Kaine embracing U.S. Senate role
WASHINGTON -- While dysfunction and chaos continue to dominate Washington, one unflappable member of Virginia’s congressional delegation is happy in his new job.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine is nearing his first anniversary as Virginia’s junior senator, and he has embraced the opportunity by developing expertise on foreign relations and defense.
“It’s not an executive job, it’s an expertise job,’’ said Kaine during a recent interview in his Washington office.
As a former Richmond mayor, Virginia lieutenant governor and governor, Kaine is used to calling the shots. But with the help of his Senate colleague and friend, Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, Kaine learned early about being in a body of 100 members.
He sought assignments that suited his interests and the needs of Virginia. He became a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees.
“I’m on wonderful committees that match my interest. I can do an armed services event anywhere in Virginia,’’ he said, whether it’s visiting a military installation or some other military-related venue.
“And as for foreign relations, we are a very internationalized state, with Dulles [International] Airport and the port of Hampton Roads.”
Kaine chairs a Foreign Relations subcommittee that oversees the Middle East, as well as Arab North Africa. The subcommittee also covers U.S. relations with countries in South and Central Asia.
Concerns in the Mideast are myriad. Kaine calls the civil war in Syria “very complicated’’ and said he hoped that a negotiated settlement can be made.
Like Warner, Kaine is frustrated about the polarization and dysfunction that has characterized the recent Congress. “The legislative branch is broken in a lot of ways, it will take a lot of work to fix it,’’ he said.
His only time as a legislator came on the Richmond City Council. “But council is not a bicameral body like Congress,’’ Kaine said.
So in addition to learning about a new legislative venue, Kaine has sought Republican co-sponsors on legislation. Like Warner, he is not a partisan creature.
But at the same time, Kaine enjoys his new role.
“I feel lucky to tackle challenges every day. It is so rare for a freshman to be head of a committee on the Middle East and to have the opportunity to see Iran embrace a non-nuclear-weapon path,’’ he said.
As a young missionary, Kaine spent time in Honduras and became fluent in Spanish. He has had to learn about the Mideast.
“Syria, Iran and Israel are all issues I’m grappling with. It is exciting,’’ he said.
Kaine’s gravitation toward an expertise in international affairs and defense brings to mind retired U.S. Sen. John Warner, R-Va. James Madison University political scientist Bob Roberts said Kaine was smart taking the path he’s on.
“He is following John Warner’s mantra,’’ Roberts said. “He [Warner] became a foremost expert on foreign policy.”
Roberts said Kaine had a natural feel for other countries because of his work as a missionary. “He has loved going overseas. He has a great affinity for that,’’ he said.
But there is also domestic work to do. Kaine and Warner served on a conference committee that recently reached a compromise federal budget deal.
In a statement that he gave after the budget deal, Kaine touched on some disappointments and some things that he was pleased with.
“I’m disappointed that reduction in the cost-of-living adjustment for military retirees and cuts to federal employee benefits were included,’’ he said.
“But the deal goes a long way toward alleviating the most harmful effects of sequestration next year — cuts that disproportionately impacted federal employees and the defense community — and restoring basic economic certainty to businesses and families across the commonwealth.”
Kaine has adjusted to life in Washington by staying busy. He still teaches a class at the University of Richmond and has frequent visits from his wife, Anne.
All in all, he is enjoying life in the Senate.
He said, “It has been a challenging year but largely in the positive sense.
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