WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) met with Southwest Virginia coal miners from the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) at his office in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, Sen. Warner stressed the need to pass the American Miners Act, legislation he sponsored that would permanently protect the healthcare and pension benefits for thousands of Virginia’s retired coal miners and their families.

The bill will also protect healthcare coverage for 500 Virginia miners who are at risk of losing their benefits due to the 2018 bankruptcy of Colorado-based Westmoreland Coal Co., which previously operated in Wise County, VA. During the meeting, miners and union representatives told Sen. Warner that Westmoreland miner benefits are currently expected to run out no later than October.

“The Westmoreland miners’ healthcare benefits are about to run out, and that’s a crisis for these miners and their families,” said Sen. Warner. “Southwest Virginia’s retired coal miners worked hard to power this country, and the least we can do is make sure they’re able to retire with the pensions and benefits they earned. The American Miners Actwould protect the hard-earned benefits these miners and their families count on, while also making sure we’ve got the resources necessary to address the black lung outbreak in coal country.”

“For some of the miners in my local, people are going to start falling beneath the poverty line if Congress doesn’t do something,” said Gary Kennedy, a retired UMWA mine worker from Appalachia, VA who worked in Westmoreland’s Bullitt Mine. “For some people, it’s going to mean the difference between ‘Do you eat three times a day?’ or ‘do you eat twice?’ ‘Do you pay the power bill?’ ‘or ‘do you buy prescriptions?’ That’s what it’s going to mean.”

Currently, the 1974 UMWA Pension Plan is on the road to insolvency due to coal company bankruptcies and the 2008 financial crisis. The American Miners Act of 2019 will shore up the 1974 UMWA Pension Plan to make sure that 87,000 current beneficiaries and an additional 20,000 retirees who have vested won’t lose the pensions they have paid into for decades. In Virginia alone, there are approximately 7,000 pensioners who are at risk of losing their benefits if Congress does not act.

In May 2017, Sen. Warner worked with several colleagues to pass bipartisan legislation to protect healthcare for retired miners – including more than 10,000 miners and their families in Virginia – who were orphaned by coal bankruptcies. But the recent Westmoreland bankruptcy has endangered health care benefits for additional miners and dependents – including 500 people in Virginia. This legislation will extend the fix to ensure that miners who are at risk due to 2018 coal company bankruptcies will not lose their healthcare.

Lastly, the bill also calls for an extension of the tax that finances medical treatment and basic expenses for miners suffering from black lung. The Black Lung Disability Trust Fund was established in 1978 to pay benefits to disabled miners suffering from black lung disease when the coal company responsible for paying benefits is bankrupt, closed or otherwise not able to pay. More than 25,000 coal miners and their dependents rely on the fund. The fund, which due to a variety of factors is currently more than $4 billion in debt, is supported by an excise tax that was cut in half at the end of 2018. The American Miners Act of 2019 will extend the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund tax at $1.10 per ton of underground-mined coal and $0.55 per ton of surface-mined coal for ten years. You can read his Bristol Herald Courier op-ed on the legislation here.

Sen. Warner is a strong advocate for coal miners and their families. In August 2018, he introduced and passed into law legislation to improve early detection and treatment of black lung disease among coal miners. 

The American Miners Act of 2019 is also sponsored by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Doug Jones (D-AL) and Bob Casey (D-PA). For more information on the American Miners Act of 2019, click here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today applauded an announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the City of Charlottesville and the Town of Pulaski will receive federal assistance to support revitalization strategies that improve quality of life and help develop each community’s local food economy. This assistance comes from Local Foods, Local Places (LFLP) – a federal initiative designed to support communities seeking to improve access to nutritious foods, boost economic opportunities for local farmers and businesses, preserve open space and farmland, protect air and water quality, and promote childhood wellness. 

“With an estimated 1 million Virginians living in food deserts, we are thrilled to know that Charlottesville and Pulaski will be receiving federal help to develop plans that increase food access for families,” said the Senators. “We look forward to seeing these communities continue to build healthier, stronger neighborhoods.”

Charlottesville and Pulaski were two of 15 communities selected nationwide out of a pool of more than 70 applications. In Charlottesville, the Charlottesville Food Justice Network plans to develop an integrated strategy to use affordable food markets and urban agriculture to advance food equity in low-income neighborhoods. Additionally, the Town of Pulaski plans to use this assistance to explore the effects of increased food access and healthy living programs on ongoing downtown revitalizations. 

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long stressed the importance of providing better resources to low-income, rural and urban communities who have limited or no access to nutritious foods. In March, Sen. Warner introduced the Healthy Food Access for All Americans Act (HFAAA) – legislation to incentivize food service providers like grocers, retailers, and nonprofits to expand access to nutritious foods in underserved communities. Additionally, earlier this year Sens. Warner and Kaine, along with a group of 45 other Senators urged the Trump administration to rescind a proposed rule that would take away nutrition benefits from Americans struggling to find stable employment. Last month, Sen. Kaine visited Pulaski to hear about ongoing economic revitalization.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), along with Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), reintroduced legislation today to hold large credit reporting agencies (CRAs) – including Equifax – accountable for data breaches involving sensitive consumer data. The Data Breach Prevention and Compensation Act will provide robust compensation to consumers for stolen data, impose mandatory penalties on CRAs for data breaches, and give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) more direct supervisory authority over data security at CRAs.

“It’s been nearly two years since hackers accessed the personal information of more than 143 million Americans, yet thousands of individuals continue to grapple with the effects of this massive breach,” said Sen. Warner. “As personal data becomes more and more valuable in today’s information economy, and the scale and impact to consumers of mega-breaches increase, there needs to be increased consequences for companies like Equifax that mishandle or neglect to properly safeguard consumer data. By imposing strict penalties for data breaches and facilitating compensations for affected Americans, this legislation will increase accountability and help ensure that credit reporting agencies actively prioritize the security of sensitive consumer information.”

“It's been over a year and a half since Equifax opened to the doors to hackers who stole the personal data of more than half the adults in the country, and this new report shows that Equifax still has a long way to fix the problem it created,” said Sen. Warren. “Our bill, which would hold companies like Equifax accountable for failing to protect consumer data, would compensate consumers injured by these breaches and help ensure that they never happen again.”

In September 2017, Equifax announced that hackers had accessed and stolen sensitive personal information, including Social Security Numbers, birth dates, credit card numbers, driver's license numbers, and passport numbers, belonging to more than 143 million Americans – a number later revised up to 145.5 million people. The breach highlighted that CRAs like Equifax retain vast amounts of data on millions of Americans but often lack adequate safeguards against hackers. Since 2013, Equifax has reported at least four separate hacks in which sensitive personal information was compromised.

The Data Breach Prevention and Compensation Act would:

· Establish an Office of Cybersecurity at the FTC tasked with annual inspections and supervision of cybersecurity at CRAs.
· Impose mandatory, strict liability penalties for breaches involving consumer data, beginning with a base penalty of $100 for each consumer who had one piece of personal identifying information (PII) compromised and another $50 for each additional PII compromised per consumer. Under this bill, Equifax would have had to pay at least a $1.5 billion penalty for their failure to protect Americans' personal information.
· Ensure a robust recovery for affected consumers by requiring the FTC to use 50% of its penalty to compensate consumers.
· Increase penalties in cases of woefully inadequate cybersecurity or if a CRA fails to timely notify the FTC of a breach.
· Enhance FTC enforcement by giving the FTC civil penalty authority under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.

Additionally, Sens. Warren and Warner, and Rep. Krishnamoorthi, in a new analysis of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) consumer complaints, revealed that consumers filed more than 52,000 complaints related to Equifax in the 18 months following the announcement of the Equifax breach – nearly double the number from the same period before the breach was announced. The report shows how Equifax continues to fail affected consumers by neglecting to provide adequate responses to consumer complaints, including by refusing to remove incorrect information from credit reports. The lawmakers also sent the report to the FTC and CFPB, requesting that the agencies take action.

The Data Breach Prevention and Compensation Act is supported by cybersecurity experts and consumer groups:

"This bill requires the FTC to provide much-needed oversight of the credit bureaus for data security. It also imposes real and meaningful penalties when the credit bureaus, who hold our most sensitive financial information, fail to adequately protect that information. I commend Senator Warren, Senator Warner, and Congressmen Cummings and Krishnamoorthi for their continuing efforts to prevent another massive security failure like the Equifax data breach," said National Consumer Law Center Staff Attorney, Chi Chi Wu.

"A concrete response to a serious problem facing American consumers. The ongoing risk of data breach and identity theft have reached epidemic proportions. We clearly need more expertise in the federal government to address this challenge. We hope the Senate will more forward this important and timely effort to safeguard American consumers and Internet users,” said Electronic Privacy Information Center President and Executive Director, Marc Rotenberg

“Equifax still hasn’t paid a price two years after losing the financial DNA of 150 million Americans. That’s why U.S. PIRG commends Senator Warner, Senator Warren, and Congressmen Cummings and Krishnamoorthi for reintroducing the Data Breach Prevention and Compensation Act. The bill provides strong oversight and meaningful financial penalties to incentivize the credit bureaus to protect our data,” said U.S. PIRG Consumer Campaign Director, Mike Litt.

"Making the companies that collect and sell consumers’ personal information liable when they fail to secure it is a necessary step in ensuring our privacy rights,” said Former Chief Technologist at the FTC, Ashkan Soltani.

More statements of support are available here. More information about this bill can be found here. For text of the bill, click here.

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, has introduced the Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would help save millions of federal dollars by curbing erroneous payments to deceased individuals.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains the most complete federal database of individuals who are reported to have died. However, only a small number of federal agencies have access to this official list, and most federal agencies rely on a slimmed down, incomplete, and less timely version of the death information. In addition, most Inspectors General lack access to the complete death information. As a result, many federal agencies make erroneous payments to people who are actually deceased. 

“This should be a no-brainer: One of the easiest ways we can cut down on government waste, fraud, and abuse is by stopping fraudulent payments made to dead people,” said Sen. Warner. “This bill will save millions in taxpayer dollars. It’s just common sense.” 

The SSA Office of the Inspector General reported that in 2015, according to the agency’s own records, there were 6.5 million people who have active Social Security numbers who are 112 years of age or older. In reality, there are only a few dozen people known to be that old in the entire world. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) estimated that it paid $239 million in “suspect” tax refunds in 2016.

Key provisions in the bill include:

·         Allowing Federal Agencies Access to the Complete Death Database. Under current law, only federal agencies that directly manage programs making beneficiary payments have access to complete death data.  The Act allows all appropriate federal agencies to have access to the complete death data for program integrity purposes, as well as other needs such as public safety and health.

·         Requiring Use of Death Data to Curb Improper Payments. The Act would require that federal agencies make appropriate use of the death data in order to curb improper payments.

·         Improving the Death Data. The legislation would establish procedures to ensure more accurate death data. For example, the bill requires the SSA to screen for “extremely elderly” individuals. This is in response to a 2015 Inspector General Report that identified 6.5 million individuals currently listed as being older than 112 years of age as still alive.

In addition to Sen. Warner, the Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act was introduced by Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE), John Kennedy (R-LA), Jon Tester (D-MT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ). Bipartisan companion legislation has also been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL) and Congressman Greg Gianforte (R-MT).

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Tom Carper (D-Del.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Mark Warner (D-Va.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) on Wednesday introduced legislation to reauthorize the highly successful Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails program run by the National Park Service. For more than 20 years, the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network has expanded public access to the Chesapeake Bay through a state, local, and federal partnership of 172 Chesapeake sites, parks, wildlife refuges and water trails. The program facilitates enhanced interpretation, education, youth employment, recreation and access to the Chesapeake Bay and rivers, and trailheads for the Captain John Smith Chesapeake and Star-Spangled Banner national historic trails. 

The bicameral, bipartisan effort to reauthorize the Chesapeake Gateways and Watertrails Program is spearheaded in the House of Representatives by Congressman John P. Sarbanes (MD-3). The legislation is endorsed by the Chesapeake Conservancy, National Parks Conservation Association, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Choose Clean Water Coalition, and National Parks Conservation Association. 

“Virginians deserve to be able to enjoy all the natural treasures that our Commonwealth has to offer, and the Chesapeake Bay is no exception,” said Senator Warner. “Reauthorizing the Chesapeake Gateways and Watertrails program will facilitate community access to the Bay and further public education about the Bay’s unique history and rich ecology. This legislation will also continue to boost Virginia’s outdoor recreation industry, which supports 197,000 direct jobs and generates more than $21 billion in consumer spending per year.”

“Every year, the Gateways and Watertrails Network teaches millions of visitors about the vital historic, economic, and environmental role the Chesapeake Bay watershed plays,” said Senator Kaine. “There are over three dozen Gateways and Watertrails sites across Virginia, and I’m proud of this bipartisan effort to continue supporting them and the surrounding local economies.”

“The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure and contributes $1 trillion to our regional economy. But if you cannot get to the Bay, you cannot enjoy all it has to offer,” said Senator Cardin.  “The Gateways and Watertrails program has been a gamechanger, making the entire Bay experience accessible, attractive and enjoyable for all. I am proud of our ongoing, regional effort to continue federal support for this important program supporting the natural gateways to the Chesapeake Bay.” 

“This program is one of best tools at our disposal to boost public access to the places that make the Chesapeake Bay Watershed such an important national treasure, “ said Senator Carper. “Delaware boasts a variety of sites – both coastal and inland - that speak to the cultural and natural value of the region and draw visitors who contribute to our state’s $3 billion a year tourism economy. I’m excited to continue my support of this crucial federal-state partnership.”

“The Chesapeake Bay watershed is one of our greatest natural resources, providing wonderful recreational opportunities and supporting the livelihoods of millions across our region,” said Senator Coons. “Thousands of visitors from around the country visit our region to immerse themselves in our breathtaking natural landscapes and experience all of the natural, cultural, and historic sites the Chesapeake has to offer. I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of the bipartisan reauthorization of the Chesapeake Gateways and Watertrails program.” 

“The Bay is a national treasure and a critical economic driver in Maryland. Reauthorizing the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails program will ensure that families can continue to make memories on its waters and shores for generations to come. I’m pleased to support this effort to boost tourism and preserve the Bay, and I will continue working in Congress on this crucial issue,” said Senator Van Hollen.   

Visitation at Chesapeake Gateways sites exceeds 10 million people annually, and the competitive grants program is oversubscribed every year.  The National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office provides matching grants between $5,000 and $50,000 for projects that enhance public education of and access to the Chesapeake Bay. Only sites that have gone through a rigorous review process and have been formally selected as part of the Gateway and Watertrails Network are eligible for the competitive grants.

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WASHINGTON – With summer vacation season just around the corner, Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) are drawing attention to an unexpected danger to beachgoers: flying beach umbrellas. Essential staples of many family vacations, the popular beach accessories can quickly become hazards when propelled by wind through the air, as has happened on several occasions in recent years, most tragically in 2016, when Lottie Michelle Belk of Chester, Va. was struck in the torso and killed while vacationing in Virginia Beach with her family. Today, Virginia’s Senators were joined by their colleagues from New Jersey, Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-NJ), in asking the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to do more to inform and protect the public from dangerous, and potentially lethal, flying beach umbrellas.

“As you know, beach umbrellas provide beachgoers the benefits of shade on hot and sunny days at the shore. Yet, a burst of wind can make these summer accessories harmful to those around them,” the Senators wrote to Consumer Product Safety Commission Chair Elliot Kaye. “Over the last several years, reports of horrific injuries resulting from beach umbrellas have splashed across the media.”

According to data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 31,000 people were treated at hospitals for umbrella-related injuries between 2008 and 2017. However, the publicly available data falls short of providing consumers with recommended safety standards to prevent beach umbrella-related injuries or information on specific products that have caused serious injuries.

The Senators noted several examples of these injuries, including a Virginia man who lost the use of his eye after a seven-foot-long beach umbrella struck him at a beach in Delaware.

The Senators are requesting more information from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, including what safety standards are in place to prevent umbrella-related injuries and problems with specific beach umbrella products, and what it is doing to ensure the public is properly educated of the risks and dangers of beach umbrellas to prevent injuries. They also requested that the CPSC provide a detailed breakdown of data on umbrella injuries, including the number of injuries caused specifically by beach umbrellas.

Full text of the letter is below and a copy can be found here.

May 2, 2019

Ann Marie Buerkle

Acting Chairman, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

4330 East West Highway

Bethesda, MD 20814

Dear Acting Chairman Buerkle,

We write regarding concerns about the safety of beach umbrellas. Recently, we heard from constituents impacted by flying beach umbrellas, which have caused injury, and in at least one recent case, death. As you know, beach umbrellas provide beachgoers the benefits of shade on hot and sunny days at the shore. Yet, a burst of wind can make these summer accessories harmful to those around them. According to a query on the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s own website, from 2008-2017 over 31,000 people sought treatment at a hospital due to an umbrella-related injury. Unfortunately, the CPSC does not parse out the data to differentiate between types of umbrellas. Nonetheless, we request information regarding how the CPSC plans to address this issue.

Over the last several years, reports of horrific injuries resulting from beach umbrellas have splashed across the media. In 2015, a Virginian man lost the use of his eye after a seven-foot-long beach umbrella struck him at Bethany Beach, Delaware. Last year, a beach umbrella came loose from the sand in Seaside Heights, New Jersey impaling a British tourist through the ankle. That same summer a woman sitting on the beach in Ocean City, Maryland was pierced below the collarbone by a beach umbrella. Most tragically, in June 2016, a Virginia resident lost her life after a gust of wind launched an umbrella into the air, striking her in the torso while she was on vacation in Virginia Beach. The scourge of beach umbrellas is not a new phenomenon. In 2006, a woman in New York received $200,000 from New York State because of injuries she sustained from an airborne beach umbrella in 1999; the umbrella struck her forehead resulting in 13 stitches and permanent nerve damage.

To ensure the public is equipped with the most updated information, we request responses to the following questions:

1. What if any safety standards does the CPSC have in place to adequately prevent beach umbrella-related injuries?
2. Does CPSC believe any particular safety standard could prevent injuries?
3. What is the CPSC doing to educate the public regarding the dangers of beach umbrellas?
4. Has the CPSC received complaints regarding beach umbrellas? If so, what do those reports indicate about injuries related to beach umbrellas?
5. Is the CPSC aware of problems with specific beach umbrellas that have not been made public?
6. Can the CPSC provide a detailed breakdown of data on umbrella injuries? Specifically, how many injuries are specifically caused by beach umbrellas?

We appreciate CPSC’s willingness to take a direct look at the concerns raised by our constituents, and look forward hearing back from you by June 3, 2019.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine joined Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to introduce the Revitalizing the Economy of Coal Communities by Leveraging Local Activities and Investing More (RECLAIM) Act of 2019 to provide opportunities for coal reclamation and economic development in communities impacted by the downturn in the coal industry.

“As technologies evolve and our economy changes, we cannot forget about the coal mining communities that for years fueled our nation. The RECLAIM Act reiterates our economic commitment to these mining communities by fast-tracking the release of $1 billion from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund and using it to fund projects that reinvigorate communities, promote economic growth and counteract the environmental effects of coal mining locally,” said Warner. 

"Mine reclamation supports hundreds of jobs in Virginia each year, strengthens our economy, and helps clean up the environment,” said Kaine. “This bill would let money already sitting in the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund be used to boost economic development in coal communities.”

The RECLAIM Act of 2019 releases $1 billion from the remaining, unappropriated balance in the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to states to be spent on reclamation projects in communities impacted by abandoned mine lands (AML) and the recent decrease in coal mining production. The RECLAIM Act will also require states to carry out reclamation projects that will create favorable conditions for economic development.

These projects must be conducted in areas that have been adversely affected by a reduction in coal mining related activity and/or in communities that have traditionally relied on coal mining for a substantial portion of their economy.  Under the RECLAIM Act, $195 million will be distributed to uncertified states and tribes with approved AML programs each year from Fiscal Year 2020 to 2024. 

Virginia has over 71,000 acres of land that has been impacted by coal mining. It is estimated that it would take approximately 55 years at the current rate of funding and reclamation construction to reclaim Abandoned Mine Land sites in the Commonwealth. The estimated price tag for reclamation is over $313 million. The RECLAIM Act would provide additional funding to the Virginia Abandoned Mine Land program and help speed up reclamation efforts in Southwest Virginia.

To learn more about the RECLAIM Act click here and to read the full bill text click here.

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Washington, D.C. – Today, top House and Senate Democrats sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr rejecting his limited offer to view a less-redacted version of Special Counsel Mueller’s report. The proposal would only allow twelve Members of Congress to view a less-redacted version of the report in person and would not permit them to discuss it with other Members of Congress who all have top security clearances.

In their letter, the Members wrote, “While the current proposal is not workable, we are open to discussing a reasonable accommodation with the Department that would protect law enforcement sensitive information while allowing Congress to fulfill its constitutional duties.”

The letter is signed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Senate Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA). 

A full copy of the letter can be found here and below.

April 19, 2019

The Honorable William P. Barr

Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Washington, D.C. 20530

Dear Attorney General Barr:

We write in response to your proposal regarding restricted access to a less redacted version of Special Counsel Mueller’s report.  Unfortunately, your proposed accommodation—which among other things would prohibit discussion of the full report, even with other Committee Members—is not acceptable. 

In order for Congress to fulfill its functions as intended by the Constitution, it must operate as a coequal and coordinate branch of government.  Given the comprehensive factual findings presented by the Special Counsel’s Report, some of which will only be fully understood with access to the redacted material, we cannot agree to the conditions you are placing on our access to the full report.  Nor can we agree to an arrangement that does not include a mechanism for ensuring access to grand jury material.    

As the Special Counsel stated, “The conclusion that Congress may apply the obstruction laws to the President’s corrupt exercise of the powers of office accords with our constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law.”  The Department now has a duty to submit the full report and underlying evidence to Congress so that it can fulfill its constitutional responsibilities.  This includes considering whether legislation is needed in light of the findings contained in Special Counsel Mueller’s report and the Attorney General’s determination that no prosecution is warranted despite those facts.

While the current proposal is not workable, we are open to discussing a reasonable accommodation with the Department that would protect law enforcement sensitive information while allowing Congress to fulfill its constitutional duties.

Sincerely,

__________________________________

Nancy Pelosi

Speaker

U.S. House of Representatives

_________________________________

Chuck Schumer

Democratic Leader

U.S. Senate

__________________________________

Jerrold Nadler

Chairman

House Committee on the Judiciary

__________________________________

Adam Schiff

Chairman

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

__________________________________

Dianne Feinstein

Ranking Member

Senate Committee on the Judiciary

__________________________________

Mark Warner

Ranking Member

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

cc:        Honorable Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader, House of Representatives

Honorable Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader, Senate

Honorable Doug Collins, Ranking Member, House Committee on the Judiciary 

            Honorable Lindsey Graham, Chairman, Senate Committee on the Judiciary

Honorable Devin Nunes, Ranking Member, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

            Honorable Richard Burr, Chairman, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

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WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Mark Warner (D-VA), co-chairs of the Senate India Caucus, sent a letter to United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, urging him to consider delaying the issuance of a proclamation to withdraw India’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program benefits and to keep an open dialogue with the Indian Government.

“As Co-Chairs of the United States Senate’s India Caucus, we fully appreciate and support your efforts to address a host of market access issues facing American businesses in India. Congressional support for the GSP program was made clear last year when the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives reauthorized the program, in nearly unanimous fashion, for three years. While we agree that there are a number of market access issues that can and should be addressed, we do remain concerned that the withdrawal of duty concessions will make Indian exports of eligible products to the United States costlier, as the importer of those products will have to pay a ‘Most Favored Nation’ (MFN), duty which is higher than the rate under GSP. Some of these costs will likely be passed on to American consumers,” the Senators wrote. 

“We believe that allowing for continued negotiations beyond the elections would underscore the importance of this bilateral relationship and provide a real opportunity to resolve these market access issues, potentially improving the overall U.S.-India relationship for years to come.”

The signed letter is here, and full text is below.

April 12, 2019

The Honorable Robert E. Lighthizer

Ambassador

Office of the United States Trade Representative

600 17th Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C., 20508

Dear Ambassador Lighthizer:

We write to you today regarding the ongoing negotiations between the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry regarding the duty-free treatment of goods under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program.

As you know, in April 2018, the USTR announced that it planned to review the GSP eligibility of a number of countries, including India. The USTR’s announcement specifically cited “concerns related to its compliance with GSP market access criterion,” based on petitions filed from the U.S. medical device and dairy industries. On March 4, 2019, Congress was notified of USTR’s intention to terminate India’s designation as a beneficiary developing country under GSP due to a lack of compliance. We understand that the Administration may issue a proclamation withdrawing India’s GSP benefits 60 days or later from the congressional notification date.

As Co-Chairs of the United States Senate’s India Caucus, we fully appreciate and support your efforts to address a host of market access issues facing American businesses in India. Congressional support for the GSP program was made clear last year when the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives reauthorized the program, in nearly unanimous fashion, for three years. While we agree that there are a number of market access issues that can and should be addressed, we do remain concerned that the withdrawal of duty concessions will make Indian exports of eligible products to the United States costlier, as the importer of those products will have to pay a “Most Favored Nation” (MFN), duty which is higher than the rate under GSP. Some of these costs will likely be passed on to American consumers.

As you know, India’s elections will conclude on May 23, 2019. We believe that the election season may serve as a hindrance for our Indian counterparts in negotiating and concluding a deal on difficult political issues. If another round of negotiations during the election season does not resolve the outstanding issues, we would ask you to consider delaying the issuance of a Presidential proclamation to withdraw India’s GSP benefits by at least 30 days, beyond the 60 day calendar, in order to move the negotiations beyond India’s elections. We believe that allowing for continued negotiations beyond the elections would underscore the importance of this bilateral relationship and provide a real opportunity to resolve these market access issues, potentially improving the overall U.S.-India relationship for years to come.

We appreciate you and team’s continued efforts to resolve a small but significant set of trade issues through the GSP review process. We stand ready and willing to assist in any way possible to ensure that the U.S.-India relationship remains strong.

Sincerely,

/s/

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Ms. Ryann DuRant

Press Secretary

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine joined 42 of their Senate Democratic colleagues to introduce the Working Families Tax Relief Act (WFTRA), legislation that is estimated to increase the incomes of over 1 million Virginia families, benefitting almost 2.7 million Virginians. The bill aims to cut taxes for workers and families at a time when wages are stagnant and the cost of childcare has continued to rise by expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC), two of the most effective tools we have to put money in the pockets of working people and pull children out of poverty. Expanding these tax credits will give millions more Americans a foothold in the middle class.

“All over Virginia, there are people who are working full-time and still struggling to make ends meet because expenses are rising faster than their wages can keep up,” said Warner. “By expanding two critical tax credits, this legislation will provide dependable financial relief to millions of low- and moderate-income households as well as families with children so that folks can finally focus on getting ahead.”

“More and more Virginia workers are taking on longer hours just to keep up with the rising costs of supporting a family,” said Kaine. “After President Trump and Congressional Republicans passed a tax law to disproportionately benefit millionaires and billionaires, expanding these tax credits can finally offer hard working families the resources to ensure their financial security.” 

  The Working Families Tax Relief Act would:

• Boost the incomes of 46 million households and 114 million people, including 43 million children. 

• Lift 7 million people out of poverty, including 3 million children. 

• Expand the EITC for families with children by roughly 25 percent.

• Significantly expand the EITC for workers without children and make the credit available for people starting at age 19 up to age 67. Currently, workers without children can be pulled under the poverty line by taxes. Expanding the EITC would fix that.  

• Make the CTC fully refundable, so the more than 26 million children who were left out of the Trump tax law get the support they deserve.  

• Create a Young Child Tax Credit to provide extra support to children five and under, when research says they need it most. 

• Allow workers to draw a $500 advance payment on their EITC so that families aren’t forced to turn to predatory payday lenders when the car breaks down or other unexpected expenses come up. 

Read more about the bill HERE.

Along with Senators Warner and Kaine and sponsor Senator Sherrod Brown, cosponsors of the bill include: Michael Bennet, Dick Durbin, Ron Wyden, Patrick Leahy, Patty Murray, Jack Reed, Chuck Schumer, Tom Carper, Debbie Stabenow, Maria Cantwell, Bob Menendez, Benjamin Cardin Bernie Sanders, Bob Casey, Amy Klobuchar, Sheldon Whitehouse, Jon Tester, Tom Udall, Jeanne Shaheen, Jeff Merkley, Kirsten Gillibrand, Chris Coons, Richard Blumenthal, Brian Schatz, Tammy Baldwin, Chris Murphy, Mazie Hirono, Martin Heinrich, Angus King, Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, Cory Booker, Gary Peters, Chris Van Hollen, Tammy Duckworth, Maggie Hassan, Kamala Harris, Catherine Cortez Masto, Tina Smith, Doug Jones, and Jacky Rosen. 

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WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $43,460,812 in federal funding to support affordable housing development across Virginia. The funding, which will go to 26 municipalities across the Commonwealth, has been awarded through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Public Housing Capital Fund.

“All Virginians deserve access to safe and affordable housing,” the Senators said. “We are pleased that this federal funding will help make a difference in communities across Virginia.”

HUD’s Capital Fund provides critical federal dollars to Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) in Virginia for the development, financing, and modernization of public housing developments.

The Virginia housing authorities that received funding are listed below:

City                                                          Virginia Housing Authority Recipient                                Amount

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WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a resolution introduced by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) officially congratulating the University of Virginia men’s basketball team for winning the 2019 NCAA championship.   

“This tournament was a wild ride with an ending that the entire Commonwealth can be proud of,” said Sen. Warner. “I want to commend Coach Bennett, his staff and the entire team for a hard-fought win and, for the first time in history, bringing this title home to Virginia!”

“We were so proud to watch UVA’s teamwork and tenacity day-in and day-out on the way to winning their first national championship,” said Sen. Kaine. “Congratulations to the entire team, Coach Bennett, and his coaching staff on a fantastic season and tournament. Go Hoos!”

During the tournament, Sen. Warner held a friendly wager with Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) on the outcome of the Final Four match between Auburn and UVA. With a nail-biting win, UVA beat Auburn, securing a seat in the championship game and ultimately bringing home the NCAA title.  

Text of the resolution “Commending the University of Virginia men's basketball team for winning the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men's Basketball Championship” can be found here and below.

Whereas on Monday, April 8, 2019, the University of Virginia men’s basketball team (referred to in this preamble as the “Virginia Cavaliers”) won the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association (referred to in this preamble as the “NCAA”) Division I Men’s Basketball Championship by defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders by a score of 85–77 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota;

Whereas the Virginia Cavaliers made history by winning the first National Championship in men’s basketball for the University of Virginia;

Whereas the Virginia Cavaliers were regular season co-champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference (referred to in this preamble as the “ACC”), marking the fourth time the team has won this title in the past 6 seasons;

Whereas the Virginia Cavaliers finished the 2018–2019 season with a record of 35–3 and as the top-ranked scoring defense in the country, holding opponents to just 55.5 points per game;

Whereas Tony Bennett, the head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers, has, along with his staff, established a program built on “The Five Pillars” — Humility, Passion, Unity, Servanthood, and Thankfulness;

Whereas Coach Bennett has, in his 10 seasons at the University of Virginia, been named National Coach of the Year 3 times, placing him second all-time behind legendary coach John Wooden;

Whereas for the second consecutive season, Coach Bennett was named ACC Coach of the Year;

Whereas De’Andre Hunter and Kyle Guy received All-ACC First Team honors for the 2018–2019 season;

Whereas Ty Jerome received All-ACC Second Team honors for the 2018–2019 season;

Whereas De’Andre Hunter was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team;

Whereas to advance to the Final Four, true freshman Kihei Clark executed a precision half-court pass to teammate Mamadi Diakite, setting up his buzzer-beating tying basket;

Whereas the pass from Clark to Diakite was termed “the play of the century” by teammate Ty Jerome;

Whereas De’Andre Hunter finished the championship game with 27 points and 9 rebounds in 44 minutes;

Whereas Kyle Guy finished the championship game with 24 points and a 53.3 field goal percentage in 45 minutes;

Whereas De’Andre Hunter, Kyle Guy, and Ty Jerome — all part of the Virginia Cavaliers’ 2016 recruiting class — scored 67 of Virginia’s 85 points in the championship game;

Whereas Kyle Guy was 11-for-11 in his final free throws of the tournament;

Whereas the Virginia Cavaliers made all 12 of their free throws during overtime of the championship game;

Whereas the entire Virginia Cavaliers team will forever be remembered for their resilience in overcoming defeat in the 2018 NCAA Tournament by winning the national championship just 1 year later;

Whereas the Virginia Cavaliers represented the Commonwealth of Virginia with remarkable class, sportsmanship, dedication, and teamwork; and

Whereas the Virginia Cavaliers brought pride to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the City of Charlottesville, and the greater University of Virginia community: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) congratulates and honors the University of Virginia men’s basketball team for their performance in the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament;

(2) highlights and celebrates the grit, resilience, and commitment to excellence of the players, coaches, managers, parents, and families of the Virginia Cavaliers; and

(3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to—

(A) the President of the University of Virginia, James E. Ryan;

(B) the Director of Athletics at the University of Virginia, Carla Williams; and

(C) the head coach of the University of Virginia men’s basketball team, Tony Bennett.

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