WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Sen. Mark R. Warner joined 48 U.S. Senators in calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on the Trump administration’s treatment of children coming across the Southern border. 

Following yesterday’s Trump Executive Order, new questions have been raised about whether the children who have already been separated will be reunited with their families, and how children will be treated going forward.

The Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy “is responsible for hundreds of children being forcibly separated from their families, falsely labeled ‘unaccompanied alien children,’ and transferred to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement,” the Senators wrote in a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley. “This cruel treatment of children and families arriving to the United States demands immediate and direct Congressional oversight. 

In addition to Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), who led the letter, the letter was signed by Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Doug Jones (D-AL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tom Carper (D-DE), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tom Udall (D-NM), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mark Warner (D-VA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Gary Peters (D-MI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Jon Tester (D-MT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Charles E. Schumer (D-NY).

The full letter is available here and below. 

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WASHINGTON – At an event today on Capitol Hill to discuss policy solutions for the contingent and alternative workforce, Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) announced two new bipartisan co-sponsors for his legislation to establish a portable benefits pilot program. 

As much as a third of the U.S. workforce is currently engaged in temporary, contract or on-demand work, but those who earn all or some of their income as independent contractors, part-time workers, temporary workers or contingent workers find it difficult and expensive to access benefits and protections that are commonly provided to full-time employees, such as paid leave, workers’ compensation, skills training, unemployment insurance, tax withholding and tax-advantaged retirement savings. Initially introduced last year with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), the Portable Benefits for Independent Workers Pilot Program Act would establish a $20 million grant fund within the U.S. Department of Labor to incentivize states, localities and nonprofit organizations to experiment with portable benefits models for the independent workforce that would allow workers to carry these benefits with them from job to job. 

At today’s event, hosted by the Aspen Institute’s Future of Work Initiative – for which Sen. Warner serves as honorary co-chair – Sen. Warner announced that Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) have signed on to sponsor the portable benefits legislation. 

“The nature of work is changing rapidly, but there’s a growing recognition that our policies are still mostly tied to a 20th century model of traditional full-time employment. As more and more Americans engage in part-time, contract or other alternative work arrangements, it’s increasingly important that we provide them with an ability to access more flexible, portable benefits that they can carry with them to multiple jobs across a day, a year, and even a career,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m grateful to have the support of Sen. Bennet and Sen. Sasse for this important bill, which will encourage experimentation at the state and local levels to find ways we can better support a more independent 21^st century workforce. This issue doesn’t break down on partisan lines, nor should it – it’s more about whether we are going to stay stuck in the 20^th century policies of the past, or put ourselves on strong footing for the economy of the future.”

Also at today’s event, which was convened to discuss the findings from the June 7 release of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Contingent Worker and Alternative Work Arrangement Supplement (CWS) to the Current Population Survey (CPS), Sen. Warner announced that he will be seeking two additional studies – one from the Treasury Department and one from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) – to equip policymakers with better data about the tax situations of  people in the contingent and alternative workforce.

“Between 2005 and 2018, the federal government collected basically no data about the size and scope of the contingent workforce. This month’s release from BLS was an important step, but there’s frankly still a lot we don’t know about this population of the American workforce. Without more data on this diverse population, it’s hard for policymakers to develop solutions to support them,” noted Sen. Warner. “For instance, we know from tax data that Americans are consistently reporting more self-employed or independent income than they did twenty years ago. And whether they rely on this work for all or just some of their income, one of the biggest complaints I hear from independent and contract workers is that tracking expenses and filing their taxes is just too complicated. But how many people are using that work as a ‘side hustle,’ and how many are actually relying on this work as their primary source of income? Are their tax challenges really the same? There are still big questions we don’t have the answer to, and better information is going to be key to bringing our workforce policies in line with the employment realities of the 21^stcentury.”

“We learned last week that there are fifteen million Americans, or about a tenth of the workforce, who rely on nontraditional work as their primary source of income. Unfortunately, there are still many unanswered questions about how Americans are working today, including how many rely on nontraditional work to supplement their income. The federal government needs to collect comprehensive and consistent data in order to better identify the challenges of today’s workers. With additional information, policymakers can develop policies to modernize the social contract for all workers,” said Alastair Fitzpayne, Executive Director, Aspen Institute’s Future of Work Initiative.

Sen. Warner today introduced legislation that would direct the U.S. Department of the Treasury to study tax issues for a broad set of these workers – all those earning “non-employer business income.” This research would examine how tax compliance can be made easier and more effective for many independent and contingent workers, addressing issues such as information reporting, withholding, and tax filing. In addition, as follow-up to the release of the BLS contingent worker survey data, this research would examine changes in the relative share of workers earning wage or non-employer business income, looking over multiple years and across the income spectrum. This would provide new information on how workers are using non-employer business income as a supplement to wages. Bill text is available here. 

In addition, Sen. Warner sent a letter today to the GAO requesting a study on the tax situation of “platform workers” – those workers who earn income through online and mobile platforms. Policymakers currently have little data on the tax situation of these workers. The GAO study would help Congress understand the tax challenges faced by these workers, how the tax code can help the platform workforce comply, and what the U.S. government needs to do to ensure appropriate revenue collection. A copy of that letter is available here. 

“On behalf of Airbnb's 465,000 U.S. hosts, more than 50 percent of whom are using the money they earn on our platform to stay in their homes, we welcome efforts to create an easier, updated tax reporting system that reflects the new realities of how Americans are earning money. The typical Airbnb host in the United States earns $7,300 annually – supplemental, but meaningful income – and this research is an important step towards ensuring it is easier, not harder, for everyday Americans to supplement their income and follow tax rules,” said Casey Aden-Wansbury, Director of Federal Affairs, Airbnb.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today wrote to Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Alex Azar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to press for more information about the Administration’s policy that separates asylum-seeking parents from their children at the U.S. border. Though the law does not require the U.S. government to separate immigrants from their children, a policy put in place by the Trump Administration in April has resulted in 2,000 children being separated from their parents by DHS officials at the border. These children “rendered unaccompanied” by forcible separation from their parents are remanded by DHS officials to HHS for care in temporary detention centers, placement with foster care, or return to their families or legal guardians. 

Today’s letter comes one day after Sec. Nielsen offered several falsehoods and incomplete answers to questions regarding the Administration’s family separation policy at a White House press briefing. Sens. Warner and Kaine today requested an immediate response to the following questions:

• Rationale for the Policy: Secretary Nielsen stated yesterday that the policy was not implemented in order to “send a message” and serve as a deterrent to future immigration. But later that evening, Attorney General Sessions was quoted as saying, “Hopefully people will get the message…and not break across the border unlawfully.” In addition, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly stated just last month that “the name of the game is deterrence.” Can you please clarify your understanding of the rationale behind the “Zero-Tolerance Policy” as it relates to the separation of young children from the parents at the border? Can you state unequivocally that the policy is not in place to serve as a deterrent to future immigration?
• Plan for Infrastructure: Since the announcement of the “Zero-Tolerance Policy,” how much money have DHS and HHS spent on construction of temporary facilities and associated infrastructure to house the children currently being held separate from their parents? Does a funding plan exist for the additional infrastructure necessary to house asylum seekers if the current policy continues? Are there plans to use facilities in Virginia? If so, what assurances can you provide that all facilities will be adequately equipped to provide a safe and healthy environment, including all resources necessary for the health and wellbeing (including mental and emotional) of separated children? 
• Resources for Separated Children: What specific resources are available to children to deal with psychological trauma of being separated from their parents? How, where and by whom are these services being provided? How much does the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) spend to contract for medical and mental health care for children in ORR shelters, and how much does ORR intend to spend to provide these services to separated children? Please describe the mental health services ORR is providing or contracting to provide to separated children. Can ORR share medical records or information about mental health needs of children with DHS? What training do CBP officers receive to prepare them for interacting with traumatized children because they have been separated from their parents? What training do ORR shelters receive or provide to their staff to prepare them for interacting with traumatized children because they have been separated from their parents?
• Conditions for Girls and Toddlers: Video footage shows the holding conditions for boys. However, there is no similar evidence showing the conditions in which girls and younger children are currently being held. Can you release additional information and video footage that provides background on the health and wellbeing of girls and toddlers who are in the care of either DHS or HHS, including the conditions of their facilities?
• Reunification: There appears to be some conflict in how families are being reunited. DOJ has mentioned that the government does not reunite families once HHS takes custody of a child. However, DHS has claimed that once parents have served their criminal sentences, they can be reunited while they pursue their asylum claim. Are families being reunited? If so, how and when? What is the specific process which parents follow to allow for reunification with their separated children? What data does DHS have to indicate the percentage of parents who are indeed reunified with their children in a timely manner?

As the Senators noted in today’s letter, “The President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, representing 66,000 primary care pediatricians, stated that the policy and resulting trauma can cause ‘irreparable harm’ and ‘carry lifelong consequences’ for children. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called the family separation policy ‘unconscionable’ and an ‘abuse.’ The General Secretary of the United Methodist Church has also stated that the policies are not consistent with Christian teaching and ‘a shocking violation of the spirit of the Gospel.’ Members of Congress from all sides of the political spectrum, former U.S. Attorneys, and countless others have all also condemned the Administration’s new policy.”

A copy of the Warner-Kaine letter is available here. 

Earlier this month, Sens. Warner and Kaine introduced legislation that promotes family unity by prohibiting DHS officials from separating children from their parents, except in extraordinary circumstances. In addition, the Senators have written to President Trump, urging an end to the policy of separating children from their families at the southern border.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Senate Banking and Finance committees, issued the below statement regarding the Trump Administration’s  announcement that it will impose tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese technology imports in response to China’s theft of intellectual property, the forced transfer of American technology, and cyber attacks:

“I share the President’s concerns about China. For years, Chinese companies pushed and enabled by the Chinese government have cheated American workers and stolen valuable intellectual property from U.S businesses with few repercussions. While we simply cannot let China’s unfair trade practices go unchecked, this President’s erratic approach to resolving this issue gives me pause. His Administration’s friendliness toward ZTE, in spite of warnings from his own top intelligence officials that the telecom company poses a national security threat, is particularly concerning. Instead of taking steps that antagonize our allies and threaten the well-being of Virginia’s agricultural community, the President should focus on building international support to apply greater pressure on Beijing and end these unfair trade practices once and for all.”

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) introduced bipartisan legislation to make it easier for students to get degrees they have already earned by ‘reverse’ transferring college credits from four-year institutions to community colleges.

For certain workers, an associate’s degree or certificate is the most affordable, accessible pathway toward a higher-paying job. Many job openings in growth industries such as cybersecurity and healthcare do not typically require a four-year degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly half of employed college graduates across the country are in jobs that require less than a four-year college education. 

“This bipartisan bill will make it easier for people to receive degrees that they’ve already paid for, worked towards, and earned,” said Sen. Warner. “This bill will give schools one more tool to prepare degree seekers for the workforce – equipping them with credentials that would have otherwise been left on the table. These folks will enter the job market with higher earning potential and better positioned to repay any student loan debt they might have accrued. As the Senate works to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, I’m hopeful that we can work together to advance this and other bipartisan, consensus proposals.” 

“I am happy to introduce legislation with Senator Warner to streamline the reverse transfer process. Eliminating this regulatory hurdle will enable millions of students to get credit for their college coursework and finally attain a degree or certificate,” said Sen. Hatch. “Students with a credential are more likely to be employed and earn higher wages than non-credentialed individuals over the course of their lifetime. In an ever-evolving and competitive job market, we must ensure that students are able to get credit for the work they have done so that they can have a better chance for success in today’s workforce.”

Roughly one-third of occupations require some postsecondary education, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce estimates that at current graduation rates, our economy will face a shortage of 5 million workers with the necessary education and training by 2020. Increasing the number of Americans with postsecondary credentials, such as associate’s degrees or certificates, will be essential to addressing this challenge. The National Student Clearinghouse, an educational nonprofit that verifies enrollment data, has identified over four million individuals – including more than 123,000 Virginians – who have completed enough credit hours at a four-year institution to be eligible for an associate’s degree, but instead withdrew without a degree or certificate. 

“This bipartisan legislation will help students get degrees they've earned and save money,” said Sen. Warren. “Washington should make it easier -- not tougher -- for hardworking students to get an education and prepare for their careers.”

“This commonsense bill will help hardworking students get better jobs and enjoy the success they have earned by removing bureaucratic hurdles,” said Sen. Isakson. “I’m glad to introduce this measure as we work to reauthorize the Higher Education Act.” 

The Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act would amend the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to create a new exemption for the sharing of student education records between higher education institutions. “Reverse transfer” refers to the transfer of credits from a four-year institution to a two-year institution that a student previously attended. Currently, students must proactively give permission for their institutions to determine whether they have earned enough credits to be awarded a degree or certificate—a bureaucratic step proven to diminish credential attainment rates.

Facilitating the practice of reverse transfer would ease students’ access to postsecondary credentials they have already earned and better provide for the demands of the future workforce and economy. The bill would allow an institution to share a student’s academic records with another institution that the student previously attended under the condition that the credit information is sent with the goal of conferring a degree, and that the student provides written consent prior to receiving any degree for which he/she is eligible. 

“As Virginia's Community Colleges continue working to prepare students with the skills they need to be successful in on-demand jobs and growth industries, credential attainment is a key indicator of their career readiness and our effectiveness in serving them,” said Glenn DuBois, Chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges. “The bipartisan Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act will provide much needed clarity in facilitating communication between institutions and removing bureaucratic obstacles to credential attainment. I applaud Senators Warner and Hatch for working across the aisle to find common ground and introduce this sensible approach to advancing workforce readiness.”

“AACRAO believes the additional FERPA exception proposed in the reverse transfer legislation represents a responsible means of sharing student information between a student's 4-year and 2-year institution, while ensuring that the student's consent is obtained before awarding a degree or certificate,” stated AACRAO's Executive Director, Michael Reilly. “This legislation will lead to increased education attainment for millions of individuals.”

The legislation has the support of the Virginia Community College System, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers, American Association of Community Colleges, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Institute for Higher Education Policy, and Student Veterans of America, among others.

A full list of organizations and higher education systems lending their support for the bill can be found here. For the full text of the bill, click here. 

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WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced bipartisan legislation that includes Virginia priorities championed by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA). The 2018 Senate Farm Bill includes Warner-Kaine sponsored bills to increase Chesapeake Bay funding, legalize industrial hemp production, and protect Virginia public lands. As President Trump’s trade war continues to escalate, it also includes other technical measures that will help support and protect Virginia farmers. The bill passed out of committee on a bipartisan 20-1 vote and now awaits full consideration on the Senate floor.

“We are pleased that the Senate Ag committee passed a Farm Bill that includes key measures we’ve introduced to help Virginia continue Chesapeake Bay clean-up efforts, expand farm conservation, and preserve some of our most cherished public lands,” said the Senators. “This bipartisan bill would finally end an outdated ban on hemp production that has held back Virginia farmers from taking part in this emerging market. And it protects Virginia commodities like dairy and cotton while maintaining funding for nutrition assistance that Virginia families depend on. We will continue working with our colleagues so that this bill receives an expeditious vote on the Senate floor and is signed into law.”

Warner-Kaine sponsored bills in the FY18 Farm Bill include:

·         Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancements Act: a bill which makes technical changes to the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) intended to bring more federal funding into the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Farm Bill doubles funding for RCPP from $100 million to $200 million providing farmers with the tools they need to implement effective conservation practices within the Bay watershed. These changes will improve sustainability across the region and result in a cleaner, healthier Chesapeake Bay.

·         Hemp Farming Act: a bill that would remove hemp from the federal list of controlled substances, allowing Virginia farmers to grow and sell the plant as an agricultural commodity. States would be given authority to regulate hemp, and hemp researchers will be able to apply for USDA grants. Hemp farmers would also be eligible to collect crop insurance under this provision.

·         Virginia Wilderness Additions Act: a bill that designates specified lands in George Washington National Forest in Virginia as part of the Rough Mountain Wilderness area and the Rich Hole Wilderness area, adding those lands to the National Wilderness Preservation System. This provision adds a total of 5,600 acres of wilderness area within the George Washington National Forest in Bath County.

·         Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act: a bill that expands existing federal domestic violence protections to include threats or acts of violence against a victim’s pet, and provides grant funding to programs that offer shelter and housing assistance for domestic violence victims with pets. The Farm Bill authorizes $3 million a year for FY2019-2023 for a grant program that will provide emergency and transitional housing assistance for victims of domestic violence and their pets. 

Agriculture is Virginia’s largest private industry, with an economic impact of $70 billion annually that provides more than 334,000 jobs in the Commonwealth. President Trump has targeted imports from some of the United States’ closest allies, sparking the announcement of retaliatory tariffs that will hit key Virginia agricultural exports. Most recently, Mexico announced it will be placing a 20 percent tariff on pork imports, a step that will directly hurt Virginia farmers who exported roughly $68 million in pork to that country last year.  

In the wake of President Trump’s ongoing trade war, the Farm Bill includes a measure that will revamp existing trade promotion programs and authorize $6 million in new funding for trade promotion activities. Trade Promotion is a technique used by the United States to pursue trade agreements that support and create U.S. jobs while helping American manufacturers, service providers, farmers and ranchers increase U.S. exports and compete in a highly competitive, globalized economy.

Sens. Warner and Kaine added, “President Trump should play close attention to the way the Senate is trying to lend a hand to some of the same people that will be hurt by his irresponsible trade war. Instead of picking fights with some of our closest allies, he should work with us to help pass legislation that will improve the livelihood of Virginia farmers and open new markets where they can sell their products.” 

In addition, the bill includes measures to protect the U.S. dairy and cotton industry. It streamlines a program that allows dairy producers to insure margins—the difference between the prices of milk and feed—and increases its funding. The bill also makes cotton once again eligible to participate in federal crop insurance programs, which are used by farmers to protect themselves against either the loss of their crops due to natural disasters, or the loss of revenue due to declines in the prices of agricultural commodities. Livestock producers also receive assistance through a new program authorized by this bill that will give USDA the authority to operate a disease and disaster prevention program and a vaccine bank, including for foot and mouth disease.

For more information on the FY18 Farm Bill, click here.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has filed several amendments to the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that will benefit the nation’s overall defense strategy by strengthening our cybersecurity practices and streamlining the security clearance process. 

One of Sen. Warner’s amendments would require the United States to amend the U.S. cyber-doctrine, establishing that the U.S. will respond accordingly should a foreign adversary launch a cyber-attack in order to undermine our elections. Sen. Warner also filed a similar amendment to the NDAA last year. Additional amendments would address the 700,000-person background investigation backlog and modernize an antiquated security clearance system. Suggested provisions include requiring the implementation of specific goals to reduce the backlog, and bringing transparency to the true costs associated with the clearance process. In addition, he has introduced an amendment to provide a fix for federal employees who have, following passage of the GOP’s tax bill last year, been subject to additional taxes after moving for work. 

“The sophisticated cyber effort by Russia during the 2016 presidential election made clear just how unprepared we are as a nation to address cyber threats posed by foreign adversaries. That is why I have offered an amendment that would require a direct response by the U.S. should a foreign adversary attempt to intervene and undermine the integrity of local, state, or federal elections,” said Sen. Warner. “In addition, I have also offered much-needed fixes to streamline and modernize our outdated security clearance process, and address a tax code that leaves many federal workers on the hook for costs associated with relocating for work. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure we provide the proper resources and support our military needs in this year’s defense budget.”

Text of Sen. Warner’s amendments is available here. 

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WASHINGTON –U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Senate Banking and Finance Committees, today sent letters to Twitter and Google parent company Alphabet, requesting information about any data sharing agreements between the companies and Chinese vendors. The letter follows a disclosure earlier this week by Facebook that the company has partnerships with Chinese telecom companies including Huawei that allow them to access Facebook users’ non-public data. 

“Since at least October 2012, when the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released its widely-publicized report, the relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and equipment makers like Huawei and ZTE has been an area of national security concern. Since then, numerous articles in the tech trade press have focused on concerns by American and allied intelligence agencies that products from Chinese device makers, such as Lenovo, have security vulnerabilities that could allow Chinese intelligence to access data stored on, or transmitted by, devices.  And the New York Times reported in 2016 that firmware found in low-end smartphone devices, such as those of Huawei and ZTE, continually transmitted local data to Chinese severs, potentially for foreign intelligence purposes,” Sen. Warner wrote to the two companies today. 

It is publicly known that Alphabet has entered into strategic partnerships with Chinese mobile device manufacturers, including Huawei and Xiaomi, as well as with Chinese technology platform Tencent. In light of Facebook’s recent revelations, Sen. Warner requested that the company provide information about those partnerships, as well as any other agreements that Alphabet may have entered into with third-party vendors based in China. A similar request was posed to Twitter. 

Sen. Warner’s letter to Alphabet CEO Larry Page is available here. His letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is available here.  

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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statement on the President’s nomination of Judge Rossie David Alston, Jr. to serve on the Eastern District Court of Virginia. If confirmed by the Senate, Judge Alston would be the only African American judge serving in the Alexandria Division:

“We are pleased that the President has nominated Judge Alston to the vacancy and are confident his experiences on the state bench will serve him well at the federal level. He fills large shoes in replacing Judge Gerald Bruce Lee, who served with great distinction, and we hope Judge Alston can proudly carry on his legacy. We urge the Department of Justice to send background materials to the Judiciary Committee as soon as possible so our colleagues can review his record and promptly advance his nomination.” 

In December, Warner and Kaine sent a letter to President Trump, recommending Judge Alston for the vacancy.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Senate Banking and Finance Committees, released the following statement regarding the Commerce Department’s agreement with ZTE:

“It is the unanimous conclusion of our nation’s intelligence community that ZTE poses a significant threat to our national security. These concerns aren’t new; back in 2012, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released a report on the serious counterintelligence concerns associated with ZTE equipment. 

“It’s not only that ZTE was busted for evading sanctions on Iran and North Korea, and then lied about it; It’s that ZTE is a state-controlled telecommunications company that poses significant espionage risks, which this agreement appears to do little to address.” 

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Senate Banking and Finance Committees, along with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN) and Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Jeff Flake (R-AZ), introduced bipartisan legislation that would require the White House to seek Congressional approval before issuing tariffs designated in the interest of national security. This authority was originally granted to the President by Congress under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and is a tool that has only rarely been used to restrict foreign imports. 

President Trump has used this provision to impose steel and aluminum tariffs that target imports from some of the United States’ closest allies like Mexico, Canada, and the European Union. As a result, businesses that make products containing these materials, such as Virginia craft beer producers, expect to see increased production costs that will likely mean higher prices for Virginia consumers. In addition, some of these countries have announced they plan to impose retaliatory tariffs on key Virginia agricultural exports. This week, Mexico announced it will be placing a 20 percent tariff on pork imports, a step that will directly hurt Virginia farmers who exported roughly $68 million in pork to that country last year.  

“While I believe that we should hold China accountable for unfair trade practices and I support strong trade enforcement rules that protect American workers, the President should not be relying on an obscure provision of a trade law intended to uphold national security in order to impose tariffs on our allies. Instead, he should focus on building international coalitions to hold bad actors accountable and protect American workers,” said Sen. Warner.

“While we all agree on the need to ensure the international trade system is fair for American workers, companies and consumers, unfortunately, the administration is abusing the Section 232 authority delegated to the president by Congress,” said Sen. Corker. “Making claims regarding national security to justify what is inherently an economic question not only harms the very people we all want to help and impairs relations with our allies but also could invite our competitors to retaliate. If the president truly believes invoking Section 232 is necessary to protect the United States from a genuine threat, he should make the case to Congress and to the American people and do the hard work necessary to secure congressional approval.”

The bill requires the president to submit to Congress any proposal to adjust imports in the interest of national security under Section 232. For a 60-day period following submission, legislation to approve the proposal will qualify for expedited consideration, guaranteeing the opportunity for debate and a vote. The requirement would apply to all Section 232 actions moving forward, as well as those taken within the past two years.

Sen. Warner, along with Sen. Kaine, has previously raised concerns about how President Trump’s trade war could hurt Virginia businesses and employees, listing the set of products grown and made in Virginia that have been targeted by the Chinese for duties. Both Senators also wrote to the Administration warning that withdrawing from the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)—another significant source of agricultural exports for Virginia—would negatively impact Virginia’s agricultural industry.

A copy of the legislation can be found here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after Facebook confirmed the company has data-sharing partnerships with Chinese telecom companies, including Huawei:

“Concerns about Huawei aren’t new – they were widely publicized beginning in 2012, when the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released a well-read report on the close relationships between the Chinese Communist Party and equipment makers like Huawei. The news that Facebook provided privileged access to Facebook’s API to Chinese device makers like Huawei and TCL raises legitimate concerns, and I look forward to learning more about how Facebook ensured that information about their users was not sent to Chinese servers.” 

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