WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $4,352,000 in federal funding for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s Virginia Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund (VCWRLF). The VCWRLF offers low-interest loans to local governments in order to support efforts to address emerging contaminants that pollute Virginia’s clean water supply.  This federal funding will help manage the VCWRLF in order to better support local initiatives to protect water quality and public health for Virginia residents.

“Clean, safe water is essential for the health and safety of every Virginian,” said the senators. “We’re glad this federal funding will help promote efforts to improve and protect water quality and public health.”

The funding is awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Capitalization Grants for Clean Water State Revolving Fund and is available through the bipartisan infrastructure law.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long supported efforts to improve clean water access across the Commonwealth. Last year, the senators announced over $46 million in federal funding as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law to replace lead water lines and ensure safe drinking water throughout Virginia.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, released a statement following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s private meeting with senators:

“There has never been a more important time for the United States to stand with our allies in support of Ukraine, and President Zelenskyy’s meeting with senators today bolstered the bipartisan momentum to continue our efforts. We’ve spent years rebuilding NATO after the former president launched it into chaos – we absolutely cannot undo that work and weaken this critical alliance by reneging on our commitments now. President Xi and autocrats around the world are watching.

“Russian military capabilities have been decimated for years to come by its ill-considered and illegal invasion of Ukraine.  Walking away now would undermine the progress in securing Ukrainian independence, undercut NATO, and embolden authoritarian regimes around the world.” 

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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD HIGH-QUALITY VIDEO OF SEN. WARNER ON THE SENATE FLOOR

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, spoke on the Senate floor to celebrate the confirmation of Michael C. Casey to serve as Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center.

“Mike’s understated style, compassion, intelligence, and deep knowledge of security and intelligence issues has been essential to the Committee’s smooth and bipartisan functioning for many years,” said Sen. Warner on the floor of the U.S. Senate. “So it is with a mixture of both regret and pride that we say goodbye to Mike as he embarks on this new role.”  

Sen. Warner’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

Mister President:

I rise today to say a few words about someone who has been an essential part of the Senate community for many years now.

I proud to note that earlier this week [Tuesday evening], the Senate unanimously confirmed the nomination of Mike Casey to serve as Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center. 

At a time when the U.S. is facing tremendous foreign intelligence and security threats, it is enormously important to have a Senate-confirmed leader at the head of the NCSC, which is charged with protecting against insider threats, supply chain risks, and other counterintelligence issues.

The position has been vacant since the end of the last administration, so as Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I’m glad that we’ll now have a Senate-confirmed leader in place to lead efforts to protect against foreign threats… protect U.S. critical infrastructure… and advance the counterintelligence and security mission. 

But while I can recognize that this development is good for our national security… it is also a tremendous loss for the Senate Intelligence Committee, where Mike Casey has ably served as staff director for the last eight years. 

He began his service 28 years ago in the House of Representatives, eventually joining the staff of the House Armed Services Committee before Senator Feinstein lured him over to the upper chamber to serve as Staff Director for the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2016. 

I’ve worked closely alongside Mike ever since. He was an indispensable part of the three-and-a-half year Russia investigation… working alongside his counterparts in what was then- the Committee’s Republican majority to produce the Committee’s bipartisan and definitive report on Russia’s interference in the 2016 Presidential election. 

That was a task which he embraced with the dedication and thoroughness for which Mike is known. Even though the Committee’s staff generally prefers to do their work quietly and behind the scenes, they never buckled or wavered, despite unprecedented media and political scrutiny. The result of that work speaks for itself, and is a testament in no small part to Mike’s leadership as staff director. 

Mike’s understated style… compassion…  intelligence…  and deep knowledge of security and intelligence issues has been essential to the Committee’s smooth and bipartisan functioning for many years. 

I am convinced at this point that Mike knows virtually everything and everyone in the intelligence community, which, as my colleagues can imagine, is an enormous asset in making sure that the Committee is able to conduct our bipartisan oversight work in a robust fashion.  

So it is with a mixture of both regret and pride that we say goodbye to Mike as he embarks on this new role.

As Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, Mike will face many of the same challenges with which we have wrestled on the Intelligence Committee. 

The truth is, national security is no longer simply about how has the most planes, ships, tanks, and guns. It’s also about artificial intelligence… quantum computing… 5G… cybersecurity… fusion energy… and all of the other innovations that our fueling both our economic and our national security... because whoever leads in technology will have an edge in the national security competition of the future. 

And that is not the only challenge that awaits Mike as he embarks on this new chapter… as he’ll be charged with helping to implement badly-needed reforms to our security clearance systems… so that we can do a better job of protecting our nation’s secrets from further unauthorized disclosures… while also making sure that our intelligence agencies are able to quickly and efficiently hire and retain the best and the brightest workforce.  

So, while Mike Casey might be leaving my staff… it’s safe to say he won’t be leaving my speed dial.

We’ll miss you, Mike. 

And remember: don’t screw it up.

Thank you, Mister President.

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and John Thune (R-SD) led a group of colleagues in a letter to Anne Milgram, Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), expressing support for the agency’s new engagement on a potential special registration for telehealth but sharing serious concerns over the agency’s proposed rules on the future of prescribing controlled substances via telehealth. Despite efforts by Sen. Warner to ensure continued access to telehealth services following the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), the DEA’s rules as proposed would drastically affect patient care.

Joining Sens. Warner and Thune in this letter are U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK).

At the start of the pandemic, the DEA acted swiftly to take advantage of exceptions detailed in the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act that allowed the agency to waive in-person requirements for prescribing controlled substances in the case of a Public Health Emergency (PHE). With the expiration of the COVID-19 PHE earlier this year, however, the DEA announced a proposed rule detailing their plans for prescribing these medications via telehealth going forward that would limit the ability of doctors to prescribe controlled substances without an in-person visit and place unnecessary requirements on care providers. The proposed rule would only allow a 30-day supply of a schedule III-V non-narcotic medication prior to an in-person medical evaluation, and would not permit any initial supply for schedule II or schedule III-V narcotic medication.

The senators wrote, “Although we appreciate the limited flexibilities proposed by the rule, they are insufficient to meet the health care needs of our constituents and the needs of the providers who care for them. We support the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) extending the full set of telehealth flexibilities through November 2023 and are encouraged by the upcoming public listening sessions on the proposed regulations. We urge the DEA to consider feedback from health care stakeholders and apply the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure patients maintain access to care through telehealth, while still minimizing diversion and fraud.”

Highlighting the difficulty patients have scheduling in-person appointments, the senators continued, “We have concerns about our constituents’ ability to obtain in-person appointments within 30 days of starting a new medication, and the potential consequences to their health of starting a new medication and abruptly ending it should they not be able to obtain such an appointment. It takes on average 26 days to schedule a new patient appointment with a health care provider. Therefore, a 30-day supply could result in patients going without their medication while they wait for an in-person appointment or will turn to higher-acuity and higher-cost settings of in-person care to meet this deadline, such as emergency departments.” 

The senators also called attention to a rule Congress created as part of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act that requires the DEA create a registration for telemedicine practitioners who would not be subject to mandatory in-person medical evaluations. The goal of this special registration is to allow medical evaluations over telehealth more broadly, which the senators state this DEA rule does not accomplish.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, tremendous progress was made to ensure that patients could receive care without interruption. Reinstating these hard limits on telehealth would be taking a step backwards, and have serious impacts on the care options for thousands of patients. Sen. Warner has consistently led efforts to expand telehealth accessibility, introducing legislation to expand telehealth services and repeatedly calling on congressional leadership to extend telehealth services after the end of the pandemic.

A copy of the letter is available here and text is below:

Dear Administrator Milgram:

On behalf of our constituent patients, health care providers, and pharmacists, we’re writing to share strong concerns with the notice of proposed rulemaking on the future of controlled substances prescribing over telehealth. Although we appreciate the limited flexibilities proposed by the rule, they are insufficient to meet the health care needs of our constituents and the needs of the providers who care for them. We support the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) extending the full set of telehealth flexibilities through November 2023 and are encouraged by the upcoming public listening sessions on the proposed regulations. We urge the DEA to consider feedback from health care stakeholders and apply the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure patients maintain access to care through telehealth, while still minimizing diversion and fraud.

Proposed Rule

As you know, the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 (“Ryan Haight Act”) offered seven exceptions to the in-person medical evaluation requirement when providers are engaged in the “practice of telemedicine;” a public health emergency is one such exception, and we’re grateful the DEA moved swiftly to utilize that exception during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, we are concerned that the proposed rule undermines the gains made during the PHE that saw expanded access to critical health care services through telehealth

Initial supply: Prior to an in-person medical evaluation, the proposed rule permits a DEA-registered prescriber to provide an initial 30-day supply of a controlled substance for non-narcotic schedule III-V medications. We have concerns about our constituents’ ability to obtain in-person appointments within 30 days of starting a new medication, and the potential consequences to their health of starting a new medication and abruptly ending it should they not be able to obtain such an appointment. It takes on average 26 days to schedule a new patient appointment with a health care provider. Therefore, a 30-day supply could result in patients going without their medication while they wait for an in-person appointment or will turn to higher-acuity and higher-cost settings of in-person care to meet this deadline, such as emergency departments.

Despite the 180-day grace period after the end of the PHE, new and existing patients will be seeking in-person appointments simultaneously in a health care system that is already burdened by a shortage of health care providers. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 163 million Americans live in Mental Health Care Health Professional Shortage Areas.  Approximately 8,200 additional psychiatrists would be needed nationwide just to remove this shortage designation.  Nationwide averages also obscure the variation among states and territories; for example, Arizona has only 8.5% of its psychiatric health care needs met and would need 227 psychiatrists to meet 100% of these needs.  And beyond mental health care, 100 million Americans live in Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas, with more than 17,000 primary care providers needed at a minimum to remove the designation. 

Medical societies representing health care providers and their patients nationwide have encouraged a window of longer than 30 days for an initial prescription in order to provide enough time to obtain an appointment: the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Psychiatric Association recommend 180 days, with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) urging no less a 90-day maximum when the provider believes it is appropriate. In addition, the AMA and the AAMC recommend that existing patients have one year to fulfill the in-person appointment requirement.

Provider safety: The proposed rule requires the prescribing provider to report their physical address at the time of the telemedicine appointment. Health care providers have shared they sometimes do telemedicine appointments from their home and have safety and privacy concerns with their home address being on the prescription. We urge you to allow providers to use the business address of their DEA registration.

Referrals:

• Referring providers: The proposed rule requires that an in-person medical evaluation be performed by a DEA-registered provider before a referral to another DEA-registered provider who would be permitted to prescribe a controlled substance over telehealth. We are concerned that individuals without adequate in-person access to a DEA-registered provider will see their health care treatment options limited should they be referred to a specialist for a telehealth appointment, or instead a second in-person medical evaluation would be required with a DEA-registered provider prior to seeing a specialist, which would increase costs to the patient and the health care system as a whole. We urge you to work with health care providers to ensure patients do not encounter any truly unnecessary barriers to care.  
• Prescribing practitioner: The proposed rule requires a referring provider to specifically include the name and National Provider Identifier (NPI) of the prescribing practitioner to which the referring prescriber is referring the patient. In practice, patients are often referred to a group practice where they see whichever specialist has a first available appointment. Or, referrals may not have a provider indicated at all, as the patient often has to explore insurance network coverage and new patient availability. This requirement may prevent patients from receiving the legitimate health care services they need.

Recordkeeping: Finally, we have heard widespread concerns about additional recordkeeping and other administrative burdens required from providers and pharmacies. This additional administrative burden will strain an already exhausted workforce could also deter providers from being able to provide this care. Stakeholders have shared that existing recordkeeping requirements should be sufficient for the purpose of DEA being able to combat diversion and fraud, and we encourage you to work with providers on the least burdensome path forward.

Special Registration

In addition to the PHE exception to the Ryan Haight Act discussed above, Congress also created a “special registration” exception, not as an option for DEA to utilize but a requirement to do so most recently in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (“SUPPORT Act”). We do not believe this NPRM fulfills DEA’s obligation to create a special registration.

Congress envisioned this special registration to allow certain health care providers to be cleared and registered to use their clinical judgment when a medical examination can be done over telehealth for the purposes of a controlled substances prescription. DEA envisioned this to be the case, as well: in the preamble to Ryan Haight Act implementation regulations, DEA wrote:

“Special registration for telemedicine—a practitioner who is engaged in the practice of telemedicine within the meaning of the Act is not subject to the mandatory in-person medical evaluation requirement of 21 U.S.C. 829(e) (although such practitioner remains subject to the requirement that all prescriptions for controlled substances be issued for a legitimate medical purpose.”

Although we appreciate DEA not requiring a special registration for the initial prescriptions currently proposed, we are concerned that the proposed rule does not include the special registration directed to be created by Congress and even envisioned by the DEA. However, we are pleased to see DEA recently indicate further consideration of a special registration process that would allow clinicians to prescribe a controlled substance via telemedicine without an in-person visit. We appreciate the continuation of the comment process via public listening sessions, and encourage the DEA to review and incorporate stakeholders’ feedback in future rulemaking related to telemedicine prescribing.

In addition to allowing qualified health care providers to determine when a medical evaluation over telehealth is appropriate, a special registration would also provide a framework to evaluate the appropriateness of certain prescribers having the ability to prescribe over telehealth medications not covered by the post-COVID-19 proposed rule, namely Schedule II medications and Schedule III-V narcotic medications.

Health care providers across the board continue to ask for a special registration process that would provide a pathway for certain providers to provide more care involving controlled substances over telehealth than the proposed rule allows, and we implore DEA to follow its statutory requirements under the Ryan Haight Act and the SUPPORT Act and do just that.

Thank you for your consideration of these concerns, and we look forward to continuing to work with you on these important issues.

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WASHINGTON– Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $939,669 in federal funding to help people in recovery from substance use disorder rejoin the workforce in Southwest Virginia. The funding was awarded by the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Investments Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Initiative, which provides funding across Appalachia to address the substance use disorder crisis.

“In addition to expanding access to substance use treatment programs, it's critical that we're helping individuals recovering from substance use disorders access the resources they need to succeed,” said the senators. “We’re glad this funding will help more Virginians across Southwest Virginia get the job skills and support they need to enter or renter the workforce.”

The funding is distributed as follows:

• $500,000 for the YWCA Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia in Glade Spring to provide access to family resiliency and recovery-to-work supports, including workshops on health and wellness, soft skills and entrepreneurship, personal finance, housing, career coaching, teen and adult parenting, and nutrition and cooking. 
• $439,669 for Mountain Empire Community College Foundation in Big Stone Gap to grow their Project Amelioration Program, which helps individuals with substance use disorder in Dickenson, Lee, and Wise counties gain hands-on job training, financial education, and life skills training. The program also offers counseling services, social services, and employment assistance. 

Sens. Warner and Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, have long supported those recovering from substance use disorder. The senators announced $1.4 million in federal funding to expand access to mental health care across Virginia.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) praised an announcement by United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai that the Republic of India will reduce prohibitively high tariffs on U.S. turkey products – an important Virginia commodity.

“For months we’ve urged the U.S. Trade Representative to work to reduce the tariffs that make it difficult for Virginia’s producers to export poultry products to India. Today, we’re proud to report that USTR has finally come to an agreement with India to reduce these retaliatory tariffs. This move will help strengthen the strong partnership between our two nations while generating increased demand for Virginia poultry and supporting economic activity in the Valley,” said Sens. Warner and Kaine.

“The National Turkey Federation applauds the efforts by the U.S. and Indian governments to significantly reduce the tariffs. This move creates an important new market for U.S. turkey producers and will give Indians more affordable access to a nutritious, delicious protein,” said Joel Brandenberger, President and CEO of National Turkey Federation. “NTF congratulates the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the leadership of USDA on this accomplishment, and we thank Senators Mark R. Warner and Thom Tillis for spearheading congressional efforts to ensure U.S. turkey growers are able to effectively compete in this fast-growing marketplace.”

In 2021, Virginia was the sixth largest turkey source in America after producing 14.5 million birds. Turkey production plays a key role in the Commonwealth's poultry industry, which provides a direct economic impact of $5.8 billion and contributes $13.6 billion in economic activity in Virginia.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have been strong proponents of lowering tariffs that harm Virginia poultry producers. In June, ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States, the Senators were joined by a number of their colleagues in urging Ambassador Tai to increase market access for U.S. turkey and poultry products. These products previously faced significant barriers to the Indian market due to prohibitively high tariff rates. Earlier this year, Sen. Warner also praised the end of retaliatory tariffs on apples, another major Virginia commodity.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine applauded $3,586,000 in federal funding for the Wise County Public Service Authority to improve the county’s water system. Currently, Wise County’s water system is unable to provide the minimum working water pressure of 20 PSI under Virginia state code. Wise County has a serious need for upgrades to its water system, and this funding will help upgrade the county’s water infrastructure to ensure the system is up to code. The funding will replace approximately 29,120 linear feet of water line and install 12 gate valves, 10 fire hydrant assemblies, and associated water appurtenances.

“Reliable water systems are critical to protect the health of our communities and support businesses in the region,” said the senators. “We’re glad this federal funding will help Wise County upgrade their water infrastructure.”

The funding is awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Department of Rural Development’s Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program, which provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to homes and businesses in rural communities. In addition to the over $3.5 million grant, Wise County will receive a federal loan of $1,202,000.

Warner and Kaine have long supported efforts to improve infrastructure across the Commonwealth. Last year, the senators announced over $46 million in federal funding as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law to replace lead water lines and ensure safe drinking water throughout Virginia.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $1,000,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Program (MEP), also known as GENEDGE Alliance, in Martinsville. This funding will help GENEDGE support small and medium-sized medical device manufacturers across Virginia in their efforts to strengthen medical supply chain resiliency and improve product quality by providing the manufacturers increased access to specialized expertise and resources. Specifically, with this funding, GENEDGE will assist the businesses in increasing sales, creating jobs, training more experts in the medical device manufacturing process, reducing risks in the process, providing educational resources, and growing our manufacturing industry.

“Virginians rely on their medical devices every day, and supporting our medical manufacturing industry is critical to ensure patients and providers can access the products they need,” said the Senators. “The pandemic highlighted the importance of ensuring our domestic medical supply chains are strong to improve public health, lower costs, and reduce our reliance on other nations. This funding will strengthen our efforts to do just that. We’re glad these federal dollars will help GENEDGE support small and medium-sized manufacturers across Virginia by training workers, creating jobs, reducing risks in the manufacturing process, and improving the quality of medical devices.”

GENEDGE is a part of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network. In Fiscal Year 2022, the MEP National Network generated $35.80 in new sales growth for manufacturers for every one dollar received in federal funding, which is up $9.60 from Fiscal Year 2021. Last year, Sens. Warner and Kaine announced over $2 million in federal funding for GENEDGE.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (D-VA) announced the inclusion of key Virginia priorities in the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2024 draft funding bills. All 12 bills were passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on a bipartisan basis.

“We are proud to announce that the Senate’s draft government spending legislation for Fiscal Year 2024 includes critical funding that will keep the government open, back record investments in infrastructure and U.S. competitiveness, uplift rural and underserved communities, support servicemembers and military families, provide assistance to miners suffering from black lung disease, and support key industries that are central to Virginia’s economy. We’re also proud to have secured more than $111 million for specific community projects all throughout Virginia as we work to ensure our federal budget meets Virginians’ needs. We hope that our colleagues in the House of Representatives will negotiate in good faith in order to reach a compromise on a final deal that includes funding for these important priorities,” said Sens. Warner and Kaine.

As part of the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process, members of Congress were able to work with the communities they represent to request funding for local community projects, otherwise known as earmarks, in a manner that promotes transparency and accountability. This process allows Congress to dedicate federal funding for specific projects in Virginia. The Senators worked to secure more than $111 million for community projects across the Commonwealth. In addition to battling for these priorities, the Senators will work to ensure funds obtained by Virginia House members also remain in the final spending bills. 

More information regarding specific projects in Virginia that will receive Congressionally Directed Spending is available below:

• For projects in Northern Virginia, click here.
• For projects in Central Virginia, click here.
• For projects in the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
• For projects in Southwest Virginia and Southside, click here.
• For projects in Hampton Roads, click here.
• For projects that impact communities in multiple regions across the Commonwealth click here.

 
The following list includes many provisions championed by Sens. Warner and Kaine on behalf of Virginia that were included in the 12 government funding bills: 

Boosting Local Economies: Includes $200 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission and $20 million for the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission to support their work to build economic partnerships, create opportunity, and foster economic development.  

Implementing the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022: Includes $11 billion to implement the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, championed by Sens. Warner and Kaine. Funding will allow the U.S. to keep pace with China and other competitors in scientific fields that can power the economy, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, microelectronics, clean energy, and advanced communications. Sen. Warner first introduced the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Act in June 2020 along with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).  

Implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA): Provides full funding for numerous transportation programs authorized in the IIJA, including $29.5 billion for the National Highway Performance Program, $3.1 billion for the Highway Safety Improvement Program, $245 million for the Rail-Highway Grade Crossings Program, $14.3 billion for the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, and $2.4 billion for the Bridge Investment Program. Sen. Warner was a lead author and negotiator of the IIJA.  

Strengthening Transportation and Recreation Infrastructure: Provides $150 million for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and $45 million for the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program, which supports multi-purpose trails. 

Making Our Communities Safer: Provides $732 million – a $32 million increase from Fiscal Year 2023 – for Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution programs to prevent violence and better support survivors. This legislation also includes over $534 million for Community Oriented Policing Services to support state and local law enforcement and communities in developing comprehensive, evidence-based violence intervention and prevention programs based on partnerships between community residents, law enforcement, local government agencies, and other community stakeholders. This includes efforts to address gang and gun violence and improve school safety.

Support for Missing Persons Program: Includes $1 million to help with the nationwide implementation of the Ashanti Alert system. In 2018, Sen. Warner secured unanimous Senate passage of the Ashanti Alert Act, legislation that created a new federal alert system for missing or endangered adults between the ages of 18-64. The bill was signed into law on December 31, 2018. 

Investing in Children: Provides $8.7 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), which provides financial assistance to help low-income families access child care. This is $700 million more than Fiscal Year 2023. The bill also includes $12.3 billion, $300 million more than Fiscal Year 2023, for Head Start, the national school readiness program. In July, Sens. Warner and Kaine urged the White House to provide additional funding to help stabilize the child care industry. In April, Sen. Kaine introduced the Child Care for Working Families Act, legislation that would help ensure families can find and afford child care by expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages. The bill also includes $15 million for the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health program – a program that Sen. Kaine reauthorized via bipartisan legislation.  

Making Higher Education More Affordable: Provides a $250 boost to the maximum Pell Grant in the 2024-2025 school year, raising the maximum award to $7,645. The bill also includes over $1 billion, an increase of $5 million, for programs to strengthen Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority-serving institutions.

Supporting K-12 Education: Provides over $18.5 billion for Title I-A grants, which supports school districts with low-income students. This is $175 million more from Fiscal Year 2023. The bill also provides over $5 billion for the primary Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Special Education State grant program, an increase of $175 million from Fiscal Year 2023. In July, Sen. Kaine reintroduced the IDEA Full Funding Act, legislation that would ensure Congress fulfills its commitment to fully fund IDEA through regular, mandatory increases in spending.

Investing in Affordable Housing: Includes $1.5 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which provides fundingto state and local governments for housing construction, and $3.3 billion in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which can be used to support affordable housing, community development, and economic development. Also includes $3.9 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants (HAG), to help families and individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Sens. Warner and Kaine are strong advocates for affordable housing funding each year.

Supporting Nutrition Programs: The bill includes $6.3 billion – a $615 million increase from Fiscal Year 2023 – for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to ensure over 6 million women, infants, and children can access adequate nutrition. It also fully funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to serve an estimated 42 million people per month – with no new restrictions on eligibility – and fully funds the Child Nutrition Programs to help serve an estimated 5 billion lunches and 2.6 billion breakfasts to kids across the country. 

Fighting Global Hunger: Provides $1.8 billion for the Food for Peace program and $248.3 million for the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program, while the State and Foreign Operations bill provides a $691 million increase in funding for humanitarian assistance programs, including increased investments in addressing global hunger and enhancing food security.  

Preventing and Treating Substance Use: Provides $5 billion – an increase of $125 million over Fiscal Year 2023 – for opioid treatment and prevention. This includes $40 million for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant; $20 million for the State Opioid Response grants; $10 million for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program; and $20 million for NIH opioid research programs. 

Fighting the Flow of Fentanyl: Includes $719 million to improve the detection and seizure of fentanyl and other narcotics at ports of entry with new technology and personnel. Invests $105 million in new resources to disrupt transnational criminal organizations and stop fentanyl and illicit drugs at their source. Sens. Warner and Kaine are both cosponsors of the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act, a sanctions and anti-money laundering bill targeting the illicit fentanyl supply chain. Earlier this year, Sens. Kaine and Joni Ernst (R-IA) led bipartisan legislation to direct increased federal attention to fentanyl trafficking by utilizing the tools of the Department of Defense and involving Mexico as an active partner to combat the fentanyl crisis. That legislation was included in the Senate-passed National Defense Authorization Act.

Addressing Long COVID Needs: Includes $10 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to support access to comprehensive, coordinated, and person-centered care, particularly for underserved, rural, vulnerable, or minority populations that are disproportionately impacted by the effects of Long COVID. Also includes $5 million for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish a network of Long COVID Centers of Excellence that can gather, develop and disseminate data regarding evidence-based treatment; educate and train providers on best practices; conduct outreach to affected populations and community organizations; and coordinate access to care. Sen. Kaine has been a strong advocate for helping individuals with Long COVID, including by leading the bipartisan Long COVID Support Act with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN).

Supporting Rural Health: Includes a $12 million increase for Rural Health programs. This includes a $10 million increase in the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program and a $2 million increase for the Rural Health Outreach program, which supports projects that demonstrate new and innovative modes of outreach in rural areas. Also includes $5 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish an Office of Rural Health. Sen. Kaine supported the establishment of this office as a cosponsor of the Rural Health Equity Act, and led a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee in FY23 requesting this funding.

Addressing the Maternal Mortality Crisis: Includes an increase of $10 million for the Implementing a Maternal health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) Initiative to combat alarming rates of maternal mortality, as well as an increase of $2.5 million for programs to improve health outcomes during and after pregnancy and reduce disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. Also includes $110.5 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Safe Motherhood and Infant Health programs, which is a $2,500,000 increase from fiscal year 2023 and more than $1.7 billion for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which is a $10,000,000 increase from fiscal year 2023. Sen. Kaine led a bipartisan letter to the Appropriations Committee asking for robust funding for these programs.

Pandemic Preparedness: Includes $3.67 billion for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). This includes a $20 million increase for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to support the advanced development of vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and devices for potential serious public health threats, and $75 million to establish a new program in manufacturing and production to ensure that critical resources including medical countermeasures and ancillary supplies are manufactured in the United States. 

Increasing Funding for Pediatric Research: Provides $12.6 million to further fund the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act—legislation championed by Sens. Warner and Kaine and named after a child from Loudoun County who died from a brain tumor in 2013. 

Supporting the Refugee Resettlement Program: Includes $133 million for refugee settlement to meet the goal of 125,000 refugee admissions for Fiscal Year 2024. 

Expanding Home Energy Assistance: Includes $4.075 billion – an increase of $75 million from Fiscal Year 2023 – for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides assistance to low-income households to help heat or cool their homes. Sens. Warner and Kaine have been strong advocates for lowering energy costs and have consistently advocated for robust funding for LIHEAP. 

Expanding High-Speed Internet Access: Includes $98 million for the USDA’s ReConnect Program to expand access to high-speed broadband to remote underserved areas. Sens. Warner and Kaine have been vocal advocates for expanding broadband. As Governors and Senators, Sens. Warner and Kaine have long supported expanding broadband access in Virginia. During the pandemic, they secured significant funding for broadband through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Sens. Warner and Kaine also joined a bipartisan letter to Senate leadership requesting this funding earlier this year, and Sen. Warner personally secured billions of dollars for broadband expansion in both the American Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

Increasing Military Pay and Compensation: Fully funds the 5.2 percent pay raise for servicemembers, while providing $29.6 billion for housing and $8.4 billion for subsistence – including BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) and BAS (Basic Allowance for Subsistence—food for servicemembers not living in government quarters).

Economic Support for Underserved Communities: Provides $341 million for the U.S. Department of the Treasury Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund. Sens. Warner and Kaine requested this funding. Sen. Warner has led efforts in Congress to support CDFIs through legislation including the Jobs and Neighborhood Investment Act and the creation of the bipartisan Senate Community Development Finance Caucus.  

Small Businesses: Provides $1.2 billion to the Small Business Administration to help small businesses thrive. This funding will support SBA’s lending programs, which increase access to capital for small businesses, as well as their entrepreneurial development programs, which include services that help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses, such as the Small Business Development Center and Women’s Business Centers networks.

Addressing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Delays and Customer Service Issues: Includes $12.3 billion for the IRS, which will enable it to continue to update ancient computer systems, improve customer service, and reduce wait times for refunds and other services. Sens. Warner and Kaine have consistently pushed the IRS to address poor customer service and severe delays within the department.  

Support for Miners: Includes $12.19 million for Black Lung Clinics. Sens. Warner and Kaine have actively worked to secure benefits for miners and their families suffering from black lung disease. In July, Sens. Warner and Kaine reintroduced the Relief for Survivors of Miners Act, which would ease restrictions to make it easier for miners’ survivors to successfully claim benefits. In June, the Senators also urged the Biden Administration to issue new silica standards to protect miners across America – a push that helped contribute towards the release of those standards.

Restoring the Chesapeake Bay: Includes $93 million for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program, the primary federal program that coordinates Chesapeake Bay restoration and protection efforts throughout the Bay watershed.

Strengthening Our Ports: Provides $1.2 billion for the Maritime Administration (MARAD), including $213 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), which supports the buildout and modernization of our nation’s ports including the Port of Virginia.

Advancing Scientific Discovery: Includes $8.43 billion – an increase of $330 million from Fiscal Year 2023 – for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science. DOE’s Office of Science sponsors basic research in the physical sciences and supports 22,000 researchers at 17 national laboratories across the country, including Jefferson Lab in Newport News, Virginia.

Protecting our Courts: Provides $11.4 million to improve security of the Walter E. Hoffman Courthouse in Norfolk, Virginia. Sen. Kaine visited the Hoffman Courthouse in 2020 to observe the serious security vulnerabilities firsthand and the Senators have been fighting to enhance its security ever since. The Senators last wrote to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) in January 2023 to push for the long delayed security measures.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine celebrated the one year anniversary of the InflationReduction Act becoming law. Last August, the senators voted to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation to lower health care and prescription drug costs, bring down energy bills, and tackle climate change—all while lowering the deficit.

“From capping the cost of insulin to $35 per month for seniors on Medicare to helping more families make energy efficient home improvements, the Inflation Reduction Act is already lowering costs for hundreds of thousands of Virginians in the year since it became law,” said the senators. “In the years ahead, we look forward to seeing the law’s impacts, including a $2,000 annual cap on out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs for Medicare recipients. We remain committed to making sure communities across Virginia continue to benefit from the law’s many provisions." 

Below is a list of provisions that have already taken effect in the year since the law was enacted.

Health Care

• Black lung benefits: The law permanently extends the black lung excise tax at a higher rate, providing more certainty for miners, miner retirees, and their families who rely on the fund to access benefits. In Virginia, thousands of miners and their families have received benefits through the trust fund since it was established, including approximately 2,600 Virginians in 2021. Watch here to learn more about what this means for miners and miner retirees like Mr. James Gibbs, a Bristol native, the At-Large International Vice President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), and Kaine's guest to the 2023 State of the Union.
• $35 cap on the cost of insulin: Out-of-pocket costs for insulin—regardless of how much a patient needs—is capped at $35 per month under Medicare. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, 36,461 Virginians on Medicare who use insulin now pay no more than $35 per month. Click here to learn how seniors like Mrs. Marguerite Bailey Young of Fredericksburg, who was Warner’s guest to the 2023 State of the Union, are benefiting from the $35 cap. 
• Free vaccines for Medicare recipients: People with Medicare no longer have to pay to receive vaccines under Medicare Part D, which includes vaccines for shingles, HPV, MMR, diphtheria, and pertussis. 1,095,331 Virginia seniors on Medicare are able to receive the shingles vaccine and other recommended vaccines at no cost.
• Extension of ACA subsidies: During the pandemic, Congress enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help lower health care premiums for millions of Americans. The Inflation Reduction Act extended these enhanced subsidies through 2025 to help make Virginians’ health insurance more affordable. 304,469 Virginians with ACA coverage are receiving assistance to lower the cost of their premium. In 2022, Virginians saved an average of $508 per month on their health insurance premium.
• Penalties on drug manufacturers that increase prices: Manufacturers are required to keep the increase in the cost of their drugs at or below inflation.

Clean Energy 

• Boosts to clean energy investments: Clean energy manufacturers can apply for expanded tax credits that incentivize investment in and production of renewable energy technologies like solar power and offshore wind. The Inflation ReductionAct set aside $4 billion in credits for businesses that make these investments in energy communities that have seen closures of coal mines or retirements of coal-fired power plants in recent years. This means that communities in Virginia, especially Southwest Virginia, are well-positioned to benefit from many of these tax credits and funding opportunities.
• Improvements to home energy efficiency: Homeowners can receive up to 30 percent back through tax credits for making energy efficiency improvements to their home—generally up to a maximum of $1,200 per year but potentially up to $3,200 if improvements include heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, or biomass stoves. 
• Increased access to electric vehicles: Qualified individuals can get up to a $7,500 consumer credit for the purchase of new electric vehicles. There are additional incentives to help ensure those vehicles are produced in North America. Qualified individuals can receive a tax credit of up to $4,000 for certain used electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids purchased through a dealership. In order to qualify for the full value of the credit, the vehicle must: have a battery capacity of at least 7kW hours; generally be a model at least two years old; and be sold by a participating dealer that is licensed in the jurisdiction. For new vehicles, eligible taxpayers include single filers with incomes under $150,000 annually and households with joint incomes under $300,000 annually if the head of household earns under $225,000 annually. The vehicle’s price is limited to $55,000 for compact vehicles and $80,000 for SUVs, vans, and pick-ups. For used EVs, single filers must have an income under $75,000 annually or $150,000 as a household, as long as the head of household makes under $112,500 annually. The used vehicle’s price is limited to $25,000.

While many provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act have already been implemented, there are additional provisions that will begin later this year or in the years to come.

• Medicare drug price negotiation: On September 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will release a list of the first 10 drugs covered under Part D eligible for the Medicare drug price negotiation program. The Inflation Reduction Act provided Medicare with the ability to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for the first time in history. The negotiated prices will go into effect in 2026.
• Free vaccines for Medicaid recipients: On October 1, 2023, Medicaid and CHIP will cover vaccines for Medicaid-covered adults. Currently, vaccine coverage is optional for states. 2,040,696 Virginia Medicaid recipients will have access to expanded vaccine coverage.
• Cap on out-of-pocket costs on prescription drugs: Beginning in 2025, there will be a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket costs on prescription drugs for seniors covered under Medicare Part D. Some estimates have shown that Virginia seniors on Medicare will save an average of $440.62 on out-of-pocket costs on prescription drugs thanks to this cap. Watch here to hear what this cap will mean for seniors like Mr. Irv Varkonyi from Fairfax.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today urged CEOs of several prominent artificial intelligence (AI) companies to address reports that their chatbots are easily exploited to provide detailed instructions that promote eating disorders. In a series of letters to the CEOs of Open AI, Google, and Snap, Sen. Warner called attention to concerning responses and urged each company to immediately stop disseminating harmful content.

According to a recent study from the Center for Countering Digital Hate, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard and Snapchat’s My AI consistently generate content that promote eating disorders. When prompted, these chatbots provide detailed information on hiding uneaten food from parents, instructions to trigger a gag reflex, and promote “chewing and spitting” as an extreme weight loss method, among other troubling examples. 

“The failure of your company to implement adequate safeguards to protect vulnerable individuals, especially teens and children, from well-established and foreseeable harms is of grave concern, and I urge you to quickly take steps to fix this glaring problem,” Sen. Warner wrote. 

The letters raise concerns specific to each chatbot’s troubling responses and highlight the high occurrence and fatality rates of eating disorders. Research from Sen. Warner’s office further showed that leading datasets used for model training include harmful eating disorder content – potentially embedding harmful associations into the most powerful generative models.

“I urge you to immediately take steps to protect vulnerable users from your products by implementing safeguards that prevent your products from providing harmful advice and recommendations related to eating disorders, including securing against prompt injection techniques,” Sen. Warner continued. 

The letters also raise concern with the inability of leading generative AI companies to implement adequate safeguards from well-established and foreseeable harms. Each letter concludes with a request for a written plan from each company on their efforts to eradicate these harmful model behaviors.

Sen. Warner, a former tech entrepreneur, has been a vocal advocate for responsible AI development and deployment. Earlier this week, he wrote to Google CEO Sundar Pichai to raise concerns about Google’s testing of new AI technology in real medical settings. Last month, he called on the Biden administration to work with AI companies to develop additional guardrails around the responsible deployment of AI. In April, Sen. Warner directly expressed concerns to several AI CEOs – including Sam Altman and Sundar Pichai – about the potential risks posed by AI, and called on companies to ensure that their products and systems are secure.  He has also introduced several pieces of legislation aimed at making tech safer and more humane, including the RESTRICT Act, which would comprehensively address the ongoing threat posed by technology from foreign adversaries; the SAFE TECH Act, which would reform Section 230 and allow social media companies to be held accountable for enabling cyber-stalking, online harassment, and discrimination on social media platforms; and the Honest Ads Act, which would require online political advertisements to adhere to the same disclaimer requirements as TV, radio, and print ads.

Copies of each letter can be found here. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark Warner joined Sens. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward Markey (D-MA), and others to urge the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enforce its existing regulations regarding consent for receiving telemarketing calls, also known as robocalls. The letter also asks the FCC to issue guidance along the lines of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) recent Business Guidance restating the FCC’s long-held requirements for these unwanted telemarketing calls. By issuing guidance similar to the FTC’s, the FCC will assist telemarketers and sellers in complying with these requirements. 

“While the consideration of new regulations may be appropriate in some instances, we believe that the FCC’s current regulations already prohibit many of the activities that lead to the proliferation of unwanted telemarketing calls,” wrote the Senators. “Both the regulations issued in 2003 delineating the rules for telemarketers to obtain consent for calls to lines subscribed to the Do Not Call Registry, and those issued in 2012 governing consent to receive telemarketing calls made with an artificial or prerecorded voice or an automated telephone dialing system, clearly set out the types of protections intended by Congress to eliminate unwanted telemarketing calls.”

The Senators concluded, “As Congress instructed the FCC ‘to maximize consistency with the rule promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission’ relating to the implementation of the Do-Not-Call Registry, we respectfully urge the FCC to issue a guidance along the lines of the FTC’s recent Business Guidance restating its long-held requirements for these unwanted telemarketing calls. As inconsistent rules governing the same activity would be problematic, by issuing guidance similar to the FTC’s, the FCC will assist telemarketers and sellers in complying with these requirements.”

Sen. Warner, a former cell phone entrepreneur, has been active in fighting robocalls for many years. He sponsored the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act to give regulators – including the FCC – more time to find scammers, increase civil forfeiture penalties, require service providers to adopt call authentication and blocking, and bring relevant federal agencies and state attorneys general together to address impediments to criminal prosecution of robocallers. Former President Trump signed the TRACED Act into law in 2019. In July, he applauded new efforts from the FTC to crack down on spam calls.

In addition to Sens. Warner, Lujan, and Markey, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Angus King (I-ME), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Gary Peters (D-MI). This letter is endorsed by Appleseed, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Electronic Privacy Information Center, National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, National Consumers League, Public Citizen, Public Knowledge, and U.S. PIRG.

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Chairwoman Rosenworcel:

We are heartened that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering ways to curtail the number of unwanted telemarketing calls—currently over 1.25 billion every month—in a proceeding pending under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). As the Commission recognizes, the continued onslaught of illegal calls threatens the trustworthiness and usefulness of our nation’s telephone system.

While the consideration of new regulations may be appropriate in some instances, we believe that the FCC’s current regulations already prohibit many of the activities that lead to the proliferation of unwanted telemarketing calls. Both the regulations issued in 2003 delineating the rules for telemarketers to obtain consent for calls to lines subscribed to the Do Not Call Registry, and those issued in 2012 governing consent to receive telemarketing calls made with an artificial or prerecorded voice or an automated telephone dialing system, clearly set out the types of protections intended by Congress to eliminate unwanted telemarketing calls. Both of these regulations allow robocalls calls only if the call recipients sign a written agreement relating to calls from a single seller. 

Additionally, the FCC’s 2003 regulation for telemarketing calls to lines registered on the Do Not Call Registry requires that the “signed, written agreement” must be “between the consumer and the seller.” This requirement provides two protections. First, it means that the seller, not a telemarketer or a lead generator, or anyone other than the seller, or the agent of the seller, must be party to the agreement with the consumer. Second, it limits the calls that are covered by the agreement to calls related only to the seller that was the party to the agreement. Enforcement of the current limitations applicable to agreements providing consent for telemarketing calls under the existing regulations would eliminate the sale and trading of these consents which have led to the proliferation of unwanted telemarketing robocalls.

Moreover, as many of these agreements are entered into online, current federal law requires specific protections for consumers receiving writings through electronic records in the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (the E-Sign Act). One example of these protections in the E-Sign Act is the prohibition of oral communication as a substitute for a writing. Although telemarketers routinely ignore the requirements of the E-Sign Act, the legislation’s mandate for E-Sign consent before writings can be provided in electronic records in 15 U.S.C. § 7001(c) is fully applicable.

Finally, as Congress instructed the FCC “to maximize consistency with the rule promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission” relating to the implementation of the Do-Not-Call Registry, we respectfully urge the FCC to issue a guidance along the lines of the FTC’s recent Business Guidance restating its long-held requirements for these unwanted telemarketing calls. As inconsistent rules governing the same activity would be problematic, by issuing guidance similar to the FTC’s, the FCC will assist telemarketers and sellers in complying with these requirements. This guidance should also emphasize that the obligations imposed by the E-Sign Act apply when these agreements are entered into online.

We appreciate your work to curb unwanted and illegal robocalls. Issuing guidance that emphasizes the meaningful requirements of current regulations as well as the requirements of the federal E-Sign Act will go a long way to reduce the number of unwanted robocalls. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

 
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