WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) led a bipartisan, bicameral group of colleagues in sending a letter to congressional leadership requesting that any supplemental appropriations bill responding to recent natural disasters, including Hurricane Helene, include substantial funding for the agencies that manage public lands, including the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the National Park Service (NPS). 

“When Hurricane Helene brought torrential rainfall and severe winds through our states in late September, catastrophic flooding resulted in hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage,” the lawmakers wrote. “Homes, businesses, and livelihoods were devastated as many communities were left without power, potable water, and cell service – some remain without these critical resources to this day. While thousands of our constituents are beginning to rebuild their lives, many of these communities are simultaneously contending with the fallout that large segments of federally owned public lands that anchor these local economies are closed, not fully opened, or are simply inaccessible to visitors due to Hurricane Helene’s destruction.” 

In addition to Warner and Tillis, the letter was signed by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Ted Budd (R-NC) and U.S. Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Virginia Foxx (R-NC.) 

The lawmakers continued, “Public lands are critical economic engines for many of our communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. For example, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the most visited national park in the U.S. which spans 469 miles through Southwest Virginia and North Carolina, serves as the primary driver of economic activity for many of the communities in Helene’s path. In 2023, the Parkway saw over 16.7 million visitors who spent nearly $1.4 billion in surrounding communities. Visitor spending connected to the Parkway supports over 19,000 jobs in communities throughout Virginia and North Carolina and results in a cumulative economic impact of $1.8 billion to local economies. Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage to the Blue Ridge Parkway that has resulted in indefinite closures of large segments of the roadway and many trails and historical sites. Substantial federal funding is needed for the Parkway to rebuild its infrastructure to support the millions of visitors the park hosts each year, which supports dozens of Appalachian communities.” 

Sen. Warner has been vocal about the need for federal resources to support recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. Last week, he welcomed the Biden administration’s request for disaster relief funding, but highlighted the need for additional funding for public lands like the Creeper Trail in Southwest Virginia. Immediately following Hurricane Helene, Sen. Warner, joined by Sen. Kaine and Rep. Griffith, urged President Biden to declare both an Emergency Declaration and an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for Virginia, which opened various avenues for financial and physical assistance to help the region recover. Sens. Warner and Tillis, as well as Sen. Kaine, also joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in calling for a bipartisan appropriations package to meet the needs of Virginians and the millions of Americans affected by the storm.

Full text of the letter is available here.

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) led a bipartisan, bicameral group of colleagues in sending a letter to congressional leadership requesting that any supplemental appropriations bill responding to recent natural disasters, including Hurricane Helene, include substantial funding for the agencies that manage public lands, including the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the National Park Service (NPS).

“When Hurricane Helene brought torrential rainfall and severe winds through our states in late September, catastrophic flooding resulted in hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage,” the lawmakers wrote. “Homes, businesses, and livelihoods were devastated as many communities were left without power, potable water, and cell service – some remain without these critical resources to this day. While thousands of our constituents are beginning to rebuild their lives, many of these communities are simultaneously contending with the fallout that large segments of federally owned public lands that anchor these local economies are closed, not fully opened, or are simply inaccessible to visitors due to Hurricane Helene’s destruction.”

In addition to Warner and Tillis, the letter was signed by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Ted Budd (R-NC) and U.S. Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Virginia Foxx (R-NC.)

The lawmakers continued, “Public lands are critical economic engines for many of our communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. For example, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the most visited national park in the U.S. which spans 469 miles through Southwest Virginia and North Carolina, serves as the primary driver of economic activity for many of the communities in Helene’s path. In 2023, the Parkway saw over 16.7 million visitors who spent nearly $1.4 billion in surrounding communities. Visitor spending connected to the Parkway supports over 19,000 jobs in communities throughout Virginia and North Carolina and results in a cumulative economic impact of $1.8 billion to local economies. Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage to the Blue Ridge Parkway that has resulted in indefinite closures of large segments of the roadway and many trails and historical sites. Substantial federal funding is needed for the Parkway to rebuild its infrastructure to support the millions of visitors the park hosts each year, which supports dozens of Appalachian communities.”

Sen. Warner has been vocal about the need for federal resources to support recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. Last week, he welcomed the Biden administration’s request for disaster relief funding, but highlighted the need for additional funding for public lands like the Creeper Trail in Southwest Virginia. Immediately following Hurricane Helene, Sen. Warner, joined by Sen. Kaine and Rep. Griffith, urged President Biden to declare both an Emergency Declaration and an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for Virginia, which opened various avenues for financial and physical assistance to help the region recover. Sens. Warner and Tillis, as well as Sen. Kaine, also joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in calling for a bipartisan appropriations package to meet the needs of Virginians and the millions of Americans affected by the storm.

Full text of the letter is available here.

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WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), joined by U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), introduced the China Financial Threat Mitigation Act of 2024, legislation aimed at shoring up America’s response to financial threats stemming from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Companion legislation, introduced by U.S. Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Roger Williams (R-TX), was passed in the House of Representatives last year.

The China Financial Threat Mitigation Act would require deeper analysis of potential financial threats from the CCP that may have substantial impacts on the U.S. economy.

“As the Chinese Communist Party continues to ramp up aggression towards the United States, it is crucial that we take proactive steps to protect U.S. institutions and interests, and our financial sector is no exception,” Sen. Warner said. “This bipartisan legislation takes the first step towards ensuring that the U.S. is prepared to counter the threat posed by the CCP by shoring up our financial systems.” 

“Despite four decades of promised liberalization, the Chinese Communist Party retains the ability to intervene decisively in China’s banking system to achieve desired outcomes – a reality that poses potential risks to American businesses,” Sen. Rounds said. "To counter this, we need a clear understanding of how China's financial sector impacts the U.S. economy and global financial systems. Our legislation tasks the Treasury Department, working with other federal agencies, to assess and report on U.S. exposure to China's financial activities, providing a clearer picture of the threat.”

“The Chinese Communist Party poses a significant threat to our national and financial security, and we have a responsibility to hold the CCP accountable,” Sen. Lummis said. “I am partnering with my colleagues to protect U.S. interests for the sake of not only our financial system but the global economy, and I look forward to getting this bipartisan legislation across the finish line.”

“As a former CIA case officer and current Member of the House Intelligence Committee, I know that America’s exposure to the Chinese economy brings substantial risks,” Rep. Spanberger said. “Congress must do more to strengthen America’s response to emerging financial threats from the Chinese Communist Party. Our bipartisan, bicameral legislation would help protect America’s economic interests and improve coordination with our international partners. I’m encouraged by our legislation’s momentum in the U.S. Senate, and I look forward to seeing it sent to the president's desk to be signed into law.”

The legislation would also require the Department of the Treasury, in consultation with the Federal Reserve, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and State Department, to issue a report on the exposure of the United States to the threats posed by China's financial sector. Specifically, the required report must include:

• Effects the reforms to China's financial sector have on U.S. and global financial systems;
• Description of the policies the United States is adopting to protect U.S. interests;
• Description and analysis of any risks presented by China to the financial stability of the United States and the global economy; and
• Recommendations for additional actions to strengthen international cooperation to mitigate risks and protect U.S. interests.

Full text of the legislation is available here. 

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today urged leadership at Valve, a prominent video game company, to respond to reports that their gaming distribution and social networking platform, Steam, is hosting extremist and hateful content – including over 1.5 million users and tens of thousands of groups that share and amplify antisemitic, Nazi, sexuality- or gender-based hate, and white supremacist content. Sen. Warner called for broad action from Valve to bring its content moderation standards in line with industry standards and crack down on the rampant proliferation of hate-based content. 

“I write to you today regarding the hate and extremism that has recently been identified on your gaming digital distribution and social networking platform Steam,” Warner wrote. “Recently, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a report where ADL identified over 1 million unique user accounts and nearly 100,000 user-created groups that glorified antisemitic, Nazi, white supremacist, gender- and sexuality-based hatred, and other extremist ideologies on Valve’s Steam platform.” 

The letter notes that Steam has millions of active users that are now exposed to extremist ideologies. According to the ADL report, Steam hosts almost 900,000 users with extremist or antisemitic profile pictures, 40,000 groups with names that included hateful words, and rampant use of text-based images, particularly of swastikas, resulting in over 1 million unique hate-images.

“My concern is elevated by the fact that Steam is the largest single online gaming digital distribution and social networking platform in the world with over 100 million unique user accounts and a userbase similar in scale to that of the ‘traditional’ social media and social network platforms. Steam is financially successful, with a dominant position in its sector, and makes Valve billions of dollars in annual revenue. Until now, Steam has largely not received its due attention as a de facto major social network where its users engage in many of the same activities expected of a social media platform,” Warner continued.

“We have seen on other social networking platforms that lax enforcement of the letter of user conduct agreements, when coupled with a seeming reluctance by those companies to embrace the spirit (namely providing users with a safe, welcoming place to socialize) of those same agreements, leads to toxic social environments that elevate harassment and abuse. You should want your users (and prospective users) to not have to wonder if they or their children will be harassed, intimidated, ridiculed or otherwise face abuse,” Warner concluded.

The letter ends with a series of questions for Valve regarding their enforcement of their own terms of service and their commitment to reining in toxic content.

For years, Sen. Warner, a former tech entrepreneur, has been raising the alarm about rise of hate-fueled content proliferating online, as well as the threat posed by domestic and foreign bad actors circulating disinformation. Recently, he pressed directly for action from Discord, another video game-based social networking site that is hosting violent predatory groups that coerce minors into self-harm and suicide. He has also called attention to the rise of pro-eating disorder content on AI platforms. A leader in the tech space, Sen. Warner has also lead the charge for broad Section 230 reform to allow social media companies to be held accountable for enabling cyber-stalking, harassment, and discrimination on their platforms.

A copy of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Mr. Newell:

I write to you today regarding the hate and extremism that has recently been identified on your gaming digital distribution and social networking platform Steam. Recently, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a report where ADL identified over 1 million unique user accounts and nearly 100,000 user-created groups that glorified antisemitic, Nazi, white supremacist, gender- and sexuality-based hate, and other extremist ideologies on Valve’s Steam platform. 

It has been brought to your attention before that extremist ideologies seem to find a home on Steam. In 2022, Valve received a Senate letter identifying nearly identical activity on your platform, and yet two years later it appears that Valve has chosen to continue a ‘hands off’-type approach to content moderation that favors allowing some users to engage in sustained bouts of disturbing and violent rhetoric rather than ensure that all of its users can find a welcoming and safe environment across your platform.

My concern is elevated by the fact that Steam is the largest single online gaming digital distribution and social networking platform in the world with over 100 million unique user accounts and a userbase similar in scale to that of the ‘traditional’ social media and social network platforms. Steam is financially successful, with a dominant position in its sector, and makes Valve billions of dollars in annual revenue. Until now, Steam has largely not received its due attention as a de facto major social network where its users engage in many of the same activities expected of a social media platform. 

ADL also found that, in addition to the extremely concerning number of hateful account and user groups:

• Almost 900,000 users with extremist or antisemitic profile pictures
• 40,000 groups with names that included hateful words, with the most prominent being “1488”, “shekel” and “white power”
• Rampant use of text-based images (so-called “copypasta” or “ASCII art”), particularly of swastikas, resulting in over 1 million unique hate-images. 

Valve has a Steam Online Conduct policy (“Conduct Policy”) and a Steam Subscriber Agreement (“Agreement”) that Steam subscribers agree to abide by as a condition of using the service. The Conduct Policy requires that “[in] general, as a Steam user you should be a good online citizen and not do anything that prevents any other Steam user from using and enjoying Steam”. The Conduct Policy explicitly directs subscribers to not:  

• “Engage in unlawful activity [including] encouraging real-world violence…”
• “Upload or post illegal or inappropriate content [including] [real] or disturbing depictions of violence…”
• “Violate others’ personal rights”
• “Harass other users or Steam personnel [which includes not engaging in] trolling; baiting; threatening; spamming; intimidating; and using abusive language or insults.” 

It is reasonable to question how committed Valve is to effectively implement and enforce Valve’s own, self-created Conduct Policy for its users, in light of the 1 million Steam user accounts and 100,000 user-created groups glorifying hateful ideologies that ADL found. We have seen on other social networking platforms that lax enforcement of the letter of user conduct agreements, when coupled with a seeming reluctance by those companies to embrace the spirit (namely providing users with a safe, welcoming place to socialize) of those same agreements, leads to toxic social environments that elevate harassment and abuse. You should want your users (and prospective users) to not have to wonder if they or their children will be harassed, intimidated, ridiculed or otherwise face abuse.

As Black Friday and the holiday buying season approaches, the American public should know that not only is Steam an unsafe place for teens and young adults to purchase and play online games, but also that, absent a change in Valve’s approach to user moderation and the type of behavior that it welcomes on its platform, Steam is playing a clear role in allowing harmful ideologies to spread and take root among the next generation.

Valve must bring its content moderation practices in line with industry standards or face more intense scrutiny from the federal government for its complicity in allowing hate groups to congregate and engage in activities that undoubtedly puts Americans at risk. 

Please provide answers to the following questions no later than December 13, 2024. Please provide answers in-line with the questions, and not a narrative that attempts to answer multiple questions. 

1. Please describe Valve’s current practices used to enforce its terms of service.

2. Please provide the definition that Valve uses internally to define each of the following terms and/or behaviors from the Conduct Policy in order to evaluate potential violations of said policy:
   1. “Encouraging real-world violence”;
   2. “Inappropriate content”;
   3. “Real or disturbing depictions of violence”;
   4. “Violate others’ personal rights”; and
   5. “Harass other users or Steam personnel”, including:

                                                              i.      trolling;

                                                             ii.      baiting;

                                                           iii.      threatening;

                                                           iv.      intimidating; and

                                                             v.      abusive language or insults.

3. How many allegations did Valve receive from users about potential violations of the Conduct Policy? Include in your response each date when the Conduct Policy was changed, updated, or otherwise modified. Please provide data sufficient to answer this question for each of the following:
   1. Each month of each of the years of 2014 to 2024;
   2. Each category of violation (however Valve tracks types or categories of violations of the policy;
   3. Each category of violation for each month of each of the years of 2014 to 2024;
   4. The disposition and/or any findings of each complaint received (this may be presented in aggregate) by Valve, whether through Steam’s internal reporting mechanisms or any other means, and subsequent action taken by Valve in response to each complaint (this may be presented in aggregate).
   5. The number of unique user accounts that were subject to adverse, punitive, or corrective actions by Valve:

                                                              i.      In response to a user-generated complaint; and

                                                             ii.      In response to violations identified by Valve moderators of their own accord.

6. For item e, above, please provide data on unique payment methods (e.g. credit card accounts, PayPal or similar payment method accounts, JCB, Klarna, Paysafecard, and any other payment methods accepted on Steam that are uniquely identifiable) associated with each account subject to adverse, punitive, or corrective actions by Valve that was subsequently used for any other account (this may be presented on aggregate).

4. Approximately how many human content moderators work for Steam?
   1. How many of those moderators are in-house Valve employees?
   2. How many of those moderators are contracted by Valve?
   3. Does Steam supplement this work with AI-content moderation systems? If so, describe the ways in which any AI system is deployed for that purpose, including any evaluation process that Valve carried out to test any such system and the results that demonstrate the efficacy of any such system in identifying and/or removing content that violates the Conduct Policy and Subscriber Agreement.

5. What steps does Valve take to prevent, monitor, and mitigate extremist, white supremacist, and terrorism-related content?

6. What commitments will Steam make to ensure that it has meaningfully curbed white supremacist, antisemitic, terroristic, Nazi, homophonic, transphobic, misogynist, and hateful content by November 15, 2025?

7. What transparency measures does Valve plan to implement to inform users and the public about content moderation actions related to extremists and behavior that could be reasonably interpreted as endorsing extremist thoughts, beliefs, and/or actions on the platform? 

8. The research shows a period from late 2019 to mid-2020 where it appears Valve may have stepped up its moderation of certain types of hateful content on Steam. Can you provide more detail on your content moderation practices during this time? 

9. How frequently does Valve evaluate its content moderation practices related to extremism?
   1. How frequently do those evaluations result in changes, updates, or other modifications to Valve’s content moderation practices related to extremism?

10. Has Steam, or Valve, made policy, enforcement, or practical decisions that have had the effect of limiting or its content moderation? If so, provide the date(s) of each decision and enough information to understand the context and analysis that led to each decision.

I greatly appreciate your swift attention to this matter and look forward to reviewing your response. 

Sincerely, 

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement to mark the three-year anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law becoming law:

“In the past three years, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which we authored and helped pass, has been transformative for communities across Virginia. This law has upgraded our roads, railways, and airports, made our air and water cleaner, connected communities through expanded broadband access, and more. We look forward to continuing to secure investments for Virginia from this law and will do all that we can to fight for its reauthorization so the Commonwealth can benefit from it for many more years to come.”

So far, Virginia has received over $10.5 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, including funding for over 350 specific projects. Read below for some examples of how Virginians across the Commonwealth are benefiting from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Augusta Free Press: Virginia receives $13M to expand rail service for Buckingham, Richmond, Bedford

Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $13,317,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation to expand and secure rail service across Virginia.

Cardinal News: Virginia’s largest megasite lands the biggest project Southside has ever seen, after years of trying

Tennessee-based Microporous, which manufactures components for electric vehicle batteries, said it will bring at least $1.3 billion in investment to the region and create more than 2,000 jobs.

The Commonwealth Times: Virginia is on track for more trains, VCU students are all aboard

Northern Virginia Magazine: Dulles Gets Another $40M for New Airport Terminal Building

Airports in Virginia will get nearly $57 million in federal funding, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine said Tuesday, with the bulk of the money going toward Dulles International Airport’s terminal building. 

Dulles will receive $40 million from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Terminals Program. The money will go toward the construction of a new 14-gate, 400,000-square-foot terminal building, including “direct connections to the Aerotrain and indirect connection to the Metrorail,” the senators said in a news release. 

Earlier in the year, they announced additional funding for Dulles that added up to $104.6 million for the new terminal building at Dulles.

Virginia Mercury: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aiding Virginia Energy’s abandoned mine cleanup

Virginia Mercury: Federal government awards pollution cleanup funding to Dublin, Dumfries

Virginia Mercury: In Va., electric vehicle infrastructure development is underway. Incentives could spur growth.  

Virginia Mercury: Virginia airports and trails win federal funding bids

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) just keeps on giving and giving. 

[…]

In Virginia, that translates to 45 airports getting more than $76 million for fixes. These include big airports like Washington Dulles International (which obtained $22 million) and Richmond International Airport ($6.8 million), to smaller airports like Tangier Island ($113,000) and Chesterfield’s Executive ($294,000).

Virginia Mercury: White House unveils $1 billion for electric and low-emission school buses

This is a second part of funding of a $5 billion, five-year initiative from the bipartisan infrastructure law. In total, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program has awarded nearly $2 billion and funded approximately 5,000 electric and low-emission school buses nationwide.
 
[…]
 
Out of the 2,737 school buses, 95% will be electric, the White House said. There are roughly half a million school buses across the U.S. used by public schools. A recent Office of Inspector General’s report found that EPA’s Clean Bus Program could be delayed by local utility companies trying to meet demand for electric school buses.

Virginian-Pilot: Virginia Port Authority: $83 million Norfolk International Terminals’ railyard expansion complete
 
The Virginia Port Authority on Tuesday announced the completion of the $83 million expansion of the central railyard at Norfolk International Terminals. 
 
The expansion at the port authority’s largest terminal enables it to process the equivalent of 2 million 20-foot-long containers by rail annually, according to a news release. The project expands the authority’s annual on-dock rail capacity by 31%. Rail carriers Norfolk Southern and CSX provide service to the terminal.
 
WAVY: Norfolk International Airport awarded $14M in federal funds
 
Norfolk International Airport is getting nearly $15 million in federal money for a project to help with traffic flow in and out of its main terminal area.
 
The funding was made possible by the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Terminals Program, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act that Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine helped pass. They announced nearly $60 million in federal improvements to airports across Virginia.
 

WSET: Multi-million dollar investments to bring high-speed internet to Central, Southwest Va. 

There's a new billion-dollar initiative to expand broadband in the Commonwealth, and it will have major impacts for many of our local communities.
 
Virginia will receive $1.48 billion through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program under the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) federal Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act.
       
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HIGH-QUALITY VIDEO IS AVAILABLE HERE

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today spoke on the Senate floor to advocate for a bipartisan bill that would allow the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to continue paying out disaster assistance loans to small businesses. On Oct. 15, SBA announced that they had run out of funding in their disaster loan program shortly after Hurricane Helene devastated small businesses across the Southeast, leaving tens of thousands of businesses approved for loans but without any funding. The bipartisan legislation to refill the fund was blocked today by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). After the legislation was blocked, Sen. Warner said:

“While I’m deeply disappointed my colleagues blocked us from doing our duty and reauthorizing this essential funding for small businesses devastated by Helene, I’m as committed as ever to fighting for impacted communities across Southwest Virginia. We absolutely must pass support for small businesses and a broader supplemental aid package that will meet the needs of businesses, farms, and families that were hurt by Helene. If we don’t get this done soon, communities across Southwest Virginia will see businesses permanently shutter and an even longer path to recovery. I’m going to keep fighting as hard as I can for every federal resource available for Southwest Virginians.”

In the 48 days since Hurricane Helene devastated Southwest Virginia, Sen. Warner has pushed for federal emergency disaster declarations, immediate action to reauthorize federal aid, and a full supplemental package to meet the needs of impacted communities across the country. In his remarks today, Sen. Warner told the story of his visit to Damascus, a community along the heavily-impacted Creeper Trail, and the long and essential road to recovery to get the trail operational and support the communities and businesses that rely on it.

A copy of the remarks as delivered are available here:

Let me thank my friends from North Carolina, Senator Budd and Senator Tillis. And let me acknowledge on the front end, you guys got hit the hardest. But we got hit as well in Southwest Virginia. And we got communities that without this relief are going to die. 

I want to echo what both my colleagues have said. You know, this relief package… it’s bipartisan. It is what we do as a matter of course, when an entity like the SBA runs out of money. Since October 15, 34,000 businesses across the country have applied for SBA relief. In response, many of them got approved, but they get a response that says, we'll give you your money when Congress does its job. This is done as a matter of course.

And frankly, the SBA screwed up a little bit on not getting better numbers before we broke before the election.

I want to take one moment and tell you about a community in particular in Southwest. Damascus, Virginia was an old town… and basically the economy had disappeared. It came back because there's something called the Creeper Trail. [It has] biking and hiking… I’ve biked this trail. And, Senator Tillis, parts of that trail are gone now.

There were 34 trestles, 18 of them were damaged or gone. We've got part of our road that gets to the top of the mountain gone as well. I went to Damascus, I went to ten jurisdictions across Southwest Virginia, but in this little town, every business and home was affected. One guy had three businesses: two restaurants and a bed and breakfast. He paid out of his pocket to try to keep his workers on, even though it'll be months before anything happens. Even if the money was there. We owe it to the folks in Damascus, across Southwest Virginia and North Carolina and across all of the jurisdictions in our country that have been hard hit to do our job.

Just like folks in western North Carolina, folks in Southwest Virginia are proud. You had an enormous amount of self-help, but this kind of assistance, whether it's FEMA dollars or SBA loans, is not charity. It is their right as Americans. It’s what we pay our taxes for. 

Instead, thousands of Virginians who asked for that right to apply for this loan have gotten a note saying, we can't send you the money until Congress does its job.

We have a chance today for unanimous consent to take this bipartisan piece of legislation, pass it through, and get those businesses the funds they deserve. And I thank my colleague and yield back to the senior senator from North Carolina. 

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (all D-VA) released the statement below following the release of a report by the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Inspector General on the use of deadly force by U.S. Park Police officers against Bijan Ghaisar.

“The death of Bijan Ghaisar remains a great tragedy. Despite the OIG’s findings that the officers who killed Bijan Ghaisar did not seemingly violate written U.S. Park Police policy and procedure in place at the time, it’s clear this incident should never have occurred. U.S. Park Police policy at the time of Bijan’s killing was outdated and inconsistent with the goal of safeguarding lives. This report – which we first requested more than two years ago – underscores that these officers’ actions would not have been acceptable under the DOI guidelines that govern vehicular pursuits today. As we approach the seven-year anniversary of Bijan’s death, we will continue to urge DOI to put policies in place to ensure that investigations around use of force incidents are handled with greater urgency and transparency.”

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement on Congressman Gerry Connolly’s (D-VA) cancer diagnosis:

“Gerry Connolly is a fighter — plain and simple. Throughout his career, he has shown remarkable strength, dedication, and resilience in everything he does, and we have no doubt that he will approach this challenge with the same determination and grit that has defined his public service.

“Gerry has always been a steadfast advocate for the people of Northern Virginia, and we know that he will continue to show that same fierce commitment as he faces this battle. We are confident he will emerge from this even stronger, as he has done time and time again.

“As his colleagues and friends, we stand with him every step of the way. Gerry’s courage and determination inspire us all, and we look forward to working with him as he continues to do what he does best — fighting for his constituents and for the values we all share.”

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WASHINGTON –  Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $9,460,000 in federal funding for Carroll and Rockbridge counties to expand high-speed internet access for residents and businesses. The funding is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Community Connect Program that provides financial assistance to increase broadband services in rural communities where service is limited. 

“High-speed internet allows Virginians to access more educational, health care, and economic opportunities, which is why we’ve worked hard to expand internet access during our time as governors and senators,” said the senators. “We’re glad to see this federal funding headed to Carroll and Rockbridge counties to build broadband infrastructure. We will continue working to ensure families and businesses across the Commonwealth can access the internet.”  

The funding is broken down as follows:

• $5,000,000 for Citizens Telephone Cooperative in Carroll County to build a fiber-to-the-premises system that will benefit 1,838 residents and 22 businesses in the area. Residents will be able to access free internet for at least two years at the Dugspur Community Center.
• $4,460,000 for BARC Electric Cooperative in Rockbridge County to build a fiber-to-the-premises system that will benefit 816 residents and four businesses in the area. Residents will be able to access free internet for at least two years at the Lake Robertson Recreational Area. 

Warner and Kaine have long fought to expand broadband access across the Commonwealth. They have worked to secure significant funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to deploy broadband infrastructure across Virginia and make internet access more affordable for Virginians, including through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Warner and Kaine secured significant funding for broadband through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the December 2020 government funding bill that included COVID relief, and the American Rescue Plan Act.

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WASHINGTON –  Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA-03) announced $380,000,000 in federal funding for the Port of Virginia to accelerate its plan to become carbon-neutral by 2040. Warner, Kaine, and Scott advocated for this funding and sent a letter of support for this grant. The funding was awarded through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Ports Program, which was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act that the members helped pass. 

“The Port of Virginia is one of the largest and busiest ports on the eastern seaboard, and it’s critical to Virginia’s economy and offshore wind industry. As the Port of Virginia continues to grow thanks to investments we’re making, we must also ensure we’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which result in negative health and environmental impacts for our communities,” said the lawmakers. “That’s why we’re thrilled that this federal funding, which was made possible by theInflation Reduction Act we supported, will accelerate the Port’s efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and further cement Virginia’s place as a leader in clean energy.”  

The Inflation Reduction Act made historic investments to support clean energy projects. It included clean energy tax credits that have incentivized a series of corporate investments in Virginia, including:

• A $681 million investment by LS GreenLink to build a state-of-the-art facility to manufacture high-voltage subsea cables used for offshore wind farms inChesapeake, which will create over 330 jobs in Virginia.
• An investment of over $400 million by Topsoe to build a new manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County, which will create at least 150 new jobs in Virginia.
• An investment of $208 million by Mack and Volvo Trucks—in addition to a federal grant award of over $208 million for the company—to sustain 7,900 union jobs and create 295 new jobs in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Volvo Trucks is the second largest employer in the New River Valley, sustaining 3,600 jobs in Dublin, including 3,200 United Automobile Workers (UAW) jobs. In September 2024, Warner and Kaine visited Volvo’s New River Valley plant to celebrate the investment.

Today’s announcement builds on other transformational investments made to the Port of Virginia by the Biden-Harris administration with the backing of Warner, Kaine, and Scott. That includes $225.4 million to fully fund the Norfolk Harbor Deepening and Widening Project, which will improve navigation and expand capacity by deepening and widening Norfolk Harbor’s shipping channels, allowing for two-way traffic in and out of the harbor. Of this amount, $141.7 million was made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and $83.7 million was provided through the Fiscal Year 2022 omnibus appropriations bill.

The Port also previously received $20 million in federal funding from the Department of Transportation for improvements to Portsmouth Marine Terminal that will allow it to serve as a staging area to support the manufacturing and movement of offshore wind goods to support the 2.6 gigawatt Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind commercial project and other commercial offshore wind projects up-and-down the East Coast. Warner, Kaine, and Scott led a Virginia Congressional Delegation letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in support of the Port’s application for that funding.

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President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden wave to members of Fauquier County’s Canine Companions for Independence during the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Parade

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued a special message encouraging groups throughout Virginia to apply for participation in the 2025 Presidential Inaugural Parade, which will be held on Monday, January 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

“Presidential inaugurations are not just symbolic ceremonies – they are an instrument of democracy by which we execute the peaceful transfer of power in this country,” said Sen. Warner. “I encourage Virginia’s talented entities – including our many marching bands, floats, and equestrian groups – to take part in this time-honored tradition, dating back when President Jefferson rode his horse from the Capitol to the President's House in a procession that would become the Inaugural Parade we know today.”

The Joint Task Force-National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) Parade Coordinator Office is now accepting applications through December 4, 2024 for the 60^th Inaugural Parade. The JTF-NCR is responsible for collecting and organizing all 2025 Presidential Inaugural Parade applications, which are then reviewed by the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC), a group tasked with organizing all Inaugural events at the discretion of the President-Elect.

In 2017, the parade consisted of 48 non-Department of Defense elements chosen from 141 applications. Groups interested in applying are encouraged to review the parade application guide before registering for an account, which can be done HERE.

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