WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced $1,199,405 in federal funding for Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to recruit STEM students and prepare them to become secondary school mathematics and science teachers. VCU will collaborate with the Richmond Metro Area’s school districts to address a shortage of math and science teachers that the area has faced for years. 

“We are proud to announce critical funding to support the recruitment of math and science teachers in the Richmond Metro Area,” said the Senators. “Enhancing STEM education is a top priority, and we are thrilled that VCU students and the National Science Foundation have displayed a commitment to pursuing this important endeavor.”

The funding awarded through the National Science Foundation will provide 25 scholarships, stipends, and fellowships for students interested in pursuing teacher training in mathematics and science. The project will fund 12 STEM majors and 13 Masters of Teaching students over 5 years.

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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, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $3,150,000 in federal funds for a new Apprentice Academy at the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing in Prince George County, Virginia. This Apprentice Academy will train workers for highly skilled jobs in the growing advanced manufacturing industries of the region.

“We are thrilled to announce funding for this advanced manufacturing center in Prince George County that will provide a boost for the region’s growing economy,” the Senators said. “Manufacturers all over the Commonwealth have told us one of their biggest struggles is filling jobs with skilled workers. Apprenticeship programs like this will help build the necessary skilled workforce of the future.”

The project will expand an existing building to make room for classroom space, administrative space, and a training area.

Warner and Kaine have been advocates for new investments in job training that help better prepare the workforce for a changing 21^st century economy. In October, Warner, a member of the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, introduced legislation to reward employers for providing their workers with skills training to better adapt to new demands in talent. Warner has also pushed for innovative support for the growing independent workforce, introducing legislation to test-drive portable benefits models that would provide an economic safety net for Americans engaged in temporary, contract, or on-demand work.   

Kaine, a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and co-chair of the Senate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, has been a leader in the Senate on efforts to support skills training programs to prepare workers for good-paying, in-demand jobs. In September, Kaine introduced, and Warner cosponsored, the bipartisan Middle School Technical Education Program (Middle STEP) Act to address workforce shortages through a middle school career exploration program. In July, Kaine introduced the Building U.S. Infrastructure by Leveraging Demands for Skills (BUILDS) Act to ensure that workers are prepared with the skills needed for jobs in fields like construction, transportation and energy that would be created by a major investment in infrastructure. Last January, Kaine introduced the bipartisan Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act to help workers access Pell Grants for high-quality and rigorous short-term job training programs. 

This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The Trump Administration’s fiscal year 2018 budget proposed to eliminate funding for the Economic Development Administration. Warner and Kaine wrote to the Senate Appropriations Committee requesting that this proposal be overruled.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R.  Warner (D-VA), Dean Heller (R-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced bipartisan legislation to help students make smarter decisions in the financing of their higher education. The Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act would promote financial literacy by providing students who are recipients of federal financial aid with comprehensive counseling services. Nationwide, Americans owe more than $1.45 trillion in student loan debt, outstripping credit cards and auto loans as the country’s leading source of non-housing debt. 

“More than 60% of Virginia’s college students will graduate with some form of student loan debt, and average debt in the Commonwealth tops $29,000 per graduate. I would not have had the opportunity to be so successful in business had I graduated with such a financial burden,” said Sen. Warner. “We should be empowering students to make smarter choices about their financial future. This legislation aims to provide a full picture on the loans they are receiving, allowing them to take full advantage of the opportunities available to them.”

“This legislation empowers Nevada's students and Americans throughout the country with the tools needed to make well-informed, sound financial decisions related to their college education," said Sen. Heller. “It's a positive step toward addressing student debt and preparing young students for a successful future, and I encourage my colleagues to support it." 

“Too many families in Virginia are weighed down by massive student loan debt, sometimes because they lacked services and information that could’ve helped them make a better-informed decision on a loan,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’m proud to once again join Senators Warner, Gardner and Heller on this simple but important bill that makes it easier for students and families to access financial counseling.”

“Access to financial counseling will help students who receive federal financial aid better understand the process before undertaking massive student loan debt,” said Sen. Gardner. “A high quality education provides students with the tools they need to succeed, and financial literacy is an essential component to achieving that success. This bipartisan proposal will help tens of thousands of students better plan for their future.”

A survey of current students and recent graduates with a high level of student loan debt found that more than 40 percent could not recall having received financial counseling, even though counseling is already required before students can receive their first federal loan. Further, no counseling is provided to students who receive only a Pell Grant or to parents who take out federal loans to help pay for their children’s education. As a result, many students graduate unable to manage the loans they used to finance their education, leading to significant hardship for borrowers and greater risk for taxpayers.

To help students make smart decisions about financing their higher education, the Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act will promote financial literacy through enhanced counseling for all recipients of federal financial aid.

In addition, the bill: 

• Ensures borrowers—both students and parents—who participate in the federal loan program receive interactive counseling each year that reflects their individual borrowing situation.
• Provides awareness about the financial obligations students and parents are accumulating by requiring borrowers to consent each year before receiving federal student loans.
• Informs low-income students about the terms and conditions of the Pell Grant program through annual counseling that will be provided to all grant recipients.
• Directs the Secretary of Education to maintain and disseminate a consumer-tested, online counseling tool that institutions can use to provide annual loan counseling, exit counseling, and annual Pell Grant counseling.

The need for the legislation became clear at a roundtable discussion on college affordability and student debt hosted by Sens. Warner and Kaine last year with student government presidents from 20 Virginia colleges and universities. During the meeting, students urged more transparency and flexibility in navigating the confusing maze of loan and repayment programs available to college students, as well as more accountability for colleges to hold down costs. 

In the Senate, Sen. Warner has introduced several bills to improve transparency, accountability and affordability in higher education, and help borrowers better manage their student loan debts. The Dynamic Student Loan Repayment Act would make income-based repayment the default option for borrowers. The Employer Participation in Repayment Act would allow employers to apply pre-tax income to help their employees with student loan payments. 

Sen. Warner is currently working with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) to reintroduce The Student Right to Know Before You Go Act, which would provide college-bound students powerful new tools for comparing colleges and universities on measures such as total cost, likelihood of graduating, and potential earnings by program. 

The Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act was previously introduced in the 114^th Congress. A companion bill passed the House of Representatives last year by voice vote, and has been reintroduced this year.  

A copy of the legislative text is available here. A one-page summary and answers to frequently asked questions are available here.

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the below statement on the Trump Administration's review of Department of Education guidelines on campus sexual assault:

"The Trump Administration’s review of 2011 guidance about sexual assault enforcement responsibilities on college campuses and at K-12 schools under Title IX should be a red flag for those of us who care deeply about student safety. We should be vigilant in monitoring this process and look for opportunities to engage constructively when possible. Any reconsideration of the current guidance should prioritize the needs of survivors and facilitate improvements in how schools investigate, adjudicate and work to prevent sexual assaults. I hope Secretary DeVos recognizes the gravity of her responsibility: young people across the country are counting on her to get this right."