Press Releases

“I honor General Shinseki's military and civilian service, and support his decision to step aside to allow new leadership at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Now we can place our focus where it rightly belongs: fixing the problems.”

“We are pleased the House Appropriations Committee included $789 million for the refueling and overhaul of the USS George Washington – sending yet another clear signal that maintaining an 11-carrier fleet is critical to the defense of our nation."

Senator Warner has been named a ‘Fiscal Hero’ by the nonpartisan Campaign to Fix the Debt for his leading role in assembling a bipartisan coalition to responsibly address our nation’s deficits and debt.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated the Chesapeake Bay Watershed as one of eight national Critical Conservation Areas, a new designation that ensures Bay region producers are eligible to receive a portion of more than $100 million in annual funding to help implement a variety of conservation projects and increase the sustainability of regional water, soil, wildlife and natural resources. Sens. Warner and Kaine, with other Bay State Senators, fought to preserve funding for the watershed by consolidating multiple conservation programs into a new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) as part of the 2014 Farm Bill.

"I am proud that we able to push the USDA to recognize the importance of the Chesapeake Bay by designating it as a Critical Conservation Area," Senator Warner, who as Governor of Virginia toughened standards and made a historic investment in water quality improvements, said. "This will allow us to continue protecting the Commonwealth’s 3,300 miles of coast, which provide vital economic contributions to tourism, recreation, commercial and sport fisheries, as well as important environmental resources."

“I applaud USDA for designating the Chesapeake Bay as a Critical Conservation Area, which will bolster the Bay’s share of federally-funded conservation projects that benefit both farmers and the environment,” said Senator Kaine, who made Chesapeake Bay cleanup and conservation a priority as Governor of Virginia. “I was proud to support the bipartisan farm bill containing these important priorities.”

The Chesapeake Bay is the world’s largest and most productive estuary. With a 64,000 square mile watershed and 11,684 miles of tidal shoreline, more than the entire U.S. West Coast, the Bay has been deemed a national treasure by President Obama and his predecessors. It has an economic value over $1 trillion, but that value is dependent on the health of the Bay’s waters and fisheries. Twenty-five percent of lands within the watershed are used for agricultural purposes.

Senator Warner today introduced a series of proposals that will make higher education more affordable for Virginia families, and provide additional ways for borrowers to repay student loans.

Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine today announced Senate passage of the House-approved Water Resources Development Act, sending the bipartisan legislation to the President for his signature.

WASHINGTON - The office of U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the follow statement today after a group of Senators released a letter calling on the NFL to change the name of the Washington Redskins football team.

"Senator Warner believes that it’s not for Congress to dictate what the league does. He believes that over time, team names will change to reflect the times, as happened with the Washington Wizards. "

Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA), with six Senate colleagues, expressed their deep concerns with and asked for a reassessment of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) for carbon dioxide emissions from new affected fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) has named U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) a “Hero of Main Street” for his consistent support for small businesses and the retail industry, which supports over one million jobs in Virginia.

U.S. Senate Banking Committee today voted 13-9 to approve bipartisan housing finance reform legislation based on The Housing Finance Reform and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2013, introduced by Sens. Mark Warner, Bob Corker (R-TN) and a bipartisan coalition of eight other Committee members.

More than 80 Virginia religious leaders representing nearly every faith and denomination have signed a joint letter to world leaders, urging them to take more coordinated action to return more than 220 Nigerian girls who were kidnapped from their school by the terrorist group Boko Haram.

The President today signed U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner’s bipartisan legislation to standardize federal spending data and post it on a single website so Virginians can track how their tax dollars are being spent.

Sens. Warner and Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Bill Keating (D-MA) today urged the President to oppose the sale of French Mistral warships to Russia in light of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

Senators Warner and Kaine released this joint statement following the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)’s issuance of an emergency order requiring railroads transporting large amounts of Bakken crude oil to notify state emergency response officials.

"I'm proud to have been a supporter of offshore wind development in Virginia since the very beginning and I applaud Dominion and VOWTAP on receiving this competitive grant. I'm especially excited that this project brings in a lot of local partners, who have the opportunity to make Virginia a real leader in offshore wind and create high-skill jobs in the Commonwealth."

Senator Warner today joined the national director of AmeriCorps in announcing $3.5 million in AmeriCorps funding to four Virginia organizations.

Senators Warner and Kaine called for improved safety for rail shipments of crude oil and increased collaboration with local first responders following last week’s derailment of 17 rail tank cars carrying crude oil in downtown Lynchburg.

In a letter today, Sen. Warner called on the U.S. Veterans Administration (V-A) to immediately improve delays in diagnosis and treatment at its V-A hospitals. A recent V-A report on consult delays since 1999 showed that 23 veterans across the nation have died as a result of delays in receiving certain medical treatments.

“Access to broadband is no longer a luxury and the current divide between urban and rural area access to modern communication is unacceptable,” the Senators said. “We need to continue to enhance efforts to make sure every Virginian has affordable access to broadband.”

Sen. Warner and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-11) today asked U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to order the timely completion of a nearly two-year-long Pentagon investigation into alleged retaliation against Virginia Air National Guard pilots who stepped forward to publicly discuss their safety concerns about flying the F-22 Raptor.

WASHINGTON - The bipartisan Northern Virginia congressional delegation today announced that the Dulles Metrorail Project has received final approval for a nearly $1.9 billion low-interest, long-term federal loan. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx has signed the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program loan after the U.S. Department of Transportation Credit Council voted to approve it. This financing represents the largest loan in the TIFIA program's history. The loan is expected to close in the coming weeks, and will allow the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) and its partners to proceed with its construction plans for phase two of the project.

MWAA is the lead agency in constructing the 23-mile extension of the existing Metrorail system from East Falls Church to Dulles International Airport and beyond into Loudoun County. The TIFIA program at USDOT provides federal credit assistance to finance major surface transportation projects of national and regional significance.

“Today’s final approval of the TIFIA loan is great news for the future economic growth of Northern Virginia,” Senator Warner said. “Our bipartisan congressional delegation has been unified in pushing to get this critical piece of financing, which will provide welcome and meaningful relief for commuters using the Dulles Toll Road. This is a huge step forward for a project that has been decades in the making.”

“With today’s announcement, the last bar has been cleared to move forward on Phase II of the Silver Line, which will improve the daily lives of Northern Virginia commuters and spur economic development throughout the region,” said Senator Kaine, who worked to secure Phase I federal funding for Rail to Dulles as Governor. “Huge credit goes to Senator Warner and Congressmen Connolly, Wolf, and Moran – as well as the Department of Transportation – for their tireless efforts. This has been a tremendous bipartisan effort to bring this project home, and I believe it will be well worth the wait.”

“DOT’s $1.9 billion loan guarantee is a much-needed federal investment in Phase 2 of the Dulles Metrorail Project that brings us one step closer to securing an environmentally friendly, transit oriented development along the Toll Road,” Representative Jim Moran said. “Paving our way out of the worst traffic in the nation is impossible. This extension is critical to reducing congestion, commuting time, and gas consumption.”

“This is good news for Virginia and for anyone who uses the Toll Road. It will keep tolls down and shows the federal government’s continued support and commitment to this project,” said Representative Frank Wolf.

“This award – the largest federal financing agreement in the history of the TIFIA program – is a major win for Northern Virginia,” Representative Gerry Connolly said. “It will allow MWAA to freeze tolls for the next five years and keep them far below previous forecasts in the out years. I want to thank my colleagues in the regional delegation and our state and local partners for their steadfast commitment to delivering this project.”

“I support raising the minimum wage, and that’s why I voted today to move forward to a Senate debate. I am open to a discussion about alternative proposals for how and when we raise the minimum wage, and it is unfortunate that we did not reach the 60-vote threshold today to allow that discussion to take place.”

“This is a great example of the bipartisan Virginia Congressional delegation working together to get the maximum service life from our aircraft carriers and maintain the 11 carrier fleet,” said Warner.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement on Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring’s announcement today that Virginia students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, or DREAMers, are eligible for in-state tuition at Virginia’s public community colleges and universities:

“Today’s announcement is an important step in the direction of fairness and economic opportunity for the children of undocumented immigrants,” Sen. Warner said. “If the United States is going to win the talent competition in today’s global economy, the last thing we need to do is exclude educated young people who were brought here through no fault of their own. When I was governor, we tried to ensure that DREAMers would have access to in-state tuition at Virginia’s public colleges and universities and I’m thrilled that Attorney General Herring has determined that under law, these Virginians will have access to educational opportunity.”

The House of Representatives today approved Sen. Warner’s bipartisan legislation to standardize federal spending data and ensure it is made available online so Virginians can access information about how their tax dollars are being spent.

Press Releases

May 30 2014

May 29 2014

~ Warner recognized for commitment to address nation’s fiscal challenges ~

May 28 2014

~ Area producers eligible to receive funding to support agricultural conservation programs~

May 27 2014

~ Warner package includes income-based loan repayment, voluntary employer benefit ~ ~ Also includes earlier access to Pell grants, stronger career training programs ~

May 23 2014

~ Amendments help Port expansion, protect Chesapeake Bay oyster restoration programs ~

May 22 2014

May 22 2014

~ Senators Urge Administration to Evaluate More Appropriate Ways to Regulate Emissions ~

May 22 2014

~ Warner recognized for leading on consumer protections, fixing the Affordable Care Act ~

May 15 2014

~ Warner: ‘Status quo is not sustainable’ ~

May 15 2014

~ In joint letter, interfaith leaders condemn distortion of religion to oppress girls seeking education ~

May 12 2014

~ Groundbreaking government accountability legislation allows taxpayers to track every dollar spent by federal agencies on a single, accessible website ~

May 09 2014

~ Letter comes on eve of D.C. visit by French Foreign Minister ~

May 09 2014

~ Feds respond to Warner/Kaine proposals following Lynchburg derailment ~

May 07 2014

Wind Turbines to Connect to U.S. Electrical Grid by 2017

May 07 2014

~ Grants will support at-risk students, veterans and their families ~

May 06 2014

May 05 2014

~ Hampton’s V-A Medical Center third worst in the nation ~

May 02 2014

~ Send Letter to FCC Supporting Rural Experiments ~

May 01 2014

~ Va. pilot stepped up, prompted USAF to acknowledge, fix safety problems ~

May 01 2014

~ USDOT to award Silver Line project TIFIA loan ~

May 01 2014

Apr 30 2014

Mark Supports the Refueling & Overhaul of the USS George Washington

Apr 29 2014

~ On in-state tuition for Virginia DREAMers ~

Apr 29 2014

~ Transparency Legislation Heads to President for Signature ~

Apr 28 2014