WASHINGTON— U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, joined U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), and a bicameral group of their colleagues in urging the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to require all insurance carriers in the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Program to cover in-vitro fertilization (IVF) medical treatments and medications. 12 million people around the world have been born from IVF and other assisted reproductive technology services.

“Out of pocket costs for one cycle of IVF can cost the patient between $15,000 and $30,000, with prescription drug costs accounting for 35 percent of that cost,” wrote the members. “As OPM begins to prepare for plan year 2025, we strongly urge you to build on the impressive progress the Biden administration has made in empowering the Federal Government to effectively recruit and retain the next generation of civil servants by requiring all FEHB carriers to cover IVF medical treatments and medications in plan year 2025.”

They continued, “Requiring FEHB carriers to cover IVF medical treatments and medications for plan year 2025 would reflect the reality that IVF is one of the most effective treatments for families struggling with infertility, and growing in popularity, with its usage nearly doubling from 2012 to 2021. Importantly, it would also sharpen the Federal Government’s competitive advantage in competing for talented workers, as surveys demonstrate that employees experiencing infertility without adequate IVF coverage will express dissatisfaction with their employer and seek new professional opportunities.”

Warner and Kaine have been strong advocates for reproductive freedom in Congress. Following an Alabama Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that led to restricted access of IVF, Warner and Kaine cosponsored the Access to Family Building Act to protect Americans’ right to IVF and other assisted reproductive technology services. In March, Kaine invited Norfolk-born Elizabeth Carr, the first person born in the United States via IVF, to join him as his guest at the State of the Union. Kaine held two roundtables in Norfolk and Arlington to discuss the need to protect IVF. Kaine also cosponsored the Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2023, legislation that would expand the fertility treatments and family-building services for servicemembers and veterans. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, Kaine worked across the aisle to introduce the Reproductive Freedom For All Act, a bipartisan bill to protect access to abortion and contraception.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Director Ahuja:

We write to commend your leadership, on behalf of the Biden administration, in strengthening the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) commitment to helping our Nation’s dedicated civil servants build their families through expanded coverage of assisted reproductive technology (ART) services under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program.

For plan year 2024, OPM succeeded in providing Federal employees with 24 FEHB plan options providing varying levels of coverage of ART. Critically, for the first time in FEHB’s history, OPM secured inclusion of a national plan with ART coverage, ensuring that every Federal employee, no matter where they live, will be guaranteed at least some coverage of ART services.

OPM also deserves significant credit for requiring FEHB carriers to cover in vitro fertilization (IVF) medications for three cycles annually. Out of pocket costs for one cycle of IVF can cost the patient between $15,000 and $30,000, with prescription drug costs accounting for 35 percent of that cost. While significant work remains to be done to improve IVF access, which includes ensuring comprehensive plan designs are inclusive of LGBTQ and solo individuals who rely on medical intervention to build their families, your leadership in making sure FEHB plans cover IVF medications represents meaningful progress in expanding access to fertility treatments, which will ultimately prove life-changing for families across the country.

As OPM begins to prepare for plan year 2025, we strongly urge you to build on the impressive progress the Biden administration has made in empowering the Federal Government to effectively recruit and retain the next generation of civil servants by requiring all FEHB carriers to cover IVF medical treatments and medications in plan year 2025. At a time when IVF is increasingly under attack by the extreme personhood movement, President Biden would send a strong message that his administration, in word and deed, are true champions of safeguarding the right of families to decide if, when and how to build a family.

Requiring FEHB carriers to cover IVF medical treatments and medications for plan year 2025 would reflect the reality that IVF is one of the most effective treatments for families struggling with infertility, and growing in popularity, with its usage nearly doubling from 2012 to 2021. Importantly, it would also sharpen the Federal Government’s competitive advantage in competing for talented workers, as surveys demonstrate that employees experiencing infertility without adequate IVF coverage will express dissatisfaction with their employer and seek new professional opportunities.

As our Nation’s largest employer-sponsored group health insurance plan, FEHB is a national trend setter for employer-sponsored coverage choices and making IVF coverage a default requirement would accelerate the adoption of pro-family policies beyond FEHB to ensure that more workers with employer-sponsored coverage are able to access IVF medical treatments.

Simply put, at a time when seemingly every politician is loudly declaring their support for IVF—even when many of those same politicians support the personhood movement that has endangered IVF’s future—President Biden has an opportunity to demonstrate strong leadership by taking decisive action to make the scientific miracle that is IVF accessible to many more Americans, beginning with our dedicated Federal workforce.

Thank you in advance for considering our request to enhance FEHB’s IVF coverage for plan year 2025, and we look forward to working with you to advance these important initiatives.

Sincerely,

###

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and U.S. Representative Jennifer McClellan released the following statement after Topsoe announced it will build a new manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County, Virginia thanks to nearly $136 million in tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which the lawmakers championed in 2022. Topsoe is a Danish company that manufactures solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOEC), a crucial component for producing clean hydrogen. The project is expected to bring more than $400 million in investments and create at least 150 new jobs in Virginia. Warner, Kaine, and McClellan wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to advocate for the project’s application. 

“The Inflation Reduction Act represented a bold step towards maintaining American leadership in manufacturing, creating the next generation of clean energy jobs, and combatting climate change,” said Warner. “I’m glad to see that vision executed in Chesterfield County with the announcement of a new Topsoe manufacturing facility. Thanks to tax credits from this landmark law, Virginia will continue to power our nation and lead the clean energy transition by creating good-paying manufacturing jobs across the Commonwealth.”  

“I’m thrilled that Topsoe will be setting up a state-of-the-art facility in Chesterfield County to help manufacture clean energy components,” said Kaine. “This wouldn’t have been possible without the investments we made in the Inflation Reduction Act, which I was proud to have helped pass in the Senate by one vote. I look forward to seeing how this project will boost economic growth, create jobs, and help us build a clean energy future.”

“This new Topsoe facility in Chesterfield County will create hundreds of new jobs and stimulate millions of dollars in economic activity right here in Virginia’s Fourth,” said McClellan. “I will continue fighting with Senators Warner and Kaine to supercharge our transition to a clean-energy future and bring federal investments to our Commonwealth.”

“We are thrilled to announce our plans for a new state-of the art US facility that will manufacture Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell stacks (SOEC), the key element to the world’s most efficient electrolyzer technology for producing clean hydrogen,” said Roeland Baan, CEO of Topsoe. “Through legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and strong support from individual states such as Virginia, the US government is helping to accelerate the clean energy transition. With our strong dedication to innovation, we will help the US achieve its goals of driving down the cost of clean hydrogen and delivering clean energy jobs.”

The IRA included a number of provisions and tax credits to incentivize investments in clean energy. Topsoe received a tax credit through the DOE’s Advanced Energy Project Credit (48C) program, which was expanded as part of the IRA. The 48C tax credit covers 30 percent of the amount invested in new or upgraded facilities that build renewable energy components. The IRA included a set-aside in the 48C program for coal communities, which Chesterfield qualified for due to the retirement of a nearby coal-fired electric generating unit.

###

WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement:

“Over the past two years, the US has spent only a tiny fraction of its defense budget to help Ukraine inflict enormous losses on Russia’s military, hold the line in the fight for democracy over autocracy, and thwart Putin’s ambitions to take over Ukraine. Despite the clear security interests in continuing this support, and the commitments we’ve made to both the Ukrainian people and our NATO allies, House Republicans have spent months delaying the renewal of this critical aid. The best time to do this would have been months ago. The second best time is right now. I urge the House to act swiftly to get this done and end this painful and embarrassing delay. Failing to do so would be a mistake of historic proportions.

“At the same time, the House also has the opportunity to take important steps to shore up our national security in other avenues. For years, I’ve been raising the alarm about the powerful national security threat posed by TikTok, and I strongly support their divestiture from a company legally required to do the bidding of the Chinese Communist Party. Amid deeply troubling and escalating violence across the Middle East, it’s also critical that we provide robust and desperately needed humanitarian aid in support of the millions of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and continue supporting Israel’s security. I look forward to the House’s swift action on all these priorities and to championing their passage in the Senate.”

On February 13, 2024, the Senate passed a national security supplemental package to aid Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and the Indo-Pacific with a bipartisan 70-29 margin.

###

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner, Tim Kaine (both D-VA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), and John Fetterman (D-PA) released the following statement on the Department of Labor (DOL) Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) finalizing its proposal to amend current federal standards to better protect America’s miners from health hazards related to exposure to respirable crystalline silica, or silica dust. 

“We applaud the Mine Safety and Health Administration for finalizing its rule to better protect our nation’s coal miners from exposure to silica dust. This rule will play an essential role in safeguarding miners from cancers, silicosis and black lung disease, especially in Appalachia where black lung cases have been rapidly increasing in recent years. For generations, our brave coal miners have risked their lives to power our nation to greatness, and we will continue working together in the Senate to advance commonsense rules like this one to protect the health and welfare of these heroes,” the Senators said.

“We're grateful for the Agency's initiative in implementing a rule to tackle the increasing incidence of silica-related lung diseases among both coal and metal non-metal miners. The resurgence of these diseases, particularly affecting younger miners in their 30s and 40s, underscores the urgency of this issue. This measure is vital for safeguarding miners' well-being not only in the short term but throughout their careers. The UMWA’s focus now shifts to ensuring mining companies are held accountable,” said United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts.

###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $3,040,000 in federal funding for the Town of Leesburg to install new power generator systems for the town’s potable water pumping station and pollution control center. This funding will help ensure reliable access to water and continued wastewater and pollution management services during emergencies, including natural disasters and widespread power outages. The funding was awarded through the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which provides financial support to communities across the nation facing natural disasters and crises.

“Access to safe, reliable water and dependable wastewater management is a necessity,” said the senators. “We’re glad this funding will help ensure the people of Leesburg can maintain access to clean water during emergencies.”

The Town of Leesburg is receiving two grants from FEMA:

• $2,850,000 to fund the installation of two new emergency backup power generator systems—one for the City’s Potable Water Pumping Station and another for its Environmental Pollution Control facility.
• $190,000 to cover personnel and administrative costs related to the installation of the two generators.   

###

WASHINGTON —Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded the release of a new rule by the U.S. Department of Justice to codify changes outlined in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which the senators helped pass, to close the gun show loophole that has permitted the sale of firearms online and at gun shows without background checks. 

“When we passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, we secured long overdue, broadly popular provisions to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m glad to see this law take another concrete step forward and close a loophole that allowed some individuals to attain firearms without a background check. This is another key step forward to preventing needless violence and making our communities safer, and I look forward to continuing to watch this law enact commonsense provisions that promote public safety and passing additional laws that address the tragic and deadly gun violence epidemic.” 

“Virginia has a lot of scar tissue related to gun violence, and we have a responsibility to do all that we can to reduce the risk of future tragedies,” said Sen. Kaine. “Requiring background checks for purchasers of firearms is a commonsense step in the right direction, and I’m proud to have helped pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that made this progress possible. I will continue to do all that I can to build on this move to make our communities safer.”

Warner and Kaine have long supported a comprehensive approach to curbing gun violence. They have introduced the Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence—a bill based on commonsense measures adopted by Virginia, including the closure of the gun show loophole and other background check loopholes, better safeguards for victims of domestic violence, and incentives for states to implement Extreme Risk Protection Orders to remove firearms from individuals who pose a high risk of harming themselves or others. They are also cosponsors of legislation to ban assault weapons, and are consistent advocates for improved access to mental health services.

WASHINGTON– Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $10,251,613 in federal funding for Stafford County to improve the resiliency of Brooke Road. The funding was awarded through the Department of Transportation’s Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation Program (PROTECT) Grant Program, which was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law the senators passed. The funding will help prevent flooding, which has frequently made Brooke Road impassable for extended periods of time. Over the past two years, concerns about the roadway prompted Stafford County supervisors and the Virginia Department of Transportation to implement temporary measures on Brooke Road, including an emergency-use-only connector.

“Recurring flooding is a continued safety hazard and inconvenience for drivers on Brooke Road, sometimes even leaving residents stuck in their homes,” said the senators. “We’re glad this funding will prevent this flooding and help Stafford County residents safely get to where they need to go and avoid delays.”

The funding will be used to re-align a 0.45 mile portion of Brooke Road (SR 608) from Loblolly Lane to Maplewood Drive, a vital transportation route that serves the eastern part of the county and includes access to a commuter rail station.

###

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Reps. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Bobby Scott (D-VA-3), Rob Wittman (R-VA-01), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), Bob Good (R-VA-05), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02) released the following statement regarding the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Inspector General (IG) report on the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC) in Sandston. The USPS OIG audited the RPDC because the center is the first consolidated processing center in the country that was opened to centralize outgoing mail and package processing as part of USPS’s 10-year Delivering for America plan.

“It couldn’t be clearer that USPS has not been providing reliable service to Virginians, and we’ve been pressing for answers. This report pinpoints a number of issues, including a lack of coordination between USPS and staff at the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC). Going forward, USPS must provide more resources and clearer guidance to management and staff at RPDC, among other steps. We look forward to working with USPS to ensure that happens, the recommendations in the IG report are implemented, and mail delivery is timely for Virginians.”

The report highlights various issues on the local, regional, and national levels that have impacted service in Virginia and made 10 distinct recommendations to USPS for improvement. The issues range from egregious lack of attention to detail (pieces of mail falling off conveyor belts and being lost), to poor synchronizing between machines processing mail at the facility and the schedules of trucks transporting mail to and from the facility, to broader questions about whether the RPDC model is generating the cost savings and efficiency improvements this model has promised. Workforce shortages, including reducing the contracted drivers to operate delivery trucks when the in-house workforce was insufficient, have further strained USPS staff and increased overtime costs. Meanwhile, internal communication among headquarters, regional, and on-site local staff has been inadequate.

A full accounting of the problems that have impacted service and specific recommendations to address them are available here.

###

 WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $1,000,000 for the City of Richmond in order to create a nature park at Broad Rock Creek. The funding, courtesy of the National Park Service’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership, was made possible through the Great American Outdoors Act, which was authored and championed by Sen. Warner and Sen. Kaine. 

Specifically, the funding will be used to renovate the area, repairing the Broad Rock Creek Park bridge, developing trails and building roads throughout the park, and adding park amenities including wayfinding, kiosks, benches, water fountains, restrooms, and trash cans.  

“Virginia is home to some of the most beautiful natural lands in the country, but for too long we didn’t had the funding to preserve and improve these parks for recreational use. As one of the authors of the Great American Outdoors Act, I am thrilled to see this law continue to pay off more than four years later. These federal dollars will help restore and maintain Broad Rock Creek Park for Virginians to enjoy for many years to come,” said Sen. Warner.

“I’m thrilled Richmond is receiving this federal funding thanks to the Great American Outdoors Act, which I was proud to support as an original cosponsor and help pass,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’ve been to Broad Rock Creek many times, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this federal funding will improve the park so visitors can keep enjoying its magic.”

The years-long efforts by Sens. Warner and Kaine to provide relief to Virginia’s national parks culminated in the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law in 2020. The legislation provided $9.5 billion over five years to the National Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Indian Education to address the deferred maintenance backlog at these agencies.

###

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded congressional passage of legislation to fund key parts of the government and avert a government shutdown. Today’s legislation funds major priorities across several federal departments, including the Departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, among others. This $1.2 trillion legislation, in conjunction with the partial funding bill that passed on March 8, will fully fund the government for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024.

“It took six months of delays, but today Congress managed to fully fund the government for Fiscal Year 2024,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m glad to finally see this legislation through the finish line and I look forward to seeing these federal dollars advance community projects all around Virginia. With our most basic duty now fulfilled, Congress must immediately set its sights on delivering a national security supplemental that provides critically needed assistance to Ukraine in its fight against Russian authoritarianism. Failing to do so would be a grave mistake with decades-long ramifications.” 

“It’s frustrating that it took us this long to get here, but I’m glad Congress finally came together in a bipartisan way to fund the government and avoid a painful shutdown,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’m proud that this legislation includes many of the critical Virginian priorities I fought for—from supporting access to affordable child care and securing a pay raise for our servicemembers, to protecting our communities from fentanyl and fostering economic growth. I’m also looking forward to seeing how the funding in this bill for 40 community projects across Virginia will enhance public safety, health care services, and educational opportunities in the Commonwealth.”

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 congressionally directed spending, in a manner that promotes transparency and accountability. This process allows Congress to dedicate federal funding for specific projects in Virginia. 

Through strong advocacy, the Senators secured funding in the spending bills for the following projects in Virginia: 

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

The Senators also secured funding in the previous FY24 partial government funding package for an additional 105 CDS projects that will improve transportation, upgrade water infrastructure, support health care, and more. In total, through the FY24 appropriations process, the Senators secured over $178 million dollars that will directly benefit 145 CDS projects across the Commonwealth. You can see combined lists of all the CDS projects from both spending bills here for: Northern Virginia, Central Virginia, Southwest and Southside Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, Hampton Roads, and the entire Commonwealth.

In addition, the budget bills include funding for the following Warner and Kaine priorities:  

Providing for Servicemembers: The bill provides a military pay raise of 5.2 percent – the largest military pay raise in two decades. It also boosts the Basic Allowance for Housing by 5.4 percent and the Basic Needs Allowance by 1.7 percent to ensure that servicemembers and their families can put food on the table and afford quality housing.

Addressing the Child Care Crisis: Following vocal advocacy by Kaine, the bill includes $8.75 billion for the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), which is an increase of $725 million from FY23 and $12.27 billion for Head Start, which is an increase of $275 million from FY23.

Strengthening Virginia’s Shipbuilding and Repair Industries: Provides more than $33 billion for the procurement of eight Navy ships, including two Virginia-class fast attack submarines and one Columbia-class ballistic submarine. It also provides $155 million for multi-use and parking facilities at shipyards to improve quality of life for sailors, $350 million in surface shipyard workforce and infrastructure improvements, and $13.7 billion for ongoing ship depot maintenance.

Investing in the Wellbeing of Sailors: Provides an additional $20 million for the Navy’s suicide prevention and response efforts.

Delivering for Miners: Provides $12.2 million for Black Lung clinics, which serve coal miners with job-related coal mine dust lung disease. The legislation also directs the U.S. Department of Labor to report on their efforts to improve the speed and quality of processing Black Lung Benefits claims. Sens. Warner and Kaine have called for improvements to the Black Lung Benefits program.

Improving Rural Health Care: The legislation urges Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to extend its temporary Low Wage Index Hospital Policy. Sen. Warner has been a longtime advocate for extending this policy, which allows hospitals in rural areas to compete for, and retain, high-quality staff by increasing reimbursements to hospitals in rural areas with lower overall wages.

Supporting Community Health Centers: Provides $1.86 billion for Community Health Centers that provide critical health care to our most vulnerable communities.

Helping Find a Cure for Pediatric Cancers: Provides $12.6 million to fund childhood cancer research through the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, named after a child from Loudoun County who died from brain cancer in 2013. 

Addressing Long COVID: Provides $13.5 million to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to conduct research to address patient-centered care for people living with Long COVID. This funding stems from Kaine’s bipartisan bill, the Long COVID Support Act.

Rural Health: Provides $5 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Rural Health to address health care and rural health needs. Kaine cosponsored the Rural Health Equity Act to establish the office in 2021.

Modernizing Public Health Infrastructure: Provides $175 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to modernize America’s public health data systems.

Supporting domestic production of personal protective equipment: Includes $10 million to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response to advance development and production of medical countermeasures.

Assisting Virginians in Crisis: Provides $519.6 million for the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline, an $18 million increase from FY23.

Supporting HBCUs and MSIs: Provides $908 million, an increase of $8 million over FY23 funding, to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). 

Securing the Southern Border: Includes $1.6 billion for border management needs, including Border Patrol processing facilities, transportation requirements, migrant medical needs, and other related support costs, as well as $495 million for additional Border Patrol agents.

Addressing the Opioid and Fentanyl Crisis: Includes $457 million for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, including $299 million for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (HIDTA), which provides assistance to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States.

Safeguarding our Nation’s Capitol: Provides $792 million to hire up to 2,204 sworn officers and 636 civilian members of the Capitol Police.

Relief for Vulnerable Borrowers: Includes language directing the Department of Education to provide a briefing on implementation of the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act within 60 days of enactment. The legislation, authored and championed by Sen. Warner, provides much-needed relief for individuals who previously consolidated their student loan debt with a spouse and have no way of severing it, even in the event of domestic violence, economic abuse, or an unresponsive partner.

Expanding Economic Opportunity in Vulnerable Communities: Includes $324 million for the CDFI Fund, which serves mission-driven financial institutions that take a market-based approach to supporting economically disadvantaged communities. Sen. Warner, a former entrepreneur and co-chair of the Senate CDFI Caucus, has been a longtime champion in Congress for expanding access to capital. To combat the loss of economic opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Warner authored legislation to make a record $12 billion investment in CDFIs and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) andsuccessfully fought to include it in the December 2021 COVID-19 relief package. 

Restoring American Semiconductor Manufacturing: Includes $100 million, as specified in Sen. Warner’s CHIPS for America Act, for the Department of State’s International Technology Security and Innovation Fund to support the responsible and secure development of semiconductors, telecommunications, and other emerging technologies and their supply chains. Also includes $400 million for the America Defense Fund, as specified within the CHIPS for America Act, to advance defense priorities related to semiconductor manufacturing. 

Staying on the Forefront of AI: Includes more than $1.9 billion to advance the Department of Defense’s adoption of artificial intelligence, including $10 million to accelerate the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer’s investments in autonomy. 

Keeping our Commitment to our Afghan Allies: Supports an additional 12,000 Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans who risked their lives to support the U.S. during the war in Afghanistan. 

Bolstering Global Deterrence: Doubles security cooperation funding for Taiwan up to $108 million, provides $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), and provides $228 million in support of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania through the Baltic Security Initiative.

Humanitarian Assistance: Includes $8.7 billion in humanitarian assistance to address historic levels of global displacement and broader impacts from Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Building a More Resilient Cyber Infrastructure: Includes $2.9 billion for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for operations and support; procurement, construction, and improvements; and research and development.  

###

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee and co-chair of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, introduced the Health Care Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2024, legislation that would allow for advance and accelerated payments to health care providers in the event of a cyber incident, as long as they and their vendors meet minimum cybersecurity standards. The legislation follows a ransomware attack on Change Healthcare that has paralyzed billing services for providers nationwide, leaving many in danger of becoming financially insolvent.

“I’ve been sounding the alarm about cybersecurity in the health care sector for some time. It was only a matter of time before we saw a major attack that disrupted the ability to care for patients nationwide,” said Sen. Warner. “The recent hack of Change Healthcare is a reminder that the entire health care industry is vulnerable and needs to step up its game. This legislation would provide some important financial incentives for providers and vendors to do so.” 

In rare situations, Medicare Part A providers (such as acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and other inpatient care facilities) and Part B suppliers (including physicians, nonphysician practitioners, durable medical equipment suppliers, and others who furnish outpatient services) can face cash flow challenges due to specified circumstances beyond their control (for instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic.) Since the 1980s, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided temporary financial relief to participants in these programs through Accelerated and Advance Payment (AAP) programs, during which these providers and suppliers receive advance payments from the federal government that are later recovered by withholding payment for subsequent claims.

The Health Care Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2024 would modify the existing Medicare Hospital Accelerated Payment Program and the Medicare Part B Advance Payment Program by:

• Requiring the Secretary to determine if the need for payments results from a cyber incident;
• If it does, requiring the health care provider receiving the payment to meet minimum cybersecurity standards, as determined by the Secretary, to be eligible; and
• If a provider’s intermediary was the target of the incident, the intermediary must also meet minimum cybersecurity standards, as determined by the Secretary, for the provider to receive the payments.

These provisions would go into effect two years from the date of enactment. A copy of the bill text is available here. 

In 2022, Sen. Warner authored “Cybersecurity is Patient Safety,” a policy options paper, outlining current cybersecurity threats facing health care providers and systems and offering for discussion a series of policy solutions to improve cybersecurity across the industry.  Since publishing, Sen. Warner has launched the Health Care Cybersecurity Working Group with a bipartisan group of colleagues to examine and propose potential legislative solutions to strengthen cybersecurity in the health care and public health sector.

###

Washington – U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Mark Warner (D-VA) reintroduced the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act to protect horses from abusive show practices.  Soring is a process by which horse trainers intentionally apply devices or caustic substances to horses’ limbs to make each step painful and force an exaggerated high-stepping gait (called the “Big Lick”) rewarded with higher marks in show rings.  Although federal law prohibits soring, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Inspector General (IG) report found that some horse trainers continue this inhumane practice. 

“I support the humane treatment of all animals and the responsible training of horses," said Sen. Crapo.  “Equestrian sports have implemented rules to ensure the welfare of the horses, but changes are needed to address loopholes that allow the continued suffering of sored horses.  Soring is an inhumane practice and the PAST Act would finally end this horrible custom.”

“Horses are a quintessential part of Virginia’s culture and history, and they deserve comprehensive, enforceable protections from abuse of any sort,” said Sen. Warner.  “I am proud to reintroduce the bipartisan PAST Act to strengthen protections against horse soring and crack down on the perpetrators of this disturbing abuse.”

The Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act would: 

1. Eliminate self-policing by requiring the USDA to assign a licensed inspector if the show's management indicates intent to hire one.  Licensed or accredited veterinarians, if available, would be given preference for these positions.

2. Prohibit the use of action devices and pads on specific horse breeds that have a history of being the primary victims of soring.  Action devices, such as chains that rub up and down an already-sore leg, intensify the horse's pain when it moves so that the horse quickly jolts up its leg. 

3. Increase consequences on individuals caught soring a horse, including raising the penalty from a misdemeanor to a felony, which is subject to up to three years' incarceration, increasing fines from $3,000 to $5,000 per violation, and permanently disqualifying three-time violators from participating in horse shows, exhibitions, sales or auctions.  

In August 2023, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service proposed a rule to strengthen Horse Protection Act requirements and eliminate the use of horse soring at horse shows, exhibitions, sales and auctions.

“The AVMA strongly endorses the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act and is a longtime advocate for eliminating the cruel and inhumane practice of horse soring,” said Dr. Rena Carlson, Idaho veterinarian and president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.  “The PAST Act would end the needless suffering of horses by providing enforcement mechanisms to preserve horse welfare.  We thank Senators Warner and Crapo for their leadership on this critical issue facing the veterinary profession and urge Congress to swiftly pass the proposed legislation.”  

“Soring is an abject cruelty, carried out on the backs of horses by those seeking to call themselves ‘grand champions,’” said Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund.  “The real losers here are the horses who have endured the ‘Big Lick’ for decades in spite of federal law meant to protect them.  Fortunately, we have our own equine champions in Senators Crapo and Warner, leading the way by mobilizing half the Senate to demonstrate continued broad, bipartisan support for the PAST Act and encourage USDA to swiftly complete its rulemaking to fix weak regulations that have allowed this cruelty to persist.”

“The cruel practice of horse soring--inflicting pain and injury in horses’ legs and hooves to force them into an unnatural, high-stepping gait known as the “Big Lick” --has gone on for far too long while serial abusers have gamed the system and horses have suffered,” said Nancy Perry, senior vice president of ASPCA Government Relations. “The PAST Act, widely championed by humane advocates and the equine industry, received overwhelming support last Congress, and we are grateful to Senators Warner and Crapo for reintroducing this critical bill to finally end this abuse once and for all.”

“For many years, the American Association of Equine Practitioners has championed legislation to end this cruel practice, and the reintroduction of this important bill by Senator Crapo and Senator Warner to protect horses is vital,” said Dr. Katherine Garrett, 2024 American Association of Equine Practitioners president.  “We now will work for passage along with our more than 9,000 equine veterinarian and student members and the industry.”

“On behalf of the American Horse Council (AHC) and its members, I offer Senator Mike Crapo and Senator Mark Warner our profound gratitude for their commitment and leadership in introducing the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act,” said Julie M. Broadway, president of American Horse Council & American Horse Council Foundation.  “We hope that through their efforts, the 118th Congress will act and fulfill the promise and purpose of the Horse Protection Act which is to eliminate the horrific practice of soring. The current industry self-inspection model needs to be fixed as inspections by the USDA clearly and convincingly demonstrate that horses continue to be sored and mistreated.  Adopting the PAST Act will restore public trust and confidence in competitions, auctions, and exhibitions featuring specific breeds of gaited horses." 

“We commend Senators Crapo and Warner for their unwavering commitment to protecting Tennessee Walking Horses and related gaited breeds that have been victimized for the sake of winning awards and cash prizes,” said Dr. Joanna Grossman, equine program director for the Animal Welfare Institute.  “Soring involves a wide range of abhorrent and cruel practices that have persisted for decades.  The PAST Act includes desperately needed reforms that would build on the legacy of the Horse Protection Act.  As this legislation enjoys broad bipartisan support, we urge Congress to pass the PAST Act quickly to protect horses from abuse.”

Crapo and Warner are joined in introducing the legislation by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-New York), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Laphonza Butler (D-California), Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), Ben Cardin (D-Maryland), Robert Casey (D-Pennsylvania), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois), Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire), Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico), John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Edward Markey (D-Massachusetts), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Chris Muphy (D-Connecticut), Patty Murray (D-Washington), Jon Ossof (D-Georgia), Alex Padilla (D-California), Gary Peters (D-Michigan), Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona), Tina Smith (D-Minnesota), Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan), Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia), Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin).

 ###