Press Releases
“General Haugh has served our country in uniform, with honor and distinction, for more than 30 years. At a time when the United States is facing unprecedented cyber threats, as the Salt Typhoon cyberattack from China has so clearly underscored, how does firing him make Americans any safer?
“It is astonishing, too, that President Trump would fire the nonpartisan, experienced leader of the National Security Agency while still failing to hold any member of his team accountable for leaking classified information on a commercial messaging app – even as he apparently takes staffing direction on national security from a discredited conspiracy theorist in the Oval Office.”
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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), joined by Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-10), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07), and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01), wrote a letter to Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins pushing back against the cancellation of $500 million in previously-approved funding through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) for food banks and other emergency food providers.
Virginia’s families, food growers, and community foodbanks have already been hit hard by cuts to vital programs from the Trump administration. This continued attack on food security is set to impact more than 400 pantries and food delivery organizations across the Commonwealth.
“Through TEFAP, USDA purchases nutritious commodity food from growers and producers, which is then provided to state agencies. Those agencies then deliver that food to distributers, including food banks and community organizations at no cost,” the lawmakers wrote. “More than 400 local pantries, including many faith-based partners from Hampton Roads to Southwest Virginia, distribute the food to eligible low-income recipients who typically do not qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and have few alternatives to turn to for help.”
Given widespread impact of this move, the lawmakers are asking for more information regarding the decision to halt this funding:
- Since USDA has relayed that it does not plan to move forward with distributing the previously announced $500 million in funding from the CCC to food banks through TEFAP in FY25, does the Department have alternative plans to provide supplemental nutrition assistance to food banks and other food providers who were relying on these earlier TEFAP commodities? If so, what authorities does the Department plan to utilize?
- Has USDA communicated with any producers or growers regarding the suspension or cancellation of commodity purchases through TEFAP? How will the Department work with these producers to ensure they face minimal economic harm?
- Has USDA communicated with any state distributing agencies, including the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), regarding the suspension or cancellation of food purchases and distributions through TEFAP? Is USDA working with the Commonwealth of Virginia and other states to ensure food banks and other food providers have adequate supplies of nutritious foods to serve their communities following the withdrawal of these funds?
A copy of letter is available here and text is below.
Dear Secretary Rollins:
We write regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) recent decision to halt up to $500 million in funding intended to support food banks and other providers from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). Emergency food providers, producers, and community organizations across the country rely on TEFAP to deliver critical nutrition assistance to millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Virginians.
Through TEFAP, USDA purchases nutritious commodity food from growers and producers, which is then provided to state agencies. Those agencies then deliver that food to distributers, including food banks and community organizations at no cost. More than 400 local pantries, including many faith-based partners from Hampton Roads to Southwest Virginia, distribute the food to eligible low-income recipients who typically do not qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and have few alternatives to turn to for help.
In Virginia, approximately 10 percent of households are “food insecure,” meaning their access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources. On average, food pantry visits increased more than 20 percent in Virginia last year and Virginia food banks are spending five times more money now than in 2019 due to greater demand and higher food prices. TEFAP accounts for 20 percent of the food distributed by Virginia’s food banks, and the currently suspended CCC orders represent around one-third of all TEFAP product Virginia food banks were expecting this year.
Given any suspension of TEFAP affects Virginia’s families, growers, and communities, we request answers to the following questions:
- Since USDA has relayed that it does not plan to move forward with distributing the previously announced $500 million in funding from the CCC to food banks through TEFAP in FY25, does the Department have alternative plans to provide supplemental nutrition assistance to food banks and other food providers who were relying on these earlier TEFAP commodities? If so, what authorities does the Department plan to utilize?
- Has USDA communicated with any producers or growers regarding the suspension or cancellation of commodity purchases through TEFAP? How will the Department work with these producers to ensure they face minimal economic harm?
- Has USDA communicated with any state distributing agencies, including the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), regarding the suspension or cancellation of food purchases and distributions through TEFAP? Is USDA working with the Commonwealth of Virginia and other states to ensure food banks and other food providers have adequate supplies of nutritious foods to serve their communities following the withdrawal of these funds?
Thank you for your attention to this letter. We look forward to your response.
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Warner, Kaine, and Murkowski Introduce Legislation to Support Virginia's Seafood Industry
Apr 03 2025
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the bipartisan Save Our Seafood (SOS) Act, which would exempt fish processors—which are critical to Virginia’s economy—from the H-2B visa cap, which has made it difficult for local seafood processors to hire the seasonal workforce they need.
“The seafood industry is a critical part of Virginia’s economy, especially in Hampton Roads and on the Eastern Shore,” said Kaine. “I often hear from Virginia’s seafood processors about how hard it is to find seasonal workers, so I’m glad to introduce this bipartisan legislation with my colleagues to make it easier for these businesses to hire the workers they need.”
“Virginia’s seafood industry relies on seasonal, H2-B workers to help meet demand during peak season,” said Warner. “Without this workforce, many of Virginia’s seafood processors would simply have to close up shop. I’m glad to introduce this legislation that will help Virginia’s businesses by ensuring they have the labor needed to keep their operations up and running.”
“Alaska’s seafood industry is a delicate chain – and when processors don’t have the workforce to meet demand, the whole industry can fall apart,” said Murkowski. “Coastal communities, family-owned fishing boats, and Alaskans who work in the industry need to know that they have fully-functioning operations where they can deliver their catch. Through this legislation, I’m working to ensure that the industry has a dependable workforce that can process and deliver the highest-quality seafood in the world.”
Seafood is a billion-dollar industry in Virginia, supporting over 7,000 jobs for Virginians and generating over $26 million in revenue annually. Many of Virginia’s seafood processors rely on workers from the H-2B visa program to harvest and process Virginia crabs and oysters in season, but processors annually struggle to get enough workers during the season when they are needed most. The SOS Act would permanently exempt seasonal, non-immigrant workers who work in seafood processing from the cap on H-2B visas, ensuring that processors have the workforce they need, when they need them to meet the increased demand at the start of the harvesting season.
“The Virginia seafood processing industry is grateful for Senators Kaine and Warner reintroducing the Save Our Seafood Act. We appreciate the bipartisan group of Senators committed to supporting working seafood businesses around the country. Virginia seafood has participated in the seasonal, temporary H-2B program since 1997,” said AJ Erskine, Board Member, Virginia Seafood Council. “We manufacture domestic, perishable seafood products that require an increased seasonal workforce. Our seasons are defined by state and federal regulations and the environmental conditions in which we work. Senators Kaine and Warner understand that this is not a partisan issue. The seafood industry is simply asking for a small modification of an existing cap exemption. We thank Senators Kaine and Warner for their vision and support of our seafood industry.”
“Our 4th generation family crab processing facility in Hampton continues to struggle to keep our doors open! The H-2B program has been our lifeline the last 30 years and without congressional help we will perish,” said John Graham III, President, Graham & Rollins, Inc. “The current lottery system currently deployed by Homeland Security is not feasible to sustain any kind of business and frankly is a disaster!!”
The senators have long supported the seafood industry. In 2023, Kaine and Warner introduced the Save Our Seafood Act, and Kaine met with heads of Virginia seafood companies in Lottsburg, VA to discuss the need to boost the seafood workforce. Earlier that year, the senators met with then-Labor Secretary Marty Walsh to discuss workforce challenges facing the Virginia seafood industry and urge the Department of Labor to consider reforms to the H-2B lottery to better meet seasonal labor needs. In 2022, Kaine and Warner also successfullypushed the Department of Homeland Security for the release of additional H-2B visas.
The legislation was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Kennedy (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
Full text of the legislation is available here.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced the Promoting United States Leadership in Standards Act to restore America’s position as a leader in international standards setting for emerging technologies.
For decades, the United States led the world in developing new technologies, which allowed our country to set the rules of the road when it came to global standards for those technologies. However, in recent years, Chinese companies backed by the Chinese Communist Party have overtaken the U.S., which has allowed our adversary to influence standards in ways that further their own interests.
“The Chinese Communist Party has made it their mission to undermine the U.S. and our interests around the globe by exploiting our deficiencies,” said Senator Blackburn. “As our adversary ramps up efforts to dominate global standards for emerging technologies, the U.S. must be a global leader in innovation, and that includes setting standards that reflect our interests and values.”
“In recent years, the Communist Party of China has asserted their dominance in the global technology space, and as their status has risen, our authority and influence has fallen,” said Senator Warner. “This legislation clearly outlines steps we must take to reestablish our leadership and ensure that we are doing all we can to set the global standards for critical and emerging technologies."
Standards-setting bodies make critical decisions not only relating to technical specifications, but also relating to values, such as openness, safety, and accessibility, embedded in emerging technologies.
Specifically, the Promoting United States Leadership in Standards Act would:
- Require the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to submit a report to Congress that identifies current U.S. participation in standards development activities for AI and other Critical and Emerging Technologies (CETs);
- Create an easy-to-access web portal to help stakeholders navigate and actively engage in international standardization efforts. The portal would include a list of relevant standards and information about how to participate in standardization activities related to AI and other CETs;
- Establish a pilot program to award $10 million in grants over 4 years to support the hosting of standards meetings for AI and other CETs in the U.S.;
- Create a report to Congress, after the third year of the program, that identifies grant recipients, provides a summary of expenses, assesses the effectiveness of the program to grow the number of standards meetings in the U.S., and shows the geographic distribution of event attendees.
Click here to read the bill text.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the following statement on the widespread tariffs announced by Donald Trump today:
“These tariffs are nothing more than an enormous tax hike on American consumers, who will soon be left footing the bill as they pay more for groceries, electronics, clothes, and cars. Tariffs should be targeted wisely, not applied to practically all goods in a way that eliminates jobs, alienates our closest partners, and evaporates the retirement savings of hardworking Americans. I look forward to a vote tonight on our Senate resolution to remove misguided tariffs against Canada and take a strong first step towards reasserting Congressional authority over trade policy.”
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Warner Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Eliminate Food Deserts and Increase Access to Healthy Food
Apr 02 2025
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) have introduced legislation to eliminate food deserts and expand access to affordable and nutritious food by incentivizing food providers to expand access to healthy food options in underserved communities. The Healthy Food Access for All Americans (HFAAA) Act was also introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Reps. Emilia Sykes (OH-13) and Jennifer McLellan (VA-04).
“Fresh and nutritious foods are a cornerstone of health and wellbeing, but too many families in Virginia and across America live in places where these foods are out of reach,” said Sen. Warner. “This legislation will help us fight food deserts by incentivizing grocery stores to come to communities that have the hardest time accessing fresh produce.”
“Even while living in the breadbasket of our nation, food insecurity affects far too many Kansans, particularly those living in rural communities far from a grocery store,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation, which would incentivize food providers to establish and renovate grocery stores, food banks and farmers markets in communities that traditionally lack affordable, healthy and convenient food options, would help provide those who are hungry with access to nutritious food.”
“Many West Virginians struggle to access fresh, nutritious food to keep their families and communities well fed. I’m proud to reintroduce the Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act, which will expand access to healthy foods through food banks and local grocery stores in rural communities across West Virginia and the nation,” said Sen. Capito.
“Access to nutritious food is essential for every family’s health and well-being, but it remains out of reach for far too many communities. This bipartisan legislation offers a key solution to eliminating food deserts in Maryland and across the country – ensuring every American can buy fresh, affordable, healthy food in their neighborhood, regardless of where they live,” said Sen. Van Hollen.
According to recent data, an estimated 18.8 million Americans live in what the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) classifies as a “food desert.” Urban areas designated as food deserts lack a grocery store within one or more miles. Rural areas designated as food deserts lack a grocery store within ten or more miles. Studies have shown that Americans who live in communities with low-access to healthy food options are at higher risk for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Specifically, the Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act – which defines a grocery market as a retail sales store with at least 35 percent of its selection (or forecasted selection) dedicated to selling fresh produce, poultry, dairy, and deli items – would encourage investment in food deserts across the country that have a poverty rate of 20 percent or higher, or a median family income of less than 80 percent of the median for the state or metro area.
It would grant tax credits or grants to food providers who service low-access communities and attain a “Special Access Food Provider” (SAFP) certification through the Treasury Department. Incentives would be awarded based on the following structure:
- New Store Construction – Companies that construct new grocery stores in a food desert will receive a one-time 15 percent tax credit after receiving certification.
- Retrofitting Existing Structures – Companies that make retrofits to an existing store’s healthy food sections can receive a one-time 10 percent tax credit after the repairs certify the store as an SAFP.
- Food Banks – Certified food banks that build new (permanent) structures in food deserts will be eligible to receive a one-time grant for 15 percent of their construction costs.
- Temporary Access Merchants – Certified temporary access merchants (i.e. mobile markets, farmers markets, and some food banks) that are 501(c)(3)s will receive grants for 10 percent of their annual operating costs.
The Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act boasts the support of numerous organizations, including Feeding America, the National Grocers Association, and Share Our Strength.
“Feeding America commends Senator Warner for confronting the unfortunate fact that for the 47 million Americans living with hunger, access to affordable nutritious food is significantly harder for those who live in food deserts. The Feeding America network of more than 200 food banks understands that areas without affordable, healthy food options have higher rates of food insecurity. Rural communities in particular lack access to adequate transportation to the nearest grocery store or food pantry. Feeding America supports the Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act as a critical step to give nonprofits and retailers support to increase food access in underserved areas,” said Vince Hall, Chief Government Relations Officer at Feeding America.
"The National Grocers Association applauds Senator Warner and Representatives McClellan and Sykes for their leadership on this important legislation focused on eliminating the challenges confronting grocers seeking to expand access to nutritious food in underserved rural and urban areas alike. Independent grocers are the backbone of the communities they serve and have a long-standing tradition of leading efforts to provide improved food options for those most in need. Enhanced access to healthy food bolsters both the physical well-being and economic vitality of local communities everywhere, and we look forward to working with Congress to pass this important bipartisan legislation,” said Stephanie Johnson, Vice President, Government Relations, National Grocers Association.
“To end childhood hunger in America, we must ensure that low-income families have access to healthy, affordable food options no matter their zip code or circumstances. Ending food deserts will help more families put food on the table and help children get the nutrition they need to grow up healthy and strong. Share Our Strength supports The Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act and thanks Sens. Warner, Capito, Van Hollen, and Moran for their leadership on this issue,” said Jason Gromley, Senior Director of Share Our Strength.
Bill text for the Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act can be found here. A summary of the bill can be found here.
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