Senator Warner began the fourth and final day of our trip last Friday at a breakfast meeting of the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce in Newport News, where he discussed his compromise proposal on the Dec. 31st expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts. The Daily Press reported on his response:

Warner, speaking to the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce in Newport News Friday morning, argued that an equal amount in business tax cuts [instead of cuts for the 2% most wealthy] would do a better job of jump-starting the economy than "an across-the-board cut for the wealthiest."

Warner said that approach could target investment in research and development, capital investment or cutting payroll taxes employers pay when they hire new people. Warner said he is tired of hearing that there are only two options on the Bush era tax cuts that are set to expire at the end of the year.

"I'm open to compromise, to changing the idea," Warner said. "Washington ought to have the humility to ask the business community (how to cut taxes) instead of dictating to them."

We travelled next to Nauticus in Norfolk to announce the schedule for the ground-breaking of the Port of Virginia’s Craney Island expansion project.

The Virginia Port Authority recently awarded the first contract to begin construction, and Senator Warner said the project is expected to create at least 1,100 construction jobs with an annual payroll approaching $37 million. Once completed, the Craney Island expansion project is expected to create 54 ,000 Port jobs with wages of $1.7 billion and annual state and local tax revenues of $155 million.

The Virginian-Pilot covered the event:

Warner told maritime industry stakeholders that the economic challenges the nation now faces have only increased the importance of the Craney project.

"The day when the American consumer alone - or their credit card - can fuel America and the world's economy, alone, is not coming back..." he said. "The only long-term hope for American supremacy in the 21st century is to dramatically grow our ability to trade and export to the rest of the world."

Finally, the Senator spoke at the Naval Aviation Centennial, which celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the First Flight from a Ship. The Centennial featured a 12 minute flight by a replica of a century-old biplane. The Pilot noted Senator Warner’s response to the flight:

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., one of the guest speakers, pronounced the spectacle "very cool." He walked up to Andrew King, Coolbaugh's backup pilot, and asked: "Are you slightly crazy?”

Check out video from the Virginian Pilot of the biplane flight: