WASHINGTON— U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced that Hampton Roads Transit will receive a total of $2,290,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

“This federal funding ensures that Hampton Roads can invest in newer and more energy-efficient public buses,” the Senators said. “These upgrades will help modernize the public bus fleet and reduce our carbon footprint while improving the reliability of the public transit network for a region that is in critical need of new transportation investments.” 

The funding was awarded through the U.S. DOT Federal Transit Administration’s Low or No Emission Program (Low-No). The federal funding assists state and local governments in purchasing or leasing zero-emission and low-emission transit buses and supporting facilities for recharging, refueling and maintaining their fleet. In the Senate, Sens. Warner and Kaine continue to advocate for funding to improve transportation and mass transit priorities. In 2015, Sens. Warner and Kaine voted in favor of the FAST ACT, a bipartisan House-Senate agreement that funds national transit and highway projects over five years. In August 2018, Sens. Warner and Kaine voted in support of a spending package that provides $26.6 billion in discretionary spending for U.S. DOT for FY2019. The spending bill will now go to conference where it will be reconciled with a version passed by the House of Representatives.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today released the following statement on President Trump’s unilateral move to freeze federal employee pay in 2019: 

“Let’s be clear: the President’s decision to cancel any pay increase for federal employees is not motivated by a sudden onset of fiscal responsibility. Today’s announcement has nothing to do with making government more cost-efficient – it’s just the latest attack in the Trump Administration’s war on federal employees. 

“I’ve worked for years in the Senate to reduce duplicative and wasteful spending, and make government more efficient. If President Trump seriously wants to make that a priority, then I’d be happy to work with the White House on that effort. But let’s be honest: the President and his party, which controls both houses of Congress, have had every chance over the last 18 months to get serious about tackling our fiscal challenges. Instead, the President ballooned the deficit by trillions of dollars with a tax giveaway primarily benefitting big business and the wealthiest Americans. I can think of nothing more hypocritical or disingenuous than to turn around and throw hardworking federal employees under the bus on the pretext of fiscal responsibility.

“Congress can and must stand up to the President and reject this assault on our federal workers by passing the 1.9 percent pay raise that the Senate approved on August 1.”

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Mike Rounds (R-SD), both members of the Senate Banking Committee, introduced legislation that would help expand access to mortgages for the self-employed, gig workers, and other creditworthy individuals with non-traditional forms of income while protecting consumers. The Self-Employed Mortgage Access Act would help creditworthy borrowers with non-traditional forms of income by allowing lenders to verify an applicant’s income using additional forms of documentation other than the W-2.

“An increasing number of Americans make their living through alternative work arrangements, like gig work or self-employment. Too many of these otherwise creditworthy individuals are being shut out of the mortgage market because they don’t have the same documentation of their income – paystubs or a W-2 – as someone who works 9-to-5. This bill will allow these workers to supply other forms of paperwork to verify their income while continuing to protect consumers from predatory lending,” said Sen. Warner.  

“Small businesses in South Dakota are the backbone of our economy and the heartbeat of our communities,” said Sen. Rounds. “We shouldn’t unfairly punish entrepreneurs, farmers and other small business owners because they don’t earn income on a W-2. Our legislation gives financial institutions flexibility in the forms of documentation that can be used when applying for mortgage credit, making it easier for South Dakota families to realize their dreams of homeownership.”

In response to the mortgage crisis, in 2010, Congress included in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act a requirement that creditors determine whether a borrower can afford to repay a mortgage loan as part of the lending process. In January 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) adopted the Ability-to-Repay (ATR) Rule, which requires lenders to look at a customer’s income, assets, savings, and debt in relation to monthly loan payments in order to satisfy the requirements for a Qualified Mortgage (QM). Since the QM standard was finalized, lenders and investors in the mortgage market have shown a clear preference for QM loans due to the potential for liability associated with making non-QM loans.

Unless a loan is eligible for sale to the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) or insurance by government agencies, QM loans require lenders to satisfy the rigid requirements of the CFPB’s Appendix Q guidelines.  These guidelines often results in a less precise calculation of income for borrowers with non-W-2 income sources, such as rental income, retirement income, or income from self-employment.  The effect is creditworthy individuals relying on non-traditional income, who represent up to 42 million Americans, or 30 percent of the labor force, are unduly constrained in their ability to obtain a mortgage.

The legislation would expand the types of documentation that self-employed individuals could submit to demonstrate they are a credit worthy borrower and banks could use to keep a loan in qualifying mortgage status. Those types of documentation include the IRS Form 1040 Schedule C for sole proprietorships, the IRS Form 1040 Schedule F for farming, the IRS Form 1065 Schedule K-1 for partnerships and the IRS Form 1120-S for S Corporations. 

“The ability to repay and associated Qualified Mortgage rules are among the most important consumer protections to emerge from the financial crisis and the Dodd-Frank Act.  This bill would provide common sense direction to the CFPB in its application of the statutory requirements and give lenders and consumers alike an easier, less burdensome way to meet these tests without weakening their important protections for consumers,” said Barry Zigas, Director of Housing, Consumer Federation of America.

“The Mortgage Bankers Association strongly supports the Self-Employed Mortgage Access Act, introduced by Senators Mark Warner and Mike Rounds.  This bipartisan, common sense legislation would allow the use of prudent and well-established underwriting standards to responsibly expand access to mortgage credit by providing lenders and investors greater certainty about standards for validating borrower ability to repay.  We believe consumers who own small businesses or are otherwise self-employed should not face unnecessary obstacles to homeownership.  By allowing the use of standards already in place at FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, this legislation better ensures that all consumers are treated on a level playing field when it comes to mortgage underwriting,” said Bill Killmer, Senior Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs, Mortgage Bankers Association. 

“The consumer protections embedded in the ability to repay and Qualified Mortgage rules must be preserved as a centerpiece of post-financial crisis mortgage reforms. But experience has demonstrated that inadequate lender guidance on how to underwrite applicants that do not fit a standardized model has left many consumers underserved.  By expanding responsible lender guidance beyond that available in Appendix Q, this bill should broaden access to credit for self-employed, seasonal workers, and low- and moderate-income borrowers,” said Michael Stegman, Senior Fellow, Housing Finance Program, Center for Financial Markets, The Milken Institute.

Full bill text is available here. 

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today released the following statement on today’s GSA Inspector General’s report on the FBI headquarters decision:

“The IG’s findings are extremely troubling. The IG report reinforces the concerns that I have had since the Trump Administration halted the consolidated FBI headquarters procurement process. It highlights problems – both procedural and financial – that have resulted from Trump’s impulsive decision to halt a process that was years in the making. It is clear that the Administration’s flawed approach has failed, and that our law enforcement and intelligence workforce would be best served by returning to plans to build a consolidated headquarters building.”

Sens. Warner and Tim Kaine have for years worked with the Maryland Senators as well as the bipartisan Virginia delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives to secure funding for a new FBI headquarters to replace the current, deteriorating J. Edgar Hoover building in Washington, which was built in 1974. In 2014, the General Services Administration (GSA) announced that a site in Springfield, Va. was one of three finalists for a consolidated HQ that would house all 11,000 area FBI employees, who are currently scattered across multiple sites in D.C., Virginia and Maryland. However, in July 2017, the Trump Administration abruptly backed away from more than five years of government preparations to relocate the FBI HQ, announcing instead in February 2018 plans to demolish the existing FBI headquarters in Washington and build a new facility in its place. The GSA has estimated that this new plan would cost $3.3 billion – including $1.9 billion in construction costs, added to the cost of temporarily relocating thousands of FBI employees while the existing structure is demolished and a new building constructed in its place.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue calling for strict enforcement to protect horses from the abusive practice known as “soring.” Horse soring involves show horse trainers intentionally applying substances or devices to a horse's limb to make each step painful, forcing a horse to perform an exaggerated high-stepping gait that is rewarded in show rings. While soring is prohibited under federal law, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Inspector General (IG) report has found that some horse trainers often go to great lengths to continue this inhumane practice. This letter comes in the lead-up to the annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville, Tennessee. 

“We are committed to ending the cruel practice of soring of Tennessee Walking Horses and related breeds, and call on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to do everything possible to vigorously enforce the Horse Protection Act (HPA),” the Senators wrote. “As the annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville, Tennessee approaches, we urge USDA field employees to perform their inspection duties with diligence.”

Sens. Warner and Crapo are sponsors of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, which protects horses from this cruel practice by requiring additional and stronger enforcement measures and by prohibiting the use of certain devices associated with horse soring.  Numerous groups have endorsed the bill, including the Humane Society of the United States, the American Horse Council, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, and the American Association of Equine Practitioners. The PAST Act was introduced in previous years by Sen. Warner and former Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH). 

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

August 21, 2018

The Honorable Sonny Perdue

Secretary of Agriculture

United States Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250

Dear Secretary Perdue:

We are committed to ending the cruel practice of soring of Tennessee Walking Horses and related breeds, and call on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to do everything possible to vigorously enforce the Horse Protection Act (HPA).  As the annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville, Tennessee, approaches, we urge USDA field employees to perform their inspection duties with diligence.

We encourage the USDA to ensure a strong enforcement presence at this year's Celebration, and to utilize the full range of inspection protocols developed by the Department, including foreign substance swabbing, drug testing, digital palpation, radiography, the use of hoof testers to identify pain, and pulling of shoes and stacks to detect pressure shoeing.  We urge the Department to inspect horses in each class, both pre-show and post-show, each night of the Celebration – not merely monitor the performance of Designated Qualified Persons (DQPs).  We also urge the Department's Office of General Counsel to promptly initiate enforcement proceedings under the HPA against violators identified by Veterinary Medical Officers (VMOs).  Thank you in advance for your efforts to create a robust enforcement presence at the Celebration and for your continued enforcement of the HPA.

As the lead sponsors of the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, S. 2957, we have a great interest in the USDA's work enforcing the HPA at the 2018 Celebration and beyond.  The PAST Act has already garnered 26 Senate cosponsors since being reintroduced at the end of May and the House companion bill reintroduced last year currently has 282 cosponsors, demonstrating the broad bipartisan support for ending horse soring.  

We appreciate your attention, and look forward to your prompt response regarding this important matter. 

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine celebrated Senate passage of a bill to fund health care, defense, education, and worker protection priorities that are critical to Virginia. The Senate appropriations bill to fund the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Education, and Labor for Fiscal Year 2019, which begins on October 1, will now go to conference with the House of Representatives before heading to the President for signature. Warner and Kaine pushed for many of these priorities through the appropriations process and have long pressed the Senate to return to regular budget order to make sure there are no gaps in funding that could cause a government shutdown.

“This legislation makes important investments in our national security and in Virginia’s economy — from a well-deserved raise for our troops and important funding for shipbuilding in Hampton Roads, to new resources to fight opioids and combat Alzheimer’s disease. I’m pleased to report that this legislation includes several amendments I sponsored, including legislation that will improve black lung early detection and treatment efforts for Virginia’s coal miners. In addition, the legislation includes my cyber scholarship amendment that makes $7 million in funds available to secure a talented and diverse workforce in the field of cybersecurity,” said Warner. “While I voted in favor of this legislation, I’m beyond frustrated that my bipartisan amendment to limit the President’s ability to revoke the security clearances of his critics didn’t even get a vote. Congress should not sit by as the President abuses this vital national security tool to get revenge on his critics.”  

Health Care:

• Funds childhood disease research: The bill provides $12.6 million for the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program to conduct pediatric cancer and disease research. Warner and Kaine worked to enact the legislation authorizing this program, named for 10-year-old Gabriella Miller of Loudoun County, who passed away from cancer in October of 2013.
• Early detection of black lung disease: The bill also includes a provision Warner and Kaine advanced to improve the participation rate of coal miners in federal health surveillance programs that detect and treat black lung. Warner and Kaine have been strong advocates for coal miners and their families, supporting legislation that ensures they retain the health and retirement benefits they deserve.
• Protects the ACA, Medicare, and Medicaid: The Senators ensured that the bill did not include proposed language that would have restricted HHS’s authority to administer or enforce the ACA.  The bill keeps funding and program authorities consistent with 2018, thereby protecting Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ ability to administer Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA. 
• Provides $5.7 billion to combat substance abuse:  The bill provides $5.7 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which is $579 million more than Fiscal Year 2018. This includes $1.5 billion for State Opioid Response Grants, an increase of $50 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics and $25 million for mental health block grants, and $105 million for the National Health Service Corps. It also expands loan repayment eligibility requirements to include substance use disorder counselors, which will support recruitment and retention of health professionals needed in underserved and rural areas.
• Increases funding for Alzheimer’s and brain research: The bill provides $39.1 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an increase of $2 billion from last year’s level and $4.5 billion above the President’s suggested budget. The increase includes an additional $425 million for Alzheimer’s research for a total of $2.34 billion and an increase of $29 million for the BRAIN Initiative. 

Defense:

• Funds a 2.6 percent pay raise for servicemembers: Funds the pay raise that was authorized in the annual defense bill Kaine worked on with his colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Warner and Kaine strongly supported the pay increase.
• Supports Virginia’s shipbuilding industry: Provides over $23.9 billion in Shipbuilding Accounts, with more than $12 billion going towards programs that will benefit Virginia like the Columbia & Virginia Class Submarines, Ford Class Carrier construction, and Nimitz Class overhaul. It also supports the Navy's goal of attaining a 355-ship fleet, which Warner and Kaine have both strongly endorsed.
• Offers budget certainty to our troops and military leaders: This legislation appropriates a full year of funds for the Department of Defense, addressing Warner and Kaine’s concerns, shared by military leaders, that Congress’ failure to return to regular budget order has interfered with DoD’s ability to plan ahead and that continuing resolutions have been painful to the country’s national security initiatives.
• Addresses lead poisoning in military housing: Following reports of lead poisoning in military housing units, the legislation requires the Government Accountability Office in consultation with the Department of Defense to provide reports to Congress on the monitoring and remediation of lead and verifiable compliance with lead exposure limits in military housing.
• Improving cyber resiliency: This legislation provides $365 million in additional funding to expand and accelerate cyber research across the Department of Defense, including $117 million for Army cybersecurity research efforts and $116 million in Missile Defense Agency cybersecurity enhancements. Warner has been a strong advocate for cyber resiliency and stronger cyber tools at the DoD.
• Defense Cyber Scholarship Program: The legislation includes Warner’s amendment to make available $7 million in funding for the DoD cyber defense scholarship program, bringing it in-line with the funding level from the House-passed appropriations package.  Warner successfully included a provision to boost the cyber scholarship program’s recruitment efforts in the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act.
• Defense Community Infrastructure Program: The legislation includes an amendment cosponsored by both senators to provide $20 million in funding for the defense community infrastructure pilot program. This program would provide DoD an opportunity to leverage community funding to improve off-base infrastructure, which is a critical need in the Hampton Roads region.

Education:

• Provides funding to help teachers, social workers, military personnel and other public servants cancel their student loan debt: For a second year includes $350 million for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program that mirrors Kaine’s bill to fix a technical glitch that will allow borrowers who were in the wrong repayment program to be eligible for PSLF. 
• Includes language to help HBCUs access funds to make infrastructure improvements: Includes language from Kaine’s bill to require the HBCU Capital Financing Advisory Board, which provides financial guidance to the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), to provide Congress with a report on the loans granted under the program along with recommendations to address issues related to construction financing for HBCUs. 
• Increases access to Pell Grants: Increases the maximum Pell Grant award to $6,195, a $100 increase from FY18, and also includes support for year-round Pell Grant funding. 

Workers:

• Funds black lung health clinics: Fully authorizes black lung health clinics at $10 million.
• Provides $30 million to train rural and Appalachian workers: Includes $30 million to provide workforce training to dislocated workers in rural areas with a specific priority for Appalachian communities as well as $5 million to support workforce training for those affected by opioid addiction.  
• Provides $160 million to support apprenticeships: Includes $160 million for registered apprenticeship programs.
• Requires better tracking of career and technical occupations to help prepare the future workforce: Directs the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) to track and report on improvements they are making to the Current Population Survey (CPS) to collect data about career and technical occupations. With this data, the country will have more information to track where improvements are needed and ensure that the workforce is trained with the skills needed for jobs available in today’s economy.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner today introduced bipartisan legislation, co-sponsored by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), to boost participation in federal programs that detect and treat black lung disease among coal miners.

According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health, cases of black lung are at a 25-year high in Appalachian coal mining states, with as many as one in five underground coal miners in the region having evidence of black lung. In order to address this worsening public health crisis, Sen. Warner has filed an amendment to the defense, labor, health and education spending package currently under consideration on the floor of the U.S. Senate aiming to improve the participation rate of coal miners in federal health surveillance programs that detect and treat black lung. Specifically, the amendment requires the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to submit a report to Congress on ways to boost outreach efforts to increase participation in the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP) and to identify barriers that deter miners with black lung from accessing treatment. CWHSP is a national program that offers free health screening services to coal miners, including chest X-rays, lung function testing, respiratory health assessment questionnaires, and extended health surveillance. However, the current national participation rate in CWHSP is approximately 35 percent among active miners and even lower among retirees.

“Black lung is a deadly disease, but the earlier it’s detected, the better the outcomes are. Underground coal miners help keep the heat and the lights on, but often at a significant cost to their own health. By improving outreach efforts, we can make sure that more miners are getting screened so we can catch cases of black lung early, and make sure that they can get the treatment they need,” said Sen. Warner.

“West Virginia coal miners have worked tirelessly for decades to keep industries and communities in this country moving,”Sen. Capito said. “These resources dedicated to the early detection of black lung could be life-saving for thousands of hardworking West Virginians. Amazing work is being done in this area by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Respiratory Health Division in Morgantown, and I am honored to help that work continue and provide assistance to those who have given so much to our state.” 

“Virginia’s coal miners have worked for decades, often at the expense of their own health, to keep the country’s lights on, and we owe it to them to ensure they’re aware of their options to access black lung detection and treatment resources,”said Sen. Kaine.

“Coal miners sacrifice a lot to keep our lights on, heat our homes, and power our businesses, including their own health. Black lung cases are at a 25-year high and with today’s technology and our knowledge of this disease, that is simply unacceptable. Our amendment will make sure more miners participate in early detection so we can catch it and treat it quicker. The health and safety of our miners should always be our number one priority and I will be fighting for this amendment to be included in the final spending bill,” Sen. Manchin said.

“No worker should have to sacrifice their health and safety on the job to provide for their family,” said Sen. Casey. “Black lung claims too many lives but the earlier it’s detected the better chance individuals have fighting its impact. We owe it to our nation’s miners to put in place policies that help detect and prevent this fatal disease.”  

“Ohio miners put their health at risk to power our country. Finding ways to increase outreach and miner participation in the screenings that help prevent and manage conditions like black lung is the least we can do,” said Sen. Brown.

“Eliminating barriers to participation in the Coal Worker’s Health Surveillance Program is a strong first step towards improving the health and wellness of active and retired coal miners in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This amendment will assist Congress in determining how to improve the Program, thereby enabling it to best serve miners. The amendment could also lead to better participation in the Surveillance Program, help save lives, improve early identification of black lung, and ultimately improve health outcomes for current and future health center patients throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. We support this amendment to H.R. 6157 and encourage its inclusion in the final version of the appropriations package,” said Rick Shinn, Virginia Community Healthcare Association, Director of Government Affairs.

“The NIOSH Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program is vital to the detection of Black Lung Disease. Ensuring Program access to as many active and non-active coal miners as possible will help miners be aware of their health status, reduce continued exposure to harmful dust, and seek treatment as early as possible. This amendment will assist Congress in determining how to improve the Program, thereby enabling it to best serve miners,” said James L. Werth, Jr., PhD, Stone Mountain Health Services, Black Lung Program Director.

Sen. Warner has been a strong advocate for coal miners and their families. In 2017, Sen. Warner reintroduced the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act to ensure black lung claims are processed fairly and quickly, and he has pushed for more funding for black lung health clinics in Virginia. In December, he joined several of his colleagues in urging Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta to keep the Respirable Dust Rule to protect mine safety and miners health. Last year, Sen. Warner successfully fought to permanently protect more than 10,000 retired coal miners and their families in Virginia who were in danger of losing their health benefits. He has also introduced the American Miners Pension Act, which would protect the pensions of more than 7,000 retired Virginia coal miners who are in danger of losing their benefits if the 1974 UMWA Pension Plan becomes insolvent.

Text of Sen. Warner’s amendment is available here.

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement on the conviction of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort:

“This verdict makes it absolutely clear that the Mueller probe is not a ‘witch hunt’ — it is a serious investigation that is rooting out corruption and Russian influence on our political system at the highest levels. The President’s campaign manager was just convicted of serious federal crimes by a jury of his peers, despite the President’s continued attempts to undermine the investigation which has brought Mr. Manafort to justice. Any attempt by the President to pardon Mr. Manafort or interfere in the investigation into his campaign would be a gross abuse of power and require immediate action by Congress.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced $43,637 in federal funding for the York County Department of Fire and Life Safety through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Assistant to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. The fire department will use the funding to replace a 20-year old air compressor. The new compressor will provide breathing air to support firefighters when working in dangerous environments. 

“We are pleased to announce federal funding to support York County’s Fire Department and ensure they have the tools they need to serve the community and keep the firefighters safe,” the Senators said. 

The primary goal of FEMA’s AFG program is to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters by providing direct financial assistance to eligible fire departments, nonaffiliated Emergency Medical Services organizations and State Fire Training Academies for critically-needed resources.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), David Perdue (R-GA),  and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) sent a letter to the Secretary of the Army raising concerns over a recent report about lead poisonings and dangerous lead levels in housing on U.S. Army installations, endangering military families. 

“We write to you today concerned about recent reports of lead poisoning at a number of Army installations. The health and safety of our servicemembers and their families are of the utmost importance,” the Senators said. 

While the sale of lead-based paint is banned in the United States, many older homes still have the old paint on walls, which can become dangerous to children as it peels and chips. Young children are most susceptible to lead poisoning and face long-term developmental delays.

The report highlights cases of lead poisoning at on-base housing at Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Fort Hood and Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Knox, Kentucky; and a 2015 Department of Defense IG report that found lead paint hazards at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. In the letter, the Senators ask Army Secretary Mark Esper to provide a detailed briefing about what the Army is doing to keep military families safe and what they need from Congress to address this problem. 

“We ask that you provide our offices with a detailed briefing as soon as possible outlining the immediate and long-term mitigation strategy to keep military families safe, provide medical treatment for those potentially or previously affected, make long-lasting repairs, and finally, provide legislative proposals or guidance on legislation needed to hold maintenance contractors accountable,” the Senators concluded.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Secretary Esper,

We write to you today concerned about recent reports of lead poisoning at a number of Army installations. The health and safety of our servicemembers and their families are of the utmost importance. 

A recent Reuters report highlighted cases of lead poisoning at on-base housing at Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Fort Hood and Fort Bliss, Texas; and Fort Knox, Kentucky. This follows a 2015 DoD inspector general report that found significant lead paint hazards at Ft. Belvoir in Virginia. At Fort Benning, Reuters conducted tests at five homes using methodology designed with a Columbia University geochemist. All five homes contained hazardous levels of deteriorating lead paint with one home far exceeding the federal threshold. Fort Knox contained levels 100 times the federal threshold.  According to Reuters, records from Brooks Army Medical Center in Texas show that from 2011 to 2016 more than 1,050 small children on bases nationwide tested positive for traces of lead higher than the Centers of Disease Control’s elevated threshold.  The report also raises concerns that the Army has discouraged certified testing to identify deteriorating lead paint in base homes and that base hospitals have not properly reported incidents of children with high lead tests to state health departments. 

As the report points out, these on-base homes, managed and operated largely through private partnerships, are putting families and children at risk.  We ask that you provide our offices with a detailed briefing as soon as possible outlining the immediate and long-term mitigation strategy to keep military families safe, provide medical treatment for those potentially or previously affected, make long-lasting repairs, and finally, provide legislative proposals or guidance on legislation needed to hold maintenance contractors accountable.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine praised Marine Hydraulics International, Inc. in Norfolk for receiving $505,617 in federal funding to purchase rolling stock, forklifts, quay wall, and support operations.

“We are pleased that with this federal funding Marine Hydraulics will be able to purchase new equipment that can support their day-to-day operations and help the world’s largest naval station right here in Norfolk maintain the world-class fleet that keeps our country safe,” the Senators said.

The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD)’s Small Shipyard Grant Program. This grant program helps support shipyards as they modernize operations, invest in emerging technologies, and improve efficiency. In a letter to the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Warner and Kaine called for strong funding to support the Small Shipyard Grant Program.

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