Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine wrote to the Trump Administration demanding more information after an Associated Press report indicated widespread physical and psychological abuse of immigrant children at the Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center (SVJC) near Staunton, Virginia. In a letter to Acting Assistant Secretary Steven Wagner for the Administration for Children and Families under the Department of Health and Human Services, Warner and Kaine outline the “appalling accusations against the facility’s personnel” and ask for clarification and additional information from the agency.

“As Americans continue to process the realities of your Administration’s immigration policies, we write with additional concerns about the treatment of immigrant children currently or previously detained in government facilities. Specifically, we seek information about allegations of widespread physical and psychological abuse at the Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center (SVJC) near Staunton, Virginia, “Warner and Kaine wrote.

Their concerns are underscored by the recent influx of children now being placed in detention facilities across the country and the agency’s inability to properly care for children already in its custody.

“As you can imagine, our concerns stem from the fact that your agency is tasked with caring for unaccompanied immigrant youths after DHS apprehends them for unlawful entry,” the Senators continued. “Though we understand that these alleged abuses took place at a locally-operated facility, your agency ultimately has oversight and must ensure that these facilities comply with standards for when and how to physically engage these youths.”

The Senators requested a personal meeting to be briefed on the situation as well as answers to the following questions:

1.) What authority dictates the standard of care facilities must provide unaccompanied minors in terms of nutrition, education, and medical attention? What does that standard require?

2) According to reports and recent Congressional testimony, in April the SVJC near Staunton, Virginia housed 34 unaccompanied children – 30 males and four females. How many unaccompanied children referred from your agency are currently there now?

a) How long have these children been in the facility? And did any of them arrive after being separated from their families under the Administration’s “zero tolerance” policy?

3) What is the ratio of guards to children at the Center? Do agency-specific standards mandate this ratio?

a) What is the hiring process for guards at this facility? Is this consistent with other ORR-licensed facilities?

b) What training do guards receive when they are hired, and do they continue to receive training over the course of their employment?

4) What standards govern youth’s access to bilingual staff or professional interpretation and translation services? Does the Center have an adequate number of employees who are capable of communicating with detainees who are limited in their English proficiency?

5) Is there a system for complaints against guards or other personnel at the Center?

a) On average, how many complaints are filed against guards and other personnel?

b) How many complaints of physical or emotional abuse have you received since contracting with ORR in 2009?

c) What is the disciplinary system if guards and personnel violate these standards?

6) Does the Center provide mental health services to unaccompanied children equivalent to those provided to juveniles in detention programs for the surrounding locales? Please provide information about the current mental health staffing model.

7) What best practices or policies does your agency follow in terms of moving unaccompanied children out of secure placement and into a residential setting?

a) How many children have completed this transition at the Center?

b) Nationwide?

8) Please provide the number of children that were referred to the Center for secure placement for reasons of suspected gang affiliation or activity between:

a) April 1, 2018 and present day;

b) January 20, 2017 and April 1, 2018;

c) When your agency began contracting with ORR in 2009 and January 20, 2017.

Read the full letter here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner joined Finance Committee Democrats today in demanding to know how the Trump Administration is ensuring the safety of children separated from their parents under Trump’s zero-tolerance policy and how the Administration plans to reunify children and families.

In a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar, the senators noted that many of the children separated from their families under Trump’s zero-tolerance policy are being detained in facilities operated through HHS.

“While we are encouraged the President has signed the Executive Order: Affording Congress an Opportunity to Address Family Separation to stop the unnecessary and cruel separation of children from their families, by no means is this crisis over,” the Senators wrote. “Given the Finance Committee’s jurisdiction over the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the U.S. foster care system, we demand answers on how ACF will ensure the safety, well-being, and reunification of the reportedly more than 2,300 children who have been separated from their families in recent weeks.”

The Senators asked for answers by June 27, 2018. In addition to Sen. Warner, the letter was signed by Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Tom Carper (D-DE), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

Read the letter here.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Sen. Mark R. Warner joined 48 U.S. Senators in calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on the Trump administration’s treatment of children coming across the Southern border.

Following yesterday’s Trump Executive Order, new questions have been raised about whether the children who have already been separated will be reunited with their families, and how children will be treated going forward.

The Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy “is responsible for hundreds of children being forcibly separated from their families, falsely labeled ‘unaccompanied alien children,’ and transferred to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement,” the Senators wrote in a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley. “This cruel treatment of children and families arriving to the United States demands immediate and direct Congressional oversight.

In addition to Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), who led the letter, the letter was signed by Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Doug Jones (D-AL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tom Carper (D-DE), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tom Udall (D-NM), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mark Warner (D-VA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Gary Peters (D-MI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Jon Tester (D-MT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Charles E. Schumer (D-NY).

The full letter is available here and below.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), co-chair of the bipartisan Senate India Caucus and Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, led a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis attended by U.S. Senators and Representatives to discuss the future of U.S.-India defense cooperation.

The event, co-hosted by India Caucus co-chair Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), was held in the U.S. Capitol to discuss the strategic importance of India in the Indo-Pacific region. The Senators stressed the need to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two nations given their shared national security interests, with the goal of increasing security and stability in Asia and globally. Secretary Mattis highlighted the growing nature of U.S.-India defense cooperation, specifically the Department of Defense (DoD) efforts to increase military-to-military cooperation, information-sharing, and defense trade with a major defense partner.

“A closer partnership with India, based on shared national interests and democratic values, should remain a strategic imperative for the United States. This is particularly important as we see the rise of authoritarian regimes around the world,” said Sen. Warner. “The United States should continue to pursue closer defense cooperation with India, increasing technology transfers, defense sales, joint military exercises and increased military cooperation on shared national security missions and priorities.”

Sens. Warner and Cornyn included language in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that required DoD to codify the definition of Major Defense Partner and to develop a defense strategy with India. Most recently, both Senators introduced an amendment to the FY19 NDAA that failed which would have supported India’s membership in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC).

The event preceded Secretary Mattis’ planned meeting in India with the Indian Ministers of Defense & Foreign Affairs on July 6^th.

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WASHINGTON – At an event today on Capitol Hill to discuss policy solutions for the contingent and alternative workforce, Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) announced two new bipartisan co-sponsors for his legislation to establish a portable benefits pilot program.

As much as a third of the U.S. workforce is currently engaged in temporary, contract or on-demand work, but those who earn all or some of their income as independent contractors, part-time workers, temporary workers or contingent workers find it difficult and expensive to access benefits and protections that are commonly provided to full-time employees, such as paid leave, workers’ compensation, skills training, unemployment insurance, tax withholding and tax-advantaged retirement savings. Initially introduced last year with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), the Portable Benefits for Independent Workers Pilot Program Act would establish a $20 million grant fund within the U.S. Department of Labor to incentivize states, localities and nonprofit organizations to experiment with portable benefits models for the independent workforce that would allow workers to carry these benefits with them from job to job.

At today’s event, hosted by the Aspen Institute’s Future of Work Initiative – for which Sen. Warner serves as honorary co-chair – Sen. Warner announced that Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) have signed on to sponsor the portable benefits legislation.

“The nature of work is changing rapidly, but there’s a growing recognition that our policies are still mostly tied to a 20th century model of traditional full-time employment. As more and more Americans engage in part-time, contract or other alternative work arrangements, it’s increasingly important that we provide them with an ability to access more flexible, portable benefits that they can carry with them to multiple jobs across a day, a year, and even a career,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m grateful to have the support of Sen. Bennet and Sen. Sasse for this important bill, which will encourage experimentation at the state and local levels to find ways we can better support a more independent 21^st century workforce. This issue doesn’t break down on partisan lines, nor should it – it’s more about whether we are going to stay stuck in the 20^th century policies of the past, or put ourselves on strong footing for the economy of the future.”

Also at today’s event, which was convened to discuss the findings from the June 7 release of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Contingent Worker and Alternative Work Arrangement Supplement (CWS) to the Current Population Survey (CPS), Sen. Warner announced that he will be seeking two additional studies – one from the Treasury Department and one from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) – to equip policymakers with better data about the tax situations of people in the contingent and alternative workforce.

“Between 2005 and 2018, the federal government collected basically no data about the size and scope of the contingent workforce. This month’s release from BLS was an important step, but there’s frankly still a lot we don’t know about this population of the American workforce. Without more data on this diverse population, it’s hard for policymakers to develop solutions to support them,” noted Sen. Warner. “For instance, we know from tax data that Americans are consistently reporting more self-employed or independent income than they did twenty years ago. And whether they rely on this work for all or just some of their income, one of the biggest complaints I hear from independent and contract workers is that tracking expenses and filing their taxes is just too complicated. But how many people are using that work as a ‘side hustle,’ and how many are actually relying on this work as their primary source of income? Are their tax challenges really the same? There are still big questions we don’t have the answer to, and better information is going to be key to bringing our workforce policies in line with the employment realities of the 21^stcentury.”

“We learned last week that there are fifteen million Americans, or about a tenth of the workforce, who rely on nontraditional work as their primary source of income. Unfortunately, there are still many unanswered questions about how Americans are working today, including how many rely on nontraditional work to supplement their income. The federal government needs to collect comprehensive and consistent data in order to better identify the challenges of today’s workers. With additional information, policymakers can develop policies to modernize the social contract for all workers,” said Alastair Fitzpayne, Executive Director, Aspen Institute’s Future of Work Initiative.

Sen. Warner today introduced legislation that would direct the U.S. Department of the Treasury to study tax issues for a broad set of these workers – all those earning “non-employer business income.” This research would examine how tax compliance can be made easier and more effective for many independent and contingent workers, addressing issues such as information reporting, withholding, and tax filing. In addition, as follow-up to the release of the BLS contingent worker survey data, this research would examine changes in the relative share of workers earning wage or non-employer business income, looking over multiple years and across the income spectrum. This would provide new information on how workers are using non-employer business income as a supplement to wages. Bill text is available here.

In addition, Sen. Warner sent a letter today to the GAO requesting a study on the tax situation of “platform workers” – those workers who earn income through online and mobile platforms. Policymakers currently have little data on the tax situation of these workers. The GAO study would help Congress understand the tax challenges faced by these workers, how the tax code can help the platform workforce comply, and what the U.S. government needs to do to ensure appropriate revenue collection. A copy of that letter is available here.

“On behalf of Airbnb's 465,000 U.S. hosts, more than 50 percent of whom are using the money they earn on our platform to stay in their homes, we welcome efforts to create an easier, updated tax reporting system that reflects the new realities of how Americans are earning money. The typical Airbnb host in the United States earns $7,300 annually – supplemental, but meaningful income – and this research is an important step towards ensuring it is easier, not harder, for everyday Americans to supplement their income and follow tax rules,” said Casey Aden-Wansbury, Director of Federal Affairs, Airbnb.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement after the Trump Administration released a rule to undermine protections for people with preexisting conditions by expanding health care plans that do not have many vital consumer protections:

“This rule change is just the latest attempt by the Trump Administration to sabotage our health care system. Today’s move to expand ‘junk’ insurance plans will open up a path to weaken protections for people with pre-existing conditions and could raise costs for everybody who purchases health care through the insurance marketplace, where the long-term result is likely to be higher premiums and fewer insurers. The President has been clear: the goal in expanding these health plans is not to make health care more affordable for more people, but to destroy the Affordable Care Act. Virginians who will pay the price as a result will know exactly who is to blame. There is no doubt that insurance costs are too high for small business owners and employees, so we once again call on the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress to work with Democrats to make health care more affordable, instead of raising costs for Virginia families.”

Today, the Trump Administration released its final regulation on association health plans (AHPs) expanding eligibility for these bare-boned plans, which do not have to provide the same level of minimum coverage as individual policies sold under the Affordable Care Act. According to experts, this move will undermine pre-existing conditions protections by making plans without vital consumer protections more readily available and drive up health care costs for other patients by shrinking the number of patients in other insurance pools, in turn destabilizing our country’s health care system.

Last month, Sens. Warner and Kaine sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar, urging the Administration to take swift action to stabilize the insurance marketplace.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today wrote to Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Alex Azar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to press for more information about the Administration’s policy that separates asylum-seeking parents from their children at the U.S. border. Though the law does not require the U.S. government to separate immigrants from their children, a policy put in place by the Trump Administration in April has resulted in 2,000 children being separated from their parents by DHS officials at the border. These children “rendered unaccompanied” by forcible separation from their parents are remanded by DHS officials to HHS for care in temporary detention centers, placement with foster care, or return to their families or legal guardians.

Today’s letter comes one day after Sec. Nielsen offered several falsehoods and incomplete answers to questions regarding the Administration’s family separation policy at a White House press briefing. Sens. Warner and Kaine today requested an immediate response to the following questions:

Rationale for the Policy: Secretary Nielsen stated yesterday that the policy was not implemented in order to “send a message” and serve as a deterrent to future immigration. But later that evening, Attorney General Sessions was quoted as saying, “Hopefully people will get the message…and not break across the border unlawfully.” In addition, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly stated just last month that “the name of the game is deterrence.” Can you please clarify your understanding of the rationale behind the “Zero-Tolerance Policy” as it relates to the separation of young children from the parents at the border? Can you state unequivocally that the policy is not in place to serve as a deterrent to future immigration?
Plan for Infrastructure: Since the announcement of the “Zero-Tolerance Policy,” how much money have DHS and HHS spent on construction of temporary facilities and associated infrastructure to house the children currently being held separate from their parents? Does a funding plan exist for the additional infrastructure necessary to house asylum seekers if the current policy continues? Are there plans to use facilities in Virginia? If so, what assurances can you provide that all facilities will be adequately equipped to provide a safe and healthy environment, including all resources necessary for the health and wellbeing (including mental and emotional) of separated children?
Resources for Separated Children: What specific resources are available to children to deal with psychological trauma of being separated from their parents? How, where and by whom are these services being provided? How much does the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) spend to contract for medical and mental health care for children in ORR shelters, and how much does ORR intend to spend to provide these services to separated children? Please describe the mental health services ORR is providing or contracting to provide to separated children. Can ORR share medical records or information about mental health needs of children with DHS? What training do CBP officers receive to prepare them for interacting with traumatized children because they have been separated from their parents? What training do ORR shelters receive or provide to their staff to prepare them for interacting with traumatized children because they have been separated from their parents?
Conditions for Girls and Toddlers: Video footage shows the holding conditions for boys. However, there is no similar evidence showing the conditions in which girls and younger children are currently being held. Can you release additional information and video footage that provides background on the health and wellbeing of girls and toddlers who are in the care of either DHS or HHS, including the conditions of their facilities?
Reunification: There appears to be some conflict in how families are being reunited. DOJ has mentioned that the government does not reunite families once HHS takes custody of a child. However, DHS has claimed that once parents have served their criminal sentences, they can be reunited while they pursue their asylum claim. Are families being reunited? If so, how and when? What is the specific process which parents follow to allow for reunification with their separated children? What data does DHS have to indicate the percentage of parents who are indeed reunified with their children in a timely manner?

As the Senators noted in today’s letter, “The President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, representing 66,000 primary care pediatricians, stated that the policy and resulting trauma can cause ‘irreparable harm’ and ‘carry lifelong consequences’ for children. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called the family separation policy ‘unconscionable’ and an ‘abuse.’ The General Secretary of the United Methodist Church has also stated that the policies are not consistent with Christian teaching and ‘a shocking violation of the spirit of the Gospel.’ Members of Congress from all sides of the political spectrum, former U.S. Attorneys, and countless others have all also condemned the Administration’s new policy.”

A copy of the Warner-Kaine letter is available here.

Earlier this month, Sens. Warner and Kaine introduced legislation that promotes family unity by prohibiting DHS officials from separating children from their parents, except in extraordinary circumstances. In addition, the Senators have written to President Trump, urging an end to the policy of separating children from their families at the southern border.

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WASHINGTON – Today U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released a statement after Congress approved the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

“I’m glad that the Senate was able to work in a bipartisan way to improve national security, support our service members, and strengthen defense readiness.

“Since the Administration has failed to listen to warnings from their own top intelligence officials about the dangers posed by Chinese telecom company ZTE, this legislation includes a bipartisan amendment – which I co-sponsored – to automatically reinstate trade restrictions on ZTE once this bill is signed into law. Importantly, this legislation would also ensure that neither ZTE nor Huawei will be eligible for government contracts in the future. To further prioritize our national security, I also supported the inclusion of a bipartisan CFIUS bill similar to what we passed in the Banking Committee to ensure that foreign investments in the U.S. do not pose a national security risk. I strongly encourage the Administration to consider the strong bipartisan support for these measures in the Senate before taking any hasty actions. Additionally, this bill urges the Secretaries of State and Defense to dedicate all necessary resources to complete its strategy to counter and deter future cyber aggression by Russia.”

“This bill also funds several critical priorities important to Virginia’s shipbuilding footprint, including the procurement of two Virginia-class submarines. In addition, this bill pushes further action to make long-overdue investments in our nation’s public shipyards, authorizes more than $260 million towards 14 military construction projects across the Commonwealth, and includes a 2.6 percent raise for members of the armed forces. The NDAA also includes important reforms to modernize our antiquated security clearance system and to reduce the 700,000 person background investigation backlog. Although this bill is far from perfect, I commend my colleagues for passing this critical defense package,” said Sen. Warner.

Included in the NDAA are three provisions championed by Sen. Warner to address the security clearance backlog:

A provision requiring the Director of National Intelligence to improve information sharing regarding government and contract employees;
A provision requiring the Director of National Intelligence to provide a report on a clearance-in-person concept to accommodate a more modern mobile workforce;
And a provision creating a “rocket” clearance for mission-critical positions that can be processed in 15 days for SECRET and 45 days for TOP SECRET.

In addition, the bill includes a bipartisan amendment sponsored by Sen. Warner and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) that would improve access to cybersecurity scholarships for students at minority-serving institutions. With mounting demand across every industry for trained cyber workers, it’s particularly important that we invest now in developing a diverse cyber workforce.

Added Sen. Warner, “In order to address the nation’s increased cyber threats from foreign adversaries, this amendment will ensure the nation that the U.S. builds a strong and diverse pipeline of future talent to lead the nation’s strategy in the field of cybersecurity.”

“Norfolk State University is pleased to support this bipartisan proposal to recruit a more diverse pool of students to pursue cyber education,” said Dr. Melvin T. Stith, Interim President of Norfolk State University. “Strong cyber training and knowledge is essential for preparing students to compete and thrive in a 21st century economy. This effort by Senator Warner is a welcome boost to Norfolk State University's ongoing efforts to produce a talented and representative cyber workforce.”

The amendment is similar to provision offered by Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) that was included in the House-passed version of the NDAA. The text of the amendment 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 and a member of the Senate Banking and Finance committees, issued the below statement regarding the Trump Administration’s announcement that it will impose tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese technology imports in response to China’s theft of intellectual property, the forced transfer of American technology, and cyber attacks:

“I share the President’s concerns about China. For years, Chinese companies pushed and enabled by the Chinese government have cheated American workers and stolen valuable intellectual property from U.S businesses with few repercussions. While we simply cannot let China’s unfair trade practices go unchecked, this President’s erratic approach to resolving this issue gives me pause. His Administration’s friendliness toward ZTE, in spite of warnings from his own top intelligence officials that the telecom company poses a national security threat, is particularly concerning. Instead of taking steps that antagonize our allies and threaten the well-being of Virginia’s agricultural community, the President should focus on building international support to apply greater pressure on Beijing and end these unfair trade practices once and for all.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and a group of 25 Senators wrote a letter to Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Jeff Pon, urging the Trump Administration not to cut retirement benefits for the nation’s federal workforce. This letter comes after OPM Director Pon outlined an Administration plan to freeze federal employee pay and cut retirement benefits for 2.6 million federal retirees and survivors over the next ten years.

“Together, the proposals you have made would cut $143 billion over ten years from federal employee retirement programs, while offering nothing to employees in their place. We fear that these cuts are motivated by an ongoing effort to balance the budget on the backs of federal workers rather than an effort to provide a comprehensive approach to modernizing federal employee compensation,” the Senators wrote in the letter.

“As you continue to develop legislative proposals related to the compensation of federal employees, we urge you to move past draconian cuts that harm the financial security of federal employees in every state across the country, and instead commit to comprehensive reforms that modernize our government’s compensation system in a way that encourages the best and brightest talent to join the ranks of our dedicated civil servants,” the Senators concluded.

Joining Sen. Warner on the letter are Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tom Carper (D-DE), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tom Udall (D-NM), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

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

The Honorable Jeff T.H. Pon

Director

Office of Personnel Management

1900 E Street, NW

Washington DC 201415

Dear Director Pon:

We write to you opposing the changes to federal employee retirement benefits included in your May 4, 2018 letter to Speaker Paul Ryan, and to voice our strong concern for the impact these proposals would have on the financial planning of active and retired federal employees and on the federal government’s ability to recruit and retain a strong civilian workforce.

Your letter calls for increased Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) contributions from employees, eliminating the FERS supplement for employees who retire beginning in 2018, basing retirement calculations on the average of the highest 5 years of salary instead of the current 3, and reducing or eliminating cost-of-living adjustments. These proposals affect employees who have dedicated decades of service to the federal government, and in the case of the FERS supplement, employees who are required to retire early because of the physical demands of their job, including Customs and Border Protection Officers, firefighters, and air traffic controllers. It is clear that they would reduce the ability of employees to save going forward and significantly alter the financial planning of federal workers, retirees, and their families.

Our understanding is that your justification for these proposals is to bring federal employee compensation in line with the private sector. The President’s FY19 Budget justification for these proposals states that federal employees are compensated with combined pay and benefits higher than the private sector, relying solely on an April 2017 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Report. This is a gross oversimplification of the findings and implications of that report. The report concludes that total compensation costs among workers with a professional degree or doctorate were actually 18 percent lower for federal employees than for similar private-sector employees. To further increase this differential would hamper our ability to hire experts in mission-critical areas. Furthermore, CBO states that the scope of their analysis is limited to selected benefits, and does not include, for example, the stock options that some private-sector firms provide to their employees.

Together, the proposals you have made would cut $143 billion over ten years from federal employee retirement programs, while offering nothing to employees in their place. We fear that these cuts are motivated by an ongoing effort to balance the budget on the backs of federal workers rather than an effort to provide a comprehensive approach to modernizing federal employee compensation.

We are also concerned about the effects that these cuts would have on the federal government’s ability to recruit and retain top talent at agencies across the United States. As you know, just 17 percent of federal workers are under 35 years old, and nearly one-third of permanent career federal employees will be eligible to retire next year. At the same time, the 2017 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, a government wide survey conducted by the Office of Personnel Management, found that only 42 percent of federal employees feel they can recruit people with the right skills. In the face of a potential brain drain from our federal agencies, and in a time where top talent has a wide variety of options for global employment, we feel strongly that the impact of across-the-board pay freezes and continued threats to earned benefits will be devastating to retention and recruitment. Modernizing the federal workforce and the package of benefits offered to our federal employees is a worthy goal; however, if enacted, these proposals would not be a modernization, but would instead reverse course by making the federal government a less attractive place to work.

As you continue to develop legislative proposals related to the compensation of federal employees, we urge you to move past draconian cuts that harm the financial security of federal employees in every state across the country, and instead commit to comprehensive reforms that modernize our government’s compensation system in a way that encourages the best and brightest talent to join the ranks of our dedicated civil servants. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you in accomplishing that important goal.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) introduced bipartisan legislation to make it easier for students to get degrees they have already earned by ‘reverse’ transferring college credits from four-year institutions to community colleges.

For certain workers, an associate’s degree or certificate is the most affordable, accessible pathway toward a higher-paying job. Many job openings in growth industries such as cybersecurity and healthcare do not typically require a four-year degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly half of employed college graduates across the country are in jobs that require less than a four-year college education.

“This bipartisan bill will make it easier for people to receive degrees that they’ve already paid for, worked towards, and earned,” said Sen. Warner. “This bill will give schools one more tool to prepare degree seekers for the workforce – equipping them with credentials that would have otherwise been left on the table. These folks will enter the job market with higher earning potential and better positioned to repay any student loan debt they might have accrued. As the Senate works to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, I’m hopeful that we can work together to advance this and other bipartisan, consensus proposals.”

“I am happy to introduce legislation with Senator Warner to streamline the reverse transfer process. Eliminating this regulatory hurdle will enable millions of students to get credit for their college coursework and finally attain a degree or certificate,” said Sen. Hatch. “Students with a credential are more likely to be employed and earn higher wages than non-credentialed individuals over the course of their lifetime. In an ever-evolving and competitive job market, we must ensure that students are able to get credit for the work they have done so that they can have a better chance for success in today’s workforce.”

Roughly one-third of occupations require some postsecondary education, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce estimates that at current graduation rates, our economy will face a shortage of 5 million workers with the necessary education and training by 2020. Increasing the number of Americans with postsecondary credentials, such as associate’s degrees or certificates, will be essential to addressing this challenge. The National Student Clearinghouse, an educational nonprofit that verifies enrollment data, has identified over four million individuals – including more than 123,000 Virginians – who have completed enough credit hours at a four-year institution to be eligible for an associate’s degree, but instead withdrew without a degree or certificate.

“This bipartisan legislation will help students get degrees they've earned and save money,” said Sen. Warren. “Washington should make it easier -- not tougher -- for hardworking students to get an education and prepare for their careers.”

“This commonsense bill will help hardworking students get better jobs and enjoy the success they have earned by removing bureaucratic hurdles,” said Sen. Isakson. “I’m glad to introduce this measure as we work to reauthorize the Higher Education Act.”

The Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act would amend the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to create a new exemption for the sharing of student education records between higher education institutions. “Reverse transfer” refers to the transfer of credits from a four-year institution to a two-year institution that a student previously attended. Currently, students must proactively give permission for their institutions to determine whether they have earned enough credits to be awarded a degree or certificate—a bureaucratic step proven to diminish credential attainment rates.

Facilitating the practice of reverse transfer would ease students’ access to postsecondary credentials they have already earned and better provide for the demands of the future workforce and economy. The bill would allow an institution to share a student’s academic records with another institution that the student previously attended under the condition that the credit information is sent with the goal of conferring a degree, and that the student provides written consent prior to receiving any degree for which he/she is eligible.

“As Virginia's Community Colleges continue working to prepare students with the skills they need to be successful in on-demand jobs and growth industries, credential attainment is a key indicator of their career readiness and our effectiveness in serving them,” said Glenn DuBois, Chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges. “The bipartisan Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act will provide much needed clarity in facilitating communication between institutions and removing bureaucratic obstacles to credential attainment. I applaud Senators Warner and Hatch for working across the aisle to find common ground and introduce this sensible approach to advancing workforce readiness.”

“AACRAO believes the additional FERPA exception proposed in the reverse transfer legislation represents a responsible means of sharing student information between a student's 4-year and 2-year institution, while ensuring that the student's consent is obtained before awarding a degree or certificate,” stated AACRAO's Executive Director, Michael Reilly. “This legislation will lead to increased education attainment for millions of individuals.”

The legislation has the support of the Virginia Community College System, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers, American Association of Community Colleges, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Institute for Higher Education Policy, and Student Veterans of America, among others.

A full list of organizations and higher education systems lending their support for the bill can be found here. For the full text of the bill, click here.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) sent a letter to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Acting Commissioner William Wiatrowski, urging the agency to conduct further research on the contingent workforce. The letter follows last week’s release of the Contingent Worker and Alternative Work Arrangement Supplement (CWS) to the Current Population Survey (CPS). The survey, which had not been conducted since 2005, found that contingent workers play a significant role in our economy, with tens of millions of Americans – more than one in ten workers – identified as independent contractors, temps, and contract-firm workers.

“While the CWS is considered the gold standard for measuring these type of work arrangements in the American workforce, data about the size and scope of the contingent workforce had not been collected since 2005, after funding was eliminated. A lapse of 13 years between surveys is too long, given cyclical economic fluctuations in an era where new technology and changes to the nature of work have increased the range of opportunities for workers to pursue flexible arrangements. It is important to understand how these employment figures are affected by external forces, such as under periods of higher unemployment or slower economic growth. Without consistent information, policymakers and experts are in the dark about the size and needs of this population, making it harder to find common ground on solutions to help all workers achieve economic security,” wrote Sen. Warner. “I urge BLS to institute best practices and field the CWS annually, and I will continue to push for appropriate levels of funding in Congressional appropriations for the Bureau of Labor Statistics to ensure the fielding of the survey.”

For years, Sen. Warner has been urging the federal government to collect better, more complete data on the number and type of workers who are part of the contingent workforce economy. Estimates of the contingent labor force range from a few percentage points to nearly a third of the American labor force engaging in some type of independent work arrangement.

Added Sen. Warner, “While the data provided a window into how many Americans claim contingent and alternative arrangements as their main job in a given one-week period, it also demonstrated where there are still gaps. There is no official measure of supplemental work. There is little insight into how workers assemble many different kinds of work arrangements to amass sources of income and livelihood. Without these additional data, it is difficult to help this dynamic segment of workers receive more training and resources, access a system of portable benefits they can carry from job to job, or file their taxes and claim deductions and credits. Moving forward, it is imperative that the BLS measure, in a holistic way, how contingent and alternative work arrangements are both central and supplementary to the foundation of our labor force.”

Last year, Sen. Warner introduced bipartisan legislation to test and evaluate innovative portable-benefits models for independent workers. He is also the author of bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing the availability of job training to lower- and moderate-income workers, in an effort to stay on top of the rapidly changing technology and skills requirements for today’s workforce.

The full text of today’s letter appears below. A copy of the signed letter is available here.

William J. Wiatrowski, Acting Commissioner

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Postal Square Building

2 Massachusetts Avenue,

Room #4040

NE Washington, DC 20212

Dear Acting Commissioner Wiatrowski,

I write today to commend the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for fielding, analyzing, and releasing the preliminary findings of the Contingent and Alternative Work Arrangement Supplement (CWS) to the Current Population Survey (CPS) on June 7, 2018. For the first time in over a decade, this report provided a snapshot of the contingent and alternative worker population.

This new report demonstrates that alternative workers not only play a significant role in our economy, but are also a consistent part of our labor force. Millions of Americans – more than one in ten workers – identify independent contracting, temp, on-call and contract-firm work as their main job. These workers are an important segment of our labor force, who may be working without access to a traditional set of employment benefits as a safety net.

While the CWS is considered the gold standard for measuring these type of work arrangements in the American workforce, data about the size and scope of the contingent workforce had not been collected since 2005, after funding was eliminated. A lapse of 13 years between surveys is too long, given cyclical economic fluctuations in an era where new technology and changes to the nature of work have increased the range of opportunities for workers to pursue flexible arrangements. It is important to understand how these employment figures are affected by external forces, such as under periods of higher unemployment or slower economic growth. Without consistent information, policymakers and experts are in the dark about the size and needs of this population, making it harder to find common ground on solutions to help all workers achieve economic security.

I urge BLS to institute best practices and field the CWS annually, and I will continue to push for appropriate levels of funding in Congressional appropriations for the Bureau of Labor Statistics to ensure the fielding of the survey.

While the data provided a window into how many Americans claim contingent and alternative arrangements as their main job in a given one-week period, it also demonstrated where there are still gaps. There is no official measure of supplemental work. There is little insight into how workers assemble many different kinds of work arrangements to amass sources of income and livelihood. Without these additional data, it is difficult to help this dynamic segment of workers receive more training and resources, access a system of portable benefits they can carry from job to job, or file their taxes and claim deductions and credits.

Moving forward, it is imperative that the BLS measure, in a holistic way, how contingent and alternative work arrangements are both central and supplementary to the foundation of our labor force. To address these issues, I urge the BLS to add questions about supplementary work and consider expanding the use of administrative data for research and program evaluation as recommended by the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking.

Survey research is difficult, methodologically rigorous work and I appreciate the efforts the BLS undertook in order to release this year’s CWS. While it would have been preferable for the BLS to release the results of all of the questions from the CWS simultaneously, I look forward to reviewing the answers to the four new questions measuring electronically-mediated employment I pushed for in September 2018. In the meantime, I will continue to work toward a strong and collaborative relationship with the Bureau to ensure adequate data collection and a thorough understanding of our economy.

Sincerely,

Mark R. Warner

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WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced bipartisan legislation that includes Virginia priorities championed by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA). The 2018 Senate Farm Bill includes Warner-Kaine sponsored bills to increase Chesapeake Bay funding, legalize industrial hemp production, and protect Virginia public lands. As President Trump’s trade war continues to escalate, it also includes other technical measures that will help support and protect Virginia farmers. The bill passed out of committee on a bipartisan 20-1 vote and now awaits full consideration on the Senate floor.

“We are pleased that the Senate Ag committee passed a Farm Bill that includes key measures we’ve introduced to help Virginia continue Chesapeake Bay clean-up efforts, expand farm conservation, and preserve some of our most cherished public lands,” said the Senators. “This bipartisan bill would finally end an outdated ban on hemp production that has held back Virginia farmers from taking part in this emerging market. And it protects Virginia commodities like dairy and cotton while maintaining funding for nutrition assistance that Virginia families depend on. We will continue working with our colleagues so that this bill receives an expeditious vote on the Senate floor and is signed into law.”

Warner-Kaine sponsored bills in the FY18 Farm Bill include:

· Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancements Act: a bill which makes technical changes to the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) intended to bring more federal funding into the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Farm Bill doubles funding for RCPP from $100 million to $200 million providing farmers with the tools they need to implement effective conservation practices within the Bay watershed. These changes will improve sustainability across the region and result in a cleaner, healthier Chesapeake Bay.

· Hemp Farming Act: a bill that would remove hemp from the federal list of controlled substances, allowing Virginia farmers to grow and sell the plant as an agricultural commodity. States would be given authority to regulate hemp, and hemp researchers will be able to apply for USDA grants. Hemp farmers would also be eligible to collect crop insurance under this provision.

· Virginia Wilderness Additions Act: a bill that designates specified lands in George Washington National Forest in Virginia as part of the Rough Mountain Wilderness area and the Rich Hole Wilderness area, adding those lands to the National Wilderness Preservation System. This provision adds a total of 5,600 acres of wilderness area within the George Washington National Forest in Bath County.

· Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act: a bill that expands existing federal domestic violence protections to include threats or acts of violence against a victim’s pet, and provides grant funding to programs that offer shelter and housing assistance for domestic violence victims with pets. The Farm Bill authorizes $3 million a year for FY2019-2023 for a grant program that will provide emergency and transitional housing assistance for victims of domestic violence and their pets.

Agriculture is Virginia’s largest private industry, with an economic impact of $70 billion annually that provides more than 334,000 jobs in the Commonwealth. President Trump has targeted imports from some of the United States’ closest allies, sparking the announcement of retaliatory tariffs that will hit key Virginia agricultural exports. Most recently, Mexico announced it will be placing a 20 percent tariff on pork imports, a step that will directly hurt Virginia farmers who exported roughly $68 million in pork to that country last year.

In the wake of President Trump’s ongoing trade war, the Farm Bill includes a measure that will revamp existing trade promotion programs and authorize $6 million in new funding for trade promotion activities. Trade Promotion is a technique used by the United States to pursue trade agreements that support and create U.S. jobs while helping American manufacturers, service providers, farmers and ranchers increase U.S. exports and compete in a highly competitive, globalized economy.

Sens. Warner and Kaine added, “President Trump should play close attention to the way the Senate is trying to lend a hand to some of the same people that will be hurt by his irresponsible trade war. Instead of picking fights with some of our closest allies, he should work with us to help pass legislation that will improve the livelihood of Virginia farmers and open new markets where they can sell their products.”

In addition, the bill includes measures to protect the U.S. dairy and cotton industry. It streamlines a program that allows dairy producers to insure margins—the difference between the prices of milk and feed—and increases its funding. The bill also makes cotton once again eligible to participate in federal crop insurance programs, which are used by farmers to protect themselves against either the loss of their crops due to natural disasters, or the loss of revenue due to declines in the prices of agricultural commodities. Livestock producers also receive assistance through a new program authorized by this bill that will give USDA the authority to operate a disease and disaster prevention program and a vaccine bank, including for foot and mouth disease.

For more information on the FY18 Farm Bill, click here.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $55.985 million in new federal funding for communities in Hampton Roads, Richmond, and on the Eastern Shore for water infrastructure improvements. The funding is awarded through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ “Work Plan,” a source of funds provided by Congress for the Corps to allocate to ongoing projects. Warner and Kaine advocated directly to Army Corps leadership on behalf of many of these projects in Virginia.

“We fought for these key infrastructure projects because Virginia’s waterways play a critical role in the economies of coastal communities,” the Senators said. “From dredging and beach replenishment to cleaner rivers to new oyster habitats to new infrastructure for the Port of Virginia, these investments will help us protect coastal communities and the environment while growing the regional tourism and port commerce economies.”

In response to the funding for Virginia Beach projects, Mayor Louis Jones said, “Each project will have substantial positive impacts on the City of Virginia Beach, its businesses and residents. We appreciate Senator Kaine, Senator Warner and Congressman Taylor advocating so effectively for these projects in our city.”

Earlier this year, Warner and Kaine helped successfully include over $51 million for Virginia projects in the Army Corps civil works program as part of the recent omnibus government funding bill.

The $55.985 million in funding will be awarded as follows:

Project	Location	Type of Funding	Allocation	Summary of Work
Lynnhaven River Basin	Virginia Beach, VA	Construction	$10 million	This funding will help restore wetlands and fish habitat, reduce nutrient and sediment pollution, provide flood control benefits, and reestablish impaired oyster and scallop populations in the Lynnhaven River and tributaries.
Norfolk Harbor and Channels - Craney Island	Portsmouth, VA	Construction	$5 million	This funding will expand the dredge fill capacity of the Craney Island Dredged Material Management Area, which will pave the way for a future Craney Island Marine Terminal that will nearly double the capacity of the Port of Virginia.
Norfolk Harbor and Craney Island	Portsmouth, VA	Operations and Maintenance	$5.35 million	This funding will support maintenance to reduce shoaling in Norfolk Harbor and around Craney Island, as well as perform dike maintenance and replace one of six primary spillboxes at the Craney Island Dredge Material Management Area.
Virginia Beach Hurricane Protection	Virginia Beach, VA	Construction	$17.6 million	This funding will support dredging and beach re-nourishment to ease impacts of previous extreme weather events.
Donor and Energy Transfer Ports	Port of Virginia	Operations and Maintenance	$3.96 million	This funding will be provided to a dedicated account for ports around the nation that either pay more into the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund than they receive in benefits from it or ports that are critical to the movement of energy commodities, of which the Port of Virginia is one.
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway North Landing Bridge	Chesapeake, VA	Investigations	$400,000	This funding will continue the study that will culminate in a plan to replace this obsolete 1955 bridge over the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal connecting Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.
Rudee Inlet	Virginia Beach, VA	Operations and Maintenance	$200,000	This funding supports maintenance dredging to remove shoals from the inlet.
James River Channel	James River	Operations and Maintenance	$10.7 million	This funding supports maintenance dredging to remove shoals that accumulate as much as 8 feet annually in portions of the James River. It will also fund surveys to monitor and react to changing river conditions.
Chincoteague Inlet	Chincoteague, VA	Operations and Maintenance	$250,000	This funding supports maintenance dredging to remove shoals in the inlet and surveys to monitor and report channel conditions to users, and to coordinate with the Coast Guard on buoys and channel markers.
Lynnhaven Inlet	Virginia Beach, VA	Operations and Maintenance	$325,000	This funding supports maintenance dredging to remove shoaling in the entrance channel and turning basin.
Hampton Roads Prevention of Obstructive Deposits	Hampton Roads, VA	Operations and Maintenance	$450,000	This funding will help patrol, investigate and coordinate with state and federal agencies to upgrade facilities to detect and prevent deposit of refuse and hazardous materials into navigable waterways.
Waterway on the Coast of Virginia	90-mile channel from the MD-VA line in Chincoteague Bay to the Chesapeake Bay	Operations and Maintenance	$1.75 million	This funding supports maintenance dredging to provide vessels a protected 90-mile north-south route connecting Eastern Shore harbors to one another and to the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean.

Additional details on each type of funding are below:

Construction funds are granted to build current projects.

Investigations funds are granted to advance projects through the study phase, which will end with a document analyzing what specific infrastructure is needed for a project, how much it will cost, and what percentage the federal government will fund.

Operations and Maintenance funds are granted to operate and maintain federal navigation channels and other permanent Army Corps infrastructure projects.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has filed several amendments to the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that will benefit the nation’s overall defense strategy by strengthening our cybersecurity practices and streamlining the security clearance process.

One of Sen. Warner’s amendments would require the United States to amend the U.S. cyber-doctrine, establishing that the U.S. will respond accordingly should a foreign adversary launch a cyber-attack in order to undermine our elections. Sen. Warner also filed a similar amendment to the NDAA last year. Additional amendments would address the 700,000-person background investigation backlog and modernize an antiquated security clearance system. Suggested provisions include requiring the implementation of specific goals to reduce the backlog, and bringing transparency to the true costs associated with the clearance process. In addition, he has introduced an amendment to provide a fix for federal employees who have, following passage of the GOP’s tax bill last year, been subject to additional taxes after moving for work.

“The sophisticated cyber effort by Russia during the 2016 presidential election made clear just how unprepared we are as a nation to address cyber threats posed by foreign adversaries. That is why I have offered an amendment that would require a direct response by the U.S. should a foreign adversary attempt to intervene and undermine the integrity of local, state, or federal elections,” said Sen. Warner. “In addition, I have also offered much-needed fixes to streamline and modernize our outdated security clearance process, and address a tax code that leaves many federal workers on the hook for costs associated with relocating for work. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure we provide the proper resources and support our military needs in this year’s defense budget.”

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

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced legislation that promotes family unity by prohibiting U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials from separating children from their parents, except in extraordinary circumstances. Sens. Warner and Kaine also joined 38 of their Senate colleagues in a letter urging the Trump Administration to stop further traumatizing children and end Trump’s inhumane policy of separating innocent boys and girls from families who cross the southwest border seeking asylum in the United States.

The policy was put in place by the Trump Administration last month even though current immigration law does not require the U.S. government to separate immigrant parents from their children. Since Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Trump’s so-called “zero-tolerance” policy, hundreds of children have been separated from their parents and are being held in detention centers and other institutional facilities.

“Separating children from their parents at the border, many of them coming here desperate to escape the terrible violence in their countries, is a policy that is directly at odds with the fundamental values of this nation. This unprecedented and inhumane practice has been condemned by the U.N., is not rooted in any law, and could end today should President Trump choose to do so,” said Sen. Warner. “Instead, the President has used this new policy to terrorize innocent families as a means of deterring those who are legally seeking asylum in our country. In the absence of moral leadership from the White House, Congress should make it clear that the United States of America will continue to stand proud as a country welcoming of those seeking refuge from violence, poverty, and prejudice.”

“The Trump Administration’s policies trample on American values by tearing families apart and demonizing people seeking refuge,” Sen. Kaine said. “This bill is an effort to protect kids from unnecessary harm by keeping families together and putting in place safeguards for children who have been separated from their parents.”

The Keep Families Together Act will:

· Keep families together: The bill promotes family unity by prohibiting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials from separating children from their parents, except in extraordinary circumstances. In these limited circumstances, separation could not occur unless parental rights have been terminated, a child welfare agency has issued a best interest determination, or the Port Director or the Chief Border Patrol agent of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have approved separation due to trafficking indicators or other concerns of risk to the child.

· Increase Child Welfare Training: The bill requires all CBP officers and agents to complete child welfare training on an annual basis. Port Directors and Chief Border Agents, those who authorized to make decisions on family separations, must complete an additional 90 minutes of annual child-welfare training.

· Establish public policy preference for family reunification: The bill establishes a preference for family unity, discourages the separation of siblings, and creates a presumption that detention is not in the best interests of families and children.

· Implement procedures for Separated Families: The bill requires DHS to develop policies and procedures allowing parents and children to locate each other and reunite if they have been separated. Such procedures must be public and made available in a language that parents can understand. In cases of separation, it requires DHS to provide parents with a weekly report containing information about a child.

· Establish other required measures: In order to inform Congressional oversight and promote public understanding of the use family separation, the bill requires an annual report on the separation of families. Additionally, the bill requires the GAO examine the prosecution of asylum seekers.

Separately, in a letter to President Trump signed by 40 Senators, Sens. Warner and Kaine urged the Administration to stop the policy of separating children from their families at the southern border. The letter echoes the message of more than 540 state and national child development, child welfare and juvenile justice groups from all 50 states that sent a similar letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen. Citing the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Senators stressed the short- and long-term damage to these children from being unnecessarily separated from their families.

“We are writing to ask that you reverse course on your inhumane decision to separate children from their parents at the border,” the Senators said in a letter to Trump. “This policy has traumatized children who are fleeing extreme violence. Our government has a humanitarian duty to the children and families seeking asylum in the United States to end this policy immediately.”

The Senators underscored that the Administration’s cruel and unnecessary separations run counter to widely accepted standards of care that prioritize keeping children and families together whenever possible.

“Best practices in child welfare promote keeping children and their parents together unless removal is in the child’s best interest,” the Senators added.“Unnecessarily separating more children from their parents will further exacerbate the lack of home-based foster care placements available and increase the use of large-capacity institutional settings, such as abandoned military bases, to house these children.”

Joining Sens. Warner and Kaine on the letter were Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tom Udall (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tom Carper (D-DE), Tina Smith (D-MN), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Angus King (I-ME), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Brian Schatz (D-HI).

To read the text of the bill, click here. Read the full text of the letter here.

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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 and Finance Committees, today sent letters to Twitter and Google parent company Alphabet, requesting information about any data sharing agreements between the companies and Chinese vendors. The letter follows a disclosure earlier this week by Facebook that the company has partnerships with Chinese telecom companies including Huawei that allow them to access Facebook users’ non-public data.

“Since at least October 2012, when the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released its widely-publicized report, the relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and equipment makers like Huawei and ZTE has been an area of national security concern. Since then, numerous articles in the tech trade press have focused on concerns by American and allied intelligence agencies that products from Chinese device makers, such as Lenovo, have security vulnerabilities that could allow Chinese intelligence to access data stored on, or transmitted by, devices. And the New York Times reported in 2016 that firmware found in low-end smartphone devices, such as those of Huawei and ZTE, continually transmitted local data to Chinese severs, potentially for foreign intelligence purposes,” Sen. Warner wrote to the two companies today.

It is publicly known that Alphabet has entered into strategic partnerships with Chinese mobile device manufacturers, including Huawei and Xiaomi, as well as with Chinese technology platform Tencent. In light of Facebook’s recent revelations, Sen. Warner requested that the company provide information about those partnerships, as well as any other agreements that Alphabet may have entered into with third-party vendors based in China. A similar request was posed to Twitter.

Sen. Warner’s letter to Alphabet CEO Larry Page is available here. His letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is available here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement after Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed into law the state budget that expands Medicaid:

“After years of working on this issue that affects families across the Commonwealth, we are thrilled that hundreds of thousands of Virginians who currently lack basic health care coverage will finally have some peace of mind. Today’s historic signing shows a good faith effort by legislators to provide health insurance for Virginians who need it the most. We are grateful for the tireless work Governor Northam and the leaders of the General Assembly have shown to ensure the stability and well-being of hardworking families. We are ready to assist the Governor and his administration as Virginia begins the process of full expansion.”

Virginia is now one of 33 states across the country that have expanded Medicaid. Up to 400,000 low-income adults in Virginia will now be eligible for Medicaid health coverage.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – 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, today released the following statement:

“We are troubled to hear of the charges filed against a former member of the Committee staff. While the charges do not appear to include anything related to the mishandling of classified information, the Committee takes this matter extremely seriously. We were made aware of the investigation late last year, and have fully cooperated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice since then. Working through Senate Legal Counsel, and as noted in a Senate Resolution, the Committee has made certain official records available to the Justice Department.

“This news is disappointing, as the former staffer in question served on the Committee for more than three decades, and in the Armed Forces with distinction. However, we trust the justice system to act appropriately and ensure due process as this case unfolds. This will in no way interfere with our ongoing investigation, and the Committee remains committed to carrying out our important work on behalf of the American people.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statement on the President’s nomination of Judge Rossie David Alston, Jr. to serve on the Eastern District Court of Virginia. If confirmed by the Senate, Judge Alston would be the only African American judge serving in the Alexandria Division:

“We are pleased that the President has nominated Judge Alston to the vacancy and are confident his experiences on the state bench will serve him well at the federal level. He fills large shoes in replacing Judge Gerald Bruce Lee, who served with great distinction, and we hope Judge Alston can proudly carry on his legacy. We urge the Department of Justice to send background materials to the Judiciary Committee as soon as possible so our colleagues can review his record and promptly advance his nomination.”

In December, Warner and Kaine sent a letter to President Trump, recommending Judge Alston for the vacancy.

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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 and Finance Committees, released the following statement regarding the Commerce Department’s agreement with ZTE:

“It is the unanimous conclusion of our nation’s intelligence community that ZTE poses a significant threat to our national security. These concerns aren’t new; back in 2012, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released a report on the serious counterintelligence concerns associated with ZTE equipment.

“It’s not only that ZTE was busted for evading sanctions on Iran and North Korea, and then lied about it; It’s that ZTE is a state-controlled telecommunications company that poses significant espionage risks, which this agreement appears to do little to address.”

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) issued a report that for the first time in years provided a snapshot of the contingent and alternative worker population.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Contingent Worker and Alternative Work Arrangement Supplement (CWS) to the Current Population Survey (CPS) is considered the gold standard of measuring who is doing what in the American workforce, but data about the size and scope of the contingent workforce had not been collected since 2005 after its funding was eliminated. Since then, the federal government had struggled to keep up with an explosion in new technology and changes to the nature of work that have increased the range of opportunities for workers to pursue flexible arrangements. In the Senate, Sen. Warner led the charge in restoring funding to help collect this data and requesting the Department of Labor to relaunch the survey that culminated in this report.

“The federal government and the general public have lacked for many years reliable data to help paint a clear picture of our contingent workforce and their future. Without this crucial information, policymakers and experts are in the dark about the size and needs of this population, making it harder to find common ground on solutions that will help them navigate our intricate labor market. For this reason, I urged the federal government to re-establish these best practices and issue this report, which will help provide us with a direct understanding of what this part of our workforce looks like.

“Today’s news show that contingent workers play a significant role in our economy, with tens of millions of Americans - more than one in ten workers - identified as independent contractors, temps, and contract-firm workers. An while the data shows that there’s been a downward shift in the number of people who rely on contingent work as their main job, we still don’t know how many of them do so in order to supplement their income. Without this crucial piece of data, it will be tough for us to make an accurate assessment of the best way to help this dynamic segment of workers receive more training and resources, access a system of portable benefits they can carry from job to job, and file their taxes and claim deductions and credits. I will continue pushing the federal government and outside experts to fill-in these gaps and provide a full picture of this part of our workforce, and expect to seek more information on the tax challenges of these workers in the near future.”

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Senate Banking and Finance Committees, along with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN) and Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Jeff Flake (R-AZ), introduced bipartisan legislation that would require the White House to seek Congressional approval before issuing tariffs designated in the interest of national security. This authority was originally granted to the President by Congress under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and is a tool that has only rarely been used to restrict foreign imports.

President Trump has used this provision to impose steel and aluminum tariffs that target imports from some of the United States’ closest allies like Mexico, Canada, and the European Union. As a result, businesses that make products containing these materials, such as Virginia craft beer producers, expect to see increased production costs that will likely mean higher prices for Virginia consumers. In addition, some of these countries have announced they plan to impose retaliatory tariffs on key Virginia agricultural exports. This week, Mexico announced it will be placing a 20 percent tariff on pork imports, a step that will directly hurt Virginia farmers who exported roughly $68 million in pork to that country last year.

“While I believe that we should hold China accountable for unfair trade practices and I support strong trade enforcement rules that protect American workers, the President should not be relying on an obscure provision of a trade law intended to uphold national security in order to impose tariffs on our allies. Instead, he should focus on building international coalitions to hold bad actors accountable and protect American workers,” said Sen. Warner.

“While we all agree on the need to ensure the international trade system is fair for American workers, companies and consumers, unfortunately, the administration is abusing the Section 232 authority delegated to the president by Congress,” said Sen. Corker. “Making claims regarding national security to justify what is inherently an economic question not only harms the very people we all want to help and impairs relations with our allies but also could invite our competitors to retaliate. If the president truly believes invoking Section 232 is necessary to protect the United States from a genuine threat, he should make the case to Congress and to the American people and do the hard work necessary to secure congressional approval.”

The bill requires the president to submit to Congress any proposal to adjust imports in the interest of national security under Section 232. For a 60-day period following submission, legislation to approve the proposal will qualify for expedited consideration, guaranteeing the opportunity for debate and a vote. The requirement would apply to all Section 232 actions moving forward, as well as those taken within the past two years.

Sen. Warner, along with Sen. Kaine, has previously raised concerns about how President Trump’s trade war could hurt Virginia businesses and employees, listing the set of products grown and made in Virginia that have been targeted by the Chinese for duties. Both Senators also wrote to the Administration warning that withdrawing from the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)—another significant source of agricultural exports for Virginia—would negatively impact Virginia’s agricultural industry.

A copy of the legislation can be found here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), released the following statement on the passing of Gene W. Adkins, Chief of the Chickahominy Indian Eastern Division:

“I’m very sad to learn Chief Adkins of the Chickahominy Indian Eastern Division passed away this weekend. I had the privilege of working with Chief Adkins for many years to secure federal recognition for the Chickahominy, and I’m glad he lived to see his and five other tribes win that battle for justice and respect earlier this year. My heart is with Chief Adkins’ family and the Chickahominy people during this tough time.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after Facebook confirmed the company has data-sharing partnerships with Chinese telecom companies, including Huawei:

“Concerns about Huawei aren’t new – they were widely publicized beginning in 2012, when the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released a well-read report on the close relationships between the Chinese Communist Party and equipment makers like Huawei. The news that Facebook provided privileged access to Facebook’s API to Chinese device makers like Huawei and TCL raises legitimate concerns, and I look forward to learning more about how Facebook ensured that information about their users was not sent to Chinese servers.”

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