Press Releases
Sen. Warner and colleagues wrote to Shaun Donovan, Director of the Office of Management and Budget to raise concerns regarding the status of a DATA Act pilot program that was designed to reduce contractor reporting costs and increase transparency.
Warner Praises Virginia Colleges Selected to Participate in Dual Enrollment Pell Experiment
Congratulates Central Virginia Community College and Germanna Community College on their Selection to Participate in Innovative Student Aid Experiment
May 16 2016
The U.S. Department of Education announced that it has invited Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg and Germanna Community College in Fredericksburg to participate in an experiment allowing eligible high school students taking dual enrollment courses to access Federal Pell Grants.
Warner, Klobuchar Join Flight Attendants, Law Enforcement & Advocates to Combat Human Trafficking on Airplanes
Senate-passed FAA bill includes Klobuchar-Warner provision to require training for flight attendants on how to recognize & report suspected human trafficking
May 16 2016
Today Sen. Warner & and Sen. Klobuchar (D-MN) joined flight attendants, anti-trafficking advocates, and federal law enforcement at Ronald Reagan National Airport to urge Congress to pass legislation that would help to combat human trafficking on commercial air flights.
Legislation to Encourage Greater Innovation in DoD Cyber Procurement Included in 2017 Defense Bill
Armed Services Committee adopted an amendment to reform DoD buying to maximize performance and long-term value for the taxpayer
May 13 2016
The Senate Armed Services Committee has adopted language introduced by Sen. Warner in the FY17 National Defense Authorization Act to ensure that DoD seeks the best long-term value for the taxpayers during the procurement process for complex information technology and engineering services.
Warner, Kaine Applaud Senate Bill to Invest in Virginia Infrastructure & Research
Senate energy and water appropriations bill includes funds for Jefferson Lab, Port of Virginia & Deep Creek Bridge
May 12 2016
Sens. Warner and Kaine (both D-VA) applauded Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2017 Energy and Water Development funding legislation, by a bipartisan vote of 90-8.
“For more than a year I have argued that the 21st century economy requires new and innovative solutions in order to allow workers access to benefits that have traditionally been offered by a full-time employer."
Sens. Warner and Kaine (both D-VA) released the following joint statement today on Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld’s announcement that Metrorail service will undergo a year-long overhaul to fix systemic safety problems.
The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development will receive $3,140,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Housing Trust Fund.
“More than fifteen months after the smoke incident at L’Enfant Plaza, we are extremely disturbed that many of the safety hazards that allowed that deadly accident to occur have not yet been addressed."
Sen. Warner Statement on Freddie Mac $354M Loss
May 03 2016
“It has been nearly eight years since the federal government bailed out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Taxpayers ultimately injected $188 billion into the GSEs, and still remain exposed to the risks posed by these Too Big to Fail institutions."
Warner, Kaine Urge Dept. of Education to Clarify Legal Protections for LGBT Students Across the Country
Senators call for Education Department to release comprehensive non-discrimination guidelines to better protect transgender students in middle school, high school, and college
May 03 2016
Sens. Warner and Tim Kaine (D-VA), along with 38 Senate Democrats, urged the Department of Education to release comprehensive guidance on the full scope of protections afforded to transgender and gender non-conforming students in our middle schools, high schools, and colleges.
Warner, Kaine, along with Representatives Rob Wittman and Randy Forbes, sent a letter to President Obama Friday supporting Governor Terry McAuliffe’s appeal of the administration’s decision not to issue a major disaster declaration after severe storms and tornadoes hit Virginia on February 24th.
Warner, Cornyn Welcome Announcement that Prime Minister Modi Will Address Congress
Speaker Paul Ryan announced today that the Prime Minister of India will address a joint session of Congress during his visit to the U.S. this summer
Apr 28 2016
“As co-chairs of the Senate India Caucus, we welcome Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Capitol Hill during his trip to the United States. Speaker Ryan’s decision to invite Prime Minister Modi to address Congress demonstrates the growing commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership between the U.S. and India."
Warner, Ayotte Introduce Bill to Eliminate More than 200 Unnecessary Government Reports
Legislation builds on earlier successful efforts to reduce wasteful reports produced by federal agencies
Apr 28 2016
Sens. Warner (D-VA) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) introduced bipartisan legislation that would eliminate or consolidate 223 additional unnecessary, duplicative or outdated reports produced by more than two dozen federal agencies and mandated by Congress.
“The 2010 flash crash wiped out a trillion dollars in equity in a matter of seconds, yet it took the SEC and CFTC months to figure out what went wrong and close to six years to move forward with a substantial policy proposal."
Warner, Kaine Introduce Bill to Aid Rural Virginia Hospitals
Bill would establish a national minimum standard for hospital reimbursement payments
Apr 22 2016
Sens. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced bipartisan, budget-neutral legislation to ensure hospitals are fairly reimbursed for their services by the federal government so they are able to remain open and functioning, especially in underserved and economically struggling regions of Virginia.
Warner, Rounds, Beyer, Wittman Act to Encourage Competition & Innovation in DoD Cyber Procurement
Bipartisan, bicameral legislation reforms DoD process to maximize performance and long-term value for the taxpayer
Apr 21 2016
Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) have introduced S. 2826, the bipartisan Promoting Value Based Defense Procurement Act.
Bill to Protect Combat-Injured Veterans Severance Payments Passes Senate Finance Committee
Since 1991, DoD has improperly withheld taxes from severance payments of up to 14,000 veterans– including an estimated 720 Virginians – separated from service due to combat injury
Apr 21 2016
Sen. Warner’s (D-VA) legislation to ensure that veterans who suffer service-ending combat-related injuries are not improperly taxed on the severance payment they receive from the Department of Defense (DoD) has passed the Senate Finance Committee.
Senate Finance Democrats Call For Committee Action to Protect Taxpayers from Fraud
Members Encourage Minimum Standards for Paid Tax Return Preparers
Apr 19 2016
Sen. Mark R. Warner and Senate Finance Democrats today sent a letter to Senate Finance Committee majority members calling for bipartisan action to help protect honest taxpayers from tax fraud -- whether it’s by identity theft or unscrupulous tax return preparers
By a bipartisan vote of 95-3, the Senate has voted to approve legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through 2017.
Warner & Kaine Call for Immediate Passage of President's Emergency Funding Request to Help Stem Spread of Zika Virus
Senate Democrats to GOP: Act Now to Pass Emergency Funding To Prevent & Treat Outbreak of Zika Virus
Apr 18 2016
Senators Warner, Kaine and 40 of their colleagues wrote a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran calling for immediate passage of President Obama’s emergency supplemental funding request of $1.9 billion for prevention and treatment of the Zika Virus outbreak.
Congressional representatives from Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia wrote Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx to immediately endorse the National Park Service’s FASTLANE Grant application, following news that the District of Columbia agreed to join as a local sponsor.
Sen. Warner Statement on FHFA Principal Reduction Modification Program
On FHFA Principal Reduction Modification Program
Apr 14 2016
“While a principal reduction program at FHFA for underwater mortgages is long overdue, I welcome this tailored approach, which will bring essential relief for struggling American families.”
“I had a productive conversation with Judge Garland about his judicial philosophy, and Virginians and Americans deserve the same opportunity to hear his thoughtful answers."
Senate Democrats Introduce Legislation to Encourage States to Expand Medicaid
Would ensure equal level of federal matching funds for states expanding Medicaid after 2014
Apr 13 2016
The bill would ensure that states that choose to expand eligibility for Medicaid after 2014 are eligible for the same level of federal matching funds as states that expanded earlier under the terms of the Affordable Care Act.