WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statement after the Acting Secretary of the U.S. Air Force, John P. Roth, approved Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE) in Hampton as the final location for the F-22 Formal Training Unit (FTU): 

“After years of advocating alongside the Virginia congressional delegation, we’re pleased that the U.S. Air Force has confirmed what we already knew: Hampton Roads is the ideal location to permanently house the F-22 training squadron. We look forward to working with the U.S. Air Force and the Virginia Air National Guard to make sure the relocation process is a smooth one for the servicemembers and their families that will now make the Commonwealth their new home.”

Senators Warner and Kaine have long championed making Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE) the final location for the F-22 Formal Training Unit (FTU). In February 2019, Warner and Kaine were joined by every member of the Virginia congressional delegation in a letter urging then-U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson to relocate the F-22 Flight and Maintenance Formal Training Units (FTU) to Joint Base Langley-Eustis. Originally located at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael in October of 2018, the squadron was temporarily held at Eglin Air Force Base, awaiting a decision as to where it would be housed permanently.

Built to accommodate three squadrons, Joint Base Langley-Eustis was underutilized, housing only two F-22 squadrons and supporting maintenance units. Warner and Kaine urged the Air Force to move the F-22 FTU to JBLE to advance an important recommendation put forward by the Government Accountability Office, which has emphasized the need for improving aircraft availability by consolidating the fleet into larger squadrons or wings. 

In March 2019, Warner and Kaine released a statement applauding the U.S. Air Force announcement that it had recommended relocating the F-22 Flight and Maintenance Formal Training Unit (FTU) to Joint Base Langley-Eustis.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Senator Tim Kaine announced $4,869,900 in federal grants and loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded to communities across the Commonwealth to fund much needed infrastructure improvements. The funding was awarded through the Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program, the Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program, the Community Facilities Disaster Grants, and the Economic Impact Initiative Grants Program, all administered by USDA Rural Development.  

“We are glad to see these federal dollars go toward much needed equipment and infrastructure updates across the Commonwealth,” said the Senators.“These vital investments will help ensure our cities and towns have the tools and resources they need to continue to build back better.”  

Community Facilities Direct Loans, Grants, Disaster Grants, and Guaranteed Loans programs offer direct loans, loan guarantees, and grants to develop or improve essential public facilities in rural communities. The funding will be awarded through a grant-loan combination. A breakdown of the funding is below:

• Town of Onancock will receive a grant of $33,000 and loan of $62,000 to purchase two patrol vehicles for the town.
• Town of Colonial Beach will receive a grant of $67,400 and a loan of $382,200 to purchase a public works jet truck equipped with a hydro-excavation package, high capacity vacuum system, tandem axles, and high pressure jetting system, including a 1,000 foot hose and increased water storage.
• Eastern Shore Public Library in Nassawadox will receive a grant of $24,000 to purchase a security and fire alarm, and additional office equipment. 
• Town of Cape Charles will receive a grant of $29,000 and a loan of $55,800 to purchase remote read water meters and a new 4-wheel drive pickup truck for the public utilities department. 
• Town of Eastville will receive two grants – one of $6,000 and another of $50,000 – and a loan of $104,200 to purchase a patrol vehicle, a pickup truck, a dump trailer, and a generator to update the town’s public works department.
• Health Equipment Loan Program (H.E.L.P.) in Churchville will receive a grant of $25,000 and a loan of $155,000 to purchase a building and medical equipment to serve residents of Augusta County.
• Town of Tazewell will receive a grant of $50,000 to purchase two new patrol vehicles.
• Stickleyville Volunteer Fire Department in Duffield will receive a grant of $11,200 to purchase a used fire truck.
• Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department will receive a grant of $19,500 to purchase a utility terrain vehicle (UTV), trailer and equipment.
• County of Dickenson will receive a grant of $50,000 to purchase two patrol vehicles. 
• Mount Rogers Community Services, Inc. in Wytheville will receive a loan of $3,000,000 to purchase a building and manage renovations to provide appropriate space for employees and services.
• Town of Gate City will receive a grant of $26,200 and loan of $48,800 to purchase two used patrol vehicles. 
• City of Norton will receive a grant of $50,000 and loan of $55,000 to purchase two new patrol vehicles.
• Town of Lawrenceville will receive a grant of $200,000 and a loan of $225,800 to purchase a 3,000 gallon tanker fire truck.
• Town of Brodnax will receive a grant of $66,000 and a loan of $22,000 to purchase three sewer pumps and a pump station.

Economic Impact Initiative Grants program provide essential community facilities in rural communities. A breakdown of the funding is below:

• Town of Bowling Green will receive a grant of $21,300 to purchase a utility terrain vehicle (UTV), trailer and equipment for the town’s fire department, and a grant of $30,500 to purchase a public works truck.

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WASHINGTON —U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) have again reintroduced the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act to protect horses from the abusive show practices. Soring is a process by which horse trainers intentionally apply substances or devices to horses’ limbs to make each step painful and force an exaggerated high-stepping gait rewarded in show rings.  Although federal law prohibits soring, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Inspector General (IG) report found that some horse trainers continue this inhumane practice.

“For over 400 years, horses have been a quintessential part of Virginia’s culture and history,” said Senator Warner. “I am proud to reintroduce the bipartisan PAST Act, which would protect horses from mistreatment and abuse by increasing penalties for individuals who engage in the harmful and deliberate practice of soring.”

“I support the humane treatment of all animals and the responsible training of horses,” said Senator Crapo.  “Soring is cruel and inhumane and I remain committed to ending its practice.  The PAST Act would finally end this horrible training operation.”

“There is simply nothing good to be said for a sporting event that relies on the deliberate torment of horses in the training barns to produce the desired high stepping gait in the show ring,” said Sara Amundson, President of the Humane Society Legislative Fund.  “Soring is a furtive cruelty that we can root out altogether with this measure, in this Congress.  No more self-policing by participants.  No more reliance on devices integral to soring. No more anemic penalties.  We’ve been waiting half a century for the straight shot that stops this wicked practice, and Senators Crapo and Warner have given it to us.  The many legislators who have backed this bill have put their political weight on the right side of history, and put the Senate in position to save the Tennessee walking horse industry from its scofflaw elements.  We’re banking that their bipartisan push for the PAST Act will be the coup de grace that puts soring out to pasture forever.” 

“On behalf of the U.S. horse industry, which supports nearly one million U.S. jobs and contributes $122 billion to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the American Horse Council applauds the leadership of Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) for re-introducing the bipartisan Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act of 2021.  This important bill builds on progress made toward improved treatment of horses since enactment of the Horse Protection Act (HPA) of 1970,” said Julie Broadway, President of the American Horse Council.   “The PAST Act outlines a common-sense solution to prevent the continued practice of taking action on a horse's limb to produce an accentuated gait during competition.  Furthermore, the scope of the bill is limited.  It lays out a specific framework that focuses enforcement efforts on three horse breeds that continue to be the target of soring practices.  Once Congress passes the PAST Act, we can finally end the practice of soring.”   

“Though the Horse Protection Act was signed into law more than 50 years ago to protect horses from painful soring, this abuse continues unabated,” said Cathy Liss, President of the Animal Welfare Institute.  “We urge Senate leadership to quickly pass the PAST Act to spare horses from needless suffering, provide vital enforcement, and increase penalties for repeat offenders.”

“The cruel practice of horse soring – inflicting pain and injury in horses’ legs and hooves to force them into an unnatural, high-stepping gait known as the “Big Lick” – has gone on for far too long while serial abusers have gamed the system and horses have suffered,” said Nancy Perry, Senior Vice President of ASPCA Government Relations.  “The PAST Act received overwhelming support last Congress, and we are grateful to Senators Warner and Crapo for reintroducing this critical bill to ensure the humane treatment of horses, so we can finally end this abuse once and for all.” 

“We applaud Sens. Crapo and Warner for their tireless work to end the scourge of soring that’s marred the equine world for six decades,” said Marty Irby, Executive Director at Animal Wellness Action and past President of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ & Exhibitors Association.  “We remain committed to achieving the implementation of meaningful felony penalties and uniform inspections as well as the eradication of gruesome devices used to produce the unnatural exaggerated ‘big lick’ gait.”

The Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act would: 

• Eliminate self-policing by requiring the USDA to assign a licensed inspector if the show's management indicates intent to hire one.  Licensed or accredited veterinarians, if available, would be given preference for these positions.
• Prohibit the use of action devices and pads on specific horse breeds that have a history of being the primary victims of soring.  Action devices, such as chains that rub up and down an already-sore leg, intensify the horse's pain when it moves so that the horse quickly jolts up its leg.
• Increase consequences on individuals caught soring a horse, including raising the penalty from a misdemeanor to a felony, which is subject to up to three years' incarceration, increasing fines from $3,000 to $5,000 per violation, and permanently disqualifying three-time violators from participating in horse shows, exhibitions, sales or auctions. 

In 2017, the USDA Office of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) moved to strengthen certain aspects of the Horse Protection Act by incorporating some of the major tenets of the PAST Act.  However, the rule was not finalized.  The PAST Act would codify these changes into law.   In April 2021, Senators Crapo and Warner led a bipartisan letter of 46 additional Senate colleagues to USDA Secretary Vilsack urging the USDA to publish and reinstate a final rule on the inhumane practice of soring.

Additional co-sponsors include Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Patrick Toomey (R-Pennsylvania), Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), Ben Cardin (D-Maryland), Tom Carper (D-Delaware), Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania), Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois), Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Dianne Feinstein (D-California), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire), John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico), Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut), Alex Padilla (D-California), Gary Peters (D-Michigan), Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chuck Schumer (D-New York), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona), Tina Smith (D-Minnesota), Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan), Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia), Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Sheldon Whitehouse (R-Rhode Island) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon). 

Numerous groups have endorsed the bill, including the American Horse Council, American Veterinary Medical Association, American Association of Equine Practitioners, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Animal Wellness Action, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, Humane Society Legislative Fund, and Virginia Veterinary Medical Association. 

A copy of the bill text is available here.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined President Biden and his Senate colleagues for a bipartisan meeting at the White House where they struck an agreement to make the largest long-term investment in American infrastructure and competitiveness in nearly a century. The $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure framework was made possible by the work of Sen. Warner and a group of bipartisan Senators who for weeks helped to negotiate an infrastructure plan after earlier talks between Republicans and President Biden failed to reach an agreement. 

“When we announced the framework at $579 billion last week, it took a lot of work to get there and to maintain that, and I commend all of my colleagues,” said Sen. Warner, addressing the media alongside his colleagues outside the White House earlier today, following the meeting with President Biden. “I mentioned to the President, and Susan [Collins] and I, and a number of us, yesterday were at the funeral of my dear friend John Warner. My hope is, when this framework becomes law, that we do it in the spirit of John Warner, and I would hope to convince my colleagues that we actually name this legislation after him. We all commended his ability to work with people across party lines, the fact that he always put country first, and I think my colleagues have demonstrated that again.” 

U.S. infrastructure remains in desperate need of repair, with crumbling roads, deteriorating bridges, leaky public water pipes, brimming landfills, and aging stormwater systems. The bipartisan plan endorsed today by the White House would invest $1.2 trillion total over eight years – including $579 billion in new, additional spending in the next five years – to pay for much-needed investments in transportation infrastructure, clean water, broadband, clean power, and more.   

The bipartisan agreement, which will generate significant economic benefits and returns, is financed through a combination of closing the tax gap, redirecting unspent emergency relief funds, targeted corporate user fees, and the macroeconomic impact of infrastructure investment.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework

*New spending + baseline (over 5 years) = $973B
*New spending + baseline (over 8 years) = $1,209B
  

Proposed Financing Sources for New Investment

• Reduce the IRS tax gap
• Unemployment insurance program integrity
• Redirect unused unemployment insurance relief funds
• Repurpose unused relief funds from 2020 emergency relief legislation
• State and local investment in broadband infrastructure
• Allow states to sell or purchase unused toll credits for infrastructure
• Extend expiring customs user fees
• Reinstate Superfund fees for chemicals
• 5G spectrum auction proceeds
• Extend mandatory sequester
• Strategic petroleum reserve sale
• Public-private partnerships, private activity bonds, direct pay bonds and asset recycling for infrastructure investment
• Macroeconomic impact of infrastructure investment 

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) applauded the House Judiciary Committee after it advanced their bipartisan bill, the Augmenting Compatibility and Competition by Enabling Service Switching (ACCESS) Act, which encourages market-based competition to dominant social media platforms by requiring the largest companies to make user data portable – and their services interoperable – with other platforms.

“Americans have grown increasingly frustrated with feeling locked in to a small handful of online platforms to communicate with friends and family, share photos and video, and consume online content. With choices limited to a few dominant platforms – and ones often insensitive to consumers’ privacy, content, or platform security expectations – we believe consumers should have the ability to move their data from one platform to another without having to start from scratch. We also believe that there should be more robust competition in this space to help foster more innovation and address the network effects of the largest platforms. With the House Judiciary Committee advancing the ACCESS Act, we are one step closer to ensuring we promote innovation and competition in this country.”

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), along with U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), introduced legislation to preserve invaluable local resources and help generate economic activity in the Northern Neck. By officially designating the region as a National Heritage Area (NHA), the Northern Neck National Heritage Area Act would deliver critical federal dollars, encourage public-private partnerships, and assign a specific entity – the Northern Neck Tourism Commission – to help protect the Northern Neck’s natural, cultural, scenic, and recreational resources. 

NPS defines national heritage areas as congressionally designated places where “natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape.” Through their resources, NHAs communicate “nationally important stories” that celebrate the nation’s diverse heritage. Under this legislation, the NHA designation would apply to the land between the Potomac River and Rappahannock River, spanning King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland counties. 

“As many Virginians already know, the Northern Neck is reflective of the Commonwealth’s unique history, with deep connections to eight Algonquian tribes and a number of American statesmen, including James Madison, James Monroe, and George Washington,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m proud to introduce this legislation to help protect the rich history and unique geography of the Northern Neck, and leverage federal dollars to spur long-lasting economic opportunity in the region.” 

“Virginia’s Northern Neck is a source of pride, history, and economic development for the Commonwealth,” said Sen. Kaine. “The beauty and cultural significance of the region attract tourism, strengthening Virginia’s economy and supporting jobs. I’m proud to introduce this piece of legislation to highlight the Northern Neck’s natural beauty and cultural assets, which will bring visitors and economic development.”

“The Northern Neck’s lands and waters showcase a natural beauty unlike any other. As a longtime resident of the Northern Neck, I know our heritage is unique and worthy of preserving,” said Rep. Wittman. “With a history profoundly intertwined with that of the entire nation, it’s only right for us to recognize the Northern Neck as a National Heritage Area. I’m proud to join Senators Warner and Kaine in introducing this bipartisan legislation.” 

The introduction of this legislation follows the completion of the Northern Neck National Heritage Area Feasibility Study. The National Park Service (NPS) – which began conducting this study more than a decade ago – recently concluded that the Northern Neck’s themes, local traditions, and natural and historic resources retain “sufficient integrity and opportunities for public engagement” to be eligible for an NHA designation. 

Under this legislation, and as approved by the NPS study, the heritage area would be managed by the Northern Neck Tourism Commission, which would serve as the NHA’s local coordinating entity. 

This legislation would also make federal funding available to the region and empower the commission to carry out an area management plan, including by:

·         Protecting and restoring relevant historic sites and building;

·         Carrying out programs and projects that recognize, protect, and enhance important resources;

·         Developing recreational and educational opportunities in the area;

·         Establishing and maintaining interpretive exhibits and programs;

·         Promoting a wide range of partnerships among the federal government, state, tribal and local governments, organizations, and individuals; 

·         Increasing public awareness and appreciation for natural, historical, scenic, and cultural resources in the area; and

·         Ensuring that clear, consistent, and appropriate signs identifying points of public access and sires of interest are posted throughout the area

"The Northern Neck has been working together for over 20 years in pursuit of the National Heritage Area Designation.  With designation, the Northern Neck Region will have a greater voice in sharing its stories which contribute to understanding the early origins of our nation. The National Heritage Area Designation recognizes the region for the special place it is, historically, culturally, and for its natural resources. It aligns with the region's tourism strategy as an important economic development driver in this rural area,” said Jerry W. Davis, AICP, Executive Director of the Northern Neck Planning District Commission.    

Sen. Warner, Sen. Kaine, and Rep. Wittman have long advocated for the designation of the Northern Neck as a National Heritage Area. Last year, the lawmakers penned a letter requesting an update from NPS on the area’s feasibility study, following apparent delays in its release.

The text of this legislation is available here.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following after the Senate failed to reach the 60-vote threshold required to advance S. 1, For the People Act, a bill he cosponsored to protect and strengthen the right to vote: 

“In recent years, we’ve seen states across the country enacting restrictive and discriminatory voting laws in a clear effort to make it harder for voters to make their voices heard at the ballot box. It’s for this reason that I voted for this comprehensive voting rights bill. The bill would have expanded mail-in voting, increased early voting hours, strengthened the Voting Rights Act, created urgently needed federal standards to ensure no American is denied this fundamental right, and more. While the Commonwealth of Virginia has led the charge on voting rights by implementing many reforms found in this bill, too many states have refused to heed that call. We have an obligation to all those who risked their lives to protect this most fundamental of rights not to give up on this vital effort.”

Sen. Warner has been a strong advocate in defending the voting rights of Americans. Sen. Warner joined his colleagues in introducing legislation to protect local election officials from harassment and partisan pressure when overseeing elections. During the 2020 presidential election, Sen. Warner led all the Democrats on the Senate Rules Committee in calling for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the National Association of State Election Directors, and the National Association of Secretaries of State to work proactively to counter any attempts to suppress vulnerable and historically-disenfranchised voters during the COVID-19 crisis. Sen. Warner has also introduced bipartisan legislation – the Honest Ads Act – to help prevent foreign interference in elections and improve the transparency of online political advertisements.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who chairs the Senate Rules Committee, Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in introducing new legislation that will ensure the integrity of local elections while also protecting the safety and security of election workers and volunteers, following the spate of state-level voter suppression attacks sweeping the nation that would make it harder for eligible voters to cast a ballot and ensure it is counted. The Preventing Election Subversion Act of 2021 will institute new federal safeguards that will help keep the foundations of our democracy strong by insulating state election administration from partisan pressure. U.S. Representatives John Sarbanes (D, MD-03), Nikema Williams (D, GA-05), and Colin Allred (D, TX-32) are introducing companion legislation in the House.

Since January, state legislators have introduced over 210 bills in 41 states that grant more power to state legislatures nationwide to politicize, criminalize, or interfere with elections. These dangerous efforts place local elections officials at risk of partisan subversion, interference, or control. In fourteen states, including Georgia, these bills have been signed into law; Georgia’s SB 202 allows partisan officials in the state legislature wide latitude to remove local election officials. This is specifically concerning given that since the November 2020 elections, many of these officials have been pressured to overturn the election results, and have received death threats in response to their work upholding the integrity of our elections. 

“American elections – and the public servants who oversee them – should be free from partisan interference, threats of violence, and acts of intimidation. Unfortunately, state legislatures in states across the country have resorted to targeting local election officials in their latest effort to delegitimize and influence voting outcomes for political gain and we’ve seen election workers suffer from unrelenting abuse and harassment,” said Senator Warner. “I’m proud to introduce this legislation to protect free and fair elections, the cornerstone of our democracy.”  

“The dangers of the voter suppression efforts we’re seeing in Georgia and across the nation are not theoretical, and we can’t allow power-hungry state actors to squeeze the people out of their own democracy by overruling the decisions of local election officials,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “This legislation is critical to ensuring the federal government has the tools to make sure every eligible voter’s voice is heard and their ballot is counted to help decide the direction of our country.” 

“The right to vote is fundamental to all of our rights, but today we are seeing efforts to roll back voting rights across the country,” said Senator Klobuchar. “We need to respond to these threats to our democracy head on which is why this legislation to protect election workers and prohibit voter intimidation tactics is so vital. This bill builds on several provisions from the For the People Act to fight back against attempts to undermine election workers and make it harder to vote. In the face of these unprecedented attacks, we must move quickly to ensure our democracy works for every American.”

"Around the world we see sham elections controlled by a ruling party to give a veneer of democracy while preventing the people from actually deciding who holds power. And in 2021, this threat has arrived on our shores," said Senator Merkley. "For the first time in my memory, one party is trying to dismantle the safeguards that give us independent, free elections so they can rig—or throw out—the results they don't like. This bill is an essential line of defense to preserve government of, by, and for the People."

“Senator Reverend Warnock and I are focused on protecting every American's voting rights. This legislation will ensure nonpartisan election officials can carry out free and fair elections without partisan interference and help safeguard the sacred right to vote,” said Senator Ossoff.

The Preventing Election Subversion Act of 2021 would: 

Limit arbitrary and unfounded removals of local election officials by requiring a “for cause” standard to be met before suspension and provide a federal cause of action to enforce this standard; 

Allow a local election official who has responsibility for federal elections and who has been subjected to removal proceedings by a state board of elections to remove that proceeding to federal district court for redress; 

Make it a federal crime for any person, whether acting under color of law or otherwise, to intimidate, threaten, coerce, harass, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, coerce, or harass an election worker; 

Establish a minimum buffer zone to limit how close a poll observer may come within a voter or ballot at a polling location during an early vote period or on Election Day; and 

Require challenges to a voter’s eligibility to register to vote or to cast a ballot, other than from an election official, to be supported by personal knowledge with respect to each individual challenged.

View the Preventing Election Subversion Act of 2021 bill text HERE. 

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled 7-2 to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in Texas v. United States, which could have sabotaged protections for more than 3 million Virginians living with a preexisting condition such as COVID-19, diabetes, asthma, or cancer, and potentially exposing them to annual or lifetime caps on coverage or denials for the care they need:

“Nearly 700,000 Virginians have gained health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act, and many more Americans now have health care coverage today than at any point in history because of it. Today, the Supreme Court has once again ruled that the Affordable Care Act will remain law of the land, but the important work in Congress isn’t over. Now we must continue to improve and build upon the success of the Affordable Care Act in a way that expands health care coverage to more Americans and work to further reduce health care costs.”

In the Senate, Sen. Warner has sponsored several bills to block the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the ACA and protect people with preexisting conditions. Earlier this year, Sen. Warner introduced legislation to undo a Trump-era rule that dismantled health care coverage for Americans with preexisting conditions. In 2019, Sen. Warner also led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in forcing an up-or-down vote on overturning this rule that flooded the health care market with “junk” health care plans, which are often advertised in low-income communities or communities of color. That vote was defeated as a result of Republican opposition, jeopardizing protections for millions of Americans with preexisting conditions.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and James Inhofe (R-OK) and a bipartisan group of 38 senators in urging the Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to include robust funding for the EDA in fiscal year 2022 appropriations legislation.

The EDA is designed to create jobs and stimulate the economy in areas of the country that need the most help—both rural and urban—and has played an integral role so far in America’s recovery from the economic fallout of the pandemic. 

“With a modest budget, EDA programs have developed a record of making strategic investments and building community and regional partnerships to expand business in areas such as advanced manufacturing, science, health care, and technology. Between FY12 and FY19, EDA has invested over $2.283 billion in 5,471 projects to help build the capacity for locally-driven economic development projects. These projects are expected to create and/or retain 335,620 jobs and attract over $47.1 billion in private investment,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Many communities, especially those in rural areas, have benefited from EDA grants to support the job skills training, technical assistance, and infrastructure improvements needed to attract new businesses and ensure existing businesses have the opportunity to adapt to changing market circumstances. EDA has invested nearly 60 percent of its funds in rural areas since FY12, which has leveraged over $13.7 billion in private investment in these communities,” the senators continued.

In addition to Warner, Merkley, and Inhofe, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Robert Casey (D-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Tammy Duckworth (D-WI), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), James Risch (R-ID), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Full text of the letter is available here and follows below.

Dear Chair Shaheen and Ranking Member Moran,

As you begin work preparing the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, we urge you to include robust funding for the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and its vital grant programs.

Since 1965, EDA has helped local and regional stakeholders address the economic and infrastructure needs of communities across the country, focusing on private-sector job creation and economic growth in distressed areas.

With a modest budget, EDA programs have developed a record of making strategic investments and building community and regional partnerships to expand business in areas such as advanced manufacturing, science, health care, and technology. Between FY12 and FY19, EDA has invested over $2.283 billion in 5,471 projects to help build the capacity for locally-driven economic development projects. These projects are expected to create and/or retain 335,620 jobs and attract over $47.1 billion in private investment. 

Many communities, especially those in rural areas, have benefited from EDA grants to support the job skills training, technical assistance, and infrastructure improvements needed to attract new businesses and ensure existing businesses have the opportunity to adapt to changing market circumstances. EDA has invested nearly 60 percent of its funds in rural areas since FY12, which has leveraged over $13.7 billion in private investment in these communities.

EDA is useful in supporting job creation and innovation, particularly in distressed and disadvantaged communities. This aligns with the Administration’s goals of building back stronger, more resilient economies. The agency is also a great tool that helps small businesses recover and communities rebuild critical infrastructure and economic development assets following natural disasters or public health emergencies. 

As Congress has done in past fiscal years, we encourage you to include robust funding for the Economic Development Administration and its grant programs in the FY22 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. We look forward to working with you to ensure the success of the EDA, which has an exceptional record of supporting local communities across the nation to cost-effectively promote economic development.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today applauded $21,649,505 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Treasury to support and advance business ownership among minority entrepreneurs in Virginia. The funding was awarded through the CDFI Rapid Response Program (RRP) – a program established and funded by a record $12 billion investment in Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) that Sen. Warner authored and successfully fought to include in the December COVID-19 relief legislation. 

“As a former entrepreneur and venture capitalist, I know that the kind of opportunities that once allowed me to succeed are often out of reach for Black and brown folks, who due to historic and systemic inequities often lack the credit history or banking relationships needed to access capital. To make matters worse, these inequalities have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had disproportionate effects on minority and low-income communities,” said Sen. Warner. “This funding will provide critical resources to Virginia’s CDFIs, which specialize in supporting underserved communities. I’m thrilled to know that these dollars are now headed directly to Virginia to support key priorities including small businesses, affordable housing, and access to consumer financial services. This funding marks a successful first step towards ensuring the recovery is felt by all communities.”

As negotiated by Sen. Warner, the $12 billion investment in CDFIs and MDIs includes $3 billion in grants to be delivered through the CDFI Fund. The nearly $22 million awarded today is part of the first $1.25 billion tranche of that $3 billion in grant funding. These federal dollars will be distributed among 18 Virginia CDFIs – the financial institutions most connected to the Commonwealth’s minority communities – and will ultimately go towards supporting affordable access to credit for Virginians in Black, Latino and low-income communities. 

The funding will be distributed as follows:

The COVID-19 crisis has only served to exacerbate the existing economic challenges faced by Black and brown Americans. Throughout this crisis, thousands of minority-owned small businesses have closed for good, in part due to difficulty securing bank loans and accessing assistance such as the Paycheck Protection Program. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that while overall small business ownership in the U.S. dropped 22 percent between February and April 2020, Black and Latino ownership dropped by 41 percent and 32 percent, respectively. Unemployment rates for Black and brown Americans have also been consistently higher than that of White Americans.

To combat the hemorrhaging of jobs and economic opportunities during the pandemic, Sen. Warner in July teamed up with then-Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), and a bipartisan group of colleagues to introduce the Jobs and Neighborhood Investment Act in order to strengthen the financial institutions that serve communities of color and increase lending to minority-owned businesses and lower-income borrowers. The effort secured endorsements from the Black Economic Alliance, the NAACP, the National Bankers Association, the National Urban League, the Center for Responsible Lending and a host of other advocacy organizations and civil rights groups. Sen. Warner was later able to secure provisions from the bill in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, which was signed into law on December 27, 2020, providing an unprecedented $12 billion in funding for lenders that predominantly operate in underserved communities.

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WASHINGTON – Today U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in a letter to Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman urging her to disburse Shuttered Venue Operator Grant funding to struggling live entertainment venues as soon as possible. The legislation that created this program, the Save Our Stages Act, was signed into law more than six months ago, and event venues are going out of business while waiting for these grants.

They wrote, “The Save Our Stages Act, now the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program, was created to prevent widespread closures of venues that have been devastated by the loss of revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As supporters of the SVOG program, we urge you to take immediate action to ensure that the relief reaches eligible applicants without further delay.”

“It has been nearly six months since Congress passed the Save our Stages Act, nearly two months since the second launch of the program, and 51 days since the Small Business Administration (SBA) began receiving applications.” 

“Bureaucratic process cannot stand in the way of getting these desperately needed funds out the door.”

They were joined on the letter by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), James Risch (R-ID), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Angus King (I-ME), Patty Murray (D-WA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Bill Haggerty (R-TN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Rob Portman (R-OH), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), John Thune (R-SD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Steve Daines (R-MT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), John Boozman (R-AR), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mike Braun (R-IN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bob Casey (D-PA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Chris Coons (D-DE).

Full text of the letter is here and below. 

June 15, 2021

The Honorable Isabella Casillas Guzman

Administrator, Small Business Administration

409 3rd Street, SW

Washington, DC 20416

Dear Administrator Guzman:

The Save Our Stages Act, now the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program, was created to prevent widespread closures of venues that have been devastated by the loss of revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As supporters of the SVOG program, we urge you to take immediate action to ensure that the relief reaches eligible applicants without further delay.

With each passing day, more independent businesses are forced to shutter permanently or file for bankruptcy. Landlords and banks are no longer permitting deferrals and are pressing for immediate payment of past due accounts; businesses are receiving eviction notices; mom-and-pop businesses are being forced to sell. 

It has been nearly six months since Congress passed the Save our Stages Act, nearly two months since the second launch of the program, and 51 days since the Small Business Administration (SBA) began receiving applications. We urge you to immediately take steps to ensure the funds are distributed to qualified applicants.

The SVOG program is unique, with necessary restrictions built in to ensure taxpayer funding goes only to eligible applicants in need. Under the terms of the law, the SVOG program requires the award of funding to eligible applicants who meet the simple requirements of the program. In this context, the insistence on strict compliance with competitive grant rules has created unnecessary delays in funding. Similarly, restrictions that SBA has placed on communication with grant applicants are unnecessary and have prevented the agency from providing administrative support to individual applicants that could have streamlined the application review process. Bureaucratic process cannot stand in the way of getting these desperately needed funds out the door. 

Further delays are unacceptable and would have irreversible consequences for these industries. In an effort to keep our constituents informed and ensure our small businesses receive the support they were promised, we respectfully request you provide us with the following information: 

1.       The number SVOG awards that have been approved;

2.       The number of SVOG grants that have been disbursed to recipients;

3.       The amount of SVOG funding that has been disbursed;

4.       The number of applications with holds;

5.       The number of first-priority applicants that have received an award notice;

6.       What SBA is doing to update small business owners on the status of their applications;

7.       What SBA is doing to ensure applicants are not incorrectly associated with similar-named individuals and entities on the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE);

8.       What SBA is doing to correct false DNP designation notices sent to thousands of applicants;

9.       SBA’s justification for breaking grant awards, regardless of size, into multiple disbursements; and 

10.   SBA’s timeline for subsequent disbursements and what grantees need to do to receive them.

Sincerely,

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