WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined a group of 41 Senators in a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Leandra English and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney urging them to end any efforts to undermine and repeal the CFPB’s payday lending rule. The rule represents an important step in reining in predatory business practices by payday lenders nationwide that are designed to exploit the financial hardships facing millions of hardworking families.

“We understand that the CFPB is delaying the rule by granting waivers to companies who would otherwise be taking steps to begin complying with the rule, and that the Bureau may be offering the payday loan industry an opportunity to undermine the rule entirely. We view these actions as further efforts to undermine the implementation of this important consumer protection rule,” the Senators wrote.    

Congress created the CFPB to protect Americans from unfair, deceptive and abusive lending practices. Predatory lenders often target hardworking borrowers who find themselves in need of quick cash—often for things like necessary car repairs or medical emergencies—by charging them excessive interest rates and hidden fees that trap them in long-term cycles of debt. Nearly 12 million Americans use payday loans each year, incurring more than $9 billion annually in fees. The CFPB developed the payday lending rule over the course of five years and reviewed more than 1 million public comments. 

“The CFPB’s role in serving as a watchdog for American consumers while making our financial markets safe, fair, and transparent continues to be of critical importance. To this end, we urge you to end any efforts to undermine and repeal this critical consumer protection,” the Senators continued.

The letter also called into question efforts at the CFPB to dismiss ongoing enforcement actions against predatory lenders, calling such actions antithetical to the CFPB’s mission of serving as a watchdog for American consumers. 

Other Senators joining Sens. Warner and Kaine in signing the letter include U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ed Markey (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tom Udall (D-NM), Chris Coons (D-DE), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Angus King (I-ME), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Tom Carper (D-DE), Gary Peters (D-MI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Joe Donnelly(D-IN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Doug Jones (D-AL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Bill Nelson (D-FL).

Full text of the letter is available here and below: 

Leandra English
Acting Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
1700 G Street N.W.
Washington, D.C., 20552

Mick Mulvaney
Director, Office of Management and Budget
725 17th Street N.W.
Washington, D.C., 20503

Dear Ms. English and Mr. Mulvaney:

We write to express concern regarding the announcement that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will begin the process of reconsidering and eventually repealing the Bureau’s recently finalized Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans rule, also known as the “payday lending rule.”  We view this action as well as the dismissal of ongoing enforcement actions against predatory lenders as antithetical to the CFPB’s mission.

Research has shown that short-term payday loans trap consumers in high-interest debt for long periods of time and can result in serious financial harm, including increased likelihood of bankruptcy. Nearly 12 million Americans use payday loans each year, incurring more than $9 billion in fees. While short-term loans may help families facing unexpected expenses, predatory short-term loans with interest rates exceeding 300 percent often leave consumers with a difficult decision: defaulting on the loan or repeated borrowing. According to the CFPB, nearly 80 percent of payday loans are renewed within 14 days, and at least 27 percent of borrowers will default on their first loan. The CFPB also found that nearly 20 percent of title loan borrowers have had their vehicles seized by the lender when they are unable to repay this debt. The majority of all payday loans are renewed so many times that borrowers end up paying more in fees than the amount they originally borrowed.  This predatory business model exploits the financial hardships facing hard working families, trapping them into long-term debt cycles. 

The recent financial crisis, during which Americans lost more than $19 trillion in household wealth demonstrated clearly the need for a federal agency whose sole mission is to protect American consumers in the financial marketplace.  Congress created the CFPB, granting it the authority to crack down on these types of predatory lending practices. 

After conducting a five-year study and reviewing more than 1 million public comments, the CFPB used this vested authority to issue a rule in October 2017 requiring payday and car title lenders to ensure that consumers have the ability to repay each loan and still manage to meet their basic living needs and major financial obligations without needing to borrow again over the next 30-day period. This commonsense requirement is coupled with protections that provide consumers with reasonable repayment options common with other types of credit. 

We stand with a majority of our constituents in supporting the final rule and oppose efforts to repeal or undermine the final rule, which protects consumers from predatory payday, title loan, and high-cost installment lenders.  Bipartisan polling shows that the CFPB’s action to curb predatory lending reflects the will of the vast majority of Americans. According to a 2017 survey, 73 percent of Americans support the CFPB’s rule requiring payday lenders to make sure that consumers have the ability to repay before extending a loan.

We understand that the CFPB is delaying the rule by granting waivers to companies who would otherwise be taking steps to begin complying with the rule, and that the Bureau may be offering the payday loan industry an opportunity to undermine the rule entirely. We view these actions as further efforts to undermine the implementation of this important consumer protection rule.  

We are also troubled by the CFPB’s recent enforcement actions related to payday lending.  The CFPB recently decided to drop a lawsuit filed by the Bureau in 2017 against four payday lending companies in Kansas. These companies were being sued for flouting state laws by running illegal payday lending operations, including charging interest rates between 440 percent and 950 percent. The CFPB also is reportedly halting, without any explanation, a nearly four-year CFPB investigation into allegations that a South Carolina-based payday loan company engaged in deceptive lending practices. 

The CFPB’s role in serving as a watchdog for American consumers while making our financial markets safe, fair, and transparent continues to be of critical importance. To this end, we urge you to end any efforts to undermine and repeal this critical consumer protection. 

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statements after Congress approved a $1.3 trillion spending bill to fund the federal government through September 30, 2018.

“While the process that got us here was imperfect, this bill will keep the government open through the end of September, and fund several priorities important to Virginia and the nation. It includes $380 million to help states protect their elections systems against foreign intrusion in the 2018 midterm elections,” said Sen. Mark Warner. “It also includes critical funding to protect Virginia children and families from falling victim to the epidemics of gun violence and opioid addiction. In addition, this bill fulfills the full $150 million federal commitment to Metro, invests in shipbuilding, supports military families and federal workers by providing much-needed pay raises, and sets aside additional funds to assist the six newly-recognized Virginia tribes. While the bill fulfills many top priorities for our country, it fails to reach a compromise for DREAMers, who have been waiting anxiously for Congress to act. It is my hope that the Administration can work in good-faith with Congress to ensure a permanent solution on DACA.”

“This bill delivers a long list of wins for Virginia – it will help rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, spur economic growth, combat the opioid epidemic, support shipbuilding and ship repair, boost defense funding, allow us to continue to protect the Chesapeake Bay, deliver affordable child care, increase accessibility to cyber scholarships, expand access to higher education, and more,” said Sen. Tim Kaine. “I’m thrilled that this deal included passage of my bill to ensure teachers, social workers, military servicemembers, and other public servants get the student loan relief they’ve been promised. And I’m proud that our advocacy helped secure increased funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It’s a bipartisan compromise, and like any real compromise this bill isn’t perfect. While I’m heartened that we finally took a step to improve the background record check system, this bill fails to make them universal or make the other reforms we need to reduce gun violence.  And it’s inexcusable that Republicans in Congress and President Trump still haven’t agreed to permanent protections for Dreamers who are stuck in limbo in the only country they know as home.”

The following list includes many of the provisions Warner and Kaine advocated for on behalf of Virginia that were included in the omnibus bill:

2018 Election Security: The bill provides an additional $307 million for the FBI’s work to secure the 2018 U.S. midterm elections and fight against future Russian cyberattacks. The bill also provides $380 million for the Election Assistance Commission to increase cybersecurity for state voting systems and protect elections against foreign interference.  

Appalachian Regional Commission: $155 million is included for the Appalachia Regional Commission, an increase of $3 million from FY17.

Chesapeake Bay Program: The bill provides $73 million in funding for the Chesapeake Bay Program. In addition, the bill would extend authorization for the Chesapeake Bay Initiative until 2019 and allocates over $2 million for the Chesapeake Gateways and Watertrails Network.

Children’s Health: The bill provides $12.6 million for the Gabriella Miller Kids First program to conduct pediatric cancer research. Sens. 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.

Cybersecurity: The bill provides $722.9 million for Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity efforts, which includes $243.9 million for cyber readiness and response (NCCIC), $46.2 million for cyber infrastructure resilience, and $432.6 million for federal cybersecurity.

Education: This bill will add $1.1 billion for the Title IV/Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant to support school counseling and mental health services, technology investments and STEM education. In addition, $75 million will be allocated for the Perkins Career and Technical Education Program to help develop our 21^st century workforce.

HBCU Funding: After several years of stagnant funding, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will receive $279.6 million in critical funding. This bill help Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Virginia Union University, Virginia State University, and Virginia University of Lynchburg improve their campus, strengthen financial management, academic resources and endowment-building capacity. 

Federal Workers: This bill provides federal workers with a 1.9 percent pay raise.

Gun Safety: The Fix NICS (National Instant Criminal Background System) Act is included in the bill to increase the amount of data agencies send into the current national gun background system. 

Metro and Transportation: The bill maintains the full $150 million federal commitment to Metro to help repair and maintain the Metrorail system. Additionally, the bill provides $1.5 billion for TIGER grants, a competitive grant program that is spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Earlier this month, Loudoun County was awarded a $25 million TIGER grant from a previous round of funding to construct a vital portion of highway.

Military Construction: The bill fully funds 15 military construction projects in Virginia: Ft. Belvoir, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Joint Base Myer-Henderson, Dam Neck, two sites at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, two sites at Naval Station Norfolk, two sites at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, NWS Yorktown, three sites at the Pentagon, and Fort Pickett.

Military Pay Raise: The bill fully funds a 2.4 percent pay raise for troops.  

Mining: The bill provides $10 million for the Abandoned Mine Grant to Virginia.

NASA Science: The bill provides $685 million for the NASA Aeronautics mission that will help maintain program funding for the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton. This is an increase of $25 million above the FY17 funding level. In addition, the bill provides an additional $15 million in investment at Wallops Island on Virginia’s Eastern Shore to improve space launch infrastructure there. The Wallops Flight Facility is one of two launch complexes in the country that provides service to the International Space Station.

Opioid Epidemic: The bill includes a total of $3.3 billion in increased funding to combat the opioid crisis, including an increase of $2.8 billion in treatment, prevention and research for programs under Health and Human Services (HHS) to help communities across Virginia and the nation fight against the opioid epidemic.

Protecting Tribes: The bill allocates $1.12 million to support six newly federally recognized tribes in Virginia: the Chickahominy, the Eastern Chickahominy, the Upper Mattaponi, the Rappahannock, the Monacan, and the Nansemond. Legislation led by Sens. Warner and Kaine recently passed into law to provide the first-ever federal recognition of these Virginia tribes.

School Safety: The omnibus would enact the STOP School Violence Act, authorizing $75 million to increase grants for security training of local law enforcement officers, school personnel, and students to improve school safety. In addition, the bill allocates $22 million for the Education Department to help improve classroom environments to prevent violence, and provide services in response to serious incidents, and an additional $25 million to HHS programs that provide mental health resources to support students.

Seafood Industry and H-2B Visas:  By giving the Department of Homeland Security the authority to raise the cap for H-2B visas, this bill will provide necessary relief for Virginia’s seafood industry to acquire seasonal workers to meet their local and national demands. Currently, businesses are subject to annual caps on the number of H-2B visas issued to seasonal workers.

Shipbuilding and Repair: The bill provides $23.8 billion to procure one carrier replacement and two Virginia-class submarines. The bill also urges the Secretary of the Navy to adequately prioritize public shipyard infrastructure.

Public Student Loan Forgiveness: Includes Sen. Kaine’s bill to fix a glitch in a bipartisan federal loan forgiveness program that was leaving Virginia teachers, social workers, military servicemembers, and other public servants with massive loan balances they thought would be forgiven. 

Telecommunications: The bill includes $600 million for a new pilot program within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand rural broadband service.

Veterans: The bill fully funds homeless prevention programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs, including Grant and Per Diem and HUD/VASH, and provides $20 million above the President’s budget request for the Supportive Services for Veterans and Families Program, bringing the total for this program to $340 million. The bill also fully funds the VA’s budget request for information technology systems, including the next generation of the electronic health record and the Veterans benefits management system. The bill also includes an increase of $2 billion that will go towards veterans’ hospital maintenance and backlogged construction projects. 

WASHINGTON, DC – Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today introduced a revised Secure Elections Act, a bill to strengthen election cybersecurity in America. The Senators originally introduced the legislation in December, and have since worked with stakeholders to revise and strengthen the bill. With today’s reintroduction, Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) and Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) also co-sponsored the bill.

The revised legislation maintains the original purpose of the bill to streamline cybersecurity information-sharing between federal intelligence entities and state election agencies; provide security clearances to state election officials; and provide support for state election cybersecurity infrastructure. Today’s revised bill modifies reporting requirements for state election offices; transitions the election security advisory panel from the Department of Homeland Security to the Election Assistance Commission; and makes grants eligible to local jurisdictions, among several other minor modifications. 

“This week’s Intelligence Committee hearing confirmed the need for America to make the security of our election infrastructure a priority,” said Lankford. “During the 2016 election, Russian entities hacked presidential campaign accounts, launched cyber-attacks against at least 21 state election systems, and attacked a US voting systems software company. This revised Secure Elections Act adequately helps the states prepare our election infrastructure for the possibility of interference from not just Russia, but possibly another adversary like Iran or North Korea or a hacktivist group. Although funding for election security is included in the Omnibus appropriations bill, Congress still must pass the Secure Elections Act in order to put needed election improvements into law.” 

“We know—and our top intelligence officials have confirmed—that our election systems remain a target,” said Klobuchar, who is also Ranking Member of the Rules Committee with jurisdiction over federal elections. “The bipartisan group of co-sponsors on the Secure Elections Act have been working with state election officials and the Department of Homeland Security to improve this bill and ensure those on the front-lines of administering elections are equipped with the information and resources necessary to keep them safe. This week we made progress by securing $380 million in funding, but it’s not enough. There are 227 days until the next federal election and primaries have already begun, Congress should pass the bipartisan Secure Elections Act immediately.” 

“Our democracy is under attack by foreign actors who seek to undermine and destabilize our country,” said Chairman Burr. “This bill will help strengthen our cybersecurity heading into upcoming election cycles, and has provisions to ensure that threat information is promptly shared with the states.” 

“Elections – at all levels – are central to our democracy, to our institutions and to our government’s legitimacy,” said Vice Chairman Warner. “During the 2016 campaign, we saw unprecedented targeting of election infrastructure by Russian actors. As we’ve heard in recent weeks from our nation’s top intelligence officials, the Russians will continue to attack our elections. We need to make sure states and localities have the resources and federal support they need to make election security a top priority.” 

“Election security is not a bipartisan issue, it’s a nonpartisan issue,” said Harris. “With 2018 elections across the country underway, the urgency to act is clear. We need to improve communication between states and federal authorities, fortify and upgrade election infrastructure, and implement best practices. We know there will be a new set of threats this year and we must be prepared to meet them.”

“While our investigation is still ongoing, we know for certain that the Russians were relentless in their efforts to meddle in the 2016 elections, and that those efforts are ongoing,” said Collins. “This bipartisan legislation will strengthen the integrity of our election process by ensuring that local voting officials have the information and financial resources they need to secure their voting systems. Given that we are already in an election year, the need to act now is urgent.”

“Our democracy hinges on Americans' ability to fairly choose our own leaders. As we approach the midterm elections and the next presidential election cycle, we need to act quickly to protect the integrity of our voting process,” said Heinrich. “Our bipartisan legislation will improve and modernize protections for our voting systems, registration data, and ballots to prevent theft, manipulation, and malicious computer hacking. Until we take these necessary steps, our nation's democratic institutions will remain vulnerable.” 

“The Russians have been trying to break the backs of democracies all over the world,” said Graham. “And although they did not change the outcome, they clearly interfered in our 2016 election. This bipartisan legislation will help defend our elections from foreign interference and sends a strong signal to other bad actors – like Iran and North Korea -- that similar acts will not be tolerated.  We are committed to defending and promoting confidence in American democracy by providing states with the resources they need to safeguard their election systems.”

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WASHINGTON – Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, in advance of today’s press conference with Committee members, made available the Committee’s initial recommendations on election security after investigating Russian attempts to target election infrastructure during the 2016 U.S. elections.

The Committee will hold an open hearing on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, on the threats to election infrastructure.  The hearing will cover attempted attacks on state election infrastructure in 2016, DHS and FBI efforts to improve election security, and the view from the states on their cybersecurity posture.  

The Committee’s initial recommendations are embedded below and available here.

RUSSIAN TARGETING OF ELECTION INFRASTRUCTURE DURING THE 2016 ELECTION

SUMMARY OF DRAFT SSCI RECOMMENDATIONS

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has examined evidence of Russian attempts to target election infrastructure during the 2016 U.S. elections. The Committee has reviewed the steps state and local election officials take to ensure the integrity of our elections and agrees that U.S. election infrastructure is fundamentally resilient. The Department of Homeland Security, the Election Assistance Commission, state and local governments, and other groups have already taken beneficial steps toward addressing the vulnerabilities exposed during the 2016 election cycle, including some of the measures listed below, but more needs to be done.

The Committee recommends the following steps to better defend against a hostile nation-state who may seek to undermine our democracy:

1. Reinforce States’ Primacy in Running Elections

• States should remain firmly in the lead on running elections, and the Federal government should ensure they receive the necessary resources and information.

2. Build a Stronger Defense, Part I: Create Effective Deterrence

• The U.S. Government should clearly communicate to adversaries that an attack on our election infrastructure is a hostile act, and we will respond accordingly.
• The Federal government, in particular the State Department and Defense Department, should engage allies and partners to establish new international cyber norms.

3. Build a Stronger Defense, Part II: Improve Information Sharing on Threats

• The Intelligence Community should put a high priority on attributing cyber-attacks both quickly and accurately. Similarly, policymakers should make plans to operate prior to attribution.
• DHS must create clear channels of communication between the Federal government and appropriate officials at the state and local levels. We recommend that state and local governments reciprocate that communication. 
• Election experts, security officials, cybersecurity experts, and the media should develop a common set of precise and well-defined election security terms to improve communication.
• DHS should expedite security clearances for appropriate state and local officials.
• The Intelligence Community should work to declassify information quickly, whenever possible, to provide warning to appropriate state and local officials.

4. Build a Stronger Defense, Part III: Secure Election-Related Systems

• Cybersecurity should be a high priority for those managing election-related systems. Basic but crucial security steps like two-factor authentication for those logging into voter databases can improve the overall election security posture. States and localities should also take advantage of DHS offerings, to include DHS’s network monitoring capabilities.
• The Committee recommends DHS take the following steps:
• Working closely with election experts, develop a risk management framework that can be used in engagements with state and local election infrastructure owners to document and mitigate risks to all components of the electoral process. 
• Create voluntary guidelines on cybersecurity best practices and a public awareness campaign to promote election security awareness, working through the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), and the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED).
• Expand capacity to reduce wait times for DHS cybersecurity services.
• Work with GSA to establish a list of credible private sector vendors who can provide services similar to those provided by DHS.

5. Build a Stronger Defense, Part IV: Take Steps to Secure the Vote Itself

• States should rapidly replace outdated and vulnerable voting systems. At a minimum, any machine purchased going forward should have a voter-verified paper trail and no WiFi capability. If use of paper ballots becomes more widespread, election officials should re-examine current practices for securing the chain of custody of all paper ballots and verify no opportunities exist for the introduction of fraudulent votes.
• States should consider implementing more widespread, statistically sound audits of election results.
• DHS should work with vendors to educate them about the vulnerabilities of both the machines and the supply chains.

6. Assistance for the States

• The Committee recommends Congress urgently pass legislation increasing assistance and establishing a voluntary grant program for the states.
• States should use grant funds to improve cybersecurity by hiring additional Information Technology staff, updating software, and contracting vendors to provide cybersecurity services, among other steps. 
• Funds should also be available to defray the costs of instituting audits.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced bipartisan legislation to help local communities in Appalachia expand economic opportunity. The Appalachia Opportunity Act establishes a $100 million annual grant program to support and encourage public-private partnerships in Appalachia that will improve regional infrastructure, encourage entrepreneurship, and create jobs.  

While federal-state partnerships like the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) have made great strides at helping the region modernize and adapt to economic shifts over the last several decades, the federal government and states are still largely tasked with selecting which of these projects receive funding. This bipartisan bill establishes a competitive grant program that would be administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to incentivize local communities to engage in public-private partnerships that would advance local economic development projects. At $100 million annually, the new grant program would nearly double the level of federal funding specifically set aside for expanding economic development in Appalachia. The funds will come from the Dislocated Worker Reserve Fund, a program that provides assistance to dislocated workers who are disproportionately impacted by large layoffs and natural disasters.

“You shouldn’t have to leave your hometown to find a high-paying job and get a world-class education,” said Sen. Warner. “But Southwest Virginia and other parts of Appalachia have been hit hard by economic shifts of the last several decades. While there’s no magic formula that will fix all of the economic problems facing rural communities overnight, the federal government can and should do more to support homegrown initiatives that will expand economic opportunities in the region. This bipartisan bill incentivizes the private sector to make long-term investments in Appalachia, and encourages rural communities to experiment with new and innovative ways to create and attract 21^st century jobs.”

“Federal investments and partnerships with local leaders are both critical in helping prepare Appalachian economies and communities for the future,”said Sen. Capito. “As we continue efforts to give our communities the tools they need to grow and prosper, encouraging collaborative partnerships between the public and private sectors is key for ensuring success and sustainability in the region. This bill will encourage cooperation and help deliver critical new resources for economic development in West Virginia and all of Appalachia.”

“Last fall I teamed up with several Senators from the Appalachian region to co-chair The Appalachia Initiative, and today I am excited to continue our important work to tackle the unique needs facing Appalachian communities,” said Sen. Manchin. “Rural communities in West Virginia are facing some tough challenges and grant programs like this will help foster the public-private partnerships needed to get local projects off the ground. This bipartisan bill is part of a comprehensive effort to help drive pragmatic, locally driven efforts to spur economic progress in Appalachian communities.”  

“Over the past 50 years, targeted federal investments through the Appalachian Regional Commission have been a driving force for economic development and job creation in North Mississippi and greater Appalachia,” said Sen. Wicker. “This new program would provide additional competitive funding to spur long-term private investment and develop critical infrastructure, making a difference in the lives of the millions of people who call the region home.”

For ten years, the bill would provide $100 million annually to the Appalachia Innovation Program to fund ideas generated by local Appalachian communities. In order to be eligible for these grants, communities will convene public-private teams to collaborate on projects that increase economic growth and education in the Appalachian region. Teams will include representatives from local economic development boards, private companies and associations, and regional institutions of higher learning, including technical schools, community colleges, or four-year institutions. 

In order to encourage collaboration across localities and improve the economy for the whole region, projects are required to involve at least two bordering counties, and have access to additional sources of funding representing at least 10 percent of the project’s overall cost, either through local matching funds or private sector investment. To be eligible, projects must also have a measurable economic impact, and seek to do at least one of the following:  

• Create jobs 
• Expand regional capacity of post-secondary education
• Grow tourism rates 
• Benefit public health 
• Upgrade regional infrastructure 

“BPC Action applauds the introduction of the Appalachia Opportunity Grants Act, which contains recommendations from the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Appalachia Initiative. This bill responds to the economic challenges in Appalachia by offering a bipartisan approach to advance prosperity and accelerate growth for more than 25 million people that call this region home,” said Jason Grumet, President of the Bipartisan Policy Center.

"This is indeed a great day for the Appalachian Region. The bill almost doubles the resources dedicated to this region and will go a long way toward growing a viable future for the people of Appalachia.  The structure is a direct linkage to federal funding for local people to solve their economic challenges with their own solutions. I applaud this long overdue effort,” said Thomas M. Hunter, Former Executive Director of the Appalachian Regional Commission.

“The Appalachia Opportunity Act will provide important resources to spur economic growth throughout the region. We thank Senator Warner for his leadership and applaud his ability to gain bipartisan support for his proposal. We look forward to participating in the public-private collaborative process that will identify worthy projects and work to realize the jobs they’ll bring for our people,” said Christian T. Beam, President & COO Appalachian Power Co.

“The UMWA supports every opportunity for economically devastated communities throughout Appalachia to revitalize themselves while increasing badly needed employment opportunities. The Appalachia Opportunity Act will help jump-start this process, and we wholeheartedly support it,” said Cecil E. Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). 

“What an exciting outcome of our work on the BPC task force! This grant program will have a tangible impact on economic development across the regions of Appalachia. The focus on grant allocations to teams of public and private groups for collaboration on regional projects has great potential to create jobs, encourage entrepreneurship, and expand the regional capacity of higher education. I support the Appalachia Opportunity Act and look forward to its impact on the future UVa-Wise,” said Dr. Donna Price Henry, Chancellor of the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.

Sens. Warner and Manchin, along with Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), are co-chairs of the bipartisan Appalachia Initiative, a task force convened with the Bipartisan Policy Center to find pragmatic, bipartisan solutions to Appalachia’s challenges. Last year, they released a report with a set of bipartisan recommendations to boost economic growth in Appalachia.

A summary of the legislation can be found here. Full bill text can be found 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 reports from the New York Times and the Guardian  that Cambridge Analytica misused the data of millions of Facebook users:

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Senate Banking Committee, issued a statement after the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on five Russian entities and 19 individuals for interference in the 2016 election:         

“This is a welcome, if long-overdue, step by the Trump Administration to punish Russia for interfering in the 2016 election. Our nation’s top intelligence officials have testified that Russia continues to interfere in our democracy, with no intention to stop. Yet these sanctions do not go far enough. Nearly all of the entities and individuals who were sanctioned today were either previously under sanction during the Obama Administration, or had already been charged with federal crimes by the Special Counsel. With the midterm elections fast approaching, the Administration needs to step it up, now, if we have any hope of deterring Russian meddling in 2018.”

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-Va.) pushed the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to take immediate action regarding critical failures at the Washington D.C. VA Medical Center (DCVAMC) highlighted in an Inspector General report released last week that showed patients were put at risk due to supply, equipment, and inventory issues. Last year, Sens. Warner and Kaine wrote to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin to express serious concerns over initial findings found by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) that detailed similar deficiencies at the facility. Following last week’s OIG report, Secretary Shulkin announced an overhaul of the senior leadership overseeing almost two dozen troubled hospitals across the country.

“While we are disturbed by the numerous breakdowns in essential functions at the DCVAMC that are documented by the OIG, we are particularly troubled by the massive leadership failures at multiple levels of the VA despite consistent warnings,” wrote the Senators.

In particular, the Senators raised concerns regarding leadership failures that endangered the health and safety of veterans at the facility and called for more stringent oversight measures given the lack of direct response following last year’s interim report. In their letter, Sens. Warner and Kaine requested an update on the progress made in implementing corrective actions at the DC-based medical facility and any measures the VA is planning to take to increase accountability. Finally, the Senators requested the agency to identify potential legislative actions that Congress can take to help fix problems at DCVAMC. 

“The Washington D.C. VA Medical Center serves thousands of Virginians each year. Failure to execute basic hospital functions at the VA’s flagship medical facility erodes the trust our veterans have in the VA. We can and must do more to guarantee the health and safety of our veterans in your care,” concluded the Senators.  

Full text of the letter follows. A PDF can be found here.

The Honorable David Shulkin

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

810 Vermont Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20240

Dear Secretary Shulkin, 

We write to you to express our concern regarding the recent Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report that outlines critical deficiencies at the Washington D.C. VA Medical Center (DCVAMC). While we are disturbed by the numerous breakdowns in essential functions at the DCVAMC that are documented by the OIG, we are particularly troubled by the massive leadership failures at multiple levels of the VA despite consistent warnings.

In April 2017, we asked you to take immediate action to improve management at the DCVAMC following the release of the OIG Interim Status Report that first brought to light many of these serious problems. The final report expands upon the OIG’s initial findings and details significant inadequacies in executing basic hospital functions, including an inability to maintain an appropriate inventory of medical supplies and sanitary storage facilities, which resulted in an increased risk of harm to veterans at the facility. Thankfully, the OIG found that the efforts of DCVAMC health care professionals prevented patients from suffering adverse medical outcomes as a result of the identified deficiencies. We applaud those health care professionals for their herculean efforts in the face of such adversity, but their outstanding dedication to veterans should not minimize the egregious management problems at the DCVAMC, including historically high vacancy rates in logistics and sterile processing positions dating back to 2014. 

We found the most troubling aspect of the OIG’s Report to be the massive failures in leadership that occurred throughout multiple levels of the VA. Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 5, and Veterans Health Administration Central Office (VHACO) staff all filed and received reports from 2013 to 2017 that outlined many of the supply, equipment, and inventory issues that were later outlined in the final OIG Report. However, despite repeated recommendations for action, these DCVAMC leaders failed to take appropriate steps to address these issues. This failure in leadership endangered the health and safety of veterans at the facility. The lack of leadership identified by the OIG highlights the need for more stringent oversight measures that would prevent these breakdowns from occurring at other VAMCs.

We are pleased that you already addressed some of the failings of the DCVAMC documented in the April 2017 OIG Interim Status Report, including personnel changes and the implementation of new supply and cleanliness processes. In addition, we applaud your initiative to implement measures that would help prevent similar failures in leadership at VAMCs across the nation, such as increasing accountability at the VA Central Office.

While progress has been made since the release of last year’s report, fundamental problems still exist at the Medical Center. We request that you provide a comprehensive update on the progress made in implementing corrective actions at the DCVAMC and a full description of the VA-wide measures you are planning to enact that would increase accountability throughout the organization. Finally, we ask that you identify any legislative action that is required to carry out remedial measures. 

The Washington D.C. VA Medical Center serves thousands of Virginians each year. Failure to execute basic hospital functions at the VA’s flagship medical facility erodes the trust our veterans have in the VA. We can and must do more to guarantee the health and safety of our veterans in your care. We look forward to working with you to correct the persistent problems at the DCVAMC and prevent similar deficiencies from occurring elsewhere within the VA.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment, today applauded the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s announcement of a new pilot program placing restrictions on “maker-taker” pricing models for stock exchange transaction fees. For years, Sen. Warner and lawmakers from both parties have pressed the SEC to study and reconsider the pricing model, which has been shown to create conflicts of interest that prevent the average investor from receiving the best price on trades.

“This pilot program is an important step towards reforming a broken system and eliminating conflicts of interest that hurt ordinary investors. I am hopeful this study will produce data that will help Congress and the SEC craft needed reforms,” Sen. Warner said. “I’m glad the SEC has finally acted on the concerns I have been voicing along with my colleagues on this issue for several years.”

Under the maker-taker pricing model, securities exchanges pay rebates to brokers that send bids and offers not intended for immediate execution, in the hopes of incentivizing liquidity in the market. Brokers who immediately execute their orders pay fees, which offset the rebates paid to brokers who create liquidity by not immediately executing their orders. However, this model has come under Congressional scrutiny after a 2013 study found evidence it created a conflict of interest for brokers – who may be incentivized to send orders that generate the largest rebate for the broker, rather than the best trade for the client.

Since 2014, Sen. Warner has been raising concerns about the “maker-taker” model. In April 2016, Sen. Warner and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) wrote to the SEC expressing support for a pilot program to study the effects of rebates on U.S. equity markets.  In July 2017, Warner wrote to newly-appointed SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and called for “…pursuing the full elimination of [maker-taker] rebates.” 

According to the SEC, the proposed pilot would subject stock exchange transaction fee pricing, including “maker-taker” fee-and-rebate pricing models, to new temporary pricing restrictions across three test groups, and require the exchanges to prepare and publicly post data.

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Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner released the following statement regarding the release of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report that confirmed significant deficiencies in care at the Washington, D.C. VA Medical Center that threatened the health of veterans:

“I am deeply concerned by the recent VA OIG report that identified unacceptable conditions at the DC VA Medical Center. Among other issues, the report found that the DC VA was unable to execute basic hospital functions, including maintaining an appropriate inventory of medical supplies and sanitary storage facilities. These failures were the direct result of years of inadequate leadership at various levels of the VA. Thankfully, due to the herculean efforts of the health care professionals at the medical center, no veterans lost their lives as a result of these conditions.

“Secretary Shulkin recently addressed the breakdown in leadership at the DC VA Medical Center and has announced his plans to rectify the failures at this facility and at other underperforming medical centers across the country. I look forward to pressing the VA and working with my colleagues in Congress to ensure that we are able to offer the best possible care for our veterans.”

Last year, Sens. Warner, Tim Kaine, and Jon Tester wrote to Secretary Shulkin, expressing their concern over the OIG’s initial interim report that detailed many of the deficiencies identified in the full report. The senators demanded immediate action be taken to ensure sufficient and sanitary supplies are available, and they requested that the VA review any patients who may have been exposed to unsafe practices and called for critical senior staff positions to be filled quickly to ensure these issues can be promptly remedied.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) sponsored a set of bipartisan bills to help curb gun violence, including the Fix NICS Act, legislation which would ensure federal and state authorities comply with existing law and accurately report relevant criminal history records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). This bill penalizes federal agencies who fail to properly report relevant records and incentivizes states to improve their overall reporting. In addition, it directs more federal funding to the accurate reporting of domestic violence records.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been a proud supporter of the Second Amendment and have always advocated for responsible gun ownership. My commitment to those principles remains, but it is also past time to put an end to these mass shootings,” said Sen. Warner. “While these commonsense reforms are not themselves enough, they will strengthen our background checks system and keep deadly weapons out of the hands of violent individuals and terrorists. No single law will end all gun violence, but we must begin attempting to address this crisis.”

The Fix NICS Act: 

• Requires federal agencies and states to produce NICS implementation plans focused on uploading all information to the background check system showing that a person is prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms under current law—including measures to verify the accuracy of records.

• Holds federal agencies accountable if they fail to upload relevant records to the background check system through public reporting and prohibiting bonus pay for political appointees.  

• Rewards states who comply with their NICS implementation plans through federal grant preferences and incentives, while increasing accountability through public reporting for those who do not comply with their plans.

• Reauthorizes and improves important law enforcement programs to help state governments share relevant criminal record information with NICS.

• Creates a Domestic Abuse and Violence Prevention Initiative to ensure that states have adequate resources and incentives to share all relevant information with NICS showing that a felon or domestic abuser is excluded from purchasing firearms under current law.

Sen. Warner is also a cosponsor of the Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act, bipartisan legislation to help keep guns from terrorist by preventing people who are on the “No Fly List” or the “Selectee List” from purchasing firearms.

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