Press Releases

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released a statement on today’s White House nomination of Thomas T. Cullen to serve as United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia:

“Tom Cullen is an experienced federal prosecutor who has practiced in North Carolina and Virginia. He will make an excellent U.S. Attorney, and we are proud to support his nomination to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District,” said the Senators.

Cullen was one of two candidates recommended to the White House by Sens. Warner and Kaine in July. Cullen’s nomination was supported by a panel of attorneys from across the Commonwealth selected by Sens. Warner and Kaine to interview all candidates who applied for the position.

Mr. Cullen is currently a Principal/Partner at Woods Rogers PLC in Roanoke, where his practice focuses on white-collar defense and government investigations. He entered the private sector following a career with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District, where he served as Deputy Criminal Chief at the request of former U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy. Mr. Cullen previously served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, North Carolina. He also served as an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force prosecutor during his time in Charlotte. Mr. Cullen began his legal career as a clerk for U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne in the Eastern District, followed by a clerkship with Circuit Judge Roger L. Gregory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Mr. Cullen received his law degree from William and Mary School of Law in 2004 where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif and a B.A. cum laude from Furman University.

The Western District of Virginia has offices in Roanoke, Charlottesville, Abingdon, Lynchburg, Danville, Big Stone Gap and Harrisonburg.

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement after the Senate failed to advance bipartisan legislation to protect young immigrants known as Dreamers:

“I’m extremely disappointed that our reasonable, bipartisan compromise failed to garner the 60 votes needed to move forward. I will continue to work with my colleagues to protect the Dreamers, who know no other home but America.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined colleagues in a letter to the chair and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security asking that they include funding in the Homeland Security appropriations bill to reimburse Richmond International Airport for screening systems purchased to increase security following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Richmond’s airport took this step in 2005 to protect passenger safety and was promised a reimbursement, but has yet to be paid.

“In response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and with the encouragement and oversight of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), several airports installed in-line baggage screening systems with the expectation and promise that they would be reimbursed for their early action. Regrettably, these airports have still not been repaid,” the Senators wrote. “With the costs now validated, it is appropriate to begin providing funds for reimbursement.”

Warner and Kaine first asked Boozman and Tester to include funding for Richmond International Airport in the FY 2018 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill in May 2017. Preliminary data shows that a number of airports are still owed more than $217 million.

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

February 7, 2018

The Honorable John Boozman, Chairman
The Honorable Jon Tester, Ranking Member
Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Tester:

As you work to finalize the FY 2018 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill, we urge you to include funding to begin reimbursing airports that took early action to install in-line baggage screening systems but have not yet received compensation for these critical security investments.

In response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and with the encouragement and oversight of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), several airports installed in-line baggage screening systems with the expectation and promise that they would be reimbursed for their early action. Regrettably, these airports have still not been repaid.

We are grateful for the Subcommittee’s inclusion of report language this year and in prior years to require the TSA to quantify the amount the affected airports are owed and to establish a plan to repay these costs. That process has confirmed that airports are owed at least $217 million but has not identified any resources to begin reimbursements. With the costs now validated, it is appropriate to begin providing funds for reimbursement. We urge you to commit as much funding as possible for that purpose in the final Homeland Security appropriations bill for FY 2018.

Thank you for your consideration of this request and your efforts to help our airports receive what they are owed.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Chicken Caucus, joined a bipartisan group of Senators to introduce theFair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act. The bill would protect farmers, cattlemen, and livestock markets from burdensome EPA reporting requirements for animal waste emissions. These requirements were not intended to affect animal agriculture and instead were meant to address dangerous industrial pollution, chemical plant explosions, and the release of hazardous materials into the environment.

“Virginia cattlemen and farmers should not be burdened by regulations that were designed to apply to industrial pollution and toxic chemicals – not farms and production facilities,” said Sen. Warner. “Our local agricultural industry is an economic driver and job creator in the Commonwealth and this commonsense fix balances strong environmental protections with the needs of these hardworking livestock producers.”

“On behalf poultry farmers in Virginia, we greatly appreciate Senator Warner for his leadership on the FARM Act. This bill will ease the burden of Virginia turkey and chicken farmers from having to report low-level ammonia emissions from the natural decomposition of animal manure,” said Hobey Bauhan, President, Virginia Poultry Federation.

“The Virginia Cattlemen's Association is pleased that Senator Warner joined in patronizing the FARM Act and supporting a common sense approach to deregulation when unintentional targets like livestock production are included in a rule written for other industries. We appreciate Senator Warner and others who signed on showing their commitment to making sure regulation is efficient and supportive of results over unnecessary bureaucracy,” said Jason H. Carter, Executive Director, Virginia Cattlemen's Association & Virginia Beef Industry Council.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) are laws on the books that require entities to notify authorities when they release large quantities of hazardous materials. In 2008, the EPA published a final rule exempting most livestock operations from the laws’ reporting requirements.

In April 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled EPA did not have the authority to create this exemption for agriculture, creating confusion and uncertainty for America’s Ag producers.

The FARM Act would:

Maintain the exemption for certain federally registered pesticides from reporting requirements within CERCLA.
Exempt air emissions from animal waste on a farm from reporting requirements under CERCLA.
Provide agriculture producers with greater certainty by reinstating the status quo producers have been operating under since EPA’s 2008 final rule.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

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Click HERE to read the text of the amendment

Washington, D.C. — A bipartisan group of 16 Senators unveiled legislation this evening to protect “Dreamers” and to strengthen border security. The Senators are part of the Common Sense Coalition, a group of 25 Republican, Democratic, and Independent Senators convened by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joe Manchin (D-WV), who have been meeting nearly every day in Senator Collins’ office to develop a framework to address Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and other immigration issues.

The lead sponsors of the legislation are Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Angus King (I-ME), and the original cosponsors include Senators: Collins, Manchin, Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), and Mark Warner (D-VA).

“This is a bipartisan solution that will provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers whose status in this country was left in limbo when the administration announced it was ending the DACA program,” said Senator Warner. “This amendment certainly isn’t perfect, but I believe it is a suitable compromise and the best path forward for the Senate to advance legislation on this critical issue.”

“Our bipartisan proposal takes meaningful steps to enhance border security, adds limits to chain migration and permanently deals with DACA recipients,” said Senator Rounds. “The $25 billion allotted for border security is a historic investment in our nation’s borders that will strengthen our ability to keep bad actors out of the country and keep Americans safe. It is a significant improvement from the status quo and will allow us to continue the dialogue as we seek to keep our borders safe and reform our immigration system to one that is merit-based.”

“Nearly everybody involved in this process has expressed a desire to help these young people, and that’s exactly what our bipartisan group, under the leadership of Senator Collins, has been working towards. Let’s help them, rather than getting bogged down in complicated, comprehensive and unrelated changes to our immigration policy,” said Senator King. “I hope our amendment will get the votes we need to take these young men and women out of limbo and ensure their legal status in the country they call home.”

“Following the reopening of the government last month, members of our Common Sense Coalition saw that immigration was beginning to fracture along partisan lines. We met continuously so that Senators could discuss this important issue and reach consensus,” said Senator Collins. “Our legislation underscores the broad, bipartisan commitment to creating a path to citizenship for Dreamers, who were brought to this country illegally through no decision of their own, while strengthening border security to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants as well as drugs like heroin that are ruining lives.”

“This compromise shows the American people what Congress can get done when we work in a bipartisan way and put politics aside. I’m glad we could work through these complicated issues in a constructive way in order to secure our border and solve some difficult immigration issues that I think both sides can support,” Senator Manchin said.

“Our proposal would represent the most significant change to immigration law in the past thirty-five years,” said Senator Graham. “Providing President Trump with $25 billion for the Wall system he campaigned on is a giant step forward for border security. As to the DACA population, we mirror President Trump’s proposal allowing DACA eligible individuals to obtain legal status and over a ten to twelve-year period, they can become green card holders. This will allow them to pursue their lives with certainty and stability in the United States – the only country they know. This is a substantial down payment on fixing a broken immigration system and truly is a win-win.”

“We’ve reached a deal that gives us the best chance to protect Dreamers against deportation from the only country they know as home,” said Senator Kaine. “This is a true compromise, which includes the significant boost in border security funding our Republican colleagues and President Trump have been asking for. I’ve worked across the aisle for weeks with this large group of Republicans and Democrats to reach this deal, and I hope my colleagues will join us in showing that the Senate can solve tough problems.”

“I’m pleased to be part of this group of Republicans and Democrats who are working together to make a law, rather than a point,” said Senator Flake. “A broadly-supported, bipartisan bill that protects DACA recipients and strengthens border security ought to be able to get 60 votes in the Senate. Let’s put it on the floor and work together to get it passed.”

“This bipartisan legislation represents our best opportunity to make long overdue changes to our immigration laws that will allow 1.8 million Dreamers to live without fear of deportation, make robust investments in border security, and ensure that family reunification remains one of the core values of our immigration system,” said Senator Coons. “This process has not been easy, and this bill is not perfect, but Delawareans sent me to the Senate to not only fight for our values, but to also work across the aisle to get things done. While this isn't the bill I would have drafted, I believe this is a good, honest compromise, and I will support it on the Senate floor tomorrow.”

“Our immigration system is broken and we need to fix it,” said Senator Gardner. “There are many children who came to this country without documentation and we need to allow them the opportunity to remain here lawfully. This legislation addresses some of the largest challenges our broken immigration system faces, including a major boost to border security, and I urge members on both sides of the aisle that want a solution to support our bipartisan approach.”

“This agreement is full of tough compromises, but it shows that when senators really want to find bipartisan solutions, it’s possible,” said Senator Heitkamp. “That’s the whole purpose of the Common Sense Coalition – to work together, Republicans and Democrats, to reach results for the American people – and I hope Congress passes our deal. I’m proud to have been part of this group that worked together to reopen the government in 2013 and last month. And now we’re doing it again by forging a deal that both provides a permanent solution to those who came to our country as children through no fault of their own while boosting border security at all of our borders.”

"I am proud to be part of this bipartisan effort," said Senator Murkowski. "The amendment seeks to protect the Dreamers while strengthening our border security and I am encouraged by the time and effort we have spent as a group trying to achieve a consensus on this difficult issue. I hope we can get to a final bill that protects the Dreamers and look forward to the debate."

“This bipartisan agreement finally allows DREAMers a pathway to citizenship so that they no longer have to live in fear of deportation,” said Senator Shaheen. “Time is of the essence and I urge lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to support this proposal so that DREAMers can finally move on with their lives. This agreement further demonstrates the necessity of good faith bipartisan discussions and the need for compromise to get things done. I look forward to continued participation with the Common Sense Caucus to make further progress on the many challenges facing our country.”

“My goal is to get a result on both border security and DACA so I will cosponsor and vote for Senator Grassley's legislation implementing the president’s proposal. I will also cosponsor and vote for this narrower bipartisan proposal offered by Senators Rounds and King because it too solves the DACA problem and provides the $25 billion the president requested to improve border security,” said Senator Alexander.

"We can't wait any longer to find a solution for the DREAMers and this bipartisan agreement - which was a product of working across the aisle with my colleagues for the past several weeks - includes a path to citizenship. I am hopeful it can get strong bipartisan support in the Senate,"said Senator Klobuchar.

“We have a real opportunity to secure our borders and address some of the issues in our immigration system,” said Senator Isakson. “I’m committed to continuing to work toward real solutions, and this legislation will help meet many of these goals.”

Highlights of the bipartisan proposal include:

Legal Status and Path to Citizenship for Young People Brought to the US as Children.

The amendment provides legal status and a path to citizenship to individuals who were brought to the U.S. as children. Individuals who are registered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program automatically qualify, if they arrived in this country by June 15, 2007, unless they have engaged in conduct that would make them ineligible. To obtain legal status, individuals not enrolled in the DACA program must:

Have been continuously present in the U.S. since June 15, 2012, the date of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Executive Order;

Have been under age 18 when they entered the U.S., and under age 38 on June 15, 2012;

Meet educational requirements or be serving in the U.S. Armed Forces (or have been honorably discharged from military service); and

Pass background checks, medical exams, and register for the Selective Service, if applicable.

Individuals do not qualify if they are convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor, or three or more misdemeanors. Individuals are required to pay any federal tax liability incurred while working legally in the U.S.

Beneficiaries can apply for citizenship after 12 years, and up to 2 years of credit will be given for time with DACA.

PROHIBITION ON DACA BENEFICIARIES SPONSORING THEIR PARENTS FOR CITIZENSHIP

The amendment includes language prohibiting parents from using their Dreamer children’s newly granted citizenship to apply for citizenship themselves.

BORDER SECURITY

The amendment authorizes and appropriates $25 billion in funding for Northern and Southern border security over the next 10 years. The bill requires DHS to provide detailed reports to Congress on its security plan, including physical barriers, fencing, tactical infrastructure, technology, personnel, and the milestones for implementing this plan.

Funding after the first year is released each year once the DHS Secretary certifies that at least 75 percent of the goals for the prior year have been reached. Sixty votes would be required in order to prevent funding for each fiscal year.

The bill also directs the Secretary to prioritize enforcement resources against aliens who:

Have been convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor, three or more misdemeanors;
Are a threat to national security or public safety; or
Are unlawfully present and arrived in the U.S. after June 30, 2018.

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the following statement on the Geneal Services Administration (GSA) report on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) consolidation plan:

“This is a deeply disappointing decision that reverses years of consensus that a new FBI headquarters in the Washington region would be the most cost-effective option for taxpayers and what’s best for the agency's mission of protecting and defending the United States. It raises serious questions that GSA would ignore its previous careful consideration and forgo the millions of dollars already spent in the search to relocate the Bureau. I continue to believe that the identified site in Springfield, Virginia would provide the FBI with the best location to build a modern and secure facility that meets the needs of the FBI and its workforce. Congress should look closely into what led to this reversal and carefully reevaluate all of the options available for the construction of this new facility.”

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statement on President Trump’s budget proposal and infrastructure “principles”:

“Once again, the Administration has put forth a budget that attacks the pay and retirement security of federal workers, slashes funding for Chesapeake Bay cleanup, and fails to seriously invest in critical infrastructure.

“What the President proposed today isn’t a real infrastructure plan. It is simply designed to let the President take credit for the investments, while sticking states and localities with the bill. Selling off property like the GW Parkway, Dulles Airport, and Reagan National will not improve our infrastructure – it will only mean higher costs for the traveling public. And as with the rest of the President’s budget request, the Administration does nothing to describe how it would pay for its own transportation proposal.

“The President’s budget proposal puts the burdens of deficit reduction on all the wrong places by slashing funding for Medicaid, college loans, and food assistance for needy families, and bringing overall non-defense investments down to levels not seen in modern times. But even as working families struggle, corporations will continue to spend tens of billions of dollars on share buybacks after receiving a windfall in the form of the $2.5 trillion unpaid-for tax cut.

“Even using economic assumptions rejected by leading economists, this budget would still leave America deeply in the red. Over the long term, this unsustainable level of debt will jeopardize everyone’s prosperity. While this Administration has abandoned the Republican Party’s longtime goal of reducing deficit spending, Congress must come together to find balanced solutions to address our fiscal situation.”

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) met with Tim Thomas, President Trump’s nominee to be the Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission. During the meeting, Senator Warner and Thomas discussed their shared priorities for Appalachia, including workforce development and combatting the opioid crisis.

“While I remain concerned about the Trump Administration’s proposal to defund the Appalachian Regional Commission, I was encouraged to hear Mr. Thomas lay out his priorities for an active ARC that carries out its mission of fostering economic development in Appalachia,” said Sen. Warner. “When it comes to jumpstarting the region’s economy, we need to take off our Republican and Democratic hats and work together. I encourage my colleagues from both parties to give fair consideration to Mr. Thomas’ nomination for this important post.”

The Appalachian Regional Commission is a federal-state partnership that has invested in 25,000 projects across Appalachia’s 420 counties. For more than fifty years, ARC has provided funding and support for job-creating community projects across the 13 Appalachian states, producing an average of $204 million in annual earnings for a region often challenged by economic underdevelopment. Since its inception in 1965, ARC has generated over 300,000 jobs and $10 billion for the 25 million Americans living in Appalachia.

In his FY2018 budget, President Trump proposed eliminating funding for the ARC entirely. In response, Senator Warner and a bipartisan coalition of Senators who represent Appalachian states called on President Trump to reverse his proposal to zero out funding for this important federal-state partnership. In 2017 alone, Senator Warner announced over $7 million in ARC grant funding for projects in Virginia’s Appalachian counties, including:

Falls Mills Senior Center Project (Tazewell County) - $500,000. This grant to the Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens, Inc., in partnership with the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors, will help build a community service and senior facility at the Falls Mills Elementary School site.
Alleghany Highlands Drone Zone (Covington, Va.) - $100,000. This grant will be matched with $100,000 in local funds to complete a feasibility study and design, marketing, and business plan for the new “Alleghany Highlands Drone Zone,” a business accelerator program and facility to support local enterprises in this emerging industry. It is anticipated that space for 12 businesses will be available in a city owned building that has been identified for renovation, and the project is expected to support the creation of three to five new businesses a year, according to ARC.
Floyd Regional Commerce Center (Floyd County) - $1,081,958. This grant leverages $30 million in private investment—will fund approximately 0.21 miles of access road, an industrial cul-de-sac, as well as pedestrian and bike path to facilitate Floyd County’s development of the Floyd Regional Commerce Center. The Floyd County Economic Development Authority estimates that completion of the Commerce Center would promote economic development with the potential to support more than 100 new jobs in the region.
William King Museum of Art (Abingdon, Va.) - $500,000. This grant will help the William King Museum of Art will help fund Phase 1 of a larger cultural campus expansion project. The funds will go towards access improvements, additional parking and renovating a currently vacant facility that will become the new Center for Studio Art and Education. With the improvements at the campus, 10 artisans will take up residency at the facility, 2 jobs will be created and 2,500 new visitors are anticipated. In addition to ARC funds, local sources will provide $657,000, bringing the total project funding to $1,157,000.
Southwest Virginia Early Childhood Workforce Development (Abington, Va.) - $99,933. This grant will help United Way of Southwest Virginia assist 70 workers obtain child care credentials and improve child development services for 20 existing businesses in a 13-county area. In addition, the grantee will provide training and other assistance to individuals who wish to establish their own childcare programs in underserved areas, resulting in 10 new enterprises capable of serving 120 children. In addition to ARC funds, local sources will provide $61,783 in matching funds.
Project Discovery Program (Abingdon, Va.) - $75,844. This grant will help People Incorporated of Virginia expand its academic advancement and college attendance program to serve more low-income, first-generation college-bound high school students. The project will provide assistance to 60 students with college readiness skills and financial opportunities. The project will serve Dickenson, Buchanan, Russell, and Washington Counties. In additional to ARC funds, local sources will provide $39,391, bringing the total project funding to $113,235.
Frog Level Phase II Water Project (Lee County) - $500,000. This grant will help provide reliable public water supply to Lee County as well as support economic development for the newly-established school of veterinary medicine. In addition to ARC funds, state sources will provide $948,680, and local sources will provide $108,652, bringing the total project funding to $1,557,332.
Cool & Connected Pennington Gap Project (Pennington Gap, Va.) - $7,500. This grant will help the city of Pennington Gap fund the renovation of space and the creation of a community computer center at the basement of the Lee Theatre, purchase computer equipment, and provide Wi-Fi access in Leeman’s field. In addition to ARC funds, Sunset Digital Communications will provide $4,000, bringing the total project funding to $11,500.
Cool & Connected Jonesville Project (Jonesville, Va.) - $7,500. This grant will help fund the renovation of a community computer center in Jonesville, Virginia at an existing town-owned building located in the town’s Cumberland Bowl Park. The minor renovations will include computer equipment and Wi-Fi access at the park. In addition to ARC funds, Sunset Digital Communications will provide $4,000, bringing the total project funding to $11,500.
Tacoma Sewer Project (Wise County) - $500,000. The grant will help the Wise County Public Service Authority begin a project that will provide public sewer collection to a previously unserved community of 48 households and two businesses, and eliminate public and environmental health concerns related to improperly disposed raw sewage. In addition to ARC funds, state sources will provide $750,000, and local sources will provide $155,901, bringing the total project funding to $1,405,901.
Lyric Theater Project (St. Paul, Va.) - $300,000. This grant will help the Town of St. Paul renovate and stabilize the interior and exterior of the Lyric Theater to stabilize the building. The renovation will equip the building to hold conferences, events and performing arts for visitor and tourists. The facility will be affiliated with The Crooked Road Music Heritage Trail. In addition to ARC funds, local sources will provide $135,000, bringing the total project funding to $435,000.
Spearhead Trails in SW Virginia Project (Coeburn, Va.) - $92,300. This grant will help the Southwest Regional Recreation Authority (SRRA) to fund a study that will examine existing and potential economic benefits of the Spearhead Trails on the surrounding region, identify priorities for future development, and help SRRA develop a sustainable organizational model. SRRA was chartered by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2008 to support outdoor recreation and tourism investment in the Coalfields of Southwest Virginia. In addition to ARC funds, state sources will provide $30,000 and local sources will provide $7,700, bringing the total project funding to $130,000.
Donnkenny, Breaks and Tivis Pump Stations Replacement Project (Dickenson County) - $441,740. This grant will help replace three deteriorating below-ground pump stations with above-ground facilities that meet current design standards. The new pump stations will provide water to 571 households and 10 businesses in distressed communities, as well as to nine tourism-related businesses in the Breaks Interstate Park, and will ensure that reliable infrastructure is in place to support future economic development, particularly that which is related to tourism. In addition to ARC funds, state sources will provide $150,000, and local sources will provide an additional $102,260, bringing the total project funding to $694,000.

Senator Warner serves as a co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Appalachia Initiative, which has laid out a roadmap for bipartisan legislation to jumpstart economic growth in the region.

Mr. Thomas currently serves on the state staff of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as a field representative based in the senator’s Bowling Green office. A native Kentuckian, Thomas previously served in the administration of former Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher as a special assistant to the secretary of the Kentucky Environmental Cabinet, handling matters including legislative initiatives for the agency, according to the ARC.

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WASHINGTON – Today the entire Virginia delegation, led by Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1), joined together to send a letter to President Trump, urging the administration not to consider relocating a nuclear powered aircraft carrier from NAVSTA Norfolk, Virginia to NAVSTA Mayport, Florida. This is in response to a letter sent by the Florida delegation last week requesting the move.

“As members of the Virginia Congressional delegation, we are writing to urge you to craft a Fiscal Year 2019 Presidential Budget based on a clearly articulated National Security Strategy, a National Defense Strategy, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars – not on narrow interests disconnected from these priorities. At a time when our military continues to rebuild and restore readiness, critical taxpayer dollars should only be used to make our Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps more lethal and more capable,” the delegation wrote.

Strategically, the Navy does not have a stated requirement for moving an aircraft carrier to Florida. The Navy considered a similar move in 2008, but after studying the cost impacts – decided against it. The estimated nonrecurring cost in 2008 was $565 million, and an updated assessment in 2010 found that the cost increased to $589.7 million. We are once again in the same situation. Currently, Norfolk is home to all 5 of the Navy’s aircraft carriers on the east coast. The entire Hampton Roads area has clear strategic value as the existing east coast aircraft carrier hub by boasting a world-class harbor, ship repair and overhaul capabilities, as well as an unmatched confluence of joint warfare components, including surface, aviation, expeditionary, and special operations activities. The Navy has no shortage of necessary materials at NAVSTA Norfolk, and a move would be an irresponsible use of Navy funds.

“Greater value should be placed on current plans crafted by Navy leadership, based on current threats, rather than outdated reports drafted from almost a decade ago... Defense funding must be prioritized to restore readiness and defend the homeland, not to fund a non-existent requirement and duplicative capability that will cost the Navy nearly $1 billion over the next 15 years,” the delegation wrote.

Additional Virginia Delegation members signing the letter include U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, and U.S. Reps. Scott Taylor (VA-2), Bobby Scott (VA-3), Tom Garrett, Jr. (VA-5), Bob Goodlatte (VA-6), Dave Brat (VA-7), Don Beyer (VA-8), H. Morgan Griffith (VA-9), Barbara Comstock (VA-10), and Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11).

The full letter is included below and can be viewed here.

President Donald J. Trump

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Trump:

As members of the Virginia Congressional delegation, we are writing to urge you to craft a Fiscal Year 2019 Presidential Budget based on a clearly articulated National Security Strategy, a National Defense Strategy, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars – not on narrow interests disconnected from these priorities. At a time when our military continues to rebuild and restore readiness, critical taxpayer dollars should only be used to make our Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps more lethal and more capable.

We were disturbed to hear of a letter by the Florida delegation requesting to move a Navy nuclear powered aircraft carrier to Naval Station (NAVSTA) Mayport citing “strategic and operational value.” The Navy annually briefs members of Congress on its Strategic Laydown and Dispersal Plan and, as of 2017, did not identify a need nor a desire to move an aircraft carrier from NAVSTA Norfolk to NAVSTA Mayport within the next 5 years. The Florida delegation’s letter in favor of such a move referenced Department of Defense (DoD) and Navy reports from 2009 and 2010 because the concept has not appeared in studies since. Greater value should be placed on current plans crafted by Navy leadership, based on current threats, rather than outdated reports drafted from almost a decade ago.

When the Navy studied the cost impacts of relocating an aircraft carrier from NAVSTA Norfolk to NAVSTA Mayport in 2008, the estimated nonrecurring cost was $565 million. In an updated assessment in 2010, the Navy found that the costs had increased to $589.7 million. This number only represents the up-front costs and not the day-to-day costs of maintaining such a capability. In 2008, the Navy estimated that homeporting an aircraft carrier at NAVSTA Mayport instead of NAVSTA Norfolk would result in a recurring annual cost of $25.5 million. Defense funding must be prioritized to restore readiness and defend the homeland, not to fund a non-existent requirement and duplicative capability that will cost the Navy nearly $1 billion over the next 15 years.

The entire Hampton Roads area has clear strategic value as the existing east coast aircraft carrier hub by boasting a world-class harbor, ship repair and overhaul capabilities, as well as an unmatched confluence of joint warfare components, including surface, aviation, expeditionary, and special operations activities. Additionally, the Master Jet Base at Naval Air Station Oceana hosts the Carrier Air Wings assigned to these ships and minimizes the transit times for aircraft conducting routine training operations aboard the ship. The Navy faces no shortage of necessary fleet resources in the form of nuclear ports, which include five sites in addition to NAVSTA Norfolk, Virginia: Bremerton, Washington; Everett, Washington; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Yokosuka, Japan; and San Diego, California. All six of these locations have the experience and capability needed to homeport a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier should the Navy need to pursue greater strategic and operational dispersal.

We strongly recommend that you remain consistent to your own Department of Defense’s plans and look to allocate funds in your Fiscal Year 2019 budget for areas of Navy’s needs based upon established requirements.

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WASHINGTON — Today, a package of bipartisan healthcare provisions introduced by U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, were included in a funding bill passed by Congress and signed by the President. Among the five bipartisan legislative proposals is the CHRONIC Care Act, legislation aimed at improving health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries living with chronic conditions.

“It is no surprise that this package of cost-effective, evidence-based proposals received broad bipartisan support,” said Sen. Warner. “These commonsense fixes will streamline the way Medicare patients living with chronic conditions receive care, helping those with diabetes or renal disease access high quality and affordable healthcare services.”

Bipartisan legislation passed by Congress today includes:

Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act – This bill will permanently reauthorize and strengthen Medicare Advantage Special Needs plans to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions or other significant health needs have continued access to quality care that is tailored to their personal needs. It also expands telehealth services offered through different providers of care that will benefit seniors in rural areas and increase access to primary care services and telestroke care. In addition, it extends the proven “independence at home” model that allows seniors to receive care from primary care teams, thereby decreasing hospital readmissions and allowing seniors with multiple chronic conditions to receive care in their own home.
Medicare Home Infusion Therapy Access Act – This bill will create a transitional reimbursement for Medicare home infusion services. While legislation sponsored by Sen. Warner to restructure the way Medicare beneficiaries who need intravenous medication receive their infusion treatments from the comfort of their home has already passed Congress, this bill properly aligns the change in payments with the new benefit, avoiding a four-year gap during which patients would have challenges securing these life-saving treatments. Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives.
Dialysis Access Improvement Act – This bill will allow dialysis providers to seek outside accreditation from organizations approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in the Medicare program, streamlining the accreditation process for dialysis facilities and improving access for Medicare patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives.
Protecting Access to Diabetes Supplies Act – The bill will strengthen patient protections included in the Medicare National Mail Order program for Diabetic Testing Supplies (DTS), ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries are able to continue accessing familiar diabetes supplies and test systems through DTS. Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives.
Medicare Orthotics and Prosthetics Improvement Act – This bill will apply accreditation and other standards for orthotics and prosthetics, such as prosthetic limbs, under Medicare, helping to guarantee access to quality products for beneficiaries. Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives.

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the following statement on the bipartisan budget agreement passed by Congress and signed by the President:

“Today, I voted to keep the government open and provide certainty for our budget after months of unnecessary delays and frustrating efforts to kick the can down the road. This bill ensures that the military, the federal workforce, and other programs have a roadmap for the next two years by fixing the “stupidity on steroids” of the sequester cuts first enacted in 2011. In addition, this bill provides critical funding to address important priorities like fighting the opioid crisis, disaster relief, and included an additional four years of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and bipartisan Medicare reforms.

“I do have grave concerns about language that has been inserted into this package which may hinder the ability of the Senate Intelligence Committee to conduct aggressive, real-time oversight over the entire intelligence community. I intend to work with Chairman Burr and my colleagues in the coming weeks to resolve this issue.

“I voted for this package reluctantly. While it includes many worthy priorities, it was put together without any semblance of fiscal responsibility, and comes on the heels of the budget-busting $2.5 trillion Republican tax package. Experts tell us that when you combine this spending bill with the tax package, the deficit will easily blow past one trillion dollars next year. In 2015, it was less than half that.

“I was in business longer than I was in politics, and I know that there are times when you need to make critical investments, and even sometimes operate at a loss. But this has gotten to a point of being indefensible. Unemployment is low, the economy is stable, yet here we are, putting money on the nation’s credit card. In the absence of leadership from the White House, Congress must step up and get serious about finding balanced solutions for our long-term fiscal challenges.”

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WASHINGTON —Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Banking and Finance Committees, joined a group of 31 Senators to demand answers on reports that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has halted its investigation into how credit reporting agency Equifax failed to protect the personal data of more than 145 million Americans.

“We are deeply troubled by recent news reports that, under Director Mulvaney’s leadership, the CFPB has stopped its investigation into the Equifax breach,” the Senators wrote in a letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney and CFPB Acting Director Leandra English.“The CFPB is currently the only federal agency with supervisory authority over the largest consumer reporting agencies. Consumer reporting agencies and the data they collect play a central role in consumers’ access to credit and the fair and competitive pricing of that credit. Therefore, the CFPB has a clear duty to supervise consumer reporting agencies, investigate how this breach has or will harm consumers, and bring enforcement actions as necessary.”

According to reports, CFPB has not issued any subpoenas, sought testimony from key executives at Equifax, or proceeded with on-site examinations.

The Equifax breach exposed data that included customers’ names, Social Security numbers, birthdates, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and, for some consumers, credit card numbers. This data could easily be used by criminals to steal people’s identity or commit fraud. The impact on consumers whose data has been stolen is potentially devastating. As a result of identity theft and fraud, customers face the risk of having debt accrued in their name. They could suffer long-lasting damage to their credit, which could lead to them being denied loans, mortgages, employment, or even rental housing. To resolve the damage done by this data breach, they will likely spend months, if not years, trying to correct resulting errors and problems with their financial records.

Sen. Warner has been a leader in calling for better consumer protections from data theft. He has introduced legislation to prevent data breaches and hold credit reporting agencies (CRAs) like Equifax accountable, giving the FTC more direct supervisory authority over their data security, imposing mandatory penalties on CRAs to incentivize adequate protection of consumer data, and providing robust compensation to consumers for stolen data.Following the Equifax data breach, Sen. Warner asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to examine whether credit reporting agencies such as Equifax have adequate cybersecurity safeguards in place for “the enormous amounts of sensitive data they gather and commercialize.” He slammed the credit bureau for its cybersecurity failures and weak response at a Banking Committee hearing with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton last year.

In addition to Sen. Warner, others joining the letter include Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jon Tester (D-MT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tom Udall (D-NM), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Tina Smith (MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Gary Peters (D-MI), Patty Murray (WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Doug Jones (D-AL).

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

Dear Acting Director English and Director Mulvaney,

We write to express serious concerns that, according to recent news reports, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) may have halted an investigation into the massive Equifax data breach, which compromised the personal information of 145.5 million Americans.

The Equifax breach exposed significant gaps in cybersecurity standards in an industry that collects a substantial amount of personal information on virtually every adult in the country. The three largest consumer reporting agencies alone collect information on more than 200 million Americans—information that is used in more than 3 billion consumer reports a year. The data collected and reported by consumer reporting agencies determines Americans’ access to credit and the cost of that credit for individuals and small businesses. This data also impacts Americans’ ability to get a job or secure housing. By letting criminals gain access to its databases, Equifax has put nearly half the US population at risk for identity theft and fraud, which can ruin the financial lives of its victims and increase risk in our financial system.

Unfortunately, in the immediate aftermath of the breach, Equifax’s response caused more consumer harm and confusion. Just to name a few examples, the company responded by promoting its affiliated paid credit monitoring service (i.e., LifeLock), asking consumers to waive their rights to access free credit monitoring, and charging consumers to protect their data by freezing their credit reports. Not only do we need to better understand how this breach has impacted consumers, we also must ensure that consumer reporting agencies are taking the steps necessary to mitigate this harm—not misleading consumers or taking advantage of the situation for their own financial gain.

As established by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the CFPB has a statutory mandate to implement and enforce federal consumer protection laws. This mandate specifically includes protecting consumers from “unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices” and ensuring that “federal consumer financial laws are enforced consistently.” Dodd-Frank specifically includes the Fair Credit Reporting Act as one of the enumerated federal consumer financial laws. The CFPB also has clear supervisory authority over the largest consumer reporting agencies. Consumer reporting agencies and the data they collect play a central role in consumers’ access to credit and the fair and competitive pricing of that credit. Therefore, the CFPB has a duty to supervise consumer reporting agencies, investigate how this breach has or will harm consumers, and bring enforcement actions as necessary.

We are deeply troubled by recent news reports that, under Director Mulvaney’s leadership, the CFPB may have stopped its investigation into the Equifax breach. According to these reports, the CFPB has not taken even the most preliminary steps to conduct an investigation. While we are aware of reports that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may be taking the lead in investigating Equifax’s failure to maintain adequate data security standards, the CFPB still has a duty to investigate the harm to consumers and whether other federal consumer financial laws have been violated. We are also concerned that the CFPB appears to be scaling back its supervision of large consumer reporting agencies. The agency has reportedly scrapped plans to conduct on-site exams of Equifax and other consumer reporting agencies and turned down offers from the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to help with such on-site exams.

The responsibility of consumer reporting agencies as custodians of consumers’ personal and financial information is of paramount importance to us and our constituents. Several committees in both the House and Senate have held hearings to investigate the causes of the breach and the inadequate post-breach response. The CFPB has a statutory mandate to participate in this process by conducting an investigation. If that investigation exposes wrongdoing or consumer harm, the CFPB has the authority, and indeed a duty, to bring appropriate enforcement actions.

We respectfully ask for more information about the CFPB’s actions with respect to investigating the Equifax breach. Specifically, please answer the following questions by February 19, 2018:

1. In September, then-CFPB Director Richard Cordray announced that the CFPB would begin a probe into the Equifax breach. Has the CFPB stopped this or any other investigation related to this matter?

a. If so, why was that or any investigation halted?

b. Who directed the ending of any investigation?

2. Is the CFPB planning to conduct on-site exams of Equifax and the other consumer reporting agencies under its supervisory authority?

a. Has the CFPB conducted an examination of a consumer reporting agency following the Equifax hack?

3. If the CFPB is conducting an investigation, what specific steps has the CFPB taken pursuant to this investigation?

a. Has the CFPB issued Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs)?

b. Has the CFPB interviewed Equifax personnel?

c. Have the CFPB personnel examined Equifax systems or gone onsite to Equifax facilities?

4. Is the CFPB coordinating with the FTC, state law enforcement officials, or other Federal regulators in their investigations?

Thank you for your prompt attention to this important issue.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) today requested that Bureau of Indian Affairs schedule a briefing as soon as possible with six newly federally recognized tribes in Virginia so that they can fully understand what benefits and resources will now be available to them after a successful, decades-long effort to secure federal recognition. Congress last month passed and the president signed into law H.R. 984, the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2017, which for the first time grants federal recognition to six Virginia tribes.

“As new federally recognized tribes, the Chickahominy, the Chickahominy - Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi, the Rappahannock, the Monacan, and the Nansemond, have a right to understand all the benefits and resources that are available to them under this designation,” wrote the members in a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, whose Department oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The tribes had received official recognition from the Commonwealth of Virginia, but until now had not received federal recognition, which will grant the tribes legal standing and status in direct relationships with the U.S. government. It also allows the tribes to:

Compete for educational programs and other grants only open to federally recognized tribes;
Repatriate the remains of their ancestors in a respectful manner. Many of these remains reside in the Smithsonian, but without federal status there is no mandate to return the remains; and
Provide affordable health care services for elder tribal members who have been unable to access care.

“Now, after many years, these individuals have the opportunity to fully reclaim their heritage and take advantage of a designation that has been withheld from them for far too long,” Sen. Warner, Sen. Kaine and Rep. Wittman wrote. “Due to the amount of time it has taken these tribes to acquire federal recognition status, we are requesting that this briefing take place as soon as possible, so these tribes can appropriately plan for the next year and beyond. We look forward to hearing from you on this important matter.”

The text of today’s letter appears below.

February 7, 2018

The Honorable Ryan Zinke

Secretary

United States Department of Interior

1849 C Street NW

Washington, DC 20240

Dear Secretary Zinke:

We write today to request a comprehensive briefing on federal recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for the six newly federally recognized tribes in Virginia. As new federally recognized tribes, the Chickahominy, the Chickahominy—Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi, the Rappahannock, the Monacan, and the Nansemond, have a right to understand all the benefits and resources that are available to them under this designation.

After nearly twenty years of inaction, Congress passed the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2017 (H.R.984) on January 11, 2018. President Donald J. Trump signed this historic bill into law on January 29, 2018. This legislation grants federal recognition status to six Virginia tribes, whose ancestors played a pivotal role in our nation’s history. All the aforementioned tribes are recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia, and several were a part of the oldest recognized treaty in the country – the Treaty of Middle Plantation (1677).

While these six Virginia Indian tribes were formally recognized by the British and the Commonwealth of Virginia, they were not able to attain formal recognition status by the United States government for decades. Many of the tribes’ official documents were destroyed in the burning of Virginia’s courthouses during the Civil War, and the remnants of their records were lost through the passage of a Virginia law, the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, which almost erased the identities of these tribes. Now, after many years, these individuals have the opportunity to fully reclaim their heritage and take advantage of a designation that has been withheld from them for far too long.

Due to the amount of time it has taken these tribes to acquire federal recognition status, we are requesting that this briefing take place as soon as possible, so these tribes can appropriately plan for the next year and beyond. We look forward to hearing from you on this important matter.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined a bipartisan group of Senators in calling on Senate leadership to reauthorize funding for community health centers, which provide access to cost-effective primary and preventive care for families across the country.

“Community health centers serve a vital function, providing affordable health care to our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. They provide quality medical, dental, vision and behavioral health care to more than 27 million patients, including 330,000 of our nation’s veterans and 8 million children, at over 10,000 sites nationwide,” said the Senators in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “Without extension of the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF), community health centers will lose seventy percent of their funding. This will result in an estimated 2,800 site closures, the loss of 50,000 jobs, and approximately 9 million Americans losing access to their health care.”

“Over 300,000 Virginians in 144 communities depend on this funding for access to basic health care services. We greatly appreciate Senators Warner and Kaine, and all of our Members of Congress coming together to make sure that these critical health care services are not interrupted to these medically underserved communities,” said Rick Shinn, Director of Government Affairs, Virginia Community Healthcare Association.

As the Senators note in their letter, the CHCF expired on September 30, 2017. The failure to reauthorize the fund has jeopardized access to care for millions of Americans, and made it difficult for community health centers to adequately plan for everything from staffing needs to securing loans for capital projects.

According to the Virginia Community Healthcare Association, more than 300,000 Virginians in underserved communities rely on this funding to access basic healthcare services. A comprehensive list of community health centers in the Commonwealth of Virginia can be found here.

“We look forward to working with you to reach a bipartisan agreement to fund the community health center program and enable our community health centers to continue providing high quality and affordable care to those in need,” the Senators concluded.

A list of Virginia CHCs can be found here.

A pdf of the letter can be found here. Full text of the letter can be found below.

Dear Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Schumer:

We write to express our concern over funding for community health centers, which expired on September 30, 2017. We strongly urge you to reauthorize this funding immediately.

Community health centers serve a vital function, providing affordable health care to our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. They provide quality medical, dental, vision and behavioral health care to more than 27 million patients, including 330,000 of our nation’s veterans and 8 million children, at over 10,000 sites nationwide. By offering preventative care, treating chronic conditions, and working to fight the opioid epidemic, community health centers are not only greatly improving the health and well-being of those they serve, they are also saving significant taxpayer dollars.

Without extension of the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF), community health centers will lose seventy percent of their funding. This will result in an estimated 2,800 site closures, the loss of 50,000 jobs, and approximately 9 million Americans losing access to their health care. Moreover, community health centers operate as small businesses and require a level of predictability to operate and respond to the needs of their communities. Since the expiration of the CHCF, community health centers have not been able to adequately plan for everything from staffing needs to securing loans for capital projects. In addition, the expiration of the National Health Service Corps and Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education program threatens the ability of health centers to meet their workforce needs.

For more than fifty years, community health centers have experienced strong bipartisan support. In fact, twenty bipartisan senators cosponsor legislation which reauthorizes funding not only for community health centers but also for the National Health Service Corps.

We look forward to working with you to reach a bipartisan agreement to fund the community health center program and enable our community health centers to continue providing high quality and affordable care to those in need.

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WASHINGTON —Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, announced that this month the Department of Defense (DoD) will begin the process of sending notifications to more than 133,000 veterans who may qualify for a refund of federal taxes paid on disability severance pay dating back to January 17, 1991.

Under federal law, veterans who suffer combat-related injuries and who are separated from the military are not supposed to be taxed on the one-time lump sum disability severance payment they receive from DoD. However, for years DoD improperly withheld taxes on these payments from thousands of qualifying veterans, who were typically unaware that their benefits were being improperly reduced.

To correct this injustice, in 2016 Sen. Warner introduced and passed the Combat-Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act instructing DoD to identify veterans who have been separated from service for combat-related injuries and had taxes improperly withheld from their severance payments. The bill required DoD to determine how much these veterans are owed so they can recover the withheld amounts, and notify them of their eligibility. Eligible veterans will now have a year after they receive the notice from DoD to file a claim for the refund.

“These are veterans who were wounded in service to our country, but because of Pentagon bureaucracy, many of them were robbed of money that they had earned through their service, payments that were intended to help them transition into civilian life. They deserved better. I am glad that our legislation has kicked-off the process to restore these improperly withheld taxes,” said Sen. Warner. “I encourage those Virginians who receive letters to promptly file for a refund, and my office stands ready to assist.”

“More than 133,000 disabled veterans may be eligible for a refund of federal taxes under the Combat Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act. I urge all veterans who receive the notification letter to follow the instructions for filing an amended tax return to receive the refund. I thank Congress for taking up this matter and passing legislation to return improperly withheld federal taxes to these deserving disabled veterans,” said Mike Boehme, State Commander, Department of Virginia, Veterans of Foreign Wars.

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

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

“This should be a no-brainer: One of the easiest ways we can cut down on government waste, fraud, and abuse is by stopping fraudulent payments made to deceased people,” said Sen. Warner. “The federal government has the responsibility to be a good steward of taxpayer money, and this legislation will help us improve the nation’s fiscal health by saving taxpayers millions of dollars lost to bureaucratic oversight.”

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

Key provisions in the bill include:

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

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

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

In addition to Sen. Warner, the Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act was introduced by Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE), John Kennedy (R-LA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Gary Peters (D-MI). Reps. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) and Greg Gianforte (R-MT) introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives. Similar legislation was introduced in the 114th Congress.

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the below statement on the release of the partisan, misleading memo seeking to discredit the Russia investigation:

"The release of this memo by House Intelligence Committee Republicans and the White House, over the objections of the FBI and the Department of Justice, is reckless and demonstrates an astonishing disregard for the truth.

"This unprecedented public disclosure of classified material during an ongoing criminal investigation is dangerous to our national security. This will make it far more difficult for the Intelligence Committees to conduct meaningful, bipartisan oversight of intelligence activities in the future. This action was also taken without regard to the damage it could do to our ability to protect Americans from threats around the globe.

"Unlike almost every House member who voted in favor of this memo's release, I have actually read the underlying documents on which the memo was based. They simply do not support its conclusions.

"The Senate Intelligence Committee will continue our bipartisan investigation into what happened in the 2016 election and the dedicated men and women of the FBI continue to have my full support."

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Co-Chair of the Senate Alzheimer’s Task Force, joined Co-Chair Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and a bipartisan group of colleagues in a letter to President Trump requesting an increase in funding for Alzheimer’s research in his fiscal year (FY) 2019 budget request.

“Alzheimer’s is one of our nation’s leading causes of death and it is the only one of our nation’s deadliest diseases without an effective means of prevention, treatment, or cure,” the senators wrote. “If nothing is done to change the trajectory of Alzheimer’s, the number of Americans afflicted with the disease is expected to more than triple by 2050.”

In addition to Sens. Warner and Collins, the letter was also signed by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Hoeven (R-ND), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Boozman (R-AR), Ed Markey (D-MA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Todd Young (R-IN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), and Bob Casey (D-PA).

“Federal funding for Alzheimer’s research is a wise investment,” the senators continued. “We urge you to support efforts to meet the research investment objective set forth in the National Plan by boosting the current investment in Alzheimer’s research in the fiscal year 2019 budget request.”

Sen. Warner has been a longstanding advocate in Congress for improving access and quality of medical care for some of our country’s most vulnerable patients. Last year, he introduced bipartisan legislation designed to give people with advanced illness, such as Alzheimer’s disease, new tools to plan for their care and empower them to have those choices honored.

A PDF copy of the letter is available here. Full text can be found below.

The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that exacts a tremendous personal and economic toll on the individual, the family, and our society. In addition to the human suffering it causes, Alzheimer’s is our nation’s most expensive disease, costing the United States more than $259 billion a year, including $175 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid. These costs will skyrocket as the baby boom generation ages.

Alzheimer’s is also one of our nation’s leading causes of death. It is the only one of our nation’s deadliest diseases without an effective means of prevention, treatment, or cure.

If nothing is done to change the trajectory of Alzheimer’s, the number of Americans afflicted with the disease is expected to more than triple by 2050. Already our nation’s costliest disease, Alzheimer’s is projected to cost our country up to $1.1 trillion by 2050.

At a time when the United States is spending more than $200 billion a year to care for Alzheimer’s patients, we are spending less than two thirds of one percent of that amount on research. Although we have made progress in increasing funding, Alzheimer’s research funding remains disproportionately low compared to its human and economic toll. Indeed, similarly deadly diseases receive annual funding of $2 billion, $3 billion, and even $6 billion for research, which has paid dividends. Given the tremendous human and economic price of this devastating disease, we can do more for Alzheimer’s.

Investments in research for other diseases have yielded tremendous results: patients have access to new treatments, and death rates for some diseases are decreasing. Yet, at the same time, mortality due to Alzheimer’s is escalating dramatically. Fortunately, there is promising research that holds hope for Alzheimer’s patients and their families. The research community is poised to make important advances through clinical trials and investigating new therapeutic targets, but adequate funding is critical to advance this research.

The National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which was authorized by the bipartisan 2010 National Alzheimer’s Project Act, has as its primary goal to “prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025.” To meet that goal, the Chairman of the Advisory Council created by the legislation says that we will need to devote $2 billion a year to Alzheimer’s research. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 took a major step forward by providing a $428 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease including Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias research funding, the largest increase for Alzheimer’s research funding in history. Congress has recently taken additional steps to fight Alzheimer's with the enactment of the 21st Century Cures Act, which provides additional funding for the BRAIN Initiative and creates the breakthrough EUREKA prize competition to address pressing diseases, including Alzheimer's. These are critical achievements, but we need to do more.

Federal funding for Alzheimer’s research is a wise investment. We urge you to support efforts to meet the research investment objective set forth in the National Plan by boosting the current investment in Alzheimer’s research in the fiscal year 2019 budget request.

We remain committed to finding a way to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s by 2025, and we look forward to working with you to meet that goal.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON — Following President Trump’s call for a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan at this week’s State of the Union, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) today urged the Administration to keep a critical funding promise to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and pushed for additional funding for Metro improvements. In a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine Chao, the Senators warned about the potential loss of federal funding, which is leveraged by Metro to make critical capital and safety improvements, and asked for additional funding to be included in the President’s upcoming infrastructure plan.

“We all agree on the need for WMATA to demonstrate major improvement in safety, reliability, and customer service and we plan to continue to push for additional oversight and meaningful reform,” the Senators wrote. “The federal government relies on Metro. Many Metrorail stations were built at the request of the federal government, and more than one third of all stations are located on or near federal facilities. Without providing the federal portion next year, this delicate funding partnership would unravel, leaving a significant shortfall in WMATA’s capital budget.”

In 2008, the bipartisan Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act granted WMATA $150 million in yearly federal funds for a total of a $1.5 billion in federal investment for a ten-year period. In 2010, the federal government began fulfilling their commitment and have followed through in subsequent years to provide funding for nine straight years. The 2019 funds would represent the tenth and final year of that ten-year commitment.

During the State of the Union on Tuesday, President Trump called on Congress to produce a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan that leveraged “every dollar” by “partnering with state and local governments.” The funding provided to Metro each year is matched by the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia jurisdictions.

“As you finalize work on the President’s reported $1 trillion infrastructure investment proposal, we again call on you to include funding within that proposal for additional WMATA improvements. The federal government clearly relies on Metro and maintaining a functioning transit system for the seat of the federal government is a national priority. For these reasons, we strongly urge that you consider WMATA’s needs as you finalize the President’s proposal that will help make desperately needed repair to our nation’s infrastructure,” added the Senators.

A PDF copy of the letter is available here. Full text can be found below.

Dear Director Mulvaney and Secretary Chao,

As you draft the President’s Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2019, we urge you to include the annual $150 million in federal funds for critical capital and safety improvements for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). In addition, as you continue crafting President Trump’s infrastructure investment proposal, we urge that you consider dedicating a significant and robust amount of funding to make improvements to WMATA.

The bipartisan Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA, PL 110-432) created this successful federal-state partnership under which the three WMATA jurisdictions collectively match this funding with another $150 million each year for 10 years for a total of a $1.5 billion federal investment. In FY 2010, the federal government began fulfilling their commitment and have followed through in subsequent years to provide funding for nine straight years. FY 2019 would represent the tenth and final year of that ten-year commitment. Without providing the federal portion next year, this delicate funding partnership would unravel, leaving a significant shortfall in WMATA’s capital budget.

The federal government relies on Metro. Many Metrorail stations were built at the request of the federal government, and more than one third of all stations are located on or near federal facilities. Federal employees comprise nearly 40 percent of WMATA’s peak ridership, and millions of others use the WMATA system (Metrorail, Metrobus, and Metro’s Paratransit programs) each year for business or personal visits to the Nation’s Capital. WMATA also serves a unique national security role, providing transportation for federal employees traveling to and from the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security and ensuring continuity of federal operations during an emergency. WMATA is central to most federal agency emergency preparedness plans, a necessity that was proven on September 11, 2001. The system is also indispensable for transporting large crowds attending events of national importance, such as the Presidential Inauguration and Fourth of July on the National Mall.

We do not dismiss the challenges Metrorail faces – created by a combination of under-investment in infrastructure and unsatisfactory agency performance. Recent safety issues, including a high-profile fatal incident in 2015 as well as last month’s train derailment, have shined a light on the vast scope of the system’s safety challenges. We all agree on the need for WMATA to demonstrate major improvement in safety, reliability, and customer service and we plan to continue to push for additional oversight and meaningful reform. We also strongly emphasize that better performance from WMATA and reliable funding from Congress and the jurisdictions are complementary goals. Both must be achieved in order for WMATA to reverse a concerning downward trend in ridership – which will simply put more of its 600,000 daily riders back onto already-congested highways – and earn back the trust of visitors and daily commuters.

Since General Manager Paul Wiedefeld joined WMATA, the agency has undertaken a number of bold steps to address the challenges it faces. At the close of 2017, all 1000 and 4000 series railcars were retired and replaced, significantly improving safety and reliability. General Manager Wiedefeld is making tough decisions necessary to instill a new safety culture and to allocate limited resources, including by designating managers as “at-will” employees and eliminating approximately 800 positions, and terminating individuals responsible for safety transgressions. Now that General Manager Wiedefeld is finally taking the overdue tough steps to turn around this troubled agency, it is important that he have the full resources (already authorized by Congress) to do the job right.

In addition, as you finalize work on the President’s reported $1.5 trillion infrastructure investment proposal, we again call on you to include funding within that proposal for additional WMATA improvements. As stated above, the federal government clearly relies on Metro and maintaining a functioning transit system for the seat of the federal government is a national priority. The complex funding arrangement involving Virginia, Maryland, D.C. and the local jurisdictions also provides an opportunity for federal investment to be leveraged by state and local matches. WMATA noted last year that the Metro system has $25 billion in total unfunded capital needs, and if those needs are not addressed soon, costs will simply continue to escalate. For these reasons, we strongly urge that you consider WMATA’s needs as you finalize the President’s proposal that will help make desperately needed repairs to our nation’s infrastructure.

We look forward to working with you to improve the safety and performance of the Metro system, and ask that you give our requests strong consideration.

Sincerely,

cc: Gary Cohn, Director, National Economic Council

###

Washington, DC – In a new letter to President Trump, top Senate and House Democrats today warned the president that using the newly-released partisan Nunes Memo as a pretext to fire either Special Counsel Bob Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein – who is overseeing Special Counsel Mueller’s Russia investigation – would be considered an attempt to obstruct justice and spark a constitutional crisis not seen since the Saturday night massacre.

The letter, signed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Assistant Senate Democratic Leader Patty Murray, House Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Ranking Member Adam Schiff, Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler, notes that House Intel Chairman Devin Nunes’ selective and misleading partisan memo seeks to discredit the FBI and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, all as a means of protecting President Trump and undermining Special Counsel Mueller’s Russia investigation.

Text of the Democrats’ letter to President Trump can be found below:

Dear President Trump:

The decision to release a partisan and misleading memo over the objections of your own Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director and the Department of Justice (DOJ) was a transparent attempt to discredit the hard-working men and women of law enforcement who are investigating Russia’s interference with our Presidential election and that nation’s ties to your campaign.

We are alarmed by reports that you may intend to use this misleading document as a pretext to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, in an effort to corruptly influence or impede Special Counsel Bob Mueller’s investigation.

We write to inform you that we would consider such an unwarranted action as an attempt to obstruct justice in the Russia investigation. Firing Rod Rosenstein, DOJ Leadership, or Bob Mueller could result in a constitutional crisis of the kind not seen since the Saturday Night Massacre.

Sincerely,

Senator Chuck Schumer

Representative Nancy Pelosi

Senator Dick Durbin

Representative Steny Hoyer

Senator Patty Murray

Representative Joe Crowley

Senator Mark Warner

Representative Adam Schiff

Senator Dianne Feinstein

Representative Jerrold Nadler

###

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner celebrated the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2017 finally being signed into law, after decades of bipartisan efforts by Virginia’s elected officials. Kaine and Warner secured final passage of the bill earlier this month. Six Virginia tribes—the Chickahominy, the Eastern Chickahominy, the Upper Mattaponi, the Rappahannock, the Monacan, and the Nansemond—will now have the federal recognition they have waited centuries for. Many of these tribes include descendants of Pocahontas’ Virginia Powhatan tribe. These tribes had received official recognition from the Commonwealth of Virginia, but had not received federal recognition, which will grant the tribes legal standing and status in direct relationships with the U.S. government.

“Today closes a chapter on a decades-long pursuit of justice for Virginia’s tribes,” the Senators said. “Virginia’s tribes have loved and served this nation, and today our country is finally honoring them with the recognition they deserve. We are inspired by the tribes’ leaders who never gave up and thankful to our colleagues Representatives Connolly, Beyer, and Scott, and Wittman for working with us to ensure this was the year that we righted a historical wrong.”

This federal recognition allows Virginia’s tribes legal standing and status in direct relationships with the U.S. government. Further, it allows tribes to:

Compete for educational programs and other grants only open to federally recognized tribes;
Repatriate the remains of their ancestors in a respectful manner. Many of these remains reside in the Smithsonian, but without federal status there is no mandate to return the remains; and
Provide affordable health care services for elder tribal members who have been unable to access care.

When Warner and Kaine secured final senate passage, seven tribal leaders were in attendance in the Senate Gallery for the vote. View photos and video of that day, here.

PHOTOS: Virginia Tribal Chiefs Joined Warner and Kaine in Senate Chamber for final vote
VIDEO: Moments Before Passage, Warner and Kaine Spoke on Senate Floor
B-ROLL AND INTERVIEWS: Chairman Wayne Atkins and Chief Stephen Atkins Speak on Camera

###

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the following statement on President Trump's State of the Union address:

“The President missed an opportunity tonight to show he’s serious about being a bipartisan dealmaker. Despite the length of this speech, there was little in it that reached beyond the divisiveness and partisanship of his first year in office.

"He has been saying for months that investing in our nation’s roads, bridges and tunnels must be a priority. And I agree. But after months of talking, it’s time for the President to move beyond rhetoric, start offering specifics, and be serious about real funding solutions.

“I also believe that there is a bipartisan deal to be had that would grant Dreamers – the undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children – a pathway to citizenship, and increase funding for border security. But tonight President Trump showed that he is not willing to stop catering to the most heartless, extreme elements of his base who want to restrict nearly all forms of legal immigration.

“At a time when the dedicated men and women of the FBI and the Department of Justice are under attack from the President’s allies on Capitol Hill, I was extremely disappointed not to hear the President deliver a clear and unequivocal statement of support for our nation’s career law enforcement officers.

“Finally, I was particularly disturbed that the President chose to demagogue hard-working federal employees, who are already being asked to do more with less with every passing year in service to their country.”

Sen. Warner’s guest to the State of the Union was Cadet Simone Askew from Fairfax County, Virginia. At 21 years old, Cadet Askew made history by becoming the first African-American woman to hold the title of First Captain, the highest student position at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Broadcast quality video of Sen. Warner introducing Cadet Askew can be found here. Photos can be found here.

###

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) announced that he will be inviting Cadet Simone Askew, the First Captain of West Point, as his guest to President Trump’s State of the Union, which is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, January 30^that 9 PM. At 21 years old, Cadet Askew made history by becoming the first African-American woman to hold the highest student position at the United States Military Academy at West Point, overseeing roughly 4,400 cadets. This role was previously held by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and four-star Army generals who currently command forces in South Korea and Afghanistan.

“At West Point, you learn that discipline goes beyond staying the course and working hard to earn your place. It involves doing what you can to give back to all those who have helped you succeed along the way,” said Cadet Askew. “While I have been humbled by the support, I can’t ignore the sacrifices made by so many others before me. I want to thank Senator Warner for inviting me as his guest, knowing that I stand on the shoulders of all those women who helped pave the way for me to be where I am today.”

“Cadet Askew has earned her place at the top among the students at West Point, showing a remarkable dedication to her studies and a deep commitment to service. Cadet Askew shows what is possible when smart, talented young women are given the opportunity to lead,” said Sen. Warner. “It is an honor to help showcase her journey, which may one day inspire the next generation of women to break new barriers.”

After a federal law was passed in 1975 allowing women to be admitted to military academies, the first co-ed class graduated West Point in 1980. Now, according to statistics on West Point’s website, 15 percent of the Corps of Cadets are women. Cadet Askew is only the fifth woman to lead the Corps of Cadets.

Cadet Simone Askew grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, before moving to Fairfax County, Virginia, where she attended Lanier Middle School and then Fairfax High School. After receiving a recommendation from Sen. Warner, Cadet Askew was accepted and enrolled as a student at West Point where she is studying international history and hopes to pursue a career in military intelligence when she graduates in May 2018 as a second lieutenant. Askew was also one of 32 American students awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to continue her studies at the University of Oxford in England.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner celebrated the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2017 finally being signed into law, after decades of bipartisan efforts by Virginia’s elected officials. Kaine and Warner secured final passage of the bill earlier this month. Six Virginia tribes—the Chickahominy, the Eastern Chickahominy, the Upper Mattaponi, the Rappahannock, the Monacan, and the Nansemond—will now have the federal recognition they have waited centuries for. Many of these tribes include descendants of Pocahontas’ Virginia Powhatan tribe. These tribes had received official recognition from the Commonwealth of Virginia, but had not received federal recognition, which will grant the tribes legal standing and status in direct relationships with the U.S. government.

“Today closes a chapter on a decades-long pursuit of justice for Virginia’s tribes,” the Senators said. “Virginia’s tribes have loved and served this nation, and today our country is finally honoring them with the recognition they deserve. We are inspired by the tribes’ leaders who never gave up and thankful to our colleagues Representatives Connolly, Beyer, and Scott, and Wittman for working with us to ensure this was the year that we righted a historical wrong.”

This federal recognition allows Virginia’s tribes legal standing and status in direct relationships with the U.S. government. Further, it allows tribes to:

· Compete for educational programs and other grants only open to federally recognized tribes;
· Repatriate the remains of their ancestors in a respectful manner. Many of these remains reside in the Smithsonian, but without federal status there is no mandate to return the remains; and
· Provide affordable health care services for elder tribal members who have been unable to access care.

###

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement regarding press reports that the Trump Administration is considering building a nationalized 5G network:

“While I’m glad that the Trump Administration recognizes that maintaining American leadership in the information age requires a significant investment commitment, I’m concerned that constructing a nationalized 5G network would be both expensive and duplicative, particularly at a time when the Administration is proposing to slash critical federal investments in R&D and broadband support for unserved areas. America’s leadership in emerging fields like AI depends on supporting our nation’s research universities – and having an immigration system that attracts the brightest minds in the world – rather than rehashing old debates on construction of a standalone federal broadband network. I agree there are serious concerns relating to the Chinese government’s influence into network equipment markets, and I would look forward to working with the Administration on a viable, cost-effective solution to begin addressing those risks.”

A standalone network would cost more than $30 billion, according to previous estimates.

Sen. Warner spent 20 years as a successful technology and business leader in Virginia before entering public office. An early investor in the cellular telephone business, he co-founded the company that became Nextel.

###

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Simone Askew is the first African-American woman to lead the Corps of Cadets at West Point

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