taxable year,`(ii) such corporation--`(I) is not regularly traded on an established securities market, and`(II) has, and is reasonably expected to continue to have, aggregate gross assets (including assets under management for investors, whether held directly or indirectly) of less than $50,000,000, and`(iii) the Secretary grants a waiver to such corporation under this subparagraph.`(3) MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL-`(A) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall prescribe regulations for purposes of determining cases in which the management and control of a corporation is to be treated as occurring primarily within the United States.`(B) EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT- Such regulations shall provide that--`(i) the management and control of a corporation shall be treated as occurring primarily within the United States if substantially all of the executive officers and senior management of the corporation who exercise day-to-day responsibility for making decisions involving strategic, financial, and operational policies of the corporation are located primarily within the United States, and`(ii) individuals who are not executive officers and senior management of the corporation (including individuals who are officers or employees of other corporations in the same chain of corporations as the corporation) shall be treated as executive officers and senior management if such individuals exercise the day-to-day responsibilities of the corporation described in clause (i).`(C) CORPORATIONS PRIMARILY HOLDING INVESTMENT ASSETS- Such regulations shall also provide that the management and control of a corporation shall be treated as occurring primarily within the United States if--`(i) the assets of such corporation (directly or indirectly) consist primarily of assets being managed on behalf of investors, and`(ii) decisions about how to invest the assets are made in the United States.'.(b) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning on or after the date which is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, whether or not regulations are issued under section 7701(p)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as added by this section. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=fe38dcb7-1313-4d7f-8303-9af78ce40635,Statement of Sen. Warner on passage of Bipartisan Budget Agreement,2013-12-18,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Mark Warner,W000805,www.warner.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the House-Senate Budget Conference Committee, made the following comments in a floor speech prior to this afternoon’s Senate passage of the Bipartisan Budget Agreement, which the Senator supported. The legislation passed by a vote of 64 to 36.    “My hope is this afternoon we'll vote on a budget agreement for two years that is not as grand or as comprehensive as I would have liked. But we'll demonstrate to the American people that up here perhaps we have to crawl before we can walk before we can run… [This bipartisan compromise] says for at least the balance of this fiscal year and for the next, let's take the threat of another shutdown … and unprecedented furloughs off the table. Let's not relax our focus on deficit reduction. Let's not add to the debt. Let's actually do a little bit more, about $20 billion more, in deficit reduction, but let's show that our institutions can actually put country ahead of partisan interests. “Now, in this compromise, not everyone got what they wanted. I would have argued strongly that the ‘big enchilada’ remains, how do we really take on in a major way that $17 trillion debt that clicks up about $4 billion a night? And that means both political parties have to give on their sacred cows. It means we've got to generate additional revenues through meaningful reform of a completely disastrous tax code, and, yes, it means for folks on my side, we’ve got to make sure that the promise of Medicare and Social Security and other entitlements are here 20 and 30 years from now. But some of those challenges will have to be put off to another day. There are many of us in this body, on both sides of the aisle, who may have a chance to surprise some folks next year in laying out some specific ideas on how we can move to that bigger bargain. But we should not underestimate what we do today. “I've spent a longer time in business than I have in elective office, and what this country is yearning for, what consumers are yearning for, what business leaders are yearning for, is just a little bit of predictability. The single best thing we can do is make sure that we remove the cloud of further disruption caused by Washington. So what we do today is a small step, but it’s a step that we shouldn't underestimate. So I look forward to supporting this bipartisan agreement. “I’ll vote for this compromise, but there are particular provisions of this compromise that I would not have agreed to and that I do not support. And that is a component that I believe unfairly singles out our military families. Our military families over the last two decade-plus have fought two wars. They have made unprecedented sacrifices. Oftentimes they are the only Americans making sacrifices through many of the last decades. And Virginia is home to the nation's largest concentration of active duty and retired military personnel, and I consider it an honor to represent them here in Congress. And the component of the budget compromise that singles out these military retirees for a decrease in their cost-of-living increase I think was not an appropriate component. “But rather than saying, let's flush the whole deal down, I will vote for this deal… I've got a fix that I have proposed to replace this component going forward. I've been joined in this effort by my friend, the Senator from Virginia as well, Senator Kaine, and my good friend, former governor as well, Senator Shaheen.  We introduced legislation that would eliminate this $6 billion hit on our military retirees. Our legislation doesn't add to the debt or deficit. Our legislation would replace this unfair hit to our military retirees by closing certain corporate tax loopholes that generate sufficient revenue to make sure that our military families will not be unfairly affected.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=671,Connolly Statement on the Retirement of Rep. Frank Wolf,2013-12-17,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Gerald Connolly,C001078,connolly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Connolly Statement on the Retirement of Rep. Frank Wolf f t # e Washington, DC, December 17, 2013 Congressman Gerry Connolly issued the following statement today following the announcement by Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) that he will be retiring from the U.S. House of Representatives at the end of his 34th year in Congress and will not seek an 18th term in 2014. Read more. share: f t Rep. Connolly Statement on Retirement of Rep. Frank WolfCongressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) issued the following statement today following the announcement by Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) that he will be retiring from the U.S. House of Representatives at the end of his 34th year in Congress and will not seek an 18th term in 2014.“It has been an honor and privilege to work with Congressman Frank Wolf, both as a member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and the last five years in Congress,” Congressman Gerry Connolly said.  “Frank has been a leader on Rail to Dulles, a tireless champion of federal workers, a partner in gang prevention, and a passionate advocate for human rights around the world. Congress and Northern Virginia will forever be grateful for his service.""  f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154818/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/481,GOODLATTE WELCOMES AREVA INVESTMENT IN LYNCHBURG,2013-12-17,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE WELCOMES AREVA INVESTMENT IN LYNCHBURG WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement after attending the announcement that AREVA, Inc. will invest $26.3 million in its operations in the Lynchburg region: “We are very fortunate that AREVA has decided to continue to build its presence in the Hill City. Today’s news of a $26.3 million investment further solidifies AREVA’s deep commitment to serving the nuclear power industry and helping to drive economic growth in Central Virginia.  The designation of the operations in Lynchburg and Campbell County as the company’s Operational Center of Excellence for Nuclear Products and Services is a clear signal that AREVA will continue to be a leader in meeting the needs of the nuclear industry by providing cutting-edge, reliable services. The nuclear industry is integral to this region’s economic strength, and I look forward to continue working with AREVA as they move forward with this investment.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131155132/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/482,GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON RETIREMENT OF CONGRESSMAN FRANK WOLF,2013-12-17,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON RETIREMENT OF CONGRESSMAN FRANK WOLF WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement after Congressman Frank Wolf (VA-10) announced that he will not seek reelection in 2014: “It has been a great honor to work with Frank Wolf throughout my time in Congress. Frank has diligently served the people of the 10th District for over three decades.  During this time, he has been a strong advocate for human rights, passionately speaking out for those without a voice. We have also worked on numerous issues together, including preservation of historic battlefields, immigration enforcement, addressing human rights issues in the Sudan, and ensuring there are federal law enforcement resources in the northern Shenandoah Valley to protect our communities. “Frank’s wisdom and spirit will certainly be missed in the House of Representatives. I wish him the best of luck in his retirement and thank him for his distinguished service to our nation and the Commonwealth.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-retirement-of-congressman-frank-wolf,Kaine Statement On Retirement Of Congressman Frank Wolf,2013-12-17,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine Statement On Retirement Of Congressman Frank Wolf Tuesday, December 17, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on Congressman Frank Wolf’s announcement that he will retire after 17 terms in Congress: “For more than 30 years, Frank Wolf has exemplified the best in public service through his dedication to the people of Virginia’s 10th District. Frank’s passion has also extended to the global stage through his leadership on the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and longtime support for religious freedom around the world – an effort that has inspired me to take up the cause of religious freedom in my own work on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “It’s been a sincere honor to work with him this past year, as well as during my time as Governor. His leadership of Virginia’s congressional delegation and his service to the people of Northern Virginia will truly be missed.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/on-senate-floor-kaine-calls-for-passage-of-bipartisan-budget-act-of-2013,"On Senate Floor, Kaine Calls For Passage Of Bipartisan Budget Act Of 2013",2013-12-17,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"On Senate Floor, Kaine Calls For Passage Of Bipartisan Budget Act Of 2013 Tuesday, December 17, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Speaking on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Budget Conference Committee, called for Senate passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that reverses many of the across-the-board sequester cuts that have disproportionately impacted Virginia and restores certainty to the U.S. economy, as well as families and businesses across the Commonwealth. Since taking office last January, Kaine has consistently called for a return to normal budget order and relief from sequestration. “I gave my first speech on the Senate floor in February to urge my colleagues to avoid sequester and in the months since I have visited Virginia shipyards, research universities, early childhood education centers and seen the effects that sequester has on Virginians, on Americans and on our economy,” said Kaine. “What we've done with this budget deal is take a step back to regular budgetary order to give certainty to the economy. Under the agreement, defense cuts of an additional $20 billion that were scheduled to take effect in January will not go into effect and we will find ways to restore funding and avert sequester cuts to non-defense accounts as well.” Kaine acknowledged that he does not support certain provisions in the deal that were added in order to find compromise with the House, including a reduction in the cost of living increase (COLA) for certain military pensions – a measure that was not included in the Senate Budget he voted for in March. “An additional weakness is the way we’ve dealt with the cost of living increase for military retirees pre-age 62 who are not disabled. I don’t agree with that compromise provision,” said Kaine. “All the senators currently in the chamber worked so hard to pass a budget in March that did not contain that provision because it was not the way we felt we should be dealing with the budget.” ""I am pleased that Chairman Levin has signaled his intention to review the COLA provision in the Armed Services Committee next year since it will not be scheduled to take effect until 2015,” said Kaine. The two-year, bipartisan agreement will relieve $63 billion of sequester cuts for fiscal year 2014 and 2015 and increase the topline discretionary spending level for fiscal year 2014 to $1.012 trillion and to $1.014 trillion for fiscal year 2015. It will also avert additional defense cuts – including $20 billion in cuts that were set to take effect in January 2014.  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=392e81e9-d79e-4e5e-b12a-8db4a8498c1f,Statement of U.S. Sen. Warner on Retirement of Rep. Frank Wolf,2013-12-17,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Mark Warner,W000805,www.warner.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued this statement following today’s announcement by U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th) that he will retire after 17 terms in Congress: “Frank Wolf has been a true friend, and a great partner, both when I served as Virginia Governor and since I’ve joined Congress. He is a tireless and leading advocate for religious freedom around the world. “We have worked closely together on Northern Virginia transportation issues, and partnered in consecutive sessions of Congress on bipartisan legislation that would encourage the on-shoring of jobs back to Virginia which have moved overseas in recent years.  Frank has also been a passionate advocate and reliable ally in my ongoing efforts to find common ground on issues surrounding our nation’s deficits and debt. “Congressman Wolf’s dedication in over 17 terms in Congress, and his exceptionally high level of service to the constituents he proudly represents in Virginia’s 10th District, will remain a model for all of us who serve.”",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=97479778-9566-4b67-ba3b-e9547cce3369,Sens. Warner & Kaine Introduce Military Retirement Restoration Act,2013-12-17,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Mark Warner,W000805,www.warner.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced legislation to repeal and replace the proposed $6 billion cut to military pensions included in the Bipartisan Budget Act. The compromise budget agreement, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week and is scheduled for a Senate vote today, would cut $6 billion over 10 years by reducing cost-of-living adjustments (COLA)  for working-age military retirees by 1 percent beginning in January 2015.   The Military Retirement Restoration Act would replace this provision with new legislation that could raise as much as $6.6 billion over ten years by preventing companies from avoiding U.S. taxes through the use of foreign tax havens. “While the changes to military pension COLA increases may look insignificant to some, this is real money to a lot of families,” Sen. Warner said. “Virginians have served with honor in our military for generations, and I want to assure our servicemen and women that there is ample time to undo these changes before they take effect. I remain committed to pursuing a comprehensive deficit reduction package, but we should not unfairly single out our military families.” “The Senate worked hard to pass a budget last March that did not contain reductions in COLA for military pensions because it was not the way we felt we should be dealing with the budget,” said Sen. Kaine. “It’s my hope that we’ll be able to undo these changes before they take effect in 2015. I’m proud to support this legislation and look forward to further reviewing the provision in the Armed Services Committee early next year, as Chairman Carl Levin has signaled.” A bill summary and text is copied below. Summary Military Retirement Restoration Act - The Military Retirement Restoration Act would replace the cuts to military retiree benefits from the Bipartisan Budget Act by preventing companies from avoiding U.S. taxes by abusing tax havens. Repeal the provision in the Bipartisan Budget Act (Section 403) that modifies the annual cost-of-living adjustment for working-age military retirees by making the adjustments equal to inflation minus one percent.  This provision, which is scheduled to go into effect in December 2015, would result in a benefit cut for working-age military retirees.  The Bipartisan Budget Act modifies the annual cost-of-living adjustment for working-age military retirees by making the adjustments equal to inflation minus one percent.  At age 62, the retired pay would be adjusted as if the COLA had been the full CPI adjustment in all previous years, and the service members would receive the full COLA from then on.  Service members would never see a reduction in benefits from one year to the next.  The provision would have saved approximately $6 billion over ten years.  Prevent companies from avoiding U.S. taxes.  The repeal would be fully offset by stopping companies incorporated offshore but managed and controlled from the United States from claiming foreign status and avoiding U.S. taxes on their foreign income by treating them as U.S. domestic corporations for tax purposes.  This provision is identical to Section 103 of the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act and is expected to raise over $6.6 billion over ten years. Bill Language SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Military Retirement Restoration Act’’. SEC. 2. REPEAL OF REDUCTIONS MADE BY BIPARTISAN BUDGET ACT OF 2013. Section 403 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 is repealed as of the date of the enactment of such Act.  SEC. 3. TREATMENT OF FOREIGN CORPORATIONS MANAGED AND CONTROLLED IN THE UNITED STATES AS DOMESTIC CORPORATIONS. (a) In General- Section 7701 is amended by redesignating subsection (p) as subsection (q) and by inserting after subsection (o) the following new subsection: `(p) Certain Corporations Managed and Controlled in the United States Treated as Domestic for Income Tax- `(1) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding subsection (a)(4), in the case of a corporation described in paragraph (2) if-- `(A) the corporation would not otherwise be treated as a domestic corporation for purposes of this title, but `(B) the management and control of the corporation occurs, directly or indirectly, primarily within the United States, then, solely for purposes of chapter 1 (and any other provision of this title relating to chapter 1), the corporation shall be treated as a domestic corporation. `(2) CORPORATION DESCRIBED- `(A) IN GENERAL- A corporation is described in this paragraph if-- `(i) the stock of such corporation is regularly traded on an established securities market, or `(ii) the aggregate gross assets of such corporation (or any predecessor thereof), including assets under management for investors, whether held directly or indirectly, at any time during the taxable year or any preceding taxable year is $50,000,000 or more. `(B) GENERAL EXCEPTION- A corporation shall not be treated as described in this paragraph if-- `(i) such corporation was treated as a corporation described in this paragraph in a preceding taxable year, `(ii) such corporation-- `(I) is not regularly traded on an established securities market, and `(II) has, and is reasonably expected to continue to have, aggregate gross assets (including assets under management for investors, whether held directly or indirectly) of less than $50,000,000, and `(iii) the Secretary grants a waiver to such corporation under this subparagraph. `(3) MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL- `(A) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall prescribe regulations for purposes of determining cases in which the management and control of a corporation is to be treated as occurring primarily within the United States. `(B) EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT- Such regulations shall provide that-- `(i) the management and control of a corporation shall be treated as occurring primarily within the United States if substantially all of the executive officers and senior management of the corporation who exercise day-to-day responsibility for making decisions involving strategic, financial, and operational policies of the corporation are located primarily within the United States, and `(ii) individuals who are not executive officers and senior management of the corporation (including individuals who are officers or employees of other corporations in the same chain of corporations as the corporation) shall be treated as executive officers and senior management if such individuals exercise the day-to-day responsibilities of the corporation described in clause (i). `(C) CORPORATIONS PRIMARILY HOLDING INVESTMENT ASSETS- Such regulations shall also provide that the management and control of a corporation shall be treated as occurring primarily within the United States if-- `(i) the assets of such corporation (directly or indirectly) consist primarily of assets being managed on behalf of investors, and `(ii) decisions about how to invest the assets are made in the United States.'. (b) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning on or after the date which is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, whether or not regulations are issued under section 7701(p)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as added by this section.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364610,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 12.16.13,2013-12-16,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"The ADAPT Act, Fire Hydrants, and the NSA The ADAPT Act Regular readers of this column are aware of my ongoing efforts to improve the quality and safety of our health care system and increase patient choice and control.  We have numerous bills that have been introduced, and that the various committees are working on.  Among those committees that are working on improvements to our health care systems is the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, on which I serve. Among my efforts are the bipartisan Drug Quality and Security Act (H.R. 3089) to clarify oversight of the compounding drug manufacturing system (which was signed into law) and the Patient Choice Act (H.R. 2090), bipartisan legislation to speed up Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of drugs and give certain patients the option to buy new, innovative, experimental drugs and therapies at their own expense. Last week, I joined with several of my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, in introducing H.R. 3742, the Antibiotic Development to Advance Patient Treatment (ADAPT) Act.  The ADAPT Act seeks to advance drug development with the end goal of combating the growing public health threat of “superbugs,” which are resistant to antibiotics.  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or drug-resistant Salmonella are examples of these superbugs. I believe strongly, when battling deadly diseases, patients and their physicians need more choices. Our nation boasts an array of entities that are working hard to develop new treatments and therapies.  The ADAPT Act is a critical next step in working to address antibiotic resistance.  This bill develops a new, accelerated pathway for antibiotics and antifungals in limited and specific patient populations.  It will further innovation and ultimately will provide new, antibiotic options in the fight against superbugs. I will continue working with my colleagues to improve our health care system and increase the options and control you and your loved ones have over treatment.  Further, I will keep you updated on any advancements with the ADAPT Act and our other efforts as well. Update on Fire Hydrants In last week’s column, I wrote about a new bill I introduced that would cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) workforce by a reasonable 15 percent over a realistic three- to four-year period.  When discussing that bill – H.R. 3641, the EPA Maximum Achievable Contraction of Technocrats Act – I mentioned recent EPA guidance that would require fire hydrants installed after January 4, 2014 to be lead-free. Senator Charles (Chuck) Schumer (D-NY) said in a prepared statement, “The EPA’s absurd interpretation of the reduced lead standards will force municipalities to throw out and replace their current stockpile of hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fire hydrants without any discernible safety benefit.”  On this, Senator Schumer and I agree. Over the weekend, I came across a story in which EPA spokeswoman Julia Valentine said, “...the guidance should be revised to exclude fire hydrants if Congress doesn't take action to do so before the January deadline.” It seems that the EPA in this instance may have seen the light.  But I must ask: Why even propose these “absurd” regulations in the first place?  Maybe they have too many people looking for solutions to problems that are either miniscule or don’t exist. The House of Representatives recently passed legislation that would add fire hydrants to the list of items exempt from this guidance.  I would urge Senator Schumer and his colleagues in the Senate to take action as well. NSA The first court opinion of what I believe will be more has ruled that the National Security Agency (NSA) program that collects the phone data of law-abiding American citizens appears to violate the Constitution.  In the case of Klayman v. Obama, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that collecting such metadata is likely unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment, and, in ruling in favor of an injunction against the NSA, found that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on the merits and will suffer irreparable harm absent injunctive relief.  Judge Leon also found that the public interest and potential injury to other interested parties also weigh in favor of injunctive relief.  Notwithstanding his concerns, he stayed the injunction pending appeal by the government. I do not know what the appellate courts will do, but I agree with the reasoning of Judge Leon in this case.  Liberty and freedom are worth our attention. As always, if you have concerns or comments or wish to inquire about legislative issues, feel free to contact my offices. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/commonwealth-connection/virginia-grown,Virginia Grown,2013-12-16,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Monday, December 16, 2013 Virginia Grown by Gwen Mason, Regional Director Each of us who lives or works in Virginia treasures some wonderful, edible part of the Commonwealth’s history and culture.   From Smithfield ham, to Chesapeake Bay oysters, Winchester apples, Rockingham and Augusta Counties’ milk and dairy products, Highland County beef, and red and white wine from vineyards across Virginia, the Commonwealth provides a bounty of nutritious, tasty sustenance. Agriculture is the dominant industry in the Shenandoah Valley.  Representing Senator Kaine as his Regional Director from Roanoke on “down the Valley” to Shenandoah County, I know that agricultural issues are key to the prosperity and growth of this region.  Last week I attended the Virginia “Farm to Table” 2013 Conference held at Blue Ridge Community College.   The conference was jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech.  With support from 30 other organizations, more than 200 attendees from across the state learned about farming techniques that improve social well-being and strengthen the economy. We all want to know where our food comes from.  Locally grown organic food and sustainable agricultural practices are now important components of the Valley’s economic growth.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture is a key partner to communities throughout the Shenandoah Valley, with personnel dedicated to rural development, natural resources conservation, and farm service.   Knowing how close the partnership is between the USDA and Virginia farms, it is not surprising that the bywords of the Farm to Table conference were “collaboration, conservation, and community.”  The most unforgettable aspect of the conference was the delicious, locally grown lunch catered by Harrisonburg’s wonderful organic restaurant, A Bowl of Good.  Organically produced pork tacos, creamy and firm cheeses, and tasty baked goods were offered to all the attendees.  And of course, we topped it off with Homestead Creamery ice cream. Farming and agriculture are critically important to Senator Kaine.  Stay tuned for his upcoming visits to the Shenandoah Valley, which will include a tasting tour to sample the delicious offerings of our local farmers. In the Shenandoah Valley, it is easy to Buy Fresh, Buy Local, and sample the bounty that is Virginia Grown. Photo credit: Whitney Pipkin",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/tim-kaine-lessons-from-40-years-as-a-richmond-public-schools-parent,Lessons from 40 years as a Richmond Public Schools parent,2013-12-15,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Anne and I are now empty-nesters. Combined, our three kids spent 40 school years in the Richmond Public Schools. While we both interact with the school system in our professional lives, we’ve learned even more from back-to-school nights, parent-teacher conferences, attending school events and pulling crumpled notes to parents out of our kids’ backpacks. The lessons learned as parents have made me think about what works and what doesn’t work in Pre-K-12 education. Here are seven changes I’d like to see: It’s about the individual! Most policy debate these days seems to be about charter schools or high-stakes testing. But I’m convinced that the most important reform has been under our noses since 1975, when legislation was passed to guarantee children with diagnosed disabilities receive individualized learning plans tailored to meet their specific needs. Each child brings a mix of strengths and challenges to the classroom. Let’s use the insight gained through advances in educating kids with disabilities to leverage new technologies and teaching methods that can individualize learning for each child. Early childhood education works My daughter was able to attend a year of high-quality pre-K in our city schools. This experience made me a believer, and it’s one of the reasons why I greatly expanded pre-K for at-risk 4 year olds when I was governor. The research is powerful — if you invest in high-quality programs that coordinate with K-12 curricula and have mandatory teacher standards, the gains from early education are lasting. It’s also important that we focus on coordinating investments made in early childhood programs — such as Head Start — to ensure we are effectively using our funding, eliminating any waste and bolstering the structure of our education system. Simplify elementary education By the time Virginians graduate from high school, they have taken at least 35 state-mandated tests in addition to all the classroom testing that good teachers require. This over-testing phenomenon is particularly acute at the elementary level. Borrowing a phrase from Singapore’s educational reform efforts, I’d “teach less and learn more” at the elementary level by focusing the early grades on English and math fluency. Use social studies and science material to stimulate curiosity about the world while building reading mastery and making basic math concepts more concrete. Save the state testing of science and social studies for later grades. If the early years are intensely focused on language and math, our students will perform better in all areas down the road. Middle school as career exploration I’d reconceive middle school as fundamentally about career exploration. What do kids know about the work world beyond what their parents do? We can make middle school more exciting if we use all parts of the curriculum to expose students to the wide range of available career choices so that, by the time they enter high school, they will be more able to choose the right direction for themselves. Different paths to high school success As governor, I created Governor’s Career and Technical Academies to promote the notion that technical education is as important as college preparatory courses. Virginia now offers three diploma types — standard, modified standard and advanced. Coupled with an increasing variety of other options — Advanced Placement courses, career certification exams, community college joint enrollment programs, verified online courses — a high school transcript is now a highly personalized learning résumé. Gone are the days when kids are “tracked” into a two-tier system of college prep or vocational education. When students are given exposure to all options, they can build their own high school path to the future they want. Value the unvalued While RPS is an urban system with fiscal challenges, it has resisted pressure to devalue arts education. These experiences enhanced my children’s creativity, confidence, communication skills and teamwork — all greatly in demand in the adult world. And it’s not just arts. Trained computer professionals are in high demand, yet most states still treat computer science courses as an elective, not allowing them to be used to meet math or science requirements. Many of the things that promote life and career success don’t fit neatly into today’s curricular requirements. Let’s create space for this kind of personal development in our schools. Keeping good teachers Finally, a note of gratitude. Our kids were blessed to have many wonderful teachers. There were some weak ones, but RPS teachers were mostly solid, some spectacular and a few life-changing for our children. As I listen to public debate, it often sounds like our main issue is how to get rid of bad teachers. But this problem pales beside the larger issue of how to keep good teachers. Too many great prospective teachers never enter the profession and too many great teachers leave too early over low salaries, high-stakes testing pressure, discipline challenges and an overall belief that society doesn’t value the profession. We need a robust debate about how to value and attract good teachers. Tim Kaine represents Virginia in the United States Senate. This column is adapted from a longer article published by Education Week.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364405,Information on the Budget Agreement and Our Military,2013-12-13,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"“There is much misinformation making its way around the Internet about the contents of the budget agreement that the House passed last night.  The budget agreement negotiated between the House and the Senate stops most of the military cuts that were soon to hit the Commonwealth as a result of the sequester.  A George Mason University study estimates that the full sequestration’s defense cuts would have resulted in Virginia losing 136,191 jobs.  George Mason University has also estimated that the full defense spending cuts in the sequester would have resulted in the Commonwealth losing 65,000 small business jobs. “Further, it is important to note that this agreement does not impact pensions for disabled military retirees or those over the age of 62.  What it does in fact do is reduce the potential cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase for working-age military retirees by 1 percentage point less than the increase in consumer prices.  This would be gradually phased in over three years.  This gradual phase-in means that the potential December 2014 COLA would be reduced by .25 percent, the potential December 2015 COLA would be reduced by .5 percent, and the full change would take place with the potential December 2016 COLA. “Again, this budget agreement is a compromise.  If I had it my way, this agreement would be different.  But the Democrats are in control of the Senate.  President Obama and Senate Democrats have refused to take serious action to reduce our debt and our deficits, and this agreement is not a complete solution to the problem.  But it is a step in the right direction.  It contains lower spending levels than in previously-passed House budgets commonly known as the Ryan plan, and would reduce the deficit by $23 billion.  This agreement represents the first budget passed by Congress since I was sworn in to the serve Virginia’s Ninth District.  “I am ready and willing to continue the fight for additional reforms, leading to a balanced budget and further reductions in our debt and deficit.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=495,"Wittman Applauds House Passage of 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, Calls on Senate to Approve",2013-12-13,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) applauded House passage of the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act Thursday evening, after original House passage in June. The House has certainly done its job in moving this critical legislation through in a timely manner, Wittman said. It is now up to the Senate to pass this bill that is vital for the men and women of our armed forces, and for our nation's security. With so many important initiatives lagging, the House has shown true leadership and put aside partisan differences to pass this bill which goes far toward addressing the damaging impacts of sequestration on our national security and, perhaps most importantly, our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who serve this nation. Wittman highlighted critical portions of the FY14 NDAA, specifically: Allocates nearly $3 billion readiness dollars across all three components Active, Guard, and Reserve providing needed funds for critical programs including the flying hour program, facilities maintenance and sustainment, depot maintenance, and combat support forces equipment and sustainment; Boosts DOD's ability to respond to future crises like Benghazi by adding $75 million for unfunded requirements such as the expansion of the Marine Security Guard program at our diplomatic posts and the establishment of a Crisis Response unit; Prohibits DOD from initiating another round of BRAC at this time to ensure appropriate focus on the withdrawal from Afghanistan and a well-informed assessment of our nation's defense strategy moving forward; Provides for $11 billion dollars of MILCON for urgently needed base infrastructure improvements; and Reauthorizes 1.5 million acres of public land for training range access to ensure our forces have the ability to train the way we expect them to fight. Wittman continued, As we work to complete this bill, we need to be mindful that our highest constitutional duty is to provide for a common defense. That starts with ensuring the men and women who volunteer to wear the uniform and are currently deployed around the world are equipped to address every engagement we send them to with overwhelming military superiority -- and that they never enter a fair fight. The Senate must act and not leave our men and women in uniform out in the cold. Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=364350,Griffith Statement on House-Senate Budget Compromise,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement after voting in favor of the bipartisan, bicameral budget compromise.  It passed by a vote of 332-94. “This budget agreement is a compromise.  It is not perfect, nor does not contain everything I would like, but it is on the right track.  This budget keeps with spending levels in previously passed House budgets commonly known as the Ryan plan, and this will be the first time since I was elected to the House of Representatives that Congress – both the House and the Senate – has passed a budget.  This agreement could have been stronger.  But in light of the fact that the Senate is controlled by Democrats, this is the best deal possible.  Both the Democrats and the Republicans worked together to reach this compromise.  Neither political party loved the bill.  As I learned in the House of Delegates, when both sides don’t love a compromise bill, it is probably a fair compromise.  “This compromise bill included a three month extension of programs to help our rural hospitals and seniors, specifically the Sustainable Growth Rate fix and Medicare dependent and low-volume hospital programs. “I remain of the belief that out-of-control federal spending must be checked in order to avoid further burdening future generations of Americans with excessive debt, and will continue working to decrease our deficits and our debt. “While this budget is not perfect, I commend Chairman Paul Ryan for his work on this agreement.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=669,Connolly Votes for Bipartisan Budget Agreement Passed by House,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Gerald Connolly,C001078,connolly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Gerry Connolly voted with a majority of House members today to pass the bipartisan budget deal. Statement follows. share: f t Congressman Gerry Connolly voted with a majority of House members today to pass the bipartisan budget deal.  Calling it a “hold your nose and vote yes” vote, Connolly cited his concern about another cut in benefits for new federal employees after they have already contributed $114 billion to deficit reduction as a result of a 3-year pay freeze, a reduction in retirement benefits for new hires, and lost pay as a result of furloughs.“Thankfully, we were able to beat back the worst proposals to further encroach on their benefits, and I believe this bipartisan deal will minimize the prospect of additional furloughs,” Connolly said.  He vowed to continue fighting efforts by Republicans in Congress to impose further cuts on federal workers.“The budget plan is by no means a perfect deal, but both sides have made concessions so that we may avert a repeat of the disastrous government shutdown and begin to restore some of the draconian cuts caused by sequestration,” he said.Looking forward, Connolly said, “Congress faces many more serious challenges in the coming weeks and months, including the need to raise the debt ceiling, renew long-term transportation funding, and reform our broken immigration system. Perhaps this bipartisan breakthrough will provide the model we need to avoid the “my-way-or-the-highway” shutdown brand of politics that has characterized the Republican philosophy of governance for the last three years.”Connolly’s full statement follows:Congressman Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11th)Statement regarding the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.J.Res. 59 – Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 December 12, 2013This bipartisan budget agreement represents some modicum of compromise, something that has been sorely lacking in this Congress. It is by no means a perfect deal, but both sides have made concessions so that we may avert a repeat of the disastrous government shutdown and begin to restore some of the draconian cuts caused by sequestration.For me, and many of my colleagues, this will be a “hold-your-nose and vote yes vote,” given our disappointment and concern about yet another cut in benefits for new federal employees. No other group in America has been asked to make the same sacrifices as the dedicated men and women of our federal workforce. Federal employees already have contributed $114 billion to deficit reduction as a result of a 3-year pay freeze, a reduction in retirement benefits for new hires, and lost pay as a result of furloughs. Thankfully, we were able to beat back the worst proposals to further encroach on their benefits, and I believe this bipartisan deal will minimize the prospect of additional furloughs by replacing some of the sequestration cuts. Nonetheless, I will continue fighting for our federal employees until they receive the respect they deserve and have earned. I will continue to push back against those in Congress who unfairly impugn federal workers for partisan political gain. And I will continue to protect the rights and dignity of federal workers and the valuable public service they provide to the nation. For Northern Virginia, which was disproportionately affected by sequestration, this agreement for the first time will replace a portion of those indiscriminate cuts with a more balanced approach. It will actually increase federal investments in research, innovation, and transportation. That in turn will help unleash business investments, which have lagged due to a sense of uncertainty fueled by the political brinksmanship in Congress.No one got everything they wanted out of this deal. Indeed, I along with many of my colleagues would have preferred to see an extension of long-term unemployment benefits, which has a very direct and significant benefit on more than 1 million families and our national and local economies. Every dollar of assistance generates $1.64 in economic activity in the community. Sadly, it was not addressed here, but we will continue to push the Speaker to bring it up separately to help those still struggling to find work.Congress faces many more serious challenges in the coming weeks and months, including the need to raise the debt ceiling, renew long-term transportation funding, and reform our broken immigration system. Perhaps this bipartisan breakthrough will provide the model we need to avoid the “my-way-or-the-highway” shutdown brand of politics that has characterized the Republican philosophy of governance for the last three years.# # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=670,Connolly Votes for Bipartisan Budget Agreement Passed by House,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Gerald Connolly,C001078,connolly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Gerry Connolly voted with a majority of House members today to pass the bipartisan budget deal. Statement follows. share: f t Congressman Gerry Connolly voted with a majority of House members today to pass the bipartisan budget agreement.  Calling it a “hold your nose and vote yes” vote, Connolly cited his concern about another cut in benefits for new federal employees after they have already contributed $114 billion to deficit reduction as a result of a 3-year pay freeze, a reduction in retirement benefits for new hires, and lost pay as a result of furloughs.“Thankfully, we were able to beat back the worst proposals to further encroach on their benefits, and I believe this bipartisan deal will minimize the prospect of additional furloughs,” Connolly said.  He vowed to continue fighting efforts by Republicans in Congress to impose further cuts on federal workers.“The budget plan is by no means a perfect deal, but both sides have made concessions so that we may avert a repeat of the disastrous government shutdown and begin to restore some of the draconian cuts caused by sequestration,” he said.Looking forward, Connolly said, “Congress faces many more serious challenges in the coming weeks and months, including the need to raise the debt ceiling, renew long-term transportation funding, and reform our broken immigration system. Perhaps this bipartisan breakthrough will provide the model we need to avoid the “my-way-or-the-highway” shutdown brand of politics that has characterized the Republican philosophy of governance for the last three years.”Connolly’s full statement follows:Congressman Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11th)Statement regarding the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.J.Res. 59 – Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 December 12, 2013This bipartisan budget agreement represents some modicum of compromise, something that has been sorely lacking in this Congress. It is by no means a perfect deal, but both sides have made concessions so that we may avert a repeat of the disastrous government shutdown and begin to restore some of the draconian cuts caused by sequestration.For me, and many of my colleagues, this will be a “hold-your-nose and vote yes vote,” given our disappointment and concern about yet another cut in benefits for new federal employees. No other group in America has been asked to make the same sacrifices as the dedicated men and women of our federal workforce. Federal employees already have contributed $114 billion to deficit reduction as a result of a 3-year pay freeze, a reduction in retirement benefits for new hires, and lost pay as a result of furloughs. Thankfully, we were able to beat back the worst proposals to further encroach on their benefits, and I believe this bipartisan deal will minimize the prospect of additional furloughs by replacing some of the sequestration cuts. Nonetheless, I will continue fighting for our federal employees until they receive the respect they deserve and have earned. I will continue to push back against those in Congress who unfairly impugn federal workers for partisan political gain. And I will continue to protect the rights and dignity of federal workers and the valuable public service they provide to the nation. For Northern Virginia, which was disproportionately affected by sequestration, this agreement for the first time will replace a portion of those indiscriminate cuts with a more balanced approach. It will actually increase federal investments in research, innovation, and transportation. That in turn will help unleash business investments, which have lagged due to a sense of uncertainty fueled by the political brinksmanship in Congress.No one got everything they wanted out of this deal. Indeed, I along with many of my colleagues would have preferred to see an extension of long-term unemployment benefits, which has a very direct and significant benefit on more than 1 million families and our national and local economies. Every dollar of assistance generates $1.64 in economic activity in the community. Sadly, it was not addressed here, but we will continue to push the Speaker to bring it up separately to help those still struggling to find work.Congress faces many more serious challenges in the coming weeks and months, including the need to raise the debt ceiling, renew long-term transportation funding, and reform our broken immigration system. Perhaps this bipartisan breakthrough will provide the model we need to avoid the “my-way-or-the-highway” shutdown brand of politics that has characterized the Republican philosophy of governance for the last three years.# # #",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154714/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/479,HOUSE RFS REFORM LEADERS APPLAUD SENATE REFORM BILL,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"HOUSE RFS REFORM LEADERS APPLAUD SENATE REFORM BILL WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Steve Womack (R-AR) released the following statement today in support of the Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act, which was introduced in the Senate today by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Tom Coburn (R-OK): “The Senate joined the House in calling for reform of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) today.  The corn ethanol mandate has increased volatility in the corn markets and diverted corn from food and feed uses to fuel production.  We have seen costs increase for not only farmers and food producers throughout the nation, but also consumers who purchase these products.  Higher volumes of corn ethanol in fuel have also wreaked havoc on small engines, destroying chainsaws, boat motors, and other equipment.  We applaud the efforts of Senators Feinstein and Coburn to eliminate this mandate, which is also a provision included in our House bill, the RFS Reform Act (H.R. 1462).  We are hopeful that the introduction of this bill in the Senate will help to further propel the growing momentum in the Congress to reform the RFS.”  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154733/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/480,GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON BUDGET DEAL,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON BUDGET DEAL WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement after voting in support of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives this evening by a vote of 332-94: “Tonight’s vote represents the product of hard-fought negotiations between Republicans in the House and Democrats in the Senate.  While greater spending cuts moving forward will be required to put our nation back on a path toward fiscal responsibility, this budget deal is a small step towards meaningful deficit reduction.  This budget deal lays the groundwork for a federal budget that reduces spending, makes small entitlement reforms, does not raise taxes, ensures military readiness, and restores Congress’ authority to determine how federal tax dollars are spent through the appropriations process. I would have preferred to vote for a continuing resolution at lower levels, but unfortunately there were not the necessary 218 votes for such a measure.  This budget deal has advantages, however. By returning to a regular appropriations process, we can bring up each appropriations bill separately, and will no longer cede the power of the purse to unelected bureaucrats.  Continuing resolutions provide no opportunity to change or update policies and spending levels. This budget deal lets Members of Congress offer amendments to scrutinize and reform every government program – for example, this would include an amendment I have offered in the past to stop the Environmental Protection Agency’s costly regulatory overreach in the Chesapeake Bay. “Our nation has a President and a Senate who are unwilling to do what really needs to be done to put our fiscal house back in order.  They have made it nearly impossible to make meaningful spending reforms and are totally unwilling to address entitlement spending head-on, which represents more than two-thirds of federal spending and continues to add to our debt at an unsustainable rate.  The House is prepared to take greater steps toward deficit reduction, and I will continue to work towards this goal throughout the next year. This budget deal is a responsible way to start the process.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://wittman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=494,"Wittman: ""Deal is better than no deal, but work remains""",2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Wittman,W000804,wittman.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) today voted in favor of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, which passed the House 332-94. This deal is better than no deal, but work remains to get our nation's spending under control and properly managed, Wittman said. In recent weeks, I led numerous briefings to educate Members on the effects of sequester cuts to our nation's military. Members learned the devastating effects of these cuts on training and equipping those who serve our nation in uniform. It is the Constitutional duty of the Congress to provide for our nation's defense, and this bill restores some of the indiscriminate cuts decimating our nation's defense budget. In my mind, it does not go far enough, but some is better than none in this case. Our nation's defense leaders support this measure. I have fought for the restoration of funds for our military's readiness and am pleased to support the partial restoration of cuts and will continue to work to that end. I am also pleased this bill does not target our current federal employees, who often find themselves in the middle of political debate. Though I do not agree with every line in this legislation, I must support the overall goal of moving the ball forward while ensuring we reduce the deficit without raising taxes. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 would set overall discretionary spending for the remainder of fiscal year 2014. It restores some of the funding cuts from sequestration for defense, a key provision for Wittman. The sequester relief is fully offset by savings elsewhere in the budget. ""Importantly, this bill also sets a path forward to a return to regular order for passing legislation related to federal spending. I have long-advocated for Congress to do its job, rather than kicking the can down the road again and again. The American people deserve a thorough debate on these critical issues. This agreement will put appropriators on track to bring legislation with detailed spending plans for federal agencies to the floor by the second week of January. Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he is the Chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-highlights-story-of-odu-student-from-staunton-at-press-conference-on-aca-benefits-for-children-with-pre-existing-conditions,Kaine Highlights Story Of ODU Student From Staunton At Press Conference On ACA Benefits For Children With Pre-Existing Conditions,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine Highlights Story Of ODU Student From Staunton At Press Conference On ACA Benefits For Children With Pre-Existing Conditions Thursday, December 12, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a press conference on Capitol Hill today to highlight how the Affordable Care Act ensures up to 17 million children across the country, including 438,000 in Virginia, with pre-existing conditions are guaranteed health insurance, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine highlighted the story of Ashleigh Campbell, an 18-year-old Old Dominion University student from Staunton who was born with congenital heart disease and other serious medical conditions. “Ashleigh was born with a number of very serious health conditions,” said Kaine. “She has been lucky enough to have insurance through her parents and excellent medical care at the University of Virginia. But she was always concerned about where she would go if she ever lost that protection or when it came time for her to get her own health insurance plan.” Kaine explained that while he supports reforms to improve the Affordable Care Act, he strongly opposes efforts to repeal the legislation, which has protected children and young adults like Ashleigh by preventing insurers from denying them health coverage. “This is a profoundly important moral issue,” said Kaine. “We’re going to work to reform anything that needs to be fixed- that’s what legislators do, more than pass new laws what we do is work on improving existing laws…Of all the reasons to support the ACA, there is no reason more powerful than the ban on discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions.” Kaine concluded his speech by sharing a quote from Ashleigh. “I want people to stop looking at the politics. People like me can’t survive without health care. I wish more people would understand.  It would be almost impossible for me to get health insurance without this protection.” Ashleigh said. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, in the vast majority of states, insurance companies in the individual and small group markets could deny coverage, charge higher premiums, and/or limit benefits to individuals based on pre-existing conditions, which are health conditions – like heart disease, cancer, asthma, diabetes or high blood pressure – that exist before someone applies for or enrolls in a new health policy. Since 2010, thanks to the health care law, up to 17 million children with pre-existing conditions – including up to 438,000 in Virginia – can no longer be denied insurance coverage because of their health. And, beginning in January 2014, this protection will extend to adults.  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/local-lawmakers-hope-to-blunt-sequestration-hit,Local lawmakers hope to blunt sequestration hit,2013-12-12,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Local lawmakers hope to blunt sequestration hit By:  Bill Bartel Thursday, December 12, 2013 Members of South Hampton Roads' congressional delegation said Wednesday they support a federal budget deal that would reduce the impact of automatic defense cuts over the next two years and salvage lucrative Navy ship repair work that employs thousands in the region. A day after House and Senate negotiators announced a compromise plan that, if approved, would avoid another government shutdown in January, local Democratic and Republican lawmakers voiced support for the plan. None were happy with all details, but they agreed the measure would avoid deeper damage to Virginia's federally dependent economy and could spark more compromise on other issues. U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine said the compromise ""will avoid the foolishness of furloughs and shutdowns and brinkmanship that have characterized way too much of the congressional approach to budgeting over the last number of years."" ""This a good step,"" U.S. Sen. Mark Warner told the Virginia Chamber of Commerce during a Capitol Hill luncheon, noting that the proposal offers partial relief from the threat of automatic spending cuts, known as sequestration. ""In many ways, Virginia is ground zero for the sequester,"" he told business executives. U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, who has expressed alarm that defense spending has been cut too deeply for several years, told the lunch crowd he supports the compromise but said it doesn't allay his concerns. ""I don't really think it's a step forward,"" the Chesapeake Republican said. ""I think it's an inch forward, but it's much better to inch forward than a deepening spiral downward.... The good thing about this compromise is it stops the hemorrhaging that we've seen in national defense."" Forbes, a leader of the House Armed Services Committee, said the spending plan addresses a major complaint of military commanders - that they don't have clarity from Congress about how much money they have to spend. U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell acknowledged that the proposal makes incremental changes, but he said it's necessary. ""It's a principled compromise, not a compromising of principles,"" the Virginia Beach Republican said. U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, a Newport News Democrat, was unavailable for comment; the day the deal was struck, he was in South Africa for the funeral of former President Nelson Mandela. The House is expected to vote on the measure today, a day before its Christmas recess begins; the Senate will vote next week. The proposal calls for a fiscal year 2014 budget of $1.012 trillion - about $26 billion more than the government spent in 2013. In 2015, the budget would rise to $1.014 trillion. As part of a deal, the government would offset some cuts by raising new revenue and cutting back on other expenses. Among the changes are levying higher security fees on airline tickets, requiring federal workers to contribute more to their pension plans and ending cost-of-living increases on the pensions of working-age military retirees - those between the ages of 40 and 62. The deal would avoid $63 billion in automatic budget cuts over the next two years. A chunk of the military cuts - $20 billion worth - was set to begin in January. Navy officials have said the cuts would force it to reduce some military operations and training, cancel some ship construction projects and halt the planned overhaul of Navy ships in private yards in Hampton Roads. Just over half of the automatic cuts this year - about $30 billion - and most of the reductions for 2015 would still happen. But the deal would change the rules about how the cuts are carried out over the next two years, giving lawmakers more leeway deciding where to cut. Rather than requiring the military services to make across-the-board cuts, Congress's budget writers could make more targeted reductions in 2014 and 2015. Navy leaders, for example, have said the reductions would be more palatable if they were able to shift money between accounts. The current compromise doesn't address mandatory cuts after 2015. Sequestration requires automatic trims through 2022. Warner and Kaine acknowledged the region could still see reductions in defense spending next year, depending on how Congress decides to allocate Pentagon funds. This allows for the ""normal budget battles"" in Congress over how best to allocate defense funds among the service branches, Warner said. ""Sequester was stupidity on steroids... this is a less stupid way to go about cuts."" Warner and others have pushed for a broader budget deal that would halt sequestration entirely and - through a combination of entitlement reforms and raising more revenue - trim deficit spending and reduce the fast-rising national debt. ""This is not a moment to declare victory. This is progress,"" Warner said. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=668,Connolly Statement on H.R. 2019,2013-12-11,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Gerald Connolly,C001078,connolly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Connolly Statement on H.R. 2019 f t # e Washington, DC, December 11, 2013 Congressman Connolly released the following statement on H.R. 2019. Read more. share: f t Today House Republicans forced a vote on the cynically misnamed “Kids First Research Act.” The bill purports to increase funding for pediatric research by transferring $12.6 million from the public financing for party nominating conventions. That might sound substantial if it weren’t designed to mask the fact that House Republicans have slashed NIH funding by $4.2 billion in the last three years. In fact, their most recent budget proposal would have cut NIH funding by another 20%. It’s one of the most cynical acts I’ve seen in a Congress and reminds me of what my friend, humorist Jim Boren, used to say, “If you’re going to be a phony, at least be sincere about it.” f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/defense-bill-would-help-vets-turn-skills-into-jobs,Defense bill would help vets turn skills into jobs,2013-12-11,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Defense bill would help vets turn skills into jobs By:  Maggie Severns Wednesday, December 11, 2013 A young program designed to help members of the military transfer their skills from service into the workforce could get a boost from the National Defense Authorization Act, which Congress is working to pass before the end of the year. A pilot program allows service members to earn credentials for in-demand jobs in fields in which they may already have specialized skills from their time in the military, such as health care support and aircraft mechanics. Credentials for service members currently in the pilot programs are issued either by the military or an outside party. The current NDAA bill would put quality measures into place in an effort to prevent fraudulent or useless credentials from entering the market, chiefly by requiring credentialing institutions to comply with Title IV of the Higher Education Act. “For many in the private sector this could be a very lucrative business if it’s done right,” said Steve Gonzalez, assistant director at the American Legion. Part of the expansion was originally proposed in a bill called the Troop Talent Act introduced earlier this year by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and backed strongly by veterans groups such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. The bill earned 99 cosponsors in the House and 18 in the Senate. The bill would also require the military to make more information about credentialing programs available to service members. “These provisions will help ensure servicemembers are provided with the guidance and information they need to translate their military skills into a civilian career, as well as give them peace of mind,” Kaine spokeswoman Amy Dudley said. Earlier versions of the NDAA bill in both the House and the Senate would have gone a step further, expanding the pilot programs further by adding information technology to the list of credentials offered. This provision was stripped from the compromise bill announced by negotiators Monday evening. The pilot credentialing program has private-sector companies such as Cisco weighing in on what skills they need, helping to ensure that the credentials are workable on the job market. That’s similar to other white-hot workforce development programs such as P-TECH in New York City, which has a partnership with IBM. In the future, everything from cyber security to maintaining drones could be the kind of in-demand jobs in America that veterans would be suited for, Gonzalez said. The Department of Defense has good reason to focus on transitioning service members to the workforce: The unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans currently hovers around 10 percent, significantly higher than the workforce overall. The Department of Defense paid $1.7 billion in unemployment benefits in 2012, almost 10 times as much as it did in 2001. Everything from a lack of information about credentials to an inability to complete civilian credential programs are barriers that currently prevent service members from obtaining credentials, according to a recent DoD report. The effort has also garnered interest from the Obama Administration, which launched a similar pilot program through the Health and Human Services Department last spring. The programs are very small, serving a combined 2,400 service members so far at an average cost of $248 each. Moving the program forward rests on Congress passing the NDAA, which sets levels for the defense department’s budget as well as many policies. This year, stalled negotiations and the government shutdown have led to questions over whether Congress will manage to pass the NDAA, which it has done every year for 50 years. Having the workforce language in NDAA will help solidify the programs as a part of the Department of Defense, said Ryan Gallucci of Veterans of Foreign Wars. And it will allow advocates to start scaling the pilot programs soon and expanding them to other workforce skills. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/kaine-rigell-press-case-for-budget-compromise,"Kaine, Rigell press case for budget compromise",2013-12-11,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine, Rigell press case for budget compromise By:  Dave Ress Wednesday, December 11, 2013 Lawmakers in Washington have heard a fair amount about a couple of Norfolk-based Navy captains recently – and likely will continue to in the next couple days as they decide whether to approve a budget compromise hammered out this week, Sen. Tim Kaine admits. ""I've mentioned them a lot,"" Kaine said Wednesday. He said he's been making a case for a budget compromise by repeating comments they made to him during a recent visit to Norfolk about how much they and their sailors rely on civilian Defense Department staff and the workers at BAE Systems Ship Repair. His point is that government shutdowns that furlough civilian DoD staff and across-the-board spending cuts that hit defense contractors also hurt men and women in uniform. He's hoping that word leads Congress to approve the compromise reached by the budget conference committee this week. Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Virginia Beach, has been doing much the same. He stood up when the GOP House caucus gathered Wednesday morning to relay what sailors from admirals to master chiefs have been telling him about how a lack of a real budget is hurting the nation's defense. ""I've got colleagues, maybe they come from a place where there's not much military presence, or no bases, and I think it is part of my job to help them understand what we see in Hampton Roads,"" he said. Rigell and Kaine agree that relying on continuing resolutions – the short-term agreements that say the government can continue spending what it had been spending – instead of actually writing a budget harms the military's ability to plan. And the automatic across-the-board budget cuts, which Washingtonians call sequester, can be devastating. Those cuts kicked in this spring because Congress couldn't agree on a budget then. ""They rob us of efficiency,"" Rigell said. ""It's almost like your defense dollar buys you only 70 cents or 80 cents of defense, because of the uncertainty"" and because sometimes the last component of what the military needs to make an entire system work can't be acquired. The agreement, which says the U.S. government will spend $1.01 trillion this year and roughly the same in 2015, isn't everything either was hoping for. ""But that's what compromise is,"" said Kaine, who is disappointed by the cuts in cost-of-living allowances going forward for military retirees younger than 62, as well as by the increased contributions to pensions to be demanded by people the government hires in the years to come. But it does prevent another $20 billion of defense spending cuts from kicking in, ""and shows we could find a path to compromise,"" he added. ""My hope is the budget compromise allows us to step away from the irrational harm of sequestration,"" said Sen. Mark Warner, who like Kaine is a member of the budget conference committee that crafted the compromise. The House and Senate must still vote on the agreement. And, warns Rigell, his experience shows compromise isn't always the easiest thing to sell. ""It's not a slam dunk,"" he said. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/kaine-says-budget-deal-will-help-virginias-economy,Kaine says budget deal will help Virginia’s economy,2013-12-11,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine says budget deal will help Virginia’s economy By:  Michael Sluss Wednesday, December 11, 2013 U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine said today that the budget agreement struck by House and Senate negotiators will boost Virginia’s economy by averting another round of automatic defense cuts and removing the prospect of another federal government shutdown. “A two-year budget deal means we’re not going to be doing that kind of brinksmanship,”  Kaine said in a telephone interview .”That is going to have a positive effect on the Virginia economy.” Kaine and fellow Virginia Democrat Mark Warner were on the bipartisan conference committee that struck the deal with House negotiators. The agreement would fund federal agencies through October 2015 and replace automatic defense and discretionary spending cuts with targeted reductions and some fee increases. It also would restore some budget normalcy in a Congress that has lurched from one fiscal crisis to another over the last three years. “I liked the fact the we got a deal and I like the fact that we stretched it and got a two-year deal,” Kaine said. “I like the fact that we’ve replaced $63 billion of sequester cuts over two years with more targeted cuts and some revenues through fees. The across-the-board cuts make no sense. You should make cuts and all decisions based on priority judgments and performance data rather than across the board.” Kaine noted that the conference committee agreed to a fiscal 2014 spending level of $1.012 trillion, splitting the difference between the House and Senate proposals. And like most compromises, Kaine found some things in the deal he doesn’t like. The compromise makes adjustments to military retirement benefits and will require new civilian federal employees to contribute an additional 1.3 percent of their pay to their pensions. It also would end a 14-week extension of the eligibility period for unemployed workers. The Richmond-based Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis projects that 10,000 Virginians could have their unemployment benefits cut off shortly after Christmas. “I’m disappointed in that,” Kaine said. “The House position was: ‘Look, this was supposed to be a temporary kind of extension; it’s already been extended a couple of times, we should go ahead and let it sunset.’ I thought for the good of individuals and, actually, for the good of the economy, it would have been better to extend it.” Kaine predicted that the deal will inject some certainty into the economy. “Watch the stock market, watch the economic indicators,” he said. “I think if we pass a two budget, companies that have been holding back a little bit on investments will feel some certainty and more able to make them. Companies that have been holding back on hiring will feel some more certainty and will move forward on hiring.” Warner said in a statement on Tuesday that the compromise “allows us to step away from the irrational harm of sequestration, which hits Virginia harder than any other state.” “This is a productive step forward that avoids another shutdown and allows the government to operate with more predictability over the short term,’ Warner said.  “I have some concerns about the impact on the federal workforce and our military retirees, which is another reason why we need to tackle the larger and more important issues of tax and entitlement reforms to  fix our balance sheet over the long term.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=7f7789b9-ea84-4147-b08b-45205440caae,Warner Leads Bipartisan Group in Introducing Bill to Exempt Volunteer First Responders from Healthcare Mandate,2013-12-11,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Mark Warner,W000805,www.warner.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) led a group of Senators in introducing bipartisan legislation to ensure volunteer firefighters and other first responders can continue protecting communities that rely on them. The Protect Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act, which is cosponsored by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Angus King (I-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Mark Begich (D-AK), amends the Affordable Care Act to make it clear that volunteer emergency service workers are not required to be counted as full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) for purposes of healthcare coverage. Companion legislation has been introduced in the House by Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA-11). Some volunteer firefighters  are nominally paid, and most volunteer first responders have other full-time employment. Many emergency response agencies do not have the resources to provide pay or benefits to volunteers, nor do most volunteer first responders expect to receive compensation or health coverage as a result of their  volunteer public service. An estimated 48,000 volunteer firefighters serve across Virginia and an estimated 454 volunteer EMT's, according to the  Virginia Department of Fire Programs the Virginia Department of Health, respectively.  “Properly distinguishing between full-time, paid emergency responders and volunteers is necessary if we want to protect essential emergency response agencies that keep our communities safe and protect over one-third of the U.S. population,” Sen. Warner said. “I’ve said all along that there will be issues that arise with health care reform and we should deal  with them in a bipartisan manner. I am proud to offer this legislation to protect those who protect us.” “We all know that the main goal of the Affordable Care Act is to provide all Americans with accessible and affordable health care coverage,” Sen. Manchin said. “However, we also know that there have been many missteps and unintentional consequences during the implementation of this law. Due to a technical error that unintentionally penalizes volunteer fire departments, the law jeopardizes funding for training and emergency response hours by imposing unreasonable burdens on many of our volunteer emergency response agencies. Our bipartisan fix makes sure there is a clear distinction between full-time, paid emergency responders and volunteers so that our emergency response teams can keep our communities safe without the threat of reducing necessary funding for training or emergency response hours. I thank my good friend Senator Mark Warner for his leadership on fixing this problem with the Affordable Care Act.” “From small cities to rural communities – Pennsylvania has the largest number of volunteer fire departments in the country,” Sen. Toomey said. “These departments play a crucial role in protecting Pennsylvanians every day.  This bipartisan legislation will protect these fire departments from the devastating consequences of Obamacare.  Pennsylvania is fortunate to have so many dedicated volunteers willing to risk their lives for their fellow citizens and the least we can do is help them keep their doors open.” “Hundreds of small towns in Maine and thousands more across the nation rely on volunteer firefighters and other emergency first responders to protect our local communities. Our bipartisan legislation will draw an important distinction between those volunteers and full-time, paid staff that will ensure emergency response units can continue to deliver robust services without the fear of having to deal with cumbersome federal regulations. I have always said that I am prepared to work with my colleagues to improve the ACA, and today I am proud to join with Senators Warner, Manchin, Toomey, and Collins in support of this common-sense fix,” Sen. King said. “Maine boasts one of the highest percentages of volunteer and on-call firefighters in the nation, and these brave men and women play a vital role in keeping our communities safe each and every day,” Sen. Collins said.  “It is unacceptable that an undue burden could be placed on volunteer fire departments across the country, and it is imperative that this ambiguity in the law be clarified and fixed.” ""Our first responders and firefighters who put their safety on the line to keep our families and communities safe in Alaska and throughout the country need the certainty that they have the necessary resources to keep offering their services ,"" said Sen. Begich. ""I am glad that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have come together to support this common sense bill and make sure these brave men and women are not faced with an undue burden of providing non-full time employees with health care."" This bipartisan legislation has been endorsed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Volunteer Fire Council, and Congressional Fire Services Institute. “The IAFC strongly supports Sen. Warner and Sen. Manchin’s bill to clarify the status of volunteer firefighters under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This is a bipartisan issue which could have serious impacts on staffing at fire departments across the United States,” said Chief William Metcalf, president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. “The IAFC looks forward to working with Congress and the Administration to help ensure fire departments of all types are able to continue saving lives and serving their communities.”   The text of the Protect Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act is available here.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154839/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/478,GOODLATTE REFLECTS ON LEGACY OF NELSON MANDELA,2013-12-10,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE REFLECTS ON LEGACY OF NELSON MANDELA WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement as leaders across the nation gathered in South Africa today for a Memorial Service for Former South African President Nelson Mandela: “Today leaders from across the globe, citizens of South Africa, and those in nations throughout the world came together to honor the memory of Nelson Mandela and celebrate a life that has truly made a mark on history. “In President Mandela’s 95 years he faced many hardships and injustices.  Yet, he turned these struggles into great steps forward in bringing justice and equality to South Africa.   “And it is only fitting that today’s Memorial Service was marked by skies heavy with rain – a symbol of blessing.  President Mandela was a true man of the people and a source of inspiration and hope.  His life was certainly a blessing to many. “The world changed tremendously in his lifetime, and his impact will not be forgotten.  While I never had the good fortune to meet President Mandela, I think he would agree that we must continue to stand watch over the principles of freedom and democracy for which he fought.     “As the world continues to mourn the loss of this great leader, my prayers remain with the Mandela family and the people of South Africa.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/grassley-kaine-introduce-bill-to-improve-sibling-connections-in-child-welfare-system,"Grassley, Kaine Introduce Bill to Improve Sibling Connections in Child Welfare System",2013-12-10,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Grassley, Kaine Introduce Bill to Improve Sibling Connections in Child Welfare System Tuesday, December 10, 2013 WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia today introduced legislation to improve sibling connections in the child welfare system.  “Child welfare experts tell you and common sense tells you children benefit when they’re kept together and have strong relationships,” Grassley said.  “Our bill removes barriers to federal law that prevent families of siblings from knowing when a child is placed in foster care or siblings from losing ties when parental rights are terminated.  This will help maintain sibling relationships and in turn help the kids.”  “Ensuring that children in the child welfare system remain connected to their siblings provides them with continuity and support,” said Kaine.  “My wife Anne is a longtime advocate for foster children and during my term as Governor we successfully strengthened permanent family connections for older children in foster care through the ‘For Keeps’ initiative and increased funding to recruit more foster and adoptive parents. Today I’m proud to introduce the Sibling Connections Act that will keep brothers and sisters together and result in fewer emotional and behavioral problems down the line."" Grassley and Kaine said the Grassley-authored Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 made great strides to improve child welfare but several obstacles impede sibling relationships.  The Sibling Connections Act introduced today follows the example of at least five states, including Iowa, that have passed legislation or regulation that recognizes the parents of siblings as “relatives” for foster care placement.   That means the parents of a child’s siblings are notified when the child enters foster care, allowing the adult guardians to try to maintain the sibling relationships.   Also, the Grassley-Kaine bill would correct the current situation in which siblings lose their status as siblings when their parents’ rights are terminated.  The loss of sibling status undermines the requirement of the Fostering Connections law that siblings be placed together whenever possible.  Grassley said he is inspired in this effort by parents including Robert and Sharon White of Ames.  The Whites are long-time advocates for adoption and quality foster care, including keeping siblings together. The Whites have adopted several children and have recently decided to become foster parents.  They also have worked with Iowa state legislators to pass legislation making it easier for children in foster care to be adopted with their siblings.  Grassley is a long-time advocate for adoption and improving foster care, especially the challenges facing those who age out of the system.  He is the co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Caucus on Foster Youth.  He has secured several key legislative improvements to promote adoption.  More information is available here. More information on the value of sibling relationships is available here.  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-budget-deal-,Kaine Statement On Budget Deal,2013-12-10,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine Statement On Budget Deal Tuesday, December 10, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the bipartisan Budget Conference Committee, released the following statement on the budget deal reached today: “Ever since I took office last January, I made it a mission to do everything I could to replace the across-the-board sequester cuts that have so severely hurt Virginia and return to normal budgetary order. I even delivered my maiden floor speech last February on the urgent need to find compromise and avert sequestration. Tonight, I’m pleased that after passing a Senate budget for the first time in four years and going to conference with the House, a deal has been reached. “I’m disappointed that reductions in the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for military retirees and cuts to federal employee benefits were included. But the deal goes a long way toward alleviating the most harmful effects of sequestration next year – cuts that have disproportionately impacted federal employees and the defense community – and restoring basic economic certainty to businesses and families across the Commonwealth. It also ensures we won’t suffer another damaging government shutdown next month that would have resulted in more negative consequences for federal employees. “The two-year, bipartisan agreement will relieve $63 billion of sequester cuts for 2014 and 2015. It will also avert additional defense cuts – including $20 billion in cuts that were set to take effect in January 2014 – and replace non-defense cuts over the next two years. We’ve also given appropriators the certainty they need to write full appropriations bills – a significant step toward ending the dangerous pattern of stopgap, governing-by-crisis measures that have plagued the budgeting process in recent years.   “While I’m still examining the details of the deal, I am pleased a spirit of compromise and cooperation prevailed.”  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-confirmation-of-patricia-millett-to-dc-circuit,Kaine Statement On Confirmation Of Patricia Millett To D.C. Circuit,2013-12-10,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine Statement On Confirmation Of Patricia Millett To D.C. Circuit Tuesday, December 10, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Patricia Millett, of Alexandria, Virginia, to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit:  “With Pattie Millett's confirmation to the D.C. Circuit, the court gains a supremely qualified jurist with a strong record of bipartisan public service under both Democratic and Republican administrations. Pattie’s career has prepared her well for this post and I was honored to introduce her at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On top of her impressive career and educational experience, Pattie is a proud military spouse who will represent the unique perspective of military families.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363856,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 12.9.13,2013-12-09,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"On My Christmas List… Last week, I introduced the EPA MACT (Maximum Achievable Contraction of Technocrats) Act, which would cut the EPA’s workforce by a reasonable 15 percent over a realistic three- to four-year period. Regular readers of this column are aware that I am not the EPA’s biggest fan.  However, I do want clean air and clean water, and I will give some credit where it is due.  In the past, the EPA has introduced some reasonable regulations in seeking to fulfill its mission of “protect[ing] human health and the environment,” and to this day it continues overseeing some important programs.  In my view, for example, this includes EPA grant programs that help provide underserved areas with clean water. But I believe the EPA is going too far.   According to a Washington TV channel (FOX 5 DC), EPA regulations on newer-model, heavy-duty diesel vehicles (including ambulances and fire trucks) must have an emission control system that would shut the vehicle down in order to “regenerate.”  FOX 5 reported that “the drivers of the rigs and the people who manage them have to stay on top of the warning lights to make sure they don't ever approach the shut down level.” In an actual case in the nation’s capital, FOX 5 DC says a shooting victim in cardiac arrest was being transported via ambulance to a hospital when “the indicator lights on the emission control system suddenly and unexpectedly jumped from a warning to shut down in a matter of seconds, and as the engine died, [the driver] was able to pull the rig to the side of the road.”  A second ambulance arrived minutes later, but the victim was ultimately pronounced dead at the hospital. EPA says that they essentially fixed the issue in 2012, but Harold Boer, head of the Fire Apparatus Manufacturing Association, told the Washington Post, “the waiver does not fully exempt emergency vehicles and instead allows them to be retrofitted so there is more time between regeneration stops.”  He also said that few cities request that their vehicles be retrofitted as it doesn’t eliminate the issue, and that “a request to the EPA for a blanket exemption for all emergency vehicles has been denied.” Though fortunately it doesn’t appear that this has been a widespread problem, is this EPA regulation necessary?  Does it “protect human health and the environment” to have diesel engines like those in ambulances, fire trucks, or large trucks on the interstate potentially shutting down in a matter of seconds?   I don’t think so. Similarly, should fire hydrants be subject to EPA drinking water regulations that exempt shower valves and bathtub faucets?  Communities across the country could have to spend millions of dollars replacing their fire hydrant inventories in order to both keep the public safe and comply with unreasonable EPA guidance that would require fire hydrants installed after January 4, 2014 to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. The House unanimously passed the bipartisan Community Fire Safety Act that rejects this guidance, but the Senate has yet to act. The EPA also uses the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon dioxide, which we breathe out, despite former Chairman John Dingell saying he hadn’t anticipated the legislation would be used to do so. What other crazy regulatory cards does the EPA have up its sleeve? Did you know that the number of EPA employees increased by nearly 110 percent from 1972 until 2011, while the number of total Federal personnel decreased by 15 percent?  Or that, during the recent partial government shutdown, more than 95 percent of all EPA employees were considered “non-essential” and were furloughed? Surely the EPA has more than enough resources at its disposal to continue overseeing its important programs and enforcing reasonable regulations, and a reduction in forces at the 14 buildings they occupy in whole or in part in Washington, DC might stop some of these unreasonable regulations.  That’s why I recently introduced the EPA MACT Act, H.R. 3641, which would cut the EPA’s workforce by a reasonable 15 percent. This is the time of year when folks write up their Christmas lists.  The vast majority of people in our area would welcome the inclusion of the EPA MACT Act, cutting EPA employment by 15 percent, on their wish lists.  It might be asking a lot of Santa for this bill to become law, but the economy of the Ninth District and our people can’t take any more job-killing, unreasonable EPA regulations. As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/commonwealth-connection/lessons-learned-from-40-school-years,Lessons Learned From 40 School Years,2013-12-09,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Monday, December 9, 2013 Lessons Learned From 40 School Years by Tim Kaine This article was posted on November 27 by Tom Segal in the Education Week blog, Reimagining K-12. My wife Anne and I are now empty-nesters. Our daughter just left home for college, joining two older brothers out in the wide world. We are experiencing many emotions--pride in our three kids, hope that we've given them the character skills to negotiate life's ups and downs, melancholia over the passage of time, and curiosity about how we'll manage the shift to a kid-free house after 23 years. Earlier this summer, it also dawned on me that Anne and I are done with our journey through American public education. Our kids all went to Richmond Public Schools (RPS). They attended neighborhood elementary schools, neighborhood and magnet middle schools, and magnet high schools. My youngest even spent a year in our state's recently initiated Pre-K program. They've spent a combined total of 40 years in public pre-K/12 classrooms. I've worked hard as a public official on educational issues like early childhood programs, career and technical education, and curricular reform. When I was Richmond's mayor, I visited a city school every Tuesday morning. When I was lieutenant governor and governor, I visited at least one school in every one of Virginia's 134 cities and counties. And my wife Anne has interacted intimately with kids and the school system during her career as a juvenile court judge and foster care reform advocate. And yet, despite our professional involvement, our real knowledge of public education comes from back-to-school nights, parent-teacher conferences, helping with homework, pulling crumpled notes to parents out of backpacks, attending plays, band concerts, dance recitals, sporting events, and the countless other interactions that involved parents have with their kids' schools. So, what have we learned? Let's start with the most important thing: we're enormously grateful to the teachers and administrators who have shepherded our children. RPS is a challenged urban system in many ways. More than 75 percent of students are on free and reduced lunch. Eighty-five percent of the students are racial minorities. State and local funding has been stressed during the recession. There are many schools with marginal student performance, at least as measured on standardized tests. The schools are often in the news more for political squabbles among the school board than for student achievement. But for all the challenges, a kid with engaged parents can get a wonderful academic and life-rounding education from dedicated teachers in our city. Parental engagement in their child's education is critical to a child being successful in school. I've been reflecting on other lessons as well--lessons for policy-makers. We know education is key to both individual success and to the economic success of our nation. And we all read the stories about American slippage, whether in international test score rankings or higher education attainment. We know we have to be stronger, but much of the policy debate seems stale to me. Is better high-stakes testing, or charter schools, or more dollars invested the best we can do in terms of educational innovation? With those questions in mind, I've decided to summarize seven changes I'd like to see in American public education based on lessons learned--not through 17 years in elected office--but through 40 school years of accompanying our three kids through American public education. 1) It's About the Individual! While the most debated current reform trends have been the accountability movement (emphasizing curricular standards and high stakes testing) and charter schools, I have come to believe that the future of education has been right under our nose for nearly 40 years. The 1975 passage of the federal Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which served as the basis for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990, is an example of how one-size testing for all does not meet the needs of every child, but instead shows us that it is about individualized education. Before 1975, only one in five kids with disabilities were accommodated in our nation's public schools. The massive loss in life happiness and productivity because so many children were kept out of school due to disability, or not treated in a way to maximize their success, was tragic and incalculable. But the 1975 Act ushered in a new era, where children with identified disabilities are entitled to individualized education plans that tailor instruction to their own particular condition. And the gains that our young people have experienced as a result have been great. One of our children needed an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for one year--focused attention during that year solved a speech deficit. Many children have the same experience of getting a diagnosis, obtaining treatment for a short period of time and then moving away from specialized assistance to success in the mainstream setting. Numerous children who qualify for early intervention services due to a diagnosed disability are able to overcome deficits while three and four years of age and then enter kindergarten without any special assistance. And the parents and children who have benefited from a long-term IEP throughout their schooling are generally great witnesses to the success of the program. There are various criticisms of the IDEA and the IEP model, including the unfulfilled promise by the federal government to fund 40 percent of the national average per pupil expenditure; currently the federal contribution is about 17 to 20 percent. For schools, the special education laws are expensive to administer. For teachers, the paperwork surrounding creation and implementation of an IEP can be cumbersome. For parents, there can be tense negotiation with financially strapped schools over the level of service required. And some critics believe that there is an over-diagnosis of disability among minority students. But all the criticisms of the program ends up being about how to improve it. Unlike No Child Left Behind, which still has critics who want to abolish it, there is no active effort to undo the basic model for educating students with disabilities. So, the natural question is, why don't we personalize learning for every student? Shouldn't we strive for an educational model that involves individualized education for all? We don't live in a ""one size fits all"" world and our education system should reflect that. And with new technology tools, we have a much greater ability to have students self-pace with the assistance of teachers who are able to recognize when students achieve mastery of material sufficient to move on to higher levels. As we approach discussions about the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, a focus on individualized education should be paramount. I had a very modest experience with this kind of learning when I was principal of a small vocational school in El Progreso, Honduras from 1980 to 1981. Jesuit missionaries had started the school to help teenage boys learn basic carpentry skills. When I arrived, a fine carpenter was teaching the boys, but he was a good craftsman and not a trained teacher. He would give students projects that were too easy or too hard; the students were not developed in a strategic way. I watched him for a few weeks, then made a list of about 60 projects students might be asked to do, did technical drawings for the projects, arranged them from easiest to hardest, and gave the project book to the carpenter. With a simple project book, he could start all students on the first project and allow them to move on to the next project only when they had completed it to his satisfaction. Within a few months, the kids were all working on different projects, but developing at their own pace in a way that was simple for a single teacher to administer. This is a simple example of how individualized learning can work. The advent of computerized learning programs gives today's tech-savvy teachers even greater ability to help students develop in this way. I think a focus on individualized education also picks up an important insight from the special education world. Just as a child might have a specific identified disability, it is also the case that children have specific abilities different from the kids sitting across the aisle. The curricular world of standardized tests, where excellence is measured in a few limited spheres that a state educational apparatus chooses to test, can overlook specific areas where a student is likely to be a high performer, and thus more fulfilled in school and beyond. I like the fact that an individualized focus can break down some of the stereotyping that always follows from looking just at subgroup performance. No Child Left Behind's attention to performance of racial minorities and students with disabilities has been generally positive because we've uncovered the tendency of averages to mask educational disparities. But students shouldn't just be treated as part of some meta-group. The variations within demographic groups are huge, based on income, region, family status or other factors. More focus on the individual is more likely to lead to success for the individual and the whole. 2) Early Childhood Education Works Virginia started a modest early childhood education program after my two sons had already entered elementary school. My daughter, however, was just the right age to experience the program. And while my boys did have a good experience with high quality private child care programs, the value of my daughter's comprehensive pre-K year, with a curriculum coordinated to accelerate K-12 success, made me a believer. The research on the effect of high-quality early childhood education is powerful. My favorite writer on the topic is an economist, Nobel laureate James Heckman, who calculates how public investments accelerate economic growth. He concludes that investments in early childhood education have one of the greatest returns of any public investment. Many states, including Virginia, have used this data to dramatically expand early childhood programs. Early childhood programs take advantage of brain research showing that 90 percent of brain development is complete before age five. Thus, an earlier start helps brain development at the time when the effects are most likely to be significant. And research shows that the value of the program is most powerful for children who might otherwise have learning barriers like developmental disabilities, lack of access to books or other learning material, a home where English isn't the primary language. Part of this benefit comes from getting parents more engaged in learning so they can supplement their child's educational experience at home. Early diagnosis and educational intervention helps many students who would otherwise be in special education classes to thrive in mainstream classrooms. And there is a demonstrable link between early childhood education and the reduced chance of having to repeat a grade later in school. We should do all we can to continue the expansion of high quality early childhood programs, with clear standards, mandated teacher training, and coordination with K-12 curricula. And it's not just about spending more money. We have to better coordinate the money we already spend for early childhood programs. When I was governor, I did spend more money, expanding our statewide pre-K placements by 40 percent even in the midst of a deep recession. But I also found that the state spent money for some early childhood programs, including pre-kindergarten and special education placements, through our Department of Education. Meanwhile other programs, including Head Start and child care placements funded as part of Welfare to Work, were funded separately through our Department of Social Services. Often, the placements funded through Social Services were not required to offer the same educationally-enriching experience as those funded through the state's education agency. And this silo approach to funding was driven by federal policy. I put one leader in charge of the allocation of all the funds, and she mandated greater educational accountability in all settings regardless of where the dollars were coming from. We need to undertake a similar coordination of the educational investment at the federal level. Someday soon, a governor will decide to lead a salutary change by adjusting K-12 education downward to begin at age 4, finishing at age 17, instead of the current 5 to 18 age norm that was set before we fully understood patterns of brain development. There is no question that there is a higher public return on investing in education for a student from age 4 to 5 than from age 17 to 18. I predict that we will eventually move to an earlier start to public education and experience great educational improvements as a result. 3) Elementary Education: Teach Less, Learn More I once visited a Virginia elementary school that had just received notice of its performance on annual state tests. The students had knocked it out of the park. Walking into a meeting with teachers, I assumed they would be elated and began my remarks with a hearty congratulations for their performance. My comments provoked a 45-minute discussion with the teachers about the foolishness of ""test culture"" as applied to elementary school students. Clearly, even in a successful school, I had hit a nerve. My children have all attended schools subject to high-stakes tests pursuant to the Virginia Standards of Learning that were adopted in the 1990s as a forerunner of the federal No Child Left Behind law. I have many thoughts about these tests. Unlike some who dismiss the idea of tests out of hand, or shake their fists at federal involvement, I see value in having standards and having periodic assessments to see whether students are meeting standards. And while I hear complaints about how standards and testing rob teachers of the ability to be creative, I have seen many teachers who are able to convey uniform material in fun and creative ways. But there are serious problems. The current accountability regime focuses its effort on making sure all students clear a minimum performance standard, without the proper focus on helping students achieve excellence. Minimal performance isn't enough in today's world, yet most state high stakes test regimes make that the benchmark. Another serious problem with our testing regime is the tendency to test too much too early. Stealing a phrase from a recent era of education reform in Singapore, I think we should ""teach less and learn more"" in elementary school by simplifying standards. Most agree that ability to read on grade level and attain basic skills in math should be the hallmark of a solid elementary education. But while math and language fluency are key building blocks for later success in all areas, we foolishly load elementary school kids up with additional curricular requirements. This has the effect of diluting early focus on language and math literacy that is key to later educational success in all areas. I would summarize elementary education to be simply about attaining math and language literacy. Social studies texts and projects should be used to help students attain more reading fluency; basic science problems should be used to help students with math. But making young kids memorize historical facts and figures or struggle with science concepts so that they can pass subject matter tests in those areas is counterproductive. Science and social studies in the elementary curriculum is fine, but mandated state testing of elementary school kids should be limited to math and language fluency. This point about elementary school also has an application to all public education. I often wonder whether testing is really about kids or about the testing companies' bottom lines. A Virginia public school student today--in addition to the tests and quizzes that are always part of the classroom experience--has to take over 30 state exams between 3rd and 11th grades in order to be on track to graduate from high school. When my kids started in school, they were given state tests in the 3rd, 5th and 8th grades to make sure that they were progressing in a way to predict high school success. Now, the mandated tests occur every year, and there are often multiple tests each year. But as our student performance on nationally and internationally normed tests (like NAEP and PISA) show, the fixation over repetitive state testing is not producing better results. 4) Middle School as Career Exploration The only bad year we experienced as parents of public school kids was during a first year in middle school. There were many challenges, from school leadership to student attitude. But as we wrestled with it, and talked to friends, it slowly dawned on me that the low point for me and most parents was middle school. It's a tough time for kids. Part of this is just adolescence. But I think part of the middle school blues is an uncertainty about its pedagogical purpose. Elementary school is about trying to master the basics. High school is about preparing for life and career choices. What is middle school really about? In keeping with my individualization theme described earlier, I'd re-conceive middle school as fundamentally about career exploration. This is less about a change in curriculum and more about using all pieces of the curriculum to expose students to the wide range of available work and career choices so that, by the time they enter high school, they will be more informed about future paths and what they need to do to pursue them. Think about this question: what does the average kid know about the world of work? Most know what their parents do and maybe a neighbor or two. But even for kids from advantaged backgrounds, knowledge of the working world tends to be very limited. And if a child is from an impoverished background, their awareness of career possibilities is often very circumscribed. So fix the pedagogical muddle that is middle school with an intense focus on exposing students to continuous education about career choices. There should be a real focus on helping students explore their own strengths and preferences and how they match up with likely future careers. Do you want to work with people or do you love being in front of a computer? Do you want to do work with your hands or perform mostly mental tasks? Use the three years of middle school to really explore student personality and talents and help them identify areas where they can be happy and productive as adults. There are an increasing number of schools and online resources that engage middle school students in career planning exercises, often with the involvement of teachers, school counselors and, most importantly, their parents or guardians. These efforts are done with a healthy dose of reality. Most middle-schoolers will not really know what they want to do as an adult. But by presenting students with options, and educating them about what it takes to pursue a desired career path, you get them into a planning mode where they think more about the future and about how the work of today connects with later success. 5) High School: Different Paths to Success In the old days, high schools often assigned kids into separate tracks, normally an academic and vocational track. The tracking was done in a way that made kids feel that vocational fields were second best. But in today's world, with so many promising technical fields, there should be multiple tracks with students not assigned, but choosing the path most likely to make them happy and successful in later life. There has been a dramatic re-awakening in career and technical education at the high school level. I saw this all over Virginia when I was governor and tried to accelerate the trend with the creation of governor's career and technical academies around the state. Some students chose the technical course options to become work ready and pursue health care, technology, mechanical or construction-related careers. But others, feeling bored by a steady diet of the classroom, found that taking one or two technical courses is a great complement to academic subjects. As governor, I met a student who was attending one of the governor's academies in Arlington, Va. His mother pushed him to the front of a room and made him tell his story. He was a mid-level student at his comprehensive high school, not overly interested in the classroom subjects because he didn't see their relevance to life success. His family had the inspired idea to enroll him in an EMT class at the nearby technical center. Suddenly, working with his hands on real life issues, he was engaged and excited. And soon, it started to dawn on him that biology and chemistry were really important and his grades in his traditional classes started to increase as well. I ran into him a few years later and found he was attending a prestigious university and studying to pursue a career in medicine. Now, instead of separate and unequal tracks, technical coursework can enhance academic success and vice versa. Virginia has embraced the ""different paths"" ethos in high school by creating different diploma types. Taking the basic academic courses will enable you to receive a ""standard"" diploma. The basic courses plus a technical concentration earns a student a ""technical"" diploma. The basic courses plus advanced academic coursework entitles a student to an ""advanced"" diploma. Add technical coursework to the advanced academic curriculum and you can receive the ""advanced technical"" diploma. The great thing about these four different diploma types is that they are not the forced academic tracking of an earlier day. They are choices open to all students who are ideally told about the options in middle school and can then set their course as they see fit. Add to the diploma types the myriad of other choices--Advance Placement courses, dual enrollment in community college courses, passage of industry certification exams--and today's high school transcript becomes a highly personalized learning resume. 6) Value the Unvalued The Richmond schools are fiscally challenged and beset with state testing mandates. There's no real incentive anymore to offer top quality arts or music instruction. The same goes for physical education. But despite all contrary pressures, our kids' schools held on to arts and music with fierce determination. All three of our children started instrumental music in the 3rd grade and played for at least eight years. One son became impassioned in high school by creative writing, architecture and digital video instructors and is pursuing college studies in filmmaking and photography. Our other son, currently in the military, benefited from musical education by becoming proficient on the trumpet and absorbing important teamwork skills through playing with school bands. I learned the most about the value of arts education from my daughter. In elementary school it was clarinet, school plays and a wonderful in-school dance program sponsored by the Richmond Ballet. In middle school, it was band, her ongoing dance work and classes in painting, stained glass and cartooning at a neighboring visual arts center. When she wanted to go to an arts magnet high school, I was reluctant, thinking that a more traditional academic curriculum would be perfect for her. But I didn't fully grasp the connection between arts education and important life and career skills. She learned to communicate with confidence, standing repeatedly on a stage before an auditorium full of strangers over the years has given her poise and presence. She learned perseverance through endless practices and teacher critiques. She learned flexibility and problem-solving--the stage manager has to adjust on the fly when a prop breaks mid-act or an actor unexpectedly jumps ahead three pages in the script. And all her work--plays, dance troupes, show choirs--has been done in groups of energetic teenagers who have to harness their own points of view and make them about the group. Creativity, teamwork, communication--these are real and meaningful skills for life success. Arts and music education promotes these skills. Most organizations hiring employees look for people who can demonstrate these traits. But we don't really place an academic value on them in the traditional high-stakes testing academic focus. Here's another shocker. We all hear stories about how many jobs are available in fields like computer programming and software engineering. Companies have to hire foreign citizens to fill these jobs because we don't produce enough Americans skilled in these areas. Most states have requirements that high school students take a certain amount of science, but computer science classes generally don't count as core science classes and are instead offered just as electives. How foolish! The things that really matter for life success don't all fit neatly into today's public school curriculum. Once again, it's about individualization. But it's also critical for teachers and parents to see education as a matter of exposure to different opportunities so that students can find their own passion. It may not fit neatly into a mandated curriculum. But, let's at least create space for this kind of exploration and personal development in our schools. 7) Keeping Good Teachers Let me finish with the gratitude I expressed at the beginning about teachers. I am in debt to the teachers my kids were blessed to learn from in the Richmond Public Schools. Of course there were some weak teachers, as well as some new teachers who have no doubt gotten better. But most of my children's teachers were solid, some were spectacular and a few made a life-changing impact on their lives and career choices. I am amazed at how much good teachers give, in the classroom and out of it. The late hours for theater practices, weekend walking tours for kids around town to see Richmond's architecture in a new way, travel with the band year-in and year-out to music festivals around the state and beyond. Good teachers go well beyond the classroom to touch kids' lives. When I hear policy debate about teachers, it often seems that the fundamental goal is to figure out how to get rid of bad teachers. Evaluation systems get put in place and have no upside, but only the downside of being used to weed out the poor performers. The current trend is to figure out how to link teacher evaluations to individual student performance. Such an effort could make teachers want to avoid serving our neediest kids. While I am a huge supporter for regular teacher evaluation, and believe these evaluations should be used for all manner of actions, I think the right policy focus for our work with teachers is to pay less attention to ""how to get rid of bad teachers"" and instead focus on the more important challenge, how to attract and keep good teachers. Low pay, hard challenges, lack of parental support for so many kids, endless rounds of mandated testing crowding out individual opportunities for creativity in the classroom, all take their toll. In my experience, many great prospective teachers choose other options in college and many others cut short their desired careers to pursue other work. A policy focus on attracting and keeping good teachers would involve our schools of education. I hope some will choose to be the leaders in the kind of individualized learning that has been the main theme of my suggestions. The pay of teachers is another issue that should be the focus of national discussion. Traditionally, this is a matter for states and local governments and not a federal issue. But, at the national level, we should show how teacher compensation practices in this country stack up to the ""best in class"" education systems worldwide. A final area is professional development. We want students to be lifelong learners and we should want teachers and other education personnel to be lifelong learners as well. There is a dizzying array of new learning tools and technologies introduced every year and we need our teachers to keep current and redesign their approaches throughout their careers. So we need strong professional development for teachers that will enhance and build on instructional knowledge. Many teachers pursue a rigorous national certification process after they have a few years of classroom experience. The multi-year certification process is a powerful form of professional development. How about a federal commitment to provide a salary enhancement for teachers who achieve this distinction?",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/navy-is-still-vital-in-the-middle-east-kaine-says,"Navy is still vital in the Middle East, Kaine says",2013-12-08,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Navy is still vital in the Middle East, Kaine says By:  Bill Bartel Sunday, December 8, 2013 The Navy's presence in the Middle East isn't going to diminish any time soon even with the war in Afghanistan winding down, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine said Friday. Speaking from Manama, Bahrain, where he is attending an international security conference, Kaine said the Navy's 5th Fleet has a vital role in protecting sea lanes for commerce. ""The transit of oil and other goods through the Strait of Hormuz are going to continue to be very critical,"" he said in a conference call with reporters. ""The Navy will be here in a very significant way,"" said Kaine, who had lunch with sailors aboard the San Jacinto, a Norfolk-based guided missile cruiser. ""... There would be no strategic reason for us to be reducing presence here."" However, he said, some ""non-strategic factors"" - including automatic defense budget cuts and Congress's inability to approve a budget - could affect military operations. ""That's the asterisk right now."" The Virginia Democrat is a member of a House-Senate committee attempting to negotiate a budget deal. The committee's leaders are attempting to draft a proposal to bring before both chambers before the House's scheduled adjournment Friday. Kaine, who also serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said his message at the annual Manama Dialogue - a meeting of Middle Eastern nations and their allies - is that the U.S. role in the region is becoming less military-oriented. ""We are in a time of transition,"" he said. ""The attack of 9/11 gave us a very focused kind of lens through which to view our foreign policy responses... and that was fighting terrorism."" The U.S. is working on a broader foreign policy, Kaine said, that focuses on ""aggressive diplomacy,"" expanding trade and ""the appropriate projection of American values - especially supporting democratic aspirations."" But he cautioned that Americans have to be patient and sensitive to cultural differences as countries move to more democratic systems. ""It doesn't happen quickly,"" Kaine said. ""It didn't happen quickly in the United States."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/us-not-abandoning-afghanistan-kaine-tells-regional-leaders,"U.S. not abandoning Afghanistan, Kaine tells regional leaders",2013-12-07,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"U.S. not abandoning Afghanistan, Kaine tells regional leaders By:  Markus Schmidt Saturday, December 7, 2013 Sen. Timothy M. Kaine, D-Va., assured political leaders and diplomats at a security summit in Bahrain Friday that the United States has no plans to abandon the Middle East and connecting regions, despite a significant reduction of forces in Iraq and President Barack Obama’s vow to end combat operations in Afghanistan after 2014. “We are not withdrawing from the region and we are not rebalancing somewhere else,” Kaine said in a phone interview from Manama, the capital and largest city of Bahrain. Kaine said the U.S. is open to negotiate a continuation of an American military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014. “We think that will be helpful to the country. We’ve seen such tremendous gains and we want to continue to be there providing training and assisting. But the question is if Afghanistan wants us to do it or not, that’s for them to decide,” he said. The Obama administration last month reiterated its position that there may be no residual force in Afghanistan after 2014 unless President Hamid Karzai signs a new security agreement with the U.S. According to a statement released by the administration in November, National Security Adviser Susan Rice told Karzai that, “without a prompt signature, the U.S. would have no choice but to initiate planning for a post-2014 future in which there would be no U.S. or NATO troop presence in Afghanistan.” Kaine traveled to Bahrain Thursday to visit the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. Fifth Fleet. On Friday, he participated in a panel discussion at the 2013 Manama Dialogue, an annual security summit hosted by the Institute for International Strategic Studies. Kaine said he planned to convey the message that the U.S. must re-evaluate its role in the region and expand its circle of strategic partners. “The attack of 9/11 gave us a very focused lens through which to view our foreign policy responsibilities – and that was fighting terrorism,” Kaine said. “While that topic retains a continuing and significant vitality for us, that is not a broad enough foreign policy for a nation as great as ours. As we are now out of Iraq and drawing down forces out of Afghanistan, it is a good time to have this discussion with our allies in the region,” he said. As member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and chairman of the Middle East Subcommittee, Kaine said he is “wrestling with those questions every day.” Kaine said that the U.S. will not only to continue being a military power in the region, but use other means – such as “aggressive diplomacy” and trade – to protect its interests. “Diplomacy has been an under-exercised muscle in recent years,” Kaine said. “The recent announcement of the significant diplomatic work being done with Iran to stop their nuclear program is an example of how importantly we view this region.” The U.S. has the strongest military in the world on display in the region and is doing “great work right in this neighborhood” to keep the sea lanes open in the Persian Gulf, “so that commerce in this very important part of the world can continue,” Kaine said. “And we have great partners who appreciate what we do. We have demonstrated even in the last couple of years that we are willing to participate in significant military action in the Middle East, in North Africa and Libya, and we were willing to work together with NATO colleagues and the Arab League.” Kaine also said the U.S. played a major role in the “diplomatic breakthrough leading to the destruction of chemical weapons” in Syria, adding to efforts following the announcement of Nov. 25 that the UN will convene talks in Geneva to look for a negotiated settlement of Syria’s civil war. “No one can question the United States’ role in being aggressive about diplomacy in this region, and I think there is a new age of more vigorous diplomacy,” Kaine said. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363727,Griffith Statement on Virginia Tech President Announcement,2013-12-06,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today issued the following statement on the announcement that Dr. Timothy Sands will be serving as the next president of Virginia Tech beginning in June of 2014: “Virginia Tech is an exceptional university and a wonderful, tight-knit community that in recent years has experienced days of difficulty as well as periods of significant growth and development.  To Dr. Timothy Sands, I extend my sincere congratulations.  I look forward to working with him, and to Virginia Tech’s continued success under his leadership. “Also, I would be remiss if I did not thank Dr. Charles Steger for his service and dedication to the Hokie Nation.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154807/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/477,GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON VIRGINIA TECH PRESIDENT ANNOUNCEMENT,2013-12-06,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON VIRGINIA TECH PRESIDENT ANNOUNCEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released this statement following the announcement that Dr. Timothy Sands will become the next president of Virginia Tech, effective June 1, 2014:  “Virginia Tech has long been a leader in higher education, promoting the motto Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) throughout the Commonwealth and across the globe.  As this new chapter for Virginia Tech begins, Dr. Sands’ experience in higher education will help to guide Virginia Tech’s mission and continue their long tradition of success in innovation, research, and academic excellence.  Virginia Tech grew tremendously under the leadership of Dr. Charles Steger.  I have enjoyed working with him over the years, and I thank him for his dedicated service to the Virginia Tech community.  I wish Dr. Sands the best of luck in his new position.  Go Hokies!” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-joins-31-us-senators-to-urge-reauthorization-of-key-unemployment-insurance-program,Kaine Joins 31 U.S. Senators to Urge Reauthorization of Key Unemployment Insurance Program,2013-12-06,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine Joins 31 U.S. Senators to Urge Reauthorization of Key Unemployment Insurance Program Friday, December 6, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to prevent more than 1.3 million long-term unemployed workers from losing their unemployment insurance at the end of December -- and millions more from having no benefits after their initial 26 weeks of unemployment insurance (UI) are exhausted during the course of 2014 – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined 31 U.S. Senators to send a letter urging Congress to preserve federal unemployment insurance for another year. With just 23 days before federal UI benefits are set to expire, the Senators wrote: “We are writing to urge the continuation of federal support for unemployment insurance, a critical component of our ongoing recovery and a lifeline to millions of Americans as they search for work in this challenging economy.  As it stands now, a few days after the holiday season ends, unemployment insurance will abruptly terminate, cutting off support for 1.3 million Americans.” The unemployment insurance system is a partnership between the federal government and state governments that provides a temporary weekly benefit to qualified workers who lose their job and are seeking work. The amount of that benefit is based in part on a worker’s past earnings.   The extended federal UI program was signed into law in June 2008 by President George W. Bush, when the national unemployment rate was 5.6% and the average duration of jobless insurance was 17.1 weeks.  It has been reauthorized by Congress a number of times since as America seeks to emerge from the greatest economic recession since the Great Depression.  Today, the national unemployment rate is 7% and the average duration of UI benefits is 36.1 weeks, which is much longer than the 26 weeks of unemployment coverage that most states provide.  According to the non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), the long-term unemployment rate is falling, but it's still at 2.6%, which is twice as high as in any prior month when extended UI benefits were allowed to expire.  CBPP economists note that in each of the previous three recessions, federal unemployment assistance didn't end until the long-term unemployment rate had dropped to around 1.3%. A new study by the Council of Economic Advisers and the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that the failure to renew UI  could cost our economy 240,000 jobs in 2014, including 1,284 in Rhode Island.  Over the years, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has found that preserving UI benefits during periods of historically high unemployment is among the most cost-effective programs for reducing joblessness and stimulating the economy.  Earlier this week CBO reported: “Extending emergency unemployment benefits would raise gross domestic product (GDP) and employment in 2014 relative to what would occur under current law.  Recipients of the additional benefits would increase their spending on consumer goods and services. That increase in aggregate demand would encourage businesses to boost production and hire more workers than they otherwise would, particularly given the expected slack in the capital and labor markets.” Text of the letter follows: Dear Majority Leader Reid, Republican Leader McConnell, Chairman Baucus, and Ranking Member Hatch: We are writing to urge the continuation of federal support for unemployment insurance, a critical component of our ongoing recovery and a lifeline to millions of Americans as they search for work in this challenging economy.  As it stands now, a few days after the holiday season ends, unemployment insurance will abruptly terminate, cutting off support for 1.3 million Americans. Despite the tremendous uncertainty caused by the brinksmanship over funding the government and near-default, the economy has had 45 straight months of private sector job growth and created a total of 8.1 million jobs over that period.  However, we are still far from regaining the ground lost during the Great Recession.  The national unemployment rate has hovered around and over 7 percent and 10.9 million Americans are out of work and looking for a job.  Unemployed workers continue to face a daunting labor market, where for every one job opening, there are approximately 3 unemployed workers.  That’s why it’s imperative that we pass legislation that will get Americans back to work and that we don’t let unemployment insurance terminate at the end of the year.  Federal support for unemployment insurance has been a major boon to millions of Americans that have been laid off through no fault of their own.  Since July 2008 unemployment insurance has provided over $255 billion in direct support.  Over that period of time, we have made significant reforms, like those that avert layoffs and help people find work faster.  Our constituents and the economy still need the support; the Economic Policy Institute estimates that the expiration of unemployment insurance will cost the economy 310,000 jobs and slow growth by 0.2 percent over the course of next year. Continuation of unemployment insurance has traditionally passed on a bipartisan basis because of the tremendous support it provides to the unemployed, their families, and the economy.  We urge you to ensure that unemployment insurance is continued before its expiration at the end of the year. Sincerely,  Jack Reed (D-RI) Tom Harkin (D-IA) Tim Kaine (D-VA) Ed Markey (D-MA) Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)         Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) Robert Menendez (D-NJ) Carl Levin (D-MI) Barbara Boxer (D-CA) Chris Coons (D-DE) Mazie Hirono (D-HI) Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Jeff Merkley (D-OR) Bob Casey (D-PA) Al Franken (D-MN) Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Ron Wyden (D-OR) Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) Brian Schatz (D-HI) Patty Murray (D-WA) Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Dick Durbin (D-IL) Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Christopher Murphy (D-CT) Tom Udall (D-NM) Bill Nelson (D-FL) Cory Booker (D-NJ)   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/photos-kaine-meets-with-virginians-serving-with-fifth-fleet-tours-norfolk-based-uss-san-jacinto-in-bahrain,"Photos: Kaine Meets With Virginians Serving With Fifth Fleet, Tours Norfolk-Based USS San Jacinto In Bahrain",2013-12-06,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Photos: Kaine Meets With Virginians Serving With Fifth Fleet, Tours Norfolk-Based USS San Jacinto In Bahrain Friday, December 6, 2013   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, during a visit to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. Fifth Fleet (NAVCENT) in Bahrain, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine toured the Norfolk-based USS San Jacinto and met with Virginians serving with the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces. “I had the chance to board and visit the crew of the USS San Jacinto which deployed out of Norfolk a few months back when the Harry S. Truman deployed. They’re in dock here in Bahrain and I had a chance to visit with them and have lunch with a number of Virginians who serve in the Navy and a couple of folks in the Marines as well,” said Kaine. ""I talked with them about a range of issues, from the bigger picture security challenges facing the region, to how come traffic is still so bad in Hampton Roads. Any time I have a chance to spend time with those who serve and especially those from Virginia who serve, I always walk away with a sense of pride and admiration.” While in Bahrain, Kaine is participating in the 2013 Manama Dialogue, the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ 9th annual regional security conference.  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/kaine-navy-has-long-term-role-in-gulf,Kaine: Navy has long-term role in Gulf,2013-12-06,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine: Navy has long-term role in Gulf By:  Dave Ress Friday, December 6, 2013 Sailors from Hampton Roads are likely to keep steaming east to the Persian Gulf for some time to come, playing a critical role in keep sea lanes open through the Strait of Hormuz that links the oil-rich area to the rest of the world, Sen. Tim Kaine said Friday, during a break in a visit to the region. Kaine, chairman of the Senate subcommittee that focuses on the Middle East and South Asia, spoke after visiting with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. ""I think the Navy will be here in a significant way,"" he said. He said the intensity of the naval effort probably will not diminish any time soon. ""We're doing a better job with energy independence, but even if we get to energy independence by 2020, disrupting oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz would have a significant negative impact on the global economy,"" he said. The effect of that on the United States would be severe, he added. But Kaine said while strategic needs dictate a continuing U.S. Navy presence in the Gulf, one thing that could force a pullback was ""this foolish sequestration — that's the asterisk right now."" During his visit in Bahrain, Kaine visited the Norfolk-based USS San Jacinto and met with Virginian sailors and Marines stationed there, sharing lunch and fielding questions from them. The very first question he got was about the federal budget impasse and whether the conference committee he serves on can hit a Dec. 13 deadline for reaching a compromise to avoid another government shutdown. Kaine said he is still optimistic that the committee will come up with a plan for 2014, and possibly for 2015 as well. He said Navy brass in Bahrain said they're concerned about the across-the-board budget cuts — sequestration, in the Washington jargon — that went into effect this spring. Although military personnel on the front lines aren't subject to sequestration-linked furloughs, Kaine said top Central Command officers are concerned about how those budget cuts and the prospect of additional ones next year will affect the people who support military operations, including Defense Department civilians and defense contractors. Kaine is in Bahrain to participate in the Institute for International Strategic Studies' ninth annual conference on regional security. He is participating in the opening panel, with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Prince Turki Al Faisal of Saudi Arabia and the former Kuwaiti foreign minister, Sheik Muhammed Al Salem Al Sabah. Conference organizers have asked him to be on a panel about Syria, as well. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363603,Griffith Statement on Life of Nelson Mandela,2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) released the following statement after learning of the passing of former South African President Nelson Mandela: “I am saddened that the world has lost one of its great leaders.  Nelson Mandela was a leader of courage who led South Africa after apartheid.  While he could have done like so many other leaders in emerging nations have done and created a country where he became a president or ruler for life, he did not turn his back on the principles of representative government.  Nelson Mandela’s journey is over on this earth, but his ‘Long Walk to Freedom’ will never be forgotten. “My condolences are extended to his family, his loved ones, and the people of South Africa.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=667,Connolly & Moran Oppose GOP Budget Plan to Cut Federal Workers' Retirement,2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Gerald Connolly,C001078,connolly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Connolly & Moran Oppose GOP Budget Plan to Cut Federal Workers' Retirement f t # e Washington, DC, December 5, 2013 Representatives Gerry Connolly and Jim Moran said today that they will oppose a budget deal that makes unfair and indiscriminate cuts to federal employee pay or retirement benefits. Read more. share: f t Representatives Gerry Connolly and Jim Moran said today that they will oppose a budget deal that makes unfair and indiscriminate cuts to federal employee pay or retirement benefits.  Numerous reports have indicated that Republican negotiators are demanding a reduction in federal employee retirement benefits in an attempt to offset sequestration cuts.The two Virginia Democrats released the following statement:“No other group has been asked to make the same sacrifice as our federal workforce. To date, they have contributed $114 billion to deficit reduction, endured a 3-year pay freeze, had retirement benefits reduced for new hires, lived through a 16-day shutdown, and lost pay as a result of furloughs.  Per capita, that’s nearly $50,000 per employee - far more than any other American has been asked to contribute towards deficit reduction.“Enough is enough. Congress must find a budget deal that protects federal employees, removes sequester level spending caps, and finally acknowledges the value of federal service.” f t # e",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131210180841/http://goodlatte.house.gov:80/press_releases/476,HOUSE PASSES INNOVATION ACT TO MAKE REFORMS TO OUR PATENT SYSTEM,2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"HOUSE PASSES INNOVATION ACT TO MAKE REFORMS TO OUR PATENT SYSTEM WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House of Representatives today approved H.R. 3309, the Innovation Act by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 325-91.  This bipartisan bill takes steps to combat the ever increasing problem of abusive patent litigation. House Judiciary Committee Chairman and chief sponsor of the Innovation Act Bob Goodlatte applauded the bill’s passage: “In recent years, we have seen an exponential increase in the use of weak or poorly-granted patents by so-called patent trolls to file numerous patent infringement lawsuits against American businesses with the hopes of securing a quick payday.  Everyone from independent inventors, to start-ups, to mid and large sized businesses face this constant threat. “The enactment of the Innovation Act is something I consider central to U.S. competiveness, job creation, and our nation’s future economic security.  The bipartisan legislation takes meaningful steps to address the abusive practices that have damaged our patent system and resulted in significant economic harm to our nation.  I am encouraged by the overwhelming support the Innovation Act received in the House and I look forward to working with the Senate to see that patent litigation reform legislation is signed into law.” Background on the Innovation Act:   •    Requires plaintiffs to disclose who the owner of a patent is before litigation, so that it is clear who the real parties behind the litigation are. This will ensure that Patent Trolls cannot hide behind a web of shell companies to avoid accountability for bringing frivolous litigation. •    Requires plaintiffs to actually explain why they are suing a company in their court pleadings. •    Requires courts to make decisions about whether a patent is valid or invalid early in the litigation process so that Patent Trolls cannot drag patent cases on for years based on invalid claims.  This prevents invalid patents from being used to extort money from retailers and end users. •    When parties bring lawsuits or claims that have no reasonable basis in law and fact, the Innovation Act requires judges to award attorneys’ fees to the victims of the frivolous lawsuit.  The bill allows judges to waive the award of attorneys’ fees in special circumstances.  This provision applies to both plaintiffs and defendants who file frivolous claims. •    Requires the Judicial Conference to make rules to reduce the costs of discovery in patent litigation, so that Patent Trolls cannot use the high costs of discovery to extort money from small businesses and entrepreneurs. •    Creates a voluntary process for small businesses to postpone expensive patent lawsuits while their larger sellers complete similar patent lawsuits against the same plaintiffs, to protect customers who simply bought the product off-the-shelf. •    Requires PTO to provide educational resources for those facing abusive patent litigation claims. The Innovation Act is supported by a wide range of groups that include stakeholders from all areas of our economy representing businesses of all kinds from every corner of our country including independent inventors and innovators. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154715/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/475,GOODLATTE TESTIFIES AT EPA HEARING ON ETHANOL MANDATE,2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE TESTIFIES AT EPA HEARING ON ETHANOL MANDATE WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte testified today at the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) hearing on the proposed volume requirements of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for calendar year 2014.  Congressman Goodlatte was joined by Congressman Peter Welch (D-VT) who also supports reform of the RFS.  Congressmen Goodlatte and Welch, along with Congressmen Jim Costa (D-CA) and Steve Womack (R-AR), recently led a letter signed by 169 Members of the House of Representatives to the EPA Administrator requesting a reduction of RFS levels. Congressman Goodlatte’s full testimony, as prepared, is below: It is my pleasure to join you all today.   Since the Renewable Fuel Standard was dramatically expanded in 2007, we saw, almost immediately, the market distorting effects of the RFS on our economy.   EPA has the tools to ease this market distortion fueled by the RFS.  Members of Congress have asked several times for EPA to use your authority to lower the RFS.  Last year we experienced one of the worst droughts in our nation’s history, severely impacting the corn supply.  Livestock and food producers were confronted with corn prices as high as $8 a bushel due to the drought and requirements of the RFS.  Last year livestock producers were not just left with the concern of price, but also legitimate concerns over having enough corn to feed their animals and fear that livestock herds would shrink.  EPA partially acknowledged these concerns.  In response to the waiver request, EPA’s own analysis said that a waiver last year would have provided relief of over $80 million to the pork industry in Virginia and North Carolina. Yet action was not taken. This year we are grateful to not be experiencing a drought that compounds the market distorting effect of the RFS, but we are still confronted with the detrimental effects of the RFS.  The imposition of the 2014 volumes now threatens to cause economic and environmental harm. Perhaps the newest challenge would be the imposition of the statutory requirement of 18.15 billion gallons of renewable fuels in 2014, of which approximately 14.4 billion gallons will be made up by corn ethanol.  In particular, the combination of rising ethanol mandates and declining gasoline demand has exacerbated the onset of the E10 blendwall – the point at which the gasoline supply is saturated with the maximum amount of ethanol that current vehicles, engines, and infrastructure can safely accommodate. I was pleased to join Peter Welch, and our colleagues Jim Costa and Steve Womack, to lead a letter with 165 of our colleagues asking the EPA to lower the RFS mandate.  Despite our frustration that EPA has failed to recognize the detrimental effects of the RFS in the past, we appreciate that EPA has proposed a slight reduction of the RFS for 2014.  While this is an acknowledgement that the mandate is unworkable, it is not enough to provide the much-needed relief businesses, farmers, and consumers need. The RFS is clearly unworkable.  The mandate drastically manipulates the corn marketplace and increases commodity and food costs across the supply chain.  Under the RFS, the federal government is essentially telling a private industry that they must buy one product, ignoring other groups who also depend on that product and creating an artificial supply-and-demand.  The RFS is the federal government disrupting the marketplace by putting its heavy thumb on one side of the scale – tipping it in favor of one side over the other.  In the debate over ethanol, the government is picking winners and losers.  I urge the EPA to use your authority to provide the maximum relief possible. While it is imperative that EPA provide the maximum relief possible, we must recognize that any band-aid relief that EPA may provide does not fix this broken policy.  The volatility that the RFS has imposed on our economy needs fundamental reform.   Congress created this artificial market that is distorting the food and feed market, and Congress must provide relief from its unintended consequences.       Every one of my constituents, every American has felt the additional cost of the RFS.  Every cattle producer who faces higher feed costs, every family who shops in a grocery store or dines at a restaurant, and every motorist who fills up their tank at the gas station pays the price of this unworkable policy.  I look forward to working with you to ease the effects of the RFS for these everyday hardworking Americans.  Again, thank you for the opportunity to be here today. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-passing-of-nelson-mandela,Kaine Statement On Passing Of Nelson Mandela,2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine Statement On Passing Of Nelson Mandela Thursday, December 5, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on the passing of former South African President Nelson Mandela:  ""The world has lost a great leader and advocate for equality with the loss of President Mandela but his legacy lives on in a democratic and free South Africa. I join millions across the globe in mourning his passing and hope his life will continue to inspire new generations of leaders to fight for more inclusive and just societies."" ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-kaine-announce-1-million-grant-to-improve-water-quality-in-wise-county,"Warner, Kaine Announce $1 Million Grant To Improve Water Quality In Wise County",2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Warner, Kaine Announce $1 Million Grant To Improve Water Quality In Wise County Thursday, December 5, 2013 WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced today that Virginia has received a $1 million grant from the Department of Agriculture to improve water quality in Wise County. The $1 million grant, combined with a $276,000 loan, will help fund a public sewer system in the communities of Osaka and Roda, which have faced public health issues and environmental concerns due to direct sewage discharge into streams. The project will serve 73 households in Wise County. “Expanding access to clean, reliable public water supplies has been a priority of mine since I served as Governor, when we extended access to more than 70,000 Virginians while also making record investments in Virginia’s Water Quality Improvement Fund,” Sen. Warner said. “This is a welcome and significant step to promote public health and support improved water quality in Wise County.” “It’s critical for public health and quality of life that every Virginia community can depend on reliable water and wastewater infrastructure,” said Kaine. ""I am pleased with this major new investment in Southwest Virginia, and I am committed to supporting these essential infrastructure needs even in tight budgetary times, particularly in rural communities.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=4b086f22-f572-4d27-9fb3-7e0a83f2074a,Statement on the death of Nelson Mandela,2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Mark Warner,W000805,www.warner.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner released the following statement: ""So sad to hear the news about Nelson Mandela. Few people in history have represented such a positive, lifelong force for change. Rest in peace.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=5bda471f-3c63-4a14-8df8-2add0ab1f4ab,"Warner, Kaine Announce $1 Million Grant To Improve Water Quality In Wise County",2013-12-05,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Mark Warner,W000805,www.warner.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced today that Virginia has received a $1 million grant from the Department of Agriculture to improve water quality in Wise County. The $1 million grant, combined with a $276,000 loan, will help fund a public sewer system in the communities of Osaka and Roda, which have faced public health issues and environmental concerns due to direct sewage discharge into streams. The project will serve 73 households in Wise County. “Expanding access to clean, reliable public water supplies has been a priority of mine since I served as Governor, when we extended access to more than 70,000 Virginians while also making record investments in Virginia’s Water Quality Improvement Fund,” Sen. Warner said. “This is a welcome and significant step to promote public health and support improved water quality in Wise County.” “It’s critical for public health and quality of life that every Virginia community can depend on reliable water and wastewater infrastructure,” said Kaine. ""I am pleased with this major new investment in Southwest Virginia, and I am committed to supporting these essential infrastructure needs even in tight budgetary times, particularly in rural communities.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363414,Griffith Introduces EPA MACT Act,2013-12-04,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) yesterday introduced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Maximum Achievable Contraction of Technocrats (MACT) Act, H.R. 3641.  More than nine out of every ten EPA employees were considered “non-essential” and were furloughed during the recent partial government shutdown.  Griffith’s EPA MACT Act would require the EPA Administrator to reduce the EPA’s workforce by 15 percent within three years.  It also allows the EPA Administrator to have an additional (4th) year if she deemed it necessary to achieve the goal. After introducing the EPA MACT Act, Griffith issued the following statement: “This is the time of year when folks make their Christmas lists, or lay out their hopes and aspirations for the new year.  The overwhelming majority of citizens of the Ninth District of Virginia would welcome the inclusion of the EPA MACT Act on their wish lists.  It may be asking a lot of Santa for this bill to become law, but the economy of the Ninth District and our people can’t take any more job-killing, unreasonable EPA regulations. “Many in my area and in coal communities across the nation may wish for the complete elimination of the EPA, but the EPA MACT Act is a more balanced approach.  It recognizes that the EPA has put forward some reasonable regulations in the past, and that the agency ought to have the resources in order to be able to continue enforcing those reasonable regulations.  Our environment and our communities are better because of earlier actions.  Further, the EPA oversees some important programs, such as the grant programs that provide clean water to underserved areas.  “But, for example, should fire hydrants be subject to EPA drinking water regulations that exempt shower valves and bathtub faucets?  My kids often will get a drink from the shower or bathtub faucet, but have never had a drink from a fire hydrant.  Do you know many people who regularly drink from a fire hydrant?  I don’t.  But in October, EPA issued guidance saying that fire hydrants installed after January 4, 2014 must comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act.  Communities across the country could have to spend millions of dollars replacing their fire hydrant inventories in order to both keep the public safe and comply with this ridiculous guidance. “Just yesterday, the House unanimously passed a bipartisan bill that rejects this guidance.  But when will it stop?  The EPA has been worrying over the ‘pollution’ emitted by cows (methane) for decades,* and they have even deemed carbon dioxide as harmful!  Carbon dioxide is one of the gases that all humans emit when exhaling.  If you were to take their reasoning to an extreme, the EPA might one day claim to have the authority to regulate the number of children we can have.  After all, new human beings will obviously emit the ‘harmful’ gas carbon dioxide when they start their first cry!  I’m not suggesting that the EPA is even thinking about doing that now, but former Chairman John Dingell – who wrote the Clean Air Act – has said that he never anticipated that the Clean Air Act would be used to regulate carbon dioxide.** “Clearly, EPA regulators are waging a war on common sense, American manufacturers, jobs, and more.  There are real businesses that have closed and real people who have lost their jobs as a result of unreasonable EPA actions.  The American people need some relief without delay.  This bill would give a small measure of hope to those who face the prospects of the business they work for being shuttered and the loss of their jobs because of an overzealous EPA producing massive new unreasonable regulations.” A copy of the EPA MACT Act is attached.   ###  *http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/ch4.html **http://www.mlive.com/opinion/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/06/viewpoint_congress_never_inten.html ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-discusses-high-tech-manufacturing-and-workforce-development-in-roanoke,Kaine Discusses High-Tech Manufacturing And Workforce Development In Roanoke,2013-12-03,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine Discusses High-Tech Manufacturing And Workforce Development In Roanoke Tuesday, December 3, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine visited high-tech manufacturing facility PlasticsOne Inc. to learn about the growth of manufacturing in the Roanoke Valley and discuss the importance of developing a talented workforce to meet the needs of a 21st century global economy. While at the facility, Kaine tested the ORIGOSafeTM product, a cell phone dock that aims to reduce distracted driving collisions and enhance road safety by limiting drivers to hands-free functions and disabling handheld cell phone features behind the wheel, including text messaging.  ORIGOSafeTM components are manufactured by three Roanoke Valley companies and assembled at ORIGO’s™ headquarters in Roanoke. During the tour, Kaine spoke with PlasticsOne Inc. employees and members of the manufacturing community about ways to improve local workforce development programs and equip the next generation of workers with the necessary skills to remain competitive. Kaine also discussed the importance of strengthening career and technical training as well as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in the Commonwealth. ""American manufacturing is becoming much more technologically sophisticated and we're seeing shortages of people with technical backgrounds,"" said Kaine. ""When I was Governor we worked on creating a technical diploma you could get in high school focusing on career and technical education and I look forward to working on similar legislation at the federal level. There are so many technical jobs that produce a great living, but students don't always receive the information that would allow them to choose those career fields."" Kaine recently wrote an op-ed on the importance of investing in early childhood education programs and cited the positive impact such programs have had on the competitiveness of Virginia’s workforce. Since July, Kaine has also visited Dublin, Bedford County, South Boston, Culpeper and Centreville to discuss new ideas for integrating STEM curriculum into Virginia’s education system and expanding career and workforce training throughout the Commonwealth. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/focus-on-high-tech-manufacturing-and-homegrown-jobs-as-kaine-visits-roanoke-valley,Focus on high-tech manufacturing and homegrown jobs as Kaine visits Roanoke Valley,2013-12-03,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Focus on high-tech manufacturing and homegrown jobs as Kaine visits Roanoke Valley By:  Joe Dashiell Tuesday, December 3, 2013 First, he turned the key and nothing happened. But once Senator Tim Kaine placed the cell phone in the ORIGOsafe docking station, he was able to start the car. The ignition interlock system designed by ORIGO doesn't prevent drivers from making or taking a call, but it keeps the phone out of their hands. It's a simple solution, the company says, for parents concerned about teenage drivers, or a company with a fleet of vehicles on the road. Kaine took a closer look at the technology Tuesday during a visit to the Roanoke Valley, and ORIGO wasn't the only company in the spotlight. Kaine visited PlasticsOne where components of the device are manufactured. He spoke with executives of Keltech which makes the circuit boards, and leaders of  Corrugated Container Corporation, which produces the packaging. The Roanoke Valley companies, Kaine said, prove that American manufacturing is alive and well.  ""We still do manufacturing with the best of them,"" Kaine told WDBJ7, ""and PlasticsOne and ORIGO here are producing a really innovative product that's unique in the world, that's one of a kind. And it's a really important safety solution. "" ORIGO founder Clay Skelton says the military and many federal agencies could benefit from using his solution for distracted driving, and he's hopeful Kaine's support will help to open doors for the technology. He also believes the Virginia General Assembly should tighten state laws that target texting while driving, so that police officers can pull over a car, if they simply see a phone in the driver's hand. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/roanoke-co-company-hopes-to-end-distracted-driving,Roanoke Co. Company Hopes to End Distracted Driving,2013-12-03,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Roanoke Co. Company Hopes to End Distracted Driving By:  David Tate Tuesday, December 3, 2013 A Roanoke County company thinks they have solved a problem that kills thousands of Americans every year: distracted driving. Just three years old, Origo attributes its success to local partners and key legislation pushed by then Governor Tim Kaine. There is no shortage of stories involving distracted driving. If the folks behind Origo have their way, it'll be a thing of the past. Senator Tim Kaine came to Roanoke County to get an idea about a new homegrown product inspired by his legislation making it illegal to text and drive. The legislation passed in 2009. Clay Skelton says his invention, called OrigoSafe, is an easy way to prevent thousands of deaths every year. ""It's a long time coming and needs to have more teeth in Virginia and the rest of the country and to give the troopers and the sheriff's and the police what they need to enforce that law,"" Skelton said. ""If you can solve that problem... look, you are helping quality of life. Very, very powerful for the economy, you're helping businesses that rely on driving but you're also creating jobs right here in Roanoke,"" said Senator Kaine. While Senator Kaine's legislation put OrigoSafe on the drawing board, Skelton's dream was also contingent on different industries. He needed an electronics company, a plastics company, and a packaging company to back him. ""The first place I looked was on the internet and around the world: Who can mold this plastic? Who can make this circuit board... whatever,"" Skelton said. The more Skelton researched, the more he realized the three industries he needed were already in the Roanoke Valley. ""Before you go looking in another state or another country look in your own backyard because you'll be surprised what you find,"" Skelton said. Skelton invited the Senator to town to have a look at what the future could bring; vehicles that can only start if the driver's cell phone is securely in place in the OrigoSafe, made in Roanoke, Virginia. Origo currently has 11 employees, but the company plans to add more as business grows. The growth could come soon, as Origo has been demonstrating to major trucking companies as well as various branches of the armed forces, including the U.S. Army with upcoming dates with the U.S. Marine Corps. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363126,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 12.2.13,2013-12-02,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Bipartisan Bill I Worked On Signed Into Law Last week, President Obama signed into law the Drug Quality and Security Act.  This win for common sense came after investigations into last fall’s fungal meningitis outbreak tied to tainted injections prepared by Massachusetts’ New England Compounding Center (NECC). Traditional compounding pharmacies are overseen by State boards of pharmacy.  They tend to be small mom-and-pop operations, and make custom medications based on a doctor’s order. The NECC had long ago stopped operating as a traditional compounding pharmacy.  Instead, the NECC was engaged in large-volume drug manufacturing without proper prescriptions. The NECC claimed that they were exempt from oversight by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which typically regulates the manufacturers of medicines.  Despite the NECC’s claim, I believe that the FDA clearly had the authority they needed to have regulated the NECC and prevented the fungal meningitis outbreak. Despite having received complaints from multiple States about the NECC, the FDA did not step in to investigate NECC for illegal manufacturing or share this important information with other States.  My colleague, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), recently wrote that the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy in 2011 identified issues with the NECC, having determined that the drugs being distributed in Colorado lacked proper prescriptions.  She continued, “Our state board issued a cease-and-desist order to the NECC, and notified the Massachusetts Board as well.  But that was all it could do; ultimately, it was not enough to stop the NECC's actions and prevent the tragic outbreak that swept across the nation a year later.” Because of this oversight failure, the NECC is reported as having shipped more than 17,600 doses of the tainted steroid injection.  FDA investigators later uncovered bacteria and mold at the NECC. But more than 750 people throughout the United States were stricken with fungal meningitis resulting from these injections.  Nationwide, 64 people were tragically killed as a result.  At least two of those killed were from our region, and others continue to suffer. After hearings into the outbreak, Rep. Gene Green (D-TX), Rep. DeGette, and I began working together on a bill to further define a compounding pharmacy and clarify oversight of the compounding drug manufacturing system.  In September, after months of negotiations, we introduced the Compounding Clarity Act (H.R. 3089), which would clarify FDA authority over compounding, particularly over large-scale entities like the NECC that act as drug manufacturers. The Griffith-Green-DeGette bill served as the foundation for the compounding pharmacy inspection portion of the Drug Quality and Security Act, which the President signed into law.  It is a bipartisan, bicameral first step to ensure the safety of compounded drugs and help save lives, eliminating perceived confusion as to the oversight of pharmacies like the NECC that have worked the system to skirt both FDA and State regulations. I will continue working on areas that need additional clarification, and will oversee the FDA’s interpretation and implementation of this law. Unfortunately, for some, the Drug Quality and Security Act is too little, too late.  And as with many proposals, the bill is not perfect.  But it does represent consensus and common sense.  I believe it would prevent another NECC-type outbreak from occurring. Next Group to be Regulated – Piano Teachers According to a recent piece in the Wall Street Journal, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been investigating the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) for “anticompetitive practices” that potentially increase the price of music lessons. The MTNA is a voluntary nonprofit organization with just under 22,000 members nationwide.  It seeks to support music instructors, primarily at-home piano teachers. The organization’s non-binding code of ethics contained a provision that asked teachers to keep from recruiting pupils from other teachers.  Apparently, to the FTC, the principle that Piano Teacher A not actively recruit students from Piano Teacher B is an underhanded, unscrupulous effort to rig the price of music lessons. Never mind this voluntary organization had never enforced its aspirational code, nor had it removed any member as a result of the code.  Further, the offending provision has since been removed, eliminating any appearance that the organization is violating the law.  But no matter – federal regulators are after the MTNA. I certainly don’t support price-fixing.  Are you aware of local piano teachers conspiring to corner the market and prevent cheaper piano lesson pricing?  Is this an ill plaguing our society?  I haven’t heard of it!  Have you?  If you know of a similarly-evil trade monopoly trying to take over music lessons, please let my office know. Or could it be that the federal government just has too many employees? As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131154753/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/474,HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO HOLD HEARING ON THE PRESIDENT'S CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY TO ENFORCE LAWS,2013-12-02,2013,2013-12,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO HOLD HEARING ON THE PRESIDENT'S CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY TO ENFORCE LAWS WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on “The President’s Constitutional Duty to Faithfully Execute the Laws.” Throughout President Obama’s tenure, we’ve witnessed a pattern: when the President disagrees with laws, he circumvents them. Now with Obamacare, President Obama is rewriting his own law, even though the law doesn’t provide him the authority to do so. The Constitution is clear: it is Congress’ duty to write our laws and once they are enacted it is the President’s responsibility to enforce them.  Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution declares that the President “shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”  However, President Obama has failed on several occasions to enforce Acts of Congress that he disagrees with for policy reasons. The President has also stretched his regulatory authority to enact policies refused by Congress. Tomorrow’s hearing will specifically focus on Obamacare: the employer mandate delay, waiver for non-compliant health plans, and contraceptive mandate that violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. It will also address the President’s decision to ignore enforcement of our immigration and federal drug laws. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte released the statement below on tomorrow’s hearing: “President Obama has blatantly disregarded the Constitution’s mandate to faithfully execute the laws.  He has changed key provisions in Obamacare without congressional approval, failed to enforce our immigration and drug laws, and ignored his Constitutional duties for the sake of politics. It is apparent that the President’s vested interest is not in the protected liberties of the American people, but in the advancement of his own agenda and interests.” Witnesses for tomorrow’s hearing include: •    Mr. Michael F. Cannon, Director of Health Policy Studies, Cato Institute; •    Mr. Nicholas Rosenkranz, Professor, Georgetown University Law Center; •    Mr. Jonathan Turley, Professor, George Washington University Law School; and •    Mr. Simon Lazarus, Senior Counsel, Constitutional Accountability Center. All House Judiciary Committee hearings are webcast live at www.judiciary.house.gov. For more information on the hearing, click here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-discusses-efforts-to-end-sequester-at-bae-in-norfolk,Kaine Discusses Efforts To End Sequester At BAE In Norfolk,2013-12-02,2013,2013-12,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine Discusses Efforts To End Sequester At BAE In Norfolk Monday, December 2, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Budget Conference Committee, visited BAE Systems Ship Repair in Norfolk today to meet with shipyard workers and tour the facility. During the tour, Kaine learned more about the toll sequestration has taken on the ship repair industry, putting both the nation’s security and the regional economy at risk. Throughout the tour, Kaine spoke with BAE employees and shared the latest on his efforts to replace the across-the-board sequester cuts and restore budget certainty for BAE and other companies in the region. As one of 29 conferees on the Budget Conference Committee, Kaine is working to resolve differences between the House and Senate 2014 budgets before December 13. “My role on the Budget Conference Committee is to come up with a deal that replaces as much of the sequester cuts as we can,” Kaine said at the conclusion of the tour. “The uncertainty over ship repair contracts puts many important jobs across the region at risk. We're working hard to meet our December 13 deadline and I'm optimistic we will get a deal to replace as many of these harmful across-the-board cuts as we can. And if there are areas where we cannot replace them all, we can restructure them to make them less painful.” Since passage of the Senate budget in March 2013, Kaine has consistently called for a budget conference between the House and Senate in hopes of returning to normal budgetary order and replacing the damaging sequester cuts that have severely impacted Virginia.  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/a-very-personal-reflect-on-school-from-sen-kaine,A very personal reflect on school from Sen. Kaine,2013-11-29,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"“One of our children needed an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for one year -- focused attention during that year solved a speech deficit,” Kaine remembers.   “So, the natural question is, why don't we personalize learning for every student? Shouldn't we strive for an educational model that involves individualized education for all? We don't live in a 'one size fits all' world and our education system should reflect that.” It’s not as daunting to teach child-by-child as you might think, either. Kaine himself tried, working at a small vocational school in El Progreso, Honduras in 1980-81. “When I arrived, a fine carpenter was teaching the boys …  He would give students projects that were too easy or too hard,” Kaine writes.  Kaine worked up a list of about 60 projects for the kids, arranged fromeasiest to hardest and “Within a few months, the kids were all working on different projects, but developing at their own pace in a way that was simple for a single teacher to administer.” Kaine also writes that his daughter’s experience in Virignia’s Pre-K program convinced him of the importance of early childhood education – a view that Virginians from across the political spectrum have come to agree on, from Kaine himself to Republican former Gov. George Allen, who kicked off the state effort, and now the state Chamber of Commerce, as it unveiled its Blueprint Virginia proposals for the state's economic development at a conference in Williamsburg last week. “My children have all attended schools subject to high stakes tests pursuant to the Virginia Standards of Learning that were adopted in the 1990s as a forerunner of the federal No Child Left Behind law,” Kaine continues. “Unlike some who dismiss the idea of tests out of hand, or shake their fists at federal involvement, I see value in having standards and having periodic assessments … But there are serious problems,"" he writes. One is that tests make a minimum standard the benchmark of success, rather than anything more ambitious.  Another is a tendency to test too much too early. Tests, particularly those elementary school ones were ""young kids memorize historical facts and figures or struggle with science concepts"" can be counterproductive, he writes. But “The only bad year we experienced as parents of public school kids was during a first year in middle school,” Kaine continues, as he recalls his family’s experience. Those are tough years, most of his friends agreed as they talked about their kids’ experiecnes. “Part of this is just adolescence. But I think part of the middle school blues is an uncertainty about its pedagogical purpose,” Kaine writes. He thinks one answer might to be start kids thinking more about what their lives as adults might be like. “Think about this question--what does the average kid know about the world of work?” he asks. There’s more to school than sitting in a class sweating over an algebra problem or diagramming a sentence, though. “All three of our children started instrumental music in the 3rd grade and played for at least eight years. One son became impassioned in high school by creative writing, architecture and digital video instructors … Our other son, currently in the military, benefited from musical education by becoming proficient on the trumpet and absorbing important teamwork skills through playing with school bands,” Kaine writes. When his daughter wanted to to go to an arts magnet high school, “I was reluctant, thinking that a more traditional academic curriculum would be perfect for her,” he remembers. She went, though. (Kaine is a listener, after all.) “She learned perseverance through endless practices and teacher critiques. She learned flexibility and problem-solving--the stage manager has to adjust on the fly when a prop breaks mid-act or an actor unexpectedly jumps ahead three pages in the script,” he writes. “The things that really matter for life success don't all fit neatly into today's public school curriculum. Once again, it's about individualization.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363022,Ninth District Traveling Staff Office Hours for December,2013-11-27,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Congressman Griffith’s Ninth District STAFF will be available at the following locations during the month of December.  In the event of inclement weather (heavy snow, sleet, icy rain, etc.), traveling office hours may be rescheduled to avoid putting constituents at risk.  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. December 4, 2013  Smyth County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Town Council Chambers 138 West Main Street Marion, VA Covington:     10:00am – 12:00pm Covington City Hall City Hall Conference Room 333 W. Locust Street Covington, VA Craig County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Craig County Administration Building 108 Court Street New Castle, VA Bristol:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Bristol VA Public Library Upstairs Conference Room 701 Goode Street Bristol, VA December 6, 2013 Martinsville:     11:00am – 1:00pm NCI Room 106 – Classroom Building 30 Franklin Street Martinsville, VA Scott County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Community Services Building Community Room 190 Beech Street Gate City, VA Norton:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Norton City Council Chambers 618 Virginia Avenue NW Norton, VA December 11, 2013 Radford:     10:00am – 12:00pm Radford Public Library Meeting Room 30 West Main Street Radford, VA Pulaski County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Pulaski County Library Meeting Room 60 3rd Street NW Pulaski, VA  December 12, 2013 Grayson County:    10:00am – 12:00pm Grayson County Administration Building Board of Supervisors Room Suite 206 129 Davis Street Independence, VA Russell County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center 141 Highland Drive Lebanon, VA Tazewell County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Bluefield Town Hall – Council Chambers 112 Huffard Drive Bluefield, VA Galax:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Galax Municipal Building Conference Room 111 E. Main Street Galax, VA  December 13, 2013 Wise County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Big Stone Gap Federal Courthouse 3rd Floor Room 303 332 Wood Avenue E Big Stone Gap, VA Alleghany County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Clifton Forge Library Conference Room 535 Church Street Clifton Forge, VA 24422  Dickenson County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Dickenson Center for Education & Research 818 Happy Valley Drive Clintwood, VA Roanoke County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm   Roanoke Library Hollins Branch 6624 Peters Creek Road Roanoke, VA December 17, 2013  Giles County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Pearisburg Town Hall 112 Tazewell Street Pearisburg, VA Tazewell County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Richlands Town Hall 200 Washington Square Richlands, VA Buchanan County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Grundy Town Hall 1185 Plaza Drive Grundy VA Salem:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Salem Library 28 East Main Street Salem, VA  December 18, 2013 Henry County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Bassett Historical Society       3964 Fairystone Parkway Bassett, VA Bland County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Bland County Courthouse Admin. Office Room 200 612 Main Street Bland, VA Wythe County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Wythe County Sheriff’s Office Conference Room 245 South 4th Street Wytheville, VA Patrick County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Patrick County Administration Building Conference Room 106 Rucker Street Stuart, VA   December 19, 2013 Lee County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Lee County Sheriff’s Office Conference Room 33640 Main Street – Suite U101 Jonesville, VA December 20, 2013 Carroll County:     10:00am – 12:00pm Carroll County Administration Building Board of Supervisors Room 605 – 1 Pine Street Hillsville, VA  Floyd County:     2:00pm – 4:00pm Floyd County Library 321 W. Main Street Floyd, VA **Please contact the Christiansburg Office at 540-381-5671 or the Abingdon Office at 276-525-1405 with any questions. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/lessons-learned-from-40-school-years,Lessons Learned from 40 School Years,2013-11-27,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Lessons Learned from 40 School Years Guest post by Tim Kaine, senator and former governor of Virginia. By:  Tom Segal Wednesday, November 27, 2013 Guest post by Tim Kaine, senator and former governor of Virginia. Tom's note: Inarguably, there is no single sector of the economy that influences the rest quite as directly and profoundly as K-12 education. This is the sector that prepares our future generations of leaders, innovators, producers, consumers, mothers, fathers, and citizens. As taxpayers, we all play a role in financing the K-12 education system, but a select few possess the power to heavily influence where those funds are allocated and how that system is constructed. As such, I thought it might be a valuable exercise to give these folks at the top of the public policy food chain a place to voice their education-related opinions (edpinions?), a place to recall their own observations of the K-12 education system, so that you, the loyal reader, might better understand the experiences and beliefs that are at the core of our national (and global) progress. Amazingly, somebody with legitimate influence agreed with me. With that, allow me to present the following words from Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on the things he has learned as a parent, consumer, and participant within the K-12 education system. Many thanks to Sen. Kaine and his team for facilitating this blog post. Sen. Kaine, the floor is yours: My wife Anne and I are now empty-nesters. Our daughter just left home for college, joining two older brothers out in the wide world. We are experiencing many emotions--pride in our three kids, hope that we've given them the character skills to negotiate life's ups and downs, melancholia over the passage of time, and curiosity about how we'll manage the shift to a kid-free house after 23 years. Earlier this summer, it also dawned on me that Anne and I are done with our journey through American public education. Our kids all went to Richmond Public Schools (RPS). They attended neighborhood elementary schools, neighborhood and magnet middle schools, and magnet high schools. My youngest even spent a year in our state's recently initiated Pre-K program. They've spent a combined total of 40 years in public pre-K/12 classrooms. I've worked hard as a public official on educational issues like early childhood programs, career and technical education, and curricular reform. When I was Richmond's mayor, I visited a city school every Tuesday morning. When I was lieutenant governor and governor, I visited at least one school in every one of Virginia's 134 cities and counties. And my wife Anne has interacted intimately with kids and the school system during her career as a juvenile court judge and foster care reform advocate. And yet, despite our professional involvement, our real knowledge of public education comes from back-to-school nights, parent-teacher conferences, helping with homework, pulling crumpled notes to parents out of backpacks, attending plays, band concerts, dance recitals, sporting events, and the countless other interactions that involved parents have with their kids' schools. So, what have we learned? Let's start with the most important thing: we're enormously grateful to the teachers and administrators who have shepherded our children. RPS is a challenged urban system in many ways. More than 75 percent of students are on free and reduced lunch. Eighty-five percent of the students are racial minorities. State and local funding has been stressed during the recession. There are many schools with marginal student performance, at least as measured on standardized tests. The schools are often in the news more for political squabbles among the school board than for student achievement. But for all the challenges, a kid with engaged parents can get a wonderful academic and life-rounding education from dedicated teachers in our city. Parental engagement in their child's education is critical to a child being successful in school. I've been reflecting on other lessons as well--lessons for policy-makers. We know education is key to both individual success and to the economic success of our nation. And we all read the stories about American slippage, whether in international test score rankings or higher education attainment. We know we have to be stronger, but much of the policy debate seems stale to me. Is better high-stakes testing, or charter schools, or more dollars invested the best we can do in terms of educational innovation? With those questions in mind, I've decided to summarize seven changes I'd like to see in American public education based on lessons learned--not through 17 years in elected office--but through 40 school years of accompanying our three kids through American public education. 1) It's About the Individual! While the most debated current reform trends have been the accountability movement (emphasizing curricular standards and high stakes testing) and charter schools, I have come to believe that the future of education has been right under our nose for nearly 40 years. The 1975 passage of the federal Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which served as the basis for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990, is an example of how one-size testing for all does not meet the needs of every child, but instead shows us that it is about individualized education. Before 1975, only one in five kids with disabilities were accommodated in our nation's public schools. The massive loss in life happiness and productivity because so many children were kept out of school due to disability, or not treated in a way to maximize their success, was tragic and incalculable. But the 1975 Act ushered in a new era, where children with identified disabilities are entitled to individualized education plans that tailor instruction to their own particular condition. And the gains that our young people have experienced as a result have been great. One of our children needed an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for one year--focused attention during that year solved a speech deficit. Many children have the same experience of getting a diagnosis, obtaining treatment for a short period of time and then moving away from specialized assistance to success in the mainstream setting. Numerous children who qualify for early intervention services due to a diagnosed disability are able to overcome deficits while three and four years of age and then enter kindergarten without any special assistance. And the parents and children who have benefited from a long-term IEP throughout their schooling are generally great witnesses to the success of the program. There are various criticisms of the IDEA and the IEP model, including the unfulfilled promise by the federal government to fund 40 percent of the national average per pupil expenditure; currently the federal contribution is about 17 to 20 percent. For schools, the special education laws are expensive to administer. For teachers, the paperwork surrounding creation and implementation of an IEP can be cumbersome. For parents, there can be tense negotiation with financially strapped schools over the level of service required. And some critics believe that there is an over-diagnosis of disability among minority students. But all the criticisms of the program ends up being about how to improve it. Unlike No Child Left Behind, which still has critics who want to abolish it, there is no active effort to undo the basic model for educating students with disabilities. So, the natural question is, why don't we personalize learning for every student? Shouldn't we strive for an educational model that involves individualized education for all? We don't live in a ""one size fits all"" world and our education system should reflect that. And with new technology tools, we have a much greater ability to have students self-pace with the assistance of teachers who are able to recognize when students achieve mastery of material sufficient to move on to higher levels. As we approach discussions about the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, a focus on individualized education should be paramount. I had a very modest experience with this kind of learning when I was principal of a small vocational school in El Progreso, Honduras from 1980 to 1981. Jesuit missionaries had started the school to help teenage boys learn basic carpentry skills. When I arrived, a fine carpenter was teaching the boys, but he was a good craftsman and not a trained teacher. He would give students projects that were too easy or too hard; the students were not developed in a strategic way. I watched him for a few weeks, then made a list of about 60 projects students might be asked to do, did technical drawings for the projects, arranged them from easiest to hardest, and gave the project book to the carpenter. With a simple project book, he could start all students on the first project and allow them to move on to the next project only when they had completed it to his satisfaction. Within a few months, the kids were all working on different projects, but developing at their own pace in a way that was simple for a single teacher to administer. This is a simple example of how individualized learning can work. The advent of computerized learning programs gives today's tech-savvy teachers even greater ability to help students develop in this way. I think a focus on individualized education also picks up an important insight from the special education world. Just as a child might have a specific identified disability, it is also the case that children have specific abilities different from the kids sitting across the aisle. The curricular world of standardized tests, where excellence is measured in a few limited spheres that a state educational apparatus chooses to test, can overlook specific areas where a student is likely to be a high performer, and thus more fulfilled in school and beyond. I like the fact that an individualized focus can break down some of the stereotyping that always follows from looking just at subgroup performance. No Child Left Behind's attention to performance of racial minorities and students with disabilities has been generally positive because we've uncovered the tendency of averages to mask educational disparities. But students shouldn't just be treated as part of some meta-group. The variations within demographic groups are huge, based on income, region, family status or other factors. More focus on the individual is more likely to lead to success for the individual and the whole. 2) Early Childhood Education Works Virginia started a modest early childhood education program after my two sons had already entered elementary school. My daughter, however, was just the right age to experience the program. And while my boys did have a good experience with high quality private child care programs, the value of my daughter's comprehensive pre-K year, with a curriculum coordinated to accelerate K-12 success, made me a believer. The research on the effect of high-quality early childhood education is powerful. My favorite writer on the topic is an economist, Nobel laureate James Heckman, who calculates how public investments accelerate economic growth. He concludes that investments in early childhood education have one of the greatest returns of any public investment. Many states, including Virginia, have used this data to dramatically expand early childhood programs. Early childhood programs take advantage of brain research showing that 90 percent of brain development is complete before age five. Thus, an earlier start helps brain development at the time when the effects are most likely to be significant. And research shows that the value of the program is most powerful for children who might otherwise have learning barriers like developmental disabilities, lack of access to books or other learning material, a home where English isn't the primary language. Part of this benefit comes from getting parents more engaged in learning so they can supplement their child's educational experience at home. Early diagnosis and educational intervention helps many students who would otherwise be in special education classes to thrive in mainstream classrooms. And there is a demonstrable link between early childhood education and the reduced chance of having to repeat a grade later in school. We should do all we can to continue the expansion of high quality early childhood programs, with clear standards, mandated teacher training, and coordination with K-12 curricula. And it's not just about spending more money. We have to better coordinate the money we already spend for early childhood programs. When I was governor, I did spend more money, expanding our statewide pre-K placements by 40 percent even in the midst of a deep recession. But I also found that the state spent money for some early childhood programs, including pre-kindergarten and special education placements, through our Department of Education. Meanwhile other programs, including Head Start and child care placements funded as part of Welfare to Work, were funded separately through our Department of Social Services. Often, the placements funded through Social Services were not required to offer the same educationally-enriching experience as those funded through the state's education agency. And this silo approach to funding was driven by federal policy. I put one leader in charge of the allocation of all the funds, and she mandated greater educational accountability in all settings regardless of where the dollars were coming from. We need to undertake a similar coordination of the educational investment at the federal level. Someday soon, a governor will decide to lead a salutary change by adjusting K-12 education downward to begin at age 4, finishing at age 17, instead of the current 5 to 18 age norm that was set before we fully understood patterns of brain development. There is no question that there is a higher public return on investing in education for a student from age 4 to 5 than from age 17 to 18. I predict that we will eventually move to an earlier start to public education and experience great educational improvements as a result. 3) Elementary Education: Teach Less, Learn More I once visited a Virginia elementary school that had just received notice of its performance on annual state tests. The students had knocked it out of the park. Walking into a meeting with teachers, I assumed they would be elated and began my remarks with a hearty congratulations for their performance. My comments provoked a 45-minute discussion with the teachers about the foolishness of ""test culture"" as applied to elementary school students. Clearly, even in a successful school, I had hit a nerve. My children have all attended schools subject to high-stakes tests pursuant to the Virginia Standards of Learning that were adopted in the 1990s as a forerunner of the federal No Child Left Behind law. I have many thoughts about these tests. Unlike some who dismiss the idea of tests out of hand, or shake their fists at federal involvement, I see value in having standards and having periodic assessments to see whether students are meeting standards. And while I hear complaints about how standards and testing rob teachers of the ability to be creative, I have seen many teachers who are able to convey uniform material in fun and creative ways. But there are serious problems. The current accountability regime focuses its effort on making sure all students clear a minimum performance standard, without the proper focus on helping students achieve excellence. Minimal performance isn't enough in today's world, yet most state high stakes test regimes make that the benchmark. Another serious problem with our testing regime is the tendency to test too much too early. Stealing a phrase from a recent era of education reform in Singapore, I think we should ""teach less and learn more"" in elementary school by simplifying standards. Most agree that ability to read on grade level and attain basic skills in math should be the hallmark of a solid elementary education. But while math and language fluency are key building blocks for later success in all areas, we foolishly load elementary school kids up with additional curricular requirements. This has the effect of diluting early focus on language and math literacy that is key to later educational success in all areas. I would summarize elementary education to be simply about attaining math and language literacy. Social studies texts and projects should be used to help students attain more reading fluency; basic science problems should be used to help students with math. But making young kids memorize historical facts and figures or struggle with science concepts so that they can pass subject matter tests in those areas is counterproductive. Science and social studies in the elementary curriculum is fine, but mandated state testing of elementary school kids should be limited to math and language fluency. This point about elementary school also has an application to all public education. I often wonder whether testing is really about kids or about the testing companies' bottom lines. A Virginia public school student today--in addition to the tests and quizzes that are always part of the classroom experience--has to take over 30 state exams between 3rd and 11th grades in order to be on track to graduate from high school. When my kids started in school, they were given state tests in the 3rd, 5th and 8th grades to make sure that they were progressing in a way to predict high school success. Now, the mandated tests occur every year, and there are often multiple tests each year. But as our student performance on nationally and internationally normed tests (like NAEP and PISA) show, the fixation over repetitive state testing is not producing better results. 4) Middle School as Career Exploration The only bad year we experienced as parents of public school kids was during a first year in middle school. There were many challenges, from school leadership to student attitude. But as we wrestled with it, and talked to friends, it slowly dawned on me that the low point for me and most parents was middle school. It's a tough time for kids. Part of this is just adolescence. But I think part of the middle school blues is an uncertainty about its pedagogical purpose. Elementary school is about trying to master the basics. High school is about preparing for life and career choices. What is middle school really about? In keeping with my individualization theme described earlier, I'd re-conceive middle school as fundamentally about career exploration. This is less about a change in curriculum and more about using all pieces of the curriculum to expose students to the wide range of available work and career choices so that, by the time they enter high school, they will be more informed about future paths and what they need to do to pursue them. Think about this question: what does the average kid know about the world of work? Most know what their parents do and maybe a neighbor or two. But even for kids from advantaged backgrounds, knowledge of the working world tends to be very limited. And if a child is from an impoverished background, their awareness of career possibilities is often very circumscribed. So fix the pedagogical muddle that is middle school with an intense focus on exposing students to continuous education about career choices. There should be a real focus on helping students explore their own strengths and preferences and how they match up with likely future careers. Do you want to work with people or do you love being in front of a computer? Do you want to do work with your hands or perform mostly mental tasks? Use the three years of middle school to really explore student personality and talents and help them identify areas where they can be happy and productive as adults. There are an increasing number of schools and online resources that engage middle school students in career planning exercises, often with the involvement of teachers, school counselors and, most importantly, their parents or guardians. These efforts are done with a healthy dose of reality. Most middle-schoolers will not really know what they want to do as an adult. But by presenting students with options, and educating them about what it takes to pursue a desired career path, you get them into a planning mode where they think more about the future and about how the work of today connects with later success. 5) High School: Different Paths to Success In the old days, high schools often assigned kids into separate tracks, normally an academic and vocational track. The tracking was done in a way that made kids feel that vocational fields were second best. But in today's world, with so many promising technical fields, there should be multiple tracks with students not assigned, but choosing the path most likely to make them happy and successful in later life. There has been a dramatic re-awakening in career and technical education at the high school level. I saw this all over Virginia when I was governor and tried to accelerate the trend with the creation of governor's career and technical academies around the state. Some students chose the technical course options to become work ready and pursue health care, technology, mechanical or construction-related careers. But others, feeling bored by a steady diet of the classroom, found that taking one or two technical courses is a great complement to academic subjects. As governor, I met a student who was attending one of the governor's academies in Arlington, Va. His mother pushed him to the front of a room and made him tell his story. He was a mid-level student at his comprehensive high school, not overly interested in the classroom subjects because he didn't see their relevance to life success. His family had the inspired idea to enroll him in an EMT class at the nearby technical center. Suddenly, working with his hands on real life issues, he was engaged and excited. And soon, it started to dawn on him that biology and chemistry were really important and his grades in his traditional classes started to increase as well. I ran into him a few years later and found he was attending a prestigious university and studying to pursue a career in medicine. Now, instead of separate and unequal tracks, technical coursework can enhance academic success and vice versa. Virginia has embraced the ""different paths"" ethos in high school by creating different diploma types. Taking the basic academic courses will enable you to receive a ""standard"" diploma. The basic courses plus a technical concentration earns a student a ""technical"" diploma. The basic courses plus advanced academic coursework entitles a student to an ""advanced"" diploma. Add technical coursework to the advanced academic curriculum and you can receive the ""advanced technical"" diploma. The great thing about these four different diploma types is that they are not the forced academic tracking of an earlier day. They are choices open to all students who are ideally told about the options in middle school and can then set their course as they see fit. Add to the diploma types the myriad of other choices--Advance Placement courses, dual enrollment in community college courses, passage of industry certification exams--and today's high school transcript becomes a highly personalized learning resume. 6) Value the Unvalued The Richmond schools are fiscally challenged and beset with state testing mandates. There's no real incentive anymore to offer top quality arts or music instruction. The same goes for physical education. But despite all contrary pressures, our kids' schools held on to arts and music with fierce determination. All three of our children started instrumental music in the 3rd grade and played for at least eight years. One son became impassioned in high school by creative writing, architecture and digital video instructors and is pursuing college studies in filmmaking and photography. Our other son, currently in the military, benefited from musical education by becoming proficient on the trumpet and absorbing important teamwork skills through playing with school bands. I learned the most about the value of arts education from my daughter. In elementary school it was clarinet, school plays and a wonderful in-school dance program sponsored by the Richmond Ballet. In middle school, it was band, her ongoing dance work and classes in painting, stained glass and cartooning at a neighboring visual arts center. When she wanted to go to an arts magnet high school, I was reluctant, thinking that a more traditional academic curriculum would be perfect for her. But I didn't fully grasp the connection between arts education and important life and career skills. She learned to communicate with confidence, standing repeatedly on a stage before an auditorium full of strangers over the years has given her poise and presence. She learned perseverance through endless practices and teacher critiques. She learned flexibility and problem-solving--the stage manager has to adjust on the fly when a prop breaks mid-act or an actor unexpectedly jumps ahead three pages in the script. And all her work--plays, dance troupes, show choirs--has been done in groups of energetic teenagers who have to harness their own points of view and make them about the group. Creativity, teamwork, communication--these are real and meaningful skills for life success. Arts and music education promotes these skills. Most organizations hiring employees look for people who can demonstrate these traits. But we don't really place an academic value on them in the traditional high-stakes testing academic focus. Here's another shocker. We all hear stories about how many jobs are available in fields like computer programming and software engineering. Companies have to hire foreign citizens to fill these jobs because we don't produce enough Americans skilled in these areas. Most states have requirements that high school students take a certain amount of science, but computer science classes generally don't count as core science classes and are instead offered just as electives. How foolish! The things that really matter for life success don't all fit neatly into today's public school curriculum. Once again, it's about individualization. But it's also critical for teachers and parents to see education as a matter of exposure to different opportunities so that students can find their own passion. It may not fit neatly into a mandated curriculum. But, let's at least create space for this kind of exploration and personal development in our schools. 7) Keeping Good Teachers Let me finish with the gratitude I expressed at the beginning about teachers. I am in debt to the teachers my kids were blessed to learn from in the Richmond Public Schools. Of course there were some weak teachers, as well as some new teachers who have no doubt gotten better. But most of my children's teachers were solid, some were spectacular and a few made a life-changing impact on their lives and career choices. I am amazed at how much good teachers give, in the classroom and out of it. The late hours for theater practices, weekend walking tours for kids around town to see Richmond's architecture in a new way, travel with the band year-in and year-out to music festivals around the state and beyond. Good teachers go well beyond the classroom to touch kids' lives. When I hear policy debate about teachers, it often seems that the fundamental goal is to figure out how to get rid of bad teachers. Evaluation systems get put in place and have no upside, but only the downside of being used to weed out the poor performers. The current trend is to figure out how to link teacher evaluations to individual student performance. Such an effort could make teachers want to avoid serving our neediest kids. While I am a huge supporter for regular teacher evaluation, and believe these evaluations should be used for all manner of actions, I think the right policy focus for our work with teachers is to pay less attention to ""how to get rid of bad teachers"" and instead focus on the more important challenge, how to attract and keep good teachers. Low pay, hard challenges, lack of parental support for so many kids, endless rounds of mandated testing crowding out individual opportunities for creativity in the classroom, all take their toll. In my experience, many great prospective teachers choose other options in college and many others cut short their desired careers to pursue other work. A policy focus on attracting and keeping good teachers would involve our schools of education. I hope some will choose to be the leaders in the kind of individualized learning that has been the main theme of my suggestions. The pay of teachers is another issue that should be the focus of national discussion. Traditionally, this is a matter for states and local governments and not a federal issue. But, at the national level, we should show how teacher compensation practices in this country stack up to the ""best in class"" education systems worldwide. A final area is professional development. We want students to be lifelong learners and we should want teachers and other education personnel to be lifelong learners as well. There is a dizzying array of new learning tools and technologies introduced every year and we need our teachers to keep current and redesign their approaches throughout their careers. So we need strong professional development for teachers that will enhance and build on instructional knowledge. Many teachers pursue a rigorous national certification process after they have a few years of classroom experience. The multi-year certification process is a powerful form of professional development. How about a federal commitment to provide a salary enhancement for teachers who achieve this distinction?",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-kaine-call-on-administration-for-sustained-ceo-leadership-to-fix-healthcaregov,"Warner, Kaine Call on Administration for Sustained CEO Leadership to Fix Healthcare.Gov",2013-11-26,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Warner, Kaine Call on Administration for Sustained CEO Leadership to Fix Healthcare.Gov As technical problems with healthcare website continue, Senators urge President to swiftly appoint leadership to oversee fixes through 2015 enrollment period Tuesday, November 26, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Americans continue to experience technical difficulties with federal and state health insurance enrollment, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined a coalition of Senators in calling on President Obama to quickly appoint a long-term replacement for Jeffrey Zients, who is departing to become director of the National Economic Council on January 2, to oversee the technical repair of healthcare.gov. In a letter delivered to the Administration today, the Senators called on President Obama to appoint an individual who would report directly to the president and be “empowered with the authority to ensure that healthcare.gov is fixed quickly, completely, and permanently.” “While we cannot go backward and correct mistakes made, we must now work together to fix the law so that it works for all Americans,” the letter read. The Senators continued,  “A project of this size and scope demands the sustained leadership and day-to-day management of a chief executive officer – someone whose sole responsibility would be an unrelenting focus on healthcare.gov and who has experience overseeing large and complex consumer-facing technology projects.” “Sustaining the steady management focus that this position has already brought to the project would go a long way toward earning back the trust jeopardized by last month’s deeply flawed rollout,” the Senators added. The full text of the Senators’ letter is below:  November 25, 2013 President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: As supporters of the Affordable Care Act, we have been deeply disappointed and frustrated with the many problems surrounding the law’s rollout, including the initial failure of the healthcare.gov website.  These early missteps are all the more unfortunate because of the potential benefits of the Affordable Care Act.  An effective implementation of this law would mean that millions of Americans would no longer be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions, have to worry about caps on lifetime benefits, or pay a co-pay or deductible to receive preventive services.  Women will no longer be charged higher premiums simply because of their gender, young adults can stay on their parents’ plans until they are 26, and those without employer coverage can purchase affordable health insurance on the exchange with subsidies for low and middle-income families. While we cannot go backward and correct mistakes made, we must now work together to fix the law so that it works for all Americans.  To that end, we appreciate that your administration is making a concerted effort to improve the functionality of healthcare.gov, and we commend your decision to appoint Jeffrey Zients to manage this critical project.  He has a record of success and strong leadership in the federal government and the private sector, and we agree that Mr. Zients is the right person to lead these efforts.  But with Mr. Zients departing to become director of the National Economic Council on January 2nd, we urge you to quickly appoint a replacement and extend the duration of the position until after the 2015 open-enrollment period concludes. A project of this size and scope demands the sustained leadership and day-to-day management of a chief executive officer – someone whose sole responsibility would be an unrelenting focus on healthcare.gov and who has experience overseeing large and complex consumer-facing technology projects. The position should report directly to you and should be empowered with the authority to ensure that healthcare.gov is fixed quickly, completely, and permanently. Like you, we want the Affordable Care Act to succeed and for every American to enjoy the health and cost benefits it can provide, but the law’s success is inextricably tied to the confidence of the American people.  Sustaining the steady management focus that this position has already brought to the project would go a long way toward earning back the trust jeopardized by last month’s deeply flawed rollout. Sincerely, Signatories: Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH); Richard Blumenthal (D-CT); Mark Warner (D-VA); Christopher A. Coons (D-DE); Mary Landrieu (D-LA); Mark Udall (D-CO); Tim Kaine (D-VA) ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/va-senators-hope-for-plan-to-delay-some-defense-cuts,Va. senators hope for plan to delay some defense cuts,2013-11-26,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Va. senators hope for plan to delay some defense cuts By:  Bill Bartel Tuesday, November 26, 2013 Virginia's two U.S. senators predicted Monday that a committee attempting to reach a budget deal and avoid another government shutdown may be able to provide relief from some automatic defense cuts - but not all of them. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine aren't expecting the panel to draft a long-range plan to address deficit and spending issues, but they hope to see a one- or two-year budget that gives some certainty to federal spending. The two Democrats are part of the 29-member House and Senate committee formed in October, in the wake of the government shutdown, tasked with drafting an annual budget. Congress approved a temporary spending plan to reopen the government after the 16-day shutdown. The bipartisan group has until mid-December to draft a plan for the consideration of the entire Congress before Jan. 15, when the government runs out of money. ""The 'big deal' is probably not going to happen this time,"" Warner said in a radio interview in Charlottesville. ""What may happen - and what I hope will happen - is we at least get a budget for the rest of this year and maybe next year and get rid of the worst parts of sequestration."" Sequestration, a mandatory, decadelong reduction of $1.2 trillion from defense and domestic programs that began earlier this year, will likely not be stopped entirely but could be slowed, the senators predicted. If no changes are made, the Pentagon is required to cut $52 billion over the next 11 months. The defense cuts are particularly worrisome for many in Hampton Roads, where the Navy has said it would have to scale back ship repairs and other contract work and curtail some military operations. Kaine and Warner also have noted that the non-defense cuts mean significant reductions in research, education and other programs. The task facing Congress: find a way to blunt the planned cuts by approving new revenue, substituting other cuts or a combination of the two, without adding to the federal deficit. ""This is not talking about spending additional money and adding additional deficit,"" Warner said. ""If we're going to get relief from the spending cuts, it has to be paid for. It means we have to cut somewhere else."" Kaine said it's possible the automatic cuts could be ""restructured"" so that some are postponed, giving defense officials and others more time to plan. ""Some of the sequester cuts are most dangerous because without being able to plan in advance, you just kind of have to make them in an ugly way,"" he said. The House-Senate committee has met twice publicly, with the bulk of the work and negotiations being conducted privately by its senior leaders, Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, and Rep. Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, who lead the budget committees in the two chambers. Kaine said committee members, both Democrats and Republicans, share a desire to reach some kind of deal. ""I think everybody realized the shutdown was bad for the country and generally bad for the politics of anybody who was on the pro-shutdown side,"" he said. Warner said in a telephone interview that he's ""cautiously optimistic"" a deal can be reached, but he's ""not in the room"" for the private talks. It's a work in progress. ""Nothing is done until it's done,"" he said. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=71b782a2-8b03-4cc1-8d0a-65537b3d001c,"Warner, Kaine Call on Administration for Sustained CEO Leadership to Fix Healthcare.Gov",2013-11-26,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Mark Warner,W000805,www.warner.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Americans continue to experience technical difficulties with federal and state health insurance enrollment, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined a coalition of Senators in calling on President Obama to quickly appoint a long-term replacement for Jeffrey Zients, who is departing to become director of the National Economic Council on January 2, to oversee the technical repair of healthcare.gov. In a letter delivered to the Administration today, the Senators called on President Obama to appoint an individual who would report directly to the president and be “empowered with the authority to ensure that healthcare.gov is fixed quickly, completely, and permanently.” “While we cannot go backward and correct mistakes made, we must now work together to fix the law so that it works for all Americans,” the letter read. The Senators continued,  “A project of this size and scope demands the sustained leadership and day-to-day management of a chief executive officer – someone whose sole responsibility would be an unrelenting focus on healthcare.gov and who has experience overseeing large and complex consumer-facing technology projects.” “Sustaining the steady management focus that this position has already brought to the project would go a long way toward earning back the trust jeopardized by last month’s deeply flawed rollout,” the Senators added.   The full text of the Senators’ letter is below:   November 25, 2013   President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500   Dear Mr. President: As supporters of the Affordable Care Act, we have been deeply disappointed and frustrated with the many problems surrounding the law’s rollout, including the initial failure of the healthcare.gov website.  These early missteps are all the more unfortunate because of the potential benefits of the Affordable Care Act.  An effective implementation of this law would mean that millions of Americans would no longer be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions, have to worry about caps on lifetime benefits, or pay a co-pay or deductible to receive preventive services.  Women will no longer be charged higher premiums simply because of their gender, young adults can stay on their parents’ plans until they are 26, and those without employer coverage can purchase affordable health insurance on the exchange with subsidies for low and middle-income families. While we cannot go backward and correct mistakes made, we must now work together to fix the law so that it works for all Americans.  To that end, we appreciate that your administration is making a concerted effort to improve the functionality of healthcare.gov, and we commend your decision to appoint Jeffrey Zients to manage this critical project.  He has a record of success and strong leadership in the federal government and the private sector, and we agree that Mr. Zients is the right person to lead these efforts.  But with Mr. Zients departing to become director of the National Economic Council on January 2nd, we urge you to quickly appoint a replacement and extend the duration of the position until after the 2015 open-enrollment period concludes. A project of this size and scope demands the sustained leadership and day-to-day management of a chief executive officer – someone whose sole responsibility would be an unrelenting focus on healthcare.gov and who has experience overseeing large and complex consumer-facing technology projects. The position should report directly to you and should be empowered with the authority to ensure that healthcare.gov is fixed quickly, completely, and permanently. Like you, we want the Affordable Care Act to succeed and for every American to enjoy the health and cost benefits it can provide, but the law’s success is inextricably tied to the confidence of the American people.  Sustaining the steady management focus that this position has already brought to the project would go a long way toward earning back the trust jeopardized by last month’s deeply flawed rollout.   Sincerely,   Signatories: Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH); Richard Blumenthal (D-CT); Mark Warner (D-VA); Christopher A. Coons (D-DE); Mary Landrieu (D-LA); Mark Udall (D-CO); Tim Kaine (D-VA)",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z http://morgangriffith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=362866,Congressman Griffith's Weekly E-Newsletter 11.25.13,2013-11-25,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Morgan Griffith,G000568,morgangriffith.house.gov,,,legacy,"Many children are taught that America’s First Thanksgiving took place in 1621 at Massachusetts’ Plymouth Plantation.  But it is Virginia, and not the Bay State, that has the right to claim ownership of the First English settlement Thanksgiving.   In 1619 – around a year before the pilgrims even arrived at Plymouth – a group of English colonists arrived at Berkeley Plantation and established the Thanksgiving tradition.  In accordance with instructions sent by the London Company, upon arriving at Berkeley, Captain John Woodlief and fellow colonists prayed*: “We ordain that this day of our ship's arrival, at the place assigned for plantacon, [meaning plantation], in the land of Virginia, shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.” Of course, it is true that the colony at Plymouth held a three-day festival to celebrate their safe travels, a successful growing season, and the assistance of the Native Americans.  The relationship between these new settlers and the Native Americans did not end with this meal.  Obviously, Native Americans and European settlers would engage in numerous wars, acts of treachery, and atrocities, but when our nation was threatened from powers across the seas, Native Americans were proud to defend these United States. As written in the Washington Post, “During the dark, early days of World War II, American military commanders were desperate for a code that could not be cracked by the Japanese. “The solution rested in the obscure languages spoken by Native American tribes, unfathomable to the Japanese.  Native American code talkers, as they became known, were able to transmit messages quickly and securely, giving American forces a critical edge.” The first recorded use of code talkers as a part of our Armed Forces was in October of 1918.  They thwarted our enemies, using their native language to communicate securely and secretly.   According to the Defense Department, more than 400 code talkers served during World War I and World War II.  Navajo code talkers served in the largest numbers, and were recognized for their service in a 2001 ceremony featuring President George W. Bush.  However, many Native American code talkers of different tribes were not given the same recognition. In 2008, Congress passed a bill that would authorize gold medals for other tribes and, because there are no central records regarding code talkers, the Pentagon researched for the last several years to determine which tribes were eligible for recognition.  Perhaps complicating matters further is the fact that, because code talkers were sworn to secrecy, many of them passed away without having revealed their heroic actions, even to those they loved. Just last week, I joined other members of the House and the Senate in the Capitol Visitor Center’s Emancipation Hall for a ceremony honoring Native American code talkers from 33 tribes throughout the United States with the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’ highest expression of gratitude. The tribes being recognized at this moving ceremony received Congressional Gold Medals of a unique design befitting that tribe.  Also, more than 200 silver medals were presented to living code talkers or a surviving family member. As Speaker John Boehner said of code talkers, “They mobilized the simplest weapon – language – to thwart the fiercest enemy free people have ever known.”   Attending the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony was the Robinson family from Roanoke County.  Mr. Robinson’s uncle, Mr. Harold W. Morgan, was a code talker, and a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma.  Speaking with the Robinsons after the ceremony about their family heritage and about Mr. Morgan, his service to our nation, and the Pawnee Nation’s Congressional Gold Medal was humbling.  I will never forget it.   This season, more than any other, is the time in which we gather together in thanksgiving, in recognition of our blessings, and in praise.  Along with being thankful for the blessings bestowed upon me and my family, I will express my deep gratitude this Thanksgiving for heroes like Mr. Harold W. Morgan, his fellow code talkers, and other members of our Armed Forces both past and present.   May God bless these heroes, may God bless you and your loved ones, and may God bless these United States.  Best wishes for a safe and happy Thanksgiving.   As always, if you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671.  To reach my office by email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. ### * http://www.timesdispatch.com/opinion/their-opinion/in-virginia-a-season-of-thanksgiving/article_8c11aad7-9402-5984-8e59-6b4d347f09ab.html ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20140131155059/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/473,GOODLATTE & ESHOO NAMED 2014 CO-CHAIRS OF FIRST CONGRESSIONAL APP COMPETITION,2013-11-25,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE & ESHOO NAMED 2014 CO-CHAIRS OF FIRST CONGRESSIONAL APP COMPETITION WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Bob Goodlatte and Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.) released the statements below after the House Administration Committee appointed them as Co-chairs of the first ever House Academic Competition to promote innovation in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). “Because of your established leadership in this field, the Committee appoints you as co-chairs for the 2014 STEM Competition,” the Committee wrote to Goodlatte and Eshoo. As Co-chairs of the Congressional Internet Caucus, Goodlatte and Eshoo have been at the forefront of promoting education and innovation in the STEM fields, making them ideal candidates to lead the 2014 competition. The first competition will be formally launched in February 2014 and will be an app competition for high school students in participating Congressional districts. “The demand for students educated in engineering and technology continues to rise in the United States but part of the challenge is how to engage students in these subjects and further the understanding of these valuable skills,” said Goodlatte, who is also Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. “The House Academic Competition is a great opportunity to promote these fields which are driving American innovation. I look forward to working with my Co-Chair Anna Eshoo to oversee this competition which will help to build a workforce equipped with science, technology, engineering and math skills.” “I’m thrilled to be leading such an extraordinary opportunity for our nation’s youth and to help foster interest in science, technology, engineering, and math education,” said Eshoo, who also serves as Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee. “According to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, the next decade will bring approximately 8.5 million STEM job opportunities, but during the same time we will face a shortage of 1 million STEM graduates. We need to address this mismatch by encouraging our children’s innate curiosity and creativity. What better way to do so than through a mobile apps competition?” Eshoo continued, “From mobile medical apps that may soon revolutionize the way we seek and receive healthcare, to apps that enable video conferencing and the streaming of online video, our lives have been forever changed by the mobility and economic impact these applications provide. I thank the House Administration Committee for the appointment, and I look forward to the competition.” Background: Earlier this year, the House voted to establish an academic competition that promotes greater innovation among students across the country. The competition, which allows Members to conduct annual contests among students in their district, will encourage greater participation in the STEM fields and help emphasize their importance to our economic success. On November 20th, the House Administration Committee advanced this important initiative by adopting the regulations governing the competition, including rules on administration, contestants, judges, and resources. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-nuclear-deal-with-iran,Kaine Statement on Nuclear Deal with Iran,2013-11-24,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine Statement on Nuclear Deal with Iran Sunday, November 24, 2013 HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, released the following statement from the 2013 Halifax International Security Forum on the first step agreement reached on Iran’s nuclear program. Kaine is leading a U.S. Congressional delegation to the forum with Senator John McCain: “As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s death, I recall his wise commencement speech delivered at American University in June of 1963. He spoke of the hard work of peace-making during the midst of disarmament talks with the Soviet Union. Many challenged the talks and whether there was any possibility of working toward peace with an enemy. But President Kennedy reminded us that ‘we can reduce tension without relaxing our guard’ and advocated the need for nations to take concrete steps along a path to total disarmament. “I look forward to reviewing the P5+1 (United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China + Germany) first stage deal with Iran in the coming days. We will not tolerate an Iran with nuclear weapons because that will make the region – and the world – dramatically less safe. If this interim deal reduces stockpiles of enriched uranium to levels appropriate only for civilian use, halts uranium enrichment above dangerous levels, reduces technology that can be used to enhance enrichment, and imposes intrusive daily inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency that can give the world immediate warning if Iran plans to move toward nuclear weapons, it will be an important trust building step toward our ultimate goal. “This deal could bring us closer to a world less threatened by weapons of mass destruction. We should now press forward to do even more in pursuit of peace.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/starting-strong-the-case-for-pre-k,Starting strong: The case for pre-K,2013-11-23,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Starting strong: The case for pre-K Virginian-Pilot Op-Ed Saturday, November 23, 2013 With our daughter now in college, my wife Anne and I have reached the end of our journey through Virginia public education. As a parent I have learned many lessons from my children's combined total of 40 years in public pre-K through 12 classrooms, and one of the most significant is the importance of early childhood education programs. Virginia started a modest early childhood education program after my two sons had already entered elementary school. My daughter, however, was just the right age to experience the program. And while my boys had a good experience with high-quality private child-care programs, the positive impact that a public, comprehensive pre-K year had on my daughter made me a true believer in the power of early childhood education. I don't have to look far outside my own home to see the other ways expanding early childhood education has made an impact. Virginia is a perfect example of how investments in education will ensure that we have a skilled workforce ready to compete in a global economy. As governor, I had to make tough decisions to invest in early childhood education programs while cutting nearly $6 billion in spending to balance the budget during a recession. Even in a time of tough cuts, I worked with legislators, educators and business leaders to expand the Virginia Preschool Initiative, improving the quality of pre-K programs and increasing the number of children they served by 40 percent. Last week, I was proud to join eight of my U.S. Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to expand access to high-quality early education programs for children all over the country. This legislation, the ""Strong Start for America's Children Act,"" is a 10-year federal-state partnership to expand and improve early childhood education for 4-year-old children from families earning below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. While there is bipartisan support for early learning programs, many argue that to get our fiscal house back in order we need to slash spending across the board, including early childhood programs and other education priorities. While I believe that everything should be considered when we look for cost savings, it is tough to identify an educational program with a higher return on investment than early childhood education. A primary argument for pre-K programs is a scientific one - 90 percent of brain development occurs before a child's fifth birthday. Without early education programs that serve children under the age of five, our education system neglects children during the years its effects could be most significant. Pre-K is also good for the economy. Nobel laureate James Heckman, an economist who calculates how public investments accelerate economic growth, has concluded that early childhood education has one of the greatest returns of any public investment. Early learning programs make it more likely that children will do well in elementary school, less likely they will have to repeat a grade and more likely they will be successful in the future. The return on investment may be even higher when children from low-income families gain access to pre-K programs. Research shows that the value of the program is most powerful for children who might otherwise have learning barriers - developmental disabilities, lack of access to books or other learning material, or a home where English isn't the primary language. Part of this benefit comes from getting parents more engaged in learning so they can supplement their child's educational experience at home. Providing low-income families with access to pre-K education helps close the achievement gap between children of all backgrounds. As governor, I learned that the commonwealth was funding certain early childhood programs through the Department of Education and others through the Department of Social Services, an approach that limited accountability and efficiency. I made changes to coordinate these investments in Virginia, and I support similar changes at the federal level to eliminate waste and bolster the structure of our education system. Pre-K investments will pay huge dividends, both in the lives of individual children and for our nation as a whole. The ""Strong Start for America's Children Act"" is one of the smartest investments we can make. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=666,Congressman Connolly Named Tech Champion of the Year,2013-11-22,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Gerald Connolly,C001078,connolly.house.gov,,,legacy,"Connolly was named ""Tech Champion of the Year"" Thursday night at an awards ceremony featuring leaders from the federal and private sector information technology community. Read more. share: f t Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) received the Tech Champion of the Year award, presented by Fedscoop CEO Goldy KamaliCongressman Gerry Connolly was named “Tech Champion of the Year” Thursday night at an awards ceremony featuring leaders from the federal and private sector information technology community.Connolly (D-VA) was the sole recipient of Fedscoop’s Tech Champion award.  The award recognized Connolly “as a leader whose passion for tech made us all think out of the box.”  Connolly and winners of the Fedscoop 50 awards were selected by a voting process that involved members of the public and private sector IT community and the general public.As Congressman for Virginia’s 11th District, Connolly represents the heart of the technology community on the East Coast.  He represents tens of thousands of federal IT contracting employees and federal workers who live in the district.As a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, Connolly has been a leading voice on IT issues in Congress since taking office in 2009.  His background working for two IT companies and his tenure as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors gave Connolly a unique understanding of federal IT issues which has helped him drive legislation in Congress on the issues impacting IT inside and outside the federal government.This year, Connolly and House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) coauthored a major federal IT reform bill – the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) – which would overhaul federal IT procurement, increase transparency, efficiency, and management of federal IT, and save taxpayer dollars.  The legislation has already passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is pending in the Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.“I am honored to be named Tech Champion of the Year and I will continue to work to enhance and reform the federal IT system working with the many dedicated individuals in the federal government and in our thriving private sector tech community,” Connolly said.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://web.archive.org/web/20131210102409/http://goodlatte.house.gov/press_releases/472,GOODLATTE: HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO HOLD HEARING ON ASYLUM ABUSE,2013-11-22,2013,2013-11,Republican,House,VA,Robert Goodlatte,G000289,web.archive.org,,,legacy,"GOODLATTE: HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO HOLD HEARING ON ASYLUM ABUSE WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Judiciary Committee today announced that it will hold a hearing on our nation’s asylum laws by the end of the year.  According to an internal Customs and Border Protection document obtained by the House Judiciary Committee, and as reported by the Washington Times today, many people claiming a “credible fear” of persecution at our ports of entry have a direct or indirect association with drug trafficking and other illegal activity such as human smuggling. Since there are intelligence gaps and loopholes in the system, the asylum process – which was designed to help innocent victims of persecution – is being abused by individuals who would otherwise be subjects of interest or subjects of criminal investigations. Once these unscrupulous individuals falsely claim a “credible fear” of persecution, there is virtually no investigation by U.S. authorities. Because the Obama Administration refuses to detain most of them, criminals and those who pose national security threats are then able to live and work in the U.S. for many years before their cases are ever heard by immigration judges. Below is a joint statement from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), and Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), a fellow Judiciary Committee member who is also chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, on this upcoming hearing. “It’s outrageous that members of Mexican drug cartels and others involved in illicit activity are so easily able to exploit our asylum laws and live in the U.S. virtually undetected.  Our asylum laws are in place to help individuals who are facing truly serious persecution in their countries.  However, dangerous criminals are gaming the system by claiming they have a ‘credible fear’ of persecution when often they’ve been the perpetrators of violence themselves. Their claims almost always get rubberstamped by the Obama Administration and once these individuals are in the U.S., the illegal activity doesn’t stop.   “Unfortunately, it appears the Obama Administration is compromising our national security and the safety of our communities for its political agenda. The House Judiciary Committee plans to hold a hearing soon to closely examine this egregious abuse to see what can be done to put an end to it.”   Below are some examples cited in the document obtained by the House Judiciary Committee: •    Two families involved in drug trafficking came to the U.S. claiming “credible fear” of persecution, then began targeting each other once they were here. •    Two women made a claim of asylum and three months later were apprehended at a Border Patrol checkpoint with more than $1 million in cocaine. •    Cartel hit-squad members came to the U.S. after they “fell out of grace” with their employers. •    An ex-Mexican military soldier and his family claimed “credible fear” and settled in Colorado.  When U.S. authorities followed up on them, they were linked to an open investigation involving the seizure of 3,000 pounds of marijuana.  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/advisory-senators-john-mccain-and-tim-kaine-to-lead-us-delegation-to-the-halifax-international-security-forum,Advisory: Senators John McCain And Tim Kaine To Lead U.S. Delegation To The Halifax International Security Forum,2013-11-22,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Advisory: Senators John McCain And Tim Kaine To Lead U.S. Delegation To The Halifax International Security Forum Friday, November 22, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) will lead the U.S. Congressional delegation to the 2013 Halifax International Security Forum and hold a press conference at 4:00 p.m. AST tomorrow, Saturday, November 23, 2013. Other members of the delegation include Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-16). Delegation members will also participate in Halifax Forum panel discussions. PRESS CONFERENCE – SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23,  2013 WHO:         U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ)                        U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA)                        U.S. Delegation Members WHAT:       Press Conference WHEN:       4:00 p.m. AST – Saturday, November 23, 2013 WHERE:     Halifax International Security Conference                        Harbour Room A                        The Westin Nova Scotian                        1181 Hollis Street                        Halifax, NS B3H 2P6, Canada  *Watch livestream of the press conference at http://www.halifaxtheforum.org. HALIFAX FORUM PANEL DISCUSSIONS – SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2013 WHO:        Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) WHAT:       Panel Discussion: Bloody Autocracy, Religious Kleptocracy, Unstable Democracy:                         In Search of Better Choices for the Middle East (and Beyond)  WHEN:       8:30 a.m. AST – Saturday, November 23, 2013 WHERE:     Halifax International Security Conference                        The Westin Nova Scotian                        1181 Hollis Street                        Halifax, NS B3H 2P6, Canada  *Watch livestream of the panel at http://www.halifaxtheforum.org. WHO:        Senator John McCain (R-AZ)  WHAT:       Panel Discussion: If Democracies Won't, Alternatives Will: Reviving Global Responsibility  WHEN:       10:15 a.m. AST – Saturday, November 23, 2013 WHERE:     Halifax International Security Conference                        The Westin Nova Scotian                        1181 Hollis Street                        Halifax, NS B3H 2P6, Canada  *Watch livestream of the panel at http://www.halifaxtheforum.org. **For logistical information please contact Renée Filiatrault at 613-406-5394 or communications@halifaxtheforum.org.  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/political-doubt-poses-risk-to-honduras-battered-by-coup-and-violence,"Political Doubt Poses Risk to Honduras, Battered by Coup and Violence",2013-11-22,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Political Doubt Poses Risk to Honduras, Battered by Coup and Violence By:  Elisabeth Malkin Friday, November 22, 2013 TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — When police officers arrived last week after the murder of Felipe Nery Aguilar and his daughter Gladys, they seized on what appeared to be a clue: a childish scribble on a broken television set. A message from local gangs, the officers figured, demanding protection money, known here as a “war tax.” Case closed. But for the victims’ family, the explanation made no sense. A second daughter, Rosa Alba Aguilar, 35, agonized over why anybody would kill a 73-year-old fruit seller. “It was just pure evil,” Ms. Aguilar said. Nobody was extorting her father. It was one of his grandchildren who had scrawled over the television screen. “The police come here asking stupidities,” she said. “What are the laws for?” That question is at the center of elections on Sunday, when Hondurans will choose a new president four years after a coup expelled a previous one. The rule of law, which was never sturdy to start with, has all but evaporated since then. The coup upended the political landscape here, and the outcome of the vote in one of Latin America’s poorest and most unequal countries is unpredictable. Honduras’s fraying social fabric may not withstand a new bout of political uncertainty. Drug traffickers and street gangs act unimpeded as the National Police look the other way, or even run their own criminal rackets. Dozens of human rights activists, journalists, lawyers, and peasant and labor leaders have been killed. The country is believed to have the highest peacetime murder rate in the world. The combustible mix of drugs, gangs, arms and impunity has created a “very violent element” that will “kill anybody for any reason,” said Leticia Salomón, a security expert at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. “They don’t care anymore.” Washington is watching closely, because greater instability could add to the flow of migrants trying to reach the United States and open space to drug traffickers, who have turned Honduras into a way station for South American cocaine flights. In a Nov. 13 letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia and a dozen other senators wrote that the “difficult and dangerous climate” in Honduras raises “serious concerns over the Honduran government’s ability to conduct free and fair elections.” Against this backdrop, the question is whether politicians will respect the results after what most expect will be a very close race for president and a fractured vote for Congress. The ousted former president, Manuel Zelaya, known to everyone as Mel, is back. He leads a new left-wing party, Libre, that could seize the presidency from the two parties that have swapped political power and its spoils for decades. His wife, Xiomara Castro, is the party’s candidate, because the Constitution prevents him from running again. “Trust me,” Ms. Castro said at a noisy closing rally in the market town of Siguatepeque last week. “You trusted Mel, and he never let you down.” After Mr. Zelaya won the presidency in 2005 as a candidate of the Liberal Party, he broke with the political establishment and tacked left toward Venezuela, embracing its interventionist economic policies. Now the former presidential couple is running on a promise to rewrite the Constitution to give a greater share of the country’s wealth and power to its dispossessed citizens. “We will break the chains that tie us,” Ms. Castro declared in Siguatepeque. “Xiomara owes the people,” said Alex Isidro Turcios, 46, who owns a small hardware store. “The other candidates all have debts to the oligarchy, the power groups, the elite bourgeoisie, not to the people.” Opponents describe the couple as a stalking horse for Latin America’s left. “Somebody who is desperate and who does not have support at home has to appeal to foreigners,” said Mauricio Villeda, the presidential candidate for the Liberal Party. But even some in the conservative establishment acknowledge that it is time for change. “I see what’s happening here as a flowering of democracy,” said Adolfo Facussé, the head of one of the country’s main business associations and an outspoken supporter of the coup. There have been no polls for a month, but the front-runners are Ms. Castro and Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of the Congress. Mr. Hernández, the candidate of the governing National Party, has focused on law and order. At the center of his campaign is the military police, a new force approved by Congress to patrol the streets and fight crime. But many analysts worry about the growing role of the military in a country that endured years of military dictatorship. The coup “showed that the armed forces were capable of ‘maintaining order,’ ” said Leo Valladares Lanza, a former human rights commissioner and law professor. “Now they have much more control over the political process.” There are eight presidential candidates, but political analysts believe that only Mr. Villeda, who has a rare reputation for probity and is the son of a popular president, and Salvador Nasralla, a television host campaigning on an anticorruption platform, have enough support to pull off an upset. Mr. Hernández is widely seen as having accumulated enormous power in Congress, crushing all opposition. When the Supreme Court threw out several new laws he had pushed through, Congress simply replaced four justices late last year. In his last campaign appearance on Monday, Mr. Hernández led a couple of hundred supporters in a candlelight vigil for a peaceful vote. It was a none-too-subtle reminder that the rival Libre emerged from the protests against the coup. “If there is political unrest after the election, what will be the role of the military police?” asked Carlos Hernández, the president of the Association for a More Just Society, which works on justice, labor and security issues. (He is not related to the candidate.) Violence has marred the campaign. A study by the national university released Thursday found that 17 members of Libre — among them candidates, activists and relatives — had been killed since May 2012 and that the party had faced threats and armed attacks. Sixteen people from the two traditional parties have also been killed. “Almost all the violence has gone unpunished,” said the report’s author, Blas Enrique Barahona. Politics may be behind the killing of Mr. Aguilar, the fruit seller, who was a Libre activist in his neighborhood of Santa Cecilia. His daughter Gladys was a Liberal supporter. Campaign financing is opaque, leading many to assume that candidates have taken money from traffickers. “There is drug money in the majority of the big parties,” said Osman Aguilar, a Liberal Party congressman who is a security specialist. American collaboration with Honduras on fighting drug trafficking has been uneven under the government of President Porfirio Lobo, who cannot seek re-election. Washington has suspended some security programs over human rights violations, and it has not supported the new military police. “In democracies, police are used to enforce the law and the military is used to protect the borders,” Ambassador Lisa J. Kubiske told a Honduran television station in August. The United States government also ended financing for a unit set up to purge the Honduran National Police, because it got no results. “Removing the dirty police officers should not be difficult; everybody knows who they are,” said Mr. Hernández the security expert. “But they are associated with politicians — they know things about politics.” ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/senators-introduce-bill-to-add-acreage-to-petersburg-national-battlefield,Senators introduce bill to add acreage to Petersburg National Battlefield,2013-11-22,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Senators introduce bill to add acreage to Petersburg National Battlefield By:  Louis Llovio Friday, November 22, 2013 Virginia’s two U.S. senators are looking to secure more than 7,000 acres for the Petersburg National Battlefield, an addition that would make it the largest Civil War battlefield in the country. U.S. Sens. Timothy M. Kaine and Mark R. Warner, both Democrats, have introduced legislation that would allow the U.S. National Park Service to acquire the land. The bill would allow the secretary of the Interior to obtain the land “from willing sellers only, by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, exchange or transfer.” The bill also allows for a small land transfer between Fort Lee and the battlefield. In 2011, Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., and Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-4th, introduced similar legislation that failed to gain traction. “This legislation will preserve the story of one of the Civil War’s most decisive engagements, the Siege of Petersburg, while aiding the local economy and boosting regional historic tourism,” Kaine said in a statement Wednesday. Warner noted that the battlefield “draws visitors from all across the country and adds $11 million annually into the Petersburg economy.” The park is currently about 2,500 acres. In 2005, the National Park Service recommended modifying the Petersburg National Battlefield to include 7,238 acres “of significant core battlefield land,” according to Warner’s office. That includes the site of 18 major battles during the Civil War that 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,” Warner’s office said in the statement.        ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/joint-statement-by-us-sens-warner-and-kaine-on-the-sccs-finding-on-continuation-of-existing-health-policies,Joint Statement By U.S. Sens. Warner & Kaine On the SCC’s Finding On Continuation Of Existing Health Policies,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Joint Statement By U.S. Sens. Warner & Kaine On the SCC’s Finding On Continuation Of Existing Health Policies Thursday, November 21, 2013 WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) released this statement following the announcement by the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance approving renewal of existing health insurance plans in the individual and small business markets, allowing policyholders to continue existing coverage through the end of 2014. In a letter to the SCC last week, Sens. Warner and Kaine urged state regulators to take action to help those Virginians who had concerns about the loss of their existing health coverage: “This determination by the State Corporation Commission is welcome news to those Virginians who recently have seen their existing healthcare plans cancelled by insurance carriers,” Sens. Warner and Kaine said in a joint statement. “We strongly support the SCC’s decision encouraging insurers to provide the option of extending transitional coverage through the end of next year. This action will help smooth the transition to the new system.  We appreciate the prompt analysis and decision by the Bureau of Insurance. We remain committed to working together to see that the implementation of the Affordable Care Act works more effectively for Virginia families, small businesses and employers.""  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-joins-19-senators-in-bipartisan-effort-to-grant-temporary-protected-status-to-filipinos-in-wake-of-typhoon-haiyan,Kaine Joins 19 Senators In Bipartisan Effort To Grant Temporary Protected Status To Filipinos In Wake Of Typhoon Haiyan,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine Joins 19 Senators In Bipartisan Effort To Grant Temporary Protected Status To Filipinos In Wake Of Typhoon Haiyan Thursday, November 21, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined 19 of his Senate colleagues in calling on President Obama’s administration to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Filipino nationals currently residing in the United States and to consider additional avenues of relief for certain Filipinos with U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family members in the U.S.  TPS is granted to foreign nationals who cannot safely return to their native country.   “Typhoon Haiyan has wrought unparalleled destruction and tragic loss of life in the Philippines,” the Senators wrote. “Victims of Typhoon Haiyan clearly meet the eligibility requirements for TPS, and we urge you to extend this designation as soon as possible. The United States has demonstrated its commitment to assisting the Philippines with the recovery effort through foreign aid, military assistance and relief supplies, but we must alsoassist the victims’ families in whatever way possible.” A complete copy of the letter is available here.  The letter was also signed by Senators Robert Menendez (D–NJ), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), John McCain (R-AZ), Harry Reid (D-NV), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY),Chris Coons (D-DL), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Dean Heller (R-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ). Currently, the United States grants Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, and Syria. As the program is designed, TPS would only be available to Filipinos already living in the United States who pass a background check and meet related eligibility requirements.  Below is the full letter.  The Honorable Rand Beers Acting Secretary Department of Homeland Security 3801 Nebraska Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20528  Acting Secretary Beers: In light of the tremendous devastation suffered by the Philippines as a result of Typhoon Haiyan, we write to express our deep concern about the impact of this tragedy on Filipinos in the United States. We ask that you consider granting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to eligible Filipino nationals within the United States and additional avenues of relief for certain Filipinos with U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family members in the U.S. As you know, Typhoon Haiyan has wrought unparalleled destruction and tragic loss of life in the Philippines. The U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center estimated the storm’s sustained winds at 195 miles per hour at landfall, which if confirmed would make Haiyan one of the most powerful storms in recorded history. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced with no shelter or clean water and millions face food shortages. The United States has granted TPS to other nationals after similarly traumatic events. Following Hurricane Mitch in 1999, the United States granted TPS to Honduran and Nicaraguan nationals; following several earthquakes in Central America in 2001, the United States granted TPS to Salvadorans; and following the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the United States granted TPS to Haitians. Victims of Typhoon Haiyan clearly meet the eligibility requirements for TPS, and we urge you to extend this designation as soon as possible. Providing TPS is critical to humanitarian relief efforts as it both protects individuals who would be endangered by returning to their country of origin and it allows the home country more time to recover before accepting returnees. It is important to note that granting TPS to Filipino nationals will not endanger our security.  An alien is ineligible for TPS if he has a criminal background or poses a threat to national security.  The decision to deny, withdraw or terminate TPS is in the sole discretion of the government; there is no judicial review of such a determination.  Moreover, TPS is not a backdoor to U.S. citizenship.  TPS does not make a beneficiary eligible for legal permanent resident status or U.S. citizenship. When the TPS designation of a country is terminated, beneficiaries revert to the same immigration status they maintained before the designation.  We also ask that you consider humanitarian parole and expedited visa processing for Filipinos who have U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident relatives in the U.S. and approved or pending family petitions, especially Filipinos who have been orphaned, lost relatives in the storm or suffer other serious hardships. We also ask that you consider an automatic extension of visas, in categories where an extension is feasible, for Filipinos currently present in the U.S. Lastly, we ask that you consider temporarily suspending deportations to the Philippines and utilizing alternatives to detention in appropriate cases. The United States has demonstrated its commitment to assisting the Philippines with the recovery effort through foreign aid, military assistance and relief supplies, but we must also assist the victims’ families in whatever way possible. Therefore, we respectfully request that you extend TPS to Filipino nationals residing in the United States and support the reunification of U.S. citizens and their Filipino family members. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,    ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-praises-passage-of-bipartisan-battlefield-protection-bill-out-of-committee,Kaine Praises Passage Of Bipartisan Battlefield Protection Bill Out Of Committee,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine Praises Passage Of Bipartisan Battlefield Protection Bill Out Of Committee Thursday, November 21, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act, a bill introduced by U.S. Senator Tim Kaine to preserve historical battlegrounds, was passed out of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee on a voice vote.  ""Committee passage of this bipartisan bill is an important step toward preserving our nation's battlefields for future generations to enjoy,"" said Kaine. ""This legislation will benefit Virginia and all states that are home to historic battlegrounds by boosting tourism, supporting local economies, and maintaining battlefields as living reminders of American history.""  In May, Kaine introduced the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act with Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), along with 13 other cosponsors – seven Democrats, five Republicans, and one independent. This legislation reauthorizes the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program, which offers competitive federal grants to match non-federal and private donations to preserve Civil War battlefields.  The bill extends the program, which expired last month, for five more years at the current $10 million funding level and also makes Revolutionary War and War of 1812 sites eligible for these grants. Additionally, this week Kaine joined Senator Mark Warner to introduce a bill authorizing the expansion of Petersburg National Battlefield, making it the largest Civil War battlefield in the nation.   ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-statement-on-senate-rules-change-to-end-gridlock,Kaine Statement On Senate Rules Change To End Gridlock,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Kaine Statement On Senate Rules Change To End Gridlock Thursday, November 21, 2013 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today after voting to ensure judicial nominees get an up-or-down vote on confirmation by eliminating the filibuster on all judicial nominations other than Supreme Court nominees: “Today I joined a majority of my Senate colleagues in taking an important step to ensure highly-qualified, non-controversial judicial nominees, including Virginia’s own Pattie Millett, are given the up-or-down vote they deserve. “What we have witnessed in the Senate in recent months is unprecedented. The only explanation for blocking the consideration of a nominee like Ms. Millett – a military spouse who has served under both Democratic and Republican Solicitor Generals, has argued more cases before the Supreme Court and circuit courts than all but a handful of attorneys and is uniformly praised by bar groups – is that Republicans have committed to pursuing a strategy of nullifying the law to achieve their goals. Their decision to block four highly-qualified nominees to the D.C. Circuit since I took office eleven months ago – three in the last three weeks alone – is proof that the goal was to nullify the law that says the D.C. Circuit has eleven judges. “Today’s rules change will end this unprecedented abuse of the filibuster and allow us to begin to break through the gridlock that has frustrated Virginians and prevented us from tackling so many important issues facing our country.”  ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/sens-warner-collins-kaine-and-grassley-introduce-legislation-to-protect-military-whistleblowers,"Sens. Warner, Collins, Kaine & Grassley Introduce Legislation To Protect Military Whistleblowers",2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"Sens. Warner, Collins, Kaine & Grassley Introduce Legislation To Protect Military Whistleblowers Military Whistleblower Protection Act will ensure victims of sexual assault and other misconduct are protected from retaliation Thursday, November 21, 2013 WASHINGTON - U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced proposals today to strengthen military whistleblower protection laws to ensure those who are courageous enough to report sexual assault and other misconduct are not further victimized by retaliation.  The Military Whistleblower Protection Act is supported by over 50 good government, public health and veterans organizations, including the Service Women’s Action Network, the Project on Government Oversight and the Government Accountability Project. “I am proud to offer this bipartisan legislation to protect our military whistleblowers, who serve our country bravely and deserve our respect and protection,” Sen. Warner said. “Improving the military’s whistleblower system is an important step toward encouraging whistleblowers to report fraud, waste, and other misconduct, especially sexual assault. Our military men and women should trust that our justice system will protect them and provide an environment free of retaliation.”  “Whistleblowers play a crucial role in Congressional efforts to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse and to help ensure the effectiveness of government programs.  They provide crucial information that Congress needs to conduct proper oversight of the federal government,” said Sen. Collins.  “This amendment increases whistleblower protections for the military and encourages whistleblowers to report misconduct, especially as it relates to sexual assault. Our military men and women deserve a justice system that protects them while they serve our country.” “To effectively combat sexual assault and other serious misconduct in the military, we must create an environment where whistleblowers feel comfortable coming forward with a complaint,” said Sen. Kaine.  “This legislation would work to increase reporting while protecting victims of sexual assault and other crimes from retaliation and would strengthen the Senate’s bipartisan efforts to tackle the serious and longstanding problem of sexual assault in the military."" “There’s plenty of evidence that military personnel have an unbelievably difficult time when blowing the whistle on misconduct, fraud or even sexual assault.  Too often, these complaints get tossed into the garbage for no good reason.  Retaliation seems to be the norm rather than the exception.  These are simple changes that can make a big difference for whistleblowers,” Sen. Grassley said. ""Better protections for those seeking to fix what’s wrong in our military will increase accountability for those who undermine our military readiness,” said Angela Canterbury, Director of Public Policy for the Project on Government Oversight. “With authentic protections for those who report wrongdoing, problems will more often be addressed as they arise, and many will be averted altogether. We are grateful for the leadership of these Senators in advancing much-needed protections for the brave service members who blow the whistle on waste, fraud, and abuse, importantly including sexual assault."" ""At Service Women's Action Network, we've seen firsthand the devastating impacts of retaliation--personal, professional, or both--against survivors of military sexual assault,"" said Anu Bhagwati, Service Women's Action Network executive director and former Marine Corps captain. ""The unfortunate truth is that our current Inspector General investigation process fails many. With this legislation, Senators Warner, Collins, Kaine and Grassley are leading the charge to strengthen Inspector General requirements to provide survivors with the relief they need and the justice they deserve."" The bipartisan Military Whistleblower Protection Act would extend whistleblower protections to witnesses as well as victims, and ensures action is taken both to provide corrective relief to victims of retaliation and to discipline those who retaliate. It also extends the current 60-day period to file a report to one year, bringing it more in line with other federal and contractor whistleblowers who have longer reporting periods—often up to three years to report misconduct. Finally, it requires the service branches to actively support those with confirmed cases of retaliation by submitting their request to clean up their records to the Board for Military Correction of Records, rather than leaving that responsibility solely on victims to accomplish on their own. A Government Accountability Office audit reported that more than 60% of service members who reported sexual assaults in 2012 experienced retaliation, and less than 1% of whistleblowers who filed reprisal complaints obtained relief, and only 19% of those who the Inspector Generals’ certified had experienced retaliation ever got their records corrected.   Additionally, a Pentagon study released in May 2013 and based on a confidential survey sent to more than 100,000 active-duty service members,  found as many as 26,000 members of the military experienced offenses ranging from sexual harassment to sexual assault last year. However, fewer than 3,400 individuals reported the incidents. The Department of Defense concluded most victims did not step forward because they worried about retaliation and believed that reporting the alleged offense would negatively impact their military careers. A copy of the Military Whistleblower Protection Act is available here. ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/state-department-diplomatic-security-training-needs-are-best-met-using-fort-pickett-facility-,State Department: Diplomatic Security Training Needs Are Best Met Using Fort Pickett Facility,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"State Department: Diplomatic Security Training Needs Are Best Met Using Fort Pickett Facility Thursday, November 21, 2013 Washington, D.C. – Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) released a letter today from the U.S. Department of State detailing how Fort Pickett, Virginia remains the most suitable location for a Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC), which provides critical training for U.S. diplomatic personnel serving in high-risk environments abroad.    In response to a November 5 letter from Senator Kaine and Congressman Forbes to Secretary of State John Kerry requesting a status update on the potential placement of a FASTC at Fort Pickett, the Department noted that the important missions conducted at a FASTC “are best addressed using the Fort Pickett location.” Furthermore, the State Department revised its original proposal and now estimates that the cost of locating a FASTC at Fort Pickett has been reduced to $461 million.  “We are so pleased that the State Department continues to believe that Fort Pickett is the ideal location for its security training,” said Senator Kaine and Congressman Forbes. “As the 2012 tragedy in Benghazi and more recent threats to a number of U.S. embassies around the world have underscored, there are few missions more important than providing the men and women who represent our country abroad with the training they need to successfully promote U.S. interests and return home safely. A FASTC at Fort Pickett is well-suited to meet this need for years to come.” In 2008, the State Department informed Congress of the need for one consolidated training facility to improve efficiency, decrease operating costs, and provide diplomats and other personnel with necessary training before serving in some of the most high-threat, high-risk countries in the world. Studies to determine the best site for such a facility were conducted in 2011 and 2012 and Fort Pickett has consistently shown to be the ideal location for a FASTC.",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/a-battlefield-bill-that-wasnt-a-battle-kaines-historic-site-bill-wins-committee-approval,A battlefield bill that wasn't a battle; Kaine's historic site bill wins committee approval,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Tim Kaine,K000384,www.kaine.senate.gov,,,legacy,"A battlefield bill that wasn't a battle; Kaine's historic site bill wins committee approval By:  Dave Ress Thursday, November 21, 2013 Some Washington legislation that hasn’t been a battle? The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has given the nod – on a voice vote, no less – to Sen. Tim Kaine’s amendments to the American Battlefield Protection Program. Kaine’s bill will make Revolutionary War and War of 1812 sites eligible for the National Park Service program that has long focused on preserving Civil War battlefields. It extends the program for another five years, at the current $10 million funding level for federal grants to match state and private donations to purchase and preserve battlefields at risk of being lost to development. Kaine joined up with Sen Thad Cochran, R-Miss., to introduce the bill. Seven Democrats, five Republicans and one independent signed up as co-sponsors.  Voice vote, sponsors from both sides (all three sides?) of the aisle. Hmm … almost sounds like a Revolutionary idea doesn’t it? Or as shocking as when the British burned Washington in the War of 1812? ###",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=9715abb8-2dc5-4197-bffa-fbfc175a8969,Joint Statement by Sens. Warner & Kaine on SCC Finding on Transitional Health Coverage,2013-11-21,2013,2013-11,Democrat,House,VA,Mark Warner,W000805,www.warner.senate.gov,,,legacy,"WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) released this statement following the announcement by the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance approving renewal of existing health insurance plans in the individual and small business markets, allowing policyholders to continue existing coverage through the end of 2014. In a letter to the SCC last week, Sens. Warner and Kaine urged state regulators to take action to help those Virginians who had concerns about the loss of their existing health coverage: “This determination by the State Corporation Commission is welcome news to those Virginians who recently have seen their existing healthcare plans cancelled by insurance carriers,” Sens. Warner and Kaine said in a joint statement. “We strongly support the SCC’s decision encouraging insurers to provide the option of extending transitional coverage through the end of next year. This action will help smooth the transition to the new system.  We appreciate the prompt analysis and decision by the Bureau of Insurance. We remain committed to working together to see that the implementation of the Affordable Care Act works more effectively for Virginia families, small businesses and employers.""",1,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z,2026-03-30T12:14:52Z