In The News

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) called President Donald Trump’s national energy emergency a “sham” Wednesday in floor debate on Senate Joint Resolution 10, a measure that would terminate Trump’s emergency declaration, which the president made via executive order on his first day in office. “America is producing more energy today than at any point in the history of this nation,” Kaine said. “America is the leader in the world in energy, and for the last few years, we’ve been an energy surplus nation,...Continue Reading

First came the so-called "Friday Night Massacre" — the abrupt firing of top brass at the Pentagon — followed by the removal of the top lawyers for the military services.  And now, the firing of 5,400 Department of Defense (DOD) civilian employees. President Trump's nominee to be the next deputy defense secretary — Stephen Feinberg — faced scrutiny on Tuesday over the cuts during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. He said, going forward, workforce reductions will...Continue Reading

Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine joined their colleagues in sending a letter to the Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy. The letter raises concerns about the various aviation incidents over the past month, highlighting the importance of trained, impartial professionals in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “We need experienced, qualified, and impartial professionals to investigate these unfortunate incidents, develop plans to prevent these types of accidents from occurring in the f...Continue Reading

Representatives in Virginia are asking the Trump administration to reverse cuts to the state’s National Parks Service. U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have joined six state representatives to ask the administration to roll back the cuts saying the roles being eliminated are critical to protecting the state’s natural assets and maintaining public safety. They add that seasonal hiring has been impacted which will influence the start of the peak visitation season of the summer. All of Virgi...Continue Reading

A new bipartisan bill introduced in Congress this week seeks to ensure safe drinking water for Chincoteague residents by addressing long-standing PFAS contamination issues. The Contaminated Wells Relocation Act, introduced by Representatives Jen Kiggans (VA-02) and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), along with Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, would authorize NASA to reimburse the town for relocating contaminated wells to a safe location. The contamination stems from firefighting foam used on Wallops ...Continue Reading

U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Reps. Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02) and Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to authorize NASA to negotiate an agreement with the Town of Chincoteague to address costs associated with relocating the contaminated water wells, reimburse for those identified costs, and provide more local control of the water supply to the Town of Chincoteague. Several of the Town’s wells are located on NASA property and have be...Continue Reading

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and 18 Senate colleagues have introduced the Age 21 Act, legislation that would raise the minimum age to buy assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from 18 to 21. That's the same age requirement that already applies to buying handguns from federally licensed dealers. “Everyone in America should be able to live free from the fear of injury or death caused by a firearm,” said Kaine. “One of many commonsense steps we can take to reduce that risk is limi...Continue Reading

Members of Loudoun’s agricultural community today shared their concerns with Sen. Tim Kaine about the challenges they face amid the chaotic transformation underway within the federal government during the first weeks of the second Trump administration. During the roundtable meeting at Hillsboro’s Old Stone School, the panel said spending freezes have impacted grant funding for important projects, tariffs threaten to drive up costs and reduce their markets, and immigration policies limit access t...Continue Reading

U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and John Cornyn (R-TX), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently introduced a bipartisan bill for the formal designation of an African Diaspora Heritage Month. The month, according to a release, will help to recognize the contributions made of the African diaspora, or the dispersion of people from their homeland, to the overall growth and prosperity of the United States. Currently, the month is celebrated by the diaspora community during Sep...Continue Reading

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) released a statement in reference to President Donald Trump wanting to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. “President Trump lives in a fantasy if he thinks closing the Department of Education is a good idea,” said Kaine. “Americans know that the key to achieving the American dream begins with a good education. The Education Department provides critical support for K-12 schools, administers aid to students pursuing higher education and job training programs,...Continue Reading

Virginia’s U.S. Senator Tim Kaine made an extended visit to the Higher Horizons youth development program in the Bailey’s Crossroads section of Greater Falls Church Friday morning, and found a staff expressing deep concerns about the impact that the Trump administration is having on their ability to tend to the needs of the nation’s youngest and most vulnerable populations. Kaine, who stressed in comments to the News-Press during the visit that he and his congressional colleagues are likewise co...Continue Reading

In the wake of the fatal Washington, D.C., collision between a U.S. Army helicopter and an airplane, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, along with other Democratic lawmakers from Maryland and Virginia, want assurance that leaders at the Federal Aviation Administration will notify Congress if billionaire Elon Musk directs the agency to take any steps that could impact aviation safety. In a letter sent Monday to Chris Rocheleau, acting administrator of the FAA, the lawmakers point to Musk’s Feb...Continue Reading

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) has introduced legislation, known as the JOBS Act, that would allow students who qualify for Pell Grants to use the federal money toward vocational school. The “Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Supporting Students Act” (JOBS) is sponsored has bipartisan support and would provide students access to education they previously would not have had access to before. Currently, Pell Grants offered by the government are only applicable for students attending two-year and four-year co...Continue Reading

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., met with community leaders Monday morning at Health Brigade, formerly Fan Free Clinic, for a roundtable discussion on their concerns about President Donald Trump’s controversial executive orders. Local leaders, including Mayor Danny Avula, Health Brigade Executive Director Karen Legato and nonprofit organization executives supporting underserved communities, shared their concerns. They discussed the potential closure of the Medicaid portal, the negative impact on homeless ...Continue Reading

One Virginia lawmaker is fighting back against President Donald Trump's attempt to reduce the federal work force, an effort the White House has framed as "restoring accountability." Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) is urging those workers to resist what he called "Trump's sham buyout offer." Kaine is promising to do everything in his power to prevent the Trump Administration from gutting the nonpartisan civil service. "It's a challenging time. There's 140,000, give or take, federal employees in Virgi...Continue Reading

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) released a statement in reference to President Donald Trump signing an order to impose new tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and China. “Virginians want lower prices, not higher ones, and the last thing we need are new, senseless taxes on imports from America’s three largest trading partners,” said Kaine. “During President Trump’s first term, his trade wars hit Virginia hard. Our farmers and foresters were especially affected, but everyone suffered. Everyone, t...Continue Reading

The White House budget office on Wednesday rescinded a controversial memo issued Monday that froze spending on more than $3 trillion in federal financial assistance, including grants and loans backing economic development and infrastructure projects across the nation. In the two-sentence memo issued Wednesday, Matthew J. Vaeth, acting director of the Office of  Management and Budget, wrote: “OMB Memorandum M-25-13 is rescinded. If you have questions about implementing the President’s Executive O...Continue Reading

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine has filed legislation seeking to reauthorize funding for programs aimed at combatting burnout and improving mental health among the nation’s health care workers. The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, named after an emergency room doctor and Charlottesville native who died by suicide in 2020 after treating patients at a Manhattan hospital at the height of the pandemic, would provide millions of federal dollars each year for awareness campaigns and programs i...Continue Reading