Video: On Senate Floor, Kaine Shares Stories of Virginians Impacted By Covid-19, Urges Colleagues to Go Big On Relief

You can view the full speech here

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, as the Senate begins to take up another COVID relief package, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine delivered remarks on the Senate floor calling on his colleagues to work with a sense of urgency on passing significant relief to ease the suffering Americans across the country are experiencing as the pandemic rages on. Kaine highlighted the severe emotional, financial, and health impacts of COVID-19, including by sharing the stories of three of his Richmond friends who recently lost their lives to the virus. Kaine called on Congress to work together to ensure the emergency relief bill addresses the dire needs of the American people, including food assistance, housing assistance, child care funding, and unemployment insurance. 

“If this is happening to me and my network of friends and family, I know it's happening to others,” Kaine said. “The best way we can honor them is acting in a compassionate, prompt, and significant way to ease the suffering of Americans during this most unprecedented time.”

“We are going to see so many priorities in this bill that are not just Democratic priorities, that are Republican priorities too,” Kaine said. “Things that were drawn from bills that Republicans introduced or that Republicans co-sponsored with Democrats, things that were raised by Republican Senators in their dialogue with President Biden and with us. We're going to see a bill that meets the need of Americans who are suffering to do something big and to do something urgent and includes priorities that were Republican Senators’ priorities, that are good for Republican voters, that are good for all Americans.”

Kaine has made it his top priority to work with the Biden-Harris Administration to pass comprehensive legislation to better address the COVID-19 pandemic. Kaine has been a strong supporter of President Biden’s proposed COVID-19 relief bill as it includes priorities that would help Virginians get back on their feet, such as extending unemployment insurance, supporting small businesses, and providing significant funding for child care and housing assistance.

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