WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced almost $600,000 in funding to address substance use disorder in Southwest Virginia by expanding recovery resources and promoting workforce entry. The funding was awarded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)’s Investments Supporting Partnerships In Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Initiative, which seeks to address the substance use disorder (SUD) crisis across Appalachia.

“Our country’s substance use crisis disproportionately impacts Virginians in Appalachian communities who already face barriers to accessing substance use education and treatment, as well as reliable transportation and housing,” said the senators. “We are proud to be long-time supporters of the Appalachian Regional Commission, which is helping make this funding possible, and to empower two organizations that are addressing these challenges, providing care to Virginians, and strengthening the Commonwealth’s workforce.”

The grants will be awarded as below:

1. Mountain Empire Community College will receive over $490,000 for its Project Southwest Virginia Opioid Abuse Recovery Initiative, which prepares participants for careers in skilled trades and other in-demand jobs.
2. Appalachian Center for HOPE (ACH) will receive $100,000 for its Stage 2 planning project, which consists of a 12-month intensive process to determine service and resource gaps in the substance use disorder support community, identifies viable funding sources to expand services, and outlines concrete actions ACH can take to overcome the stigma-related obstacles that have hindered previous project achievement.

The senators have been longtime supporters of the Appalachian Center for HOPE, having secured $650,000 in the FY2023 Government Funding Bill to help provide residential treatment for individuals experiencing substance use disorder in Smyth County. Last year, Sen. Warner visited an ACH facility for the launch of its residential treatment center in Marion, which was a direct result of the funding that the senators secured.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long supported efforts to boost economic development in Southwest Virginia, including through strong support of the ARC, an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments that innovates and invests to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in 423 counties across the Appalachian region. 

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* High-quality photographs of Sen. Mark R. Warner are available for download here *

Photos may be used online and in print, and can be attributed to ‘The Office of Sen. Mark R. Warner’

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement after Republicans voted down legislation to fund the government, protect Virginians’ access to health care, and prohibit the Trump administration from illegally withholding funding appropriated by Congress:

“While Republicans may have acted unilaterally when they passed their Big Ugly Bill, keeping the government open is not something they’re going to be able to do on their own. Today, we voted in favor of a funding bill that would not only keep the government from shutting down in 12 days, but would also prevent the expiration of essential health care tax credits and reverse the Trump cuts to Medicaid and hospitals that will raise health care costs for all Americans. Unfortunately, the same Republicans who had no problem extending billionaire tax cuts earlier this year are now drawing the line at tax credits that keep health insurance affordable for so many Americans. Republicans have control of the House, Senate, and White House – it’s time for them to act like it and come to the negotiating table to prevent a shutdown and protect Americans’ health care.” 

BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO  IS AVAILABLE HERE

WASHINGTON – On the floor of the United States Senate today, Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, delivered a major address entitled “The Politicization of Intelligence: A Threat to Our National Security.” In his remarks, Sen. Warner warned that President Trump and Director of National Intelligence Gabbard have systematically undermined the independence of the nation’s intelligence community, highlighting how firings, revoked clearances, and retaliatory reassignments have silenced decades of expertise, punished analysts for telling the truth, and endangered America’s ability to confront threats from adversaries.

“These are professionals who serve under Republican and Democratic administrations alike. They are career officials who put duty before politics. Who swear an oath not to any president but to the Constitution of the United States,” said Warner today. “Yet as this administration fires and denigrates these very men and women, as expertise that takes literally decades to build is being thrown away because it conflicts with political talking points, as assessments grounded in fact are being shelved in favor of conspiracy theories, our adversaries are conspiring, sharing intelligence and military capabilities, and strategizing over how to weaken the United States while advancing a very different authoritarian vision for the world.”

“At the same time, I fear the integrity of our intelligence is being sacrificed on the altar of partisan convenience,” Warner continued. “Mr. President, this is not some kind of inside-the-Beltway turn battle and it’s not another partisan disagreement. I believe at stake is something much more fundamental – whether America will continue to have an intelligence community free to speak truth to power.”

Senator Warner’s remarks as prepared for delivery appear below:

M. President, I rise today out of deep concern for the future of our intelligence community and, in turn, the security of the United States.

For months now, we’ve watched President Trump’s administration – led in this arena by his hand-picked Director of National Intelligence, Ms. Gabbard – systematically undermine the men and women whose only mission is to keep this country safe.

These are professionals who serve under Republican and Democratic administrations alike. They are career officials who put duty before politics, who swear an oath not to any president, but to the Constitution of the United States.

As this administration fires and denigrates those very men and women…

As expertise that takes decades to build is being thrown away because it conflicts with political talking points…

As assessments grounded in fact are being shelved in favor of conspiracy theories…

Our adversaries are conspiring, sharing intelligence and military capabilities, and strategizing over how to weaken the United States while advancing a different authoritarian vision for the world.

At the same time, I fear, the integrity of our intelligence is being sacrificed on the altar of partisan convenience.

M. President, this is not some inside-the-Beltway turf battle, and it is not just another partisan disagreement.

At stake is something much more fundamental: whether America will continue to have an intelligence community free to “speak truth to power,” or whether political pressure will blind us to the very real threats our nation faces.

History shows us what happens when intelligence is ignored, manipulated, or kept from those who need it most.

In 1941, the United States Navy intercepted communications showing that Japan was planning to attack Pearl Harbor. That knowledge, however, was of little use, because it was not communicated to the people who could take action to protect the fleet. The result was a devastating surprise that cost thousands of American lives.

In the aftermath, Congress resolved that we could never again afford to be blindsided. In 1947, Congress created the Central Intelligence Agency, the modern Department of Defense, and other institutions to ensure that unfiltered, unbiased intelligence is provided to the president, to Congress, and to our military. These institutions are meant to protect us from surprises, and to give policymakers the truth, even when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient.

For the most part, this system has worked.

But it has never been perfect.

The abuses revealed by the Church Committee in the 1970s made clear why strong congressional oversight is essential. That’s why Congress established the Senate Intelligence Committee in 1976, and our House counterpart the following year.

Today, while not flawless, these committees remain the best check we have to ensure our intelligence agencies uphold American values and laws, avoid repeating past mistakes, and learn from them when they do occur.

Even with our modern system of congressional oversight, we have seen tragic failures: intelligence failed to predict the collapse of the Soviet Union. We failed to “connect the dots” before 9/11. And perhaps most foreboding, in the run-up to the Iraq War, intelligence was distorted to fit policy preferences. Intelligence about weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein’s ties to al-Qaeda were inflated and cherry-picked. Analysts who raised doubts were ignored.

The result was a devastating war in Iraq, fought under false pretenses, that cost thousands of American servicemembers their lives and limbs.

But we learned from these failures: After the September 11th attacks, Congress placed additional safeguards and created a new position: Director of National Intelligence. The objective was to better coordinate our intelligence agencies, to avoid “group-think,” to remove silos among our intelligence agencies, and to ensure that analysts could provide thorough, candid assessments – even when the truth was uncomfortable or unwelcome. 

That was the commitment I asked the current Director of National Intelligence, Ms. Gabbard, to make during her confirmation hearing. And she assured our Committee and the American people that she would protect the independence of the intelligence community – ensure that the IC is never politicized. She even pointed to the run-up to the war in Iraq as the clearest example of what happens when intelligence is bent to fit policy, and the president is told only what he wants to hear. She pledged that she would never allow those mistakes to be repeated on her watch. 

But, M. President, in only six months, we have seen the opposite from this administration.

We’ve seen career FBI agents – people who have risked their lives for this country – forced out of their positions simply for investigating crimes connected to the January 6th insurrection. These were professionals following the law, performing their sworn duties, and yet their service was treated as disloyalty.

Careers were ended, and decades of expertise were discarded, just for doing the job they were entrusted to do.

We’ve seen the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the National Intelligence Council dismissed because their well-documented, evidence-based assessment of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua criminal network did not align with the administration’s preferred narrative.

These analysts presented carefully sourced intelligence showing that the gang acted independently of the Venezuelan government – not at the behest of foreign officials – and yet their findings were rejected, and their leadership positions removed, simply because the truth did not fit a politically convenient story.

To be clear, there is no question that both Maduro’s regime and TdA are ruthless actors who pose real threats… but punishing intelligence officials for telling the truth only weakens our ability to confront them effectively.

We’ve seen the three-star general leading the Defense Intelligence Agency pushed out after analysts produced a straightforward, evidence-based assessment showing that Iran’s nuclear program had not been “obliterated,” as President Trump so loudly claimed.

Rather than face facts, the administration decided to punish the messenger.

We’ve seen analysts with decades of experience on Russia stripped of their security clearances, or reassigned, at the very moment their expertise is needed most.

DNI Gabbard has personally revoked the clearances of at least 37 individuals in a transparently political act of vengeance, sweeping aside decades of experience with the stroke of a pen, and, in at least one case, exposing an official working under cover.

We’ve seen statutory requirements to keep Congress fully and currently informed ignored, oversight stymied and obstructed, and inspectors general and their personnel silenced, forced out, or removed.

We’ve even seen highly sensitive intelligence declassified and released, for clearly political purposes, without proper coordination with the agencies responsible for protecting sources and methods. These disclosures risk revealing the identities of assets, the techniques we rely on, and the credibility of ongoing operations… all for the sake of advancing a political narrative. The very tools that protect lives and maintain America’s strategic advantage are being treated as leverage in a partisan game.

Let’s remember: the so-called “Russia hoax” assessment, which this administration continues to disparage, was a coordinated, unanimous finding by the entire intelligence community.

Our Committee – on a bipartisan, unanimous basis – reviewed it and validated it. Extensively. Not a single one of my Republican colleagues objected to its findings, including the current Secretary of State, then-Committee Chairman Senator Rubio.

And what did that assessment actually conclude? That Russia conducted a sweeping and systematic campaign to interfere in our 2016 election. That Moscow’s goal was to sow chaos, to undermine faith in American democracy, and specifically to boost Donald Trump’s candidacy. These findings were not partisan talking points. They were the sober judgment of career professionals, backed by evidence, and affirmed by both parties in Congress.

And, as troubling as all of this is, what may be most astonishing is who seems to be calling the shots. Not seasoned national security leaders. Not career intelligence professionals. But conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer… a figure who has called the 9/11 terrorist attacks “an inside job,” who has described herself as a “pro-white nationalist” and a “proud Islamophobe,” and who has made openly racist and anti-Muslim statements.

This is not someone with even a shred of credibility, let alone the experience or the judgment we should demand from those influencing U.S. national security decisions.

Yet time and again, we have seen senior officials pushed out of their posts because Ms. Loomer decided they were not sufficiently loyal to the president. National Security Council staffers – people well known and respected on both sides of the aisle, including staffers who worked for my Republican colleagues in the Senate – were shown the door at her demand.

The top two officials at the National Security Agency – including a well-respected four-star general, Timothy Haugh – forced out, along with the agency’s general counsel… again at Loomer’s behest.

These are critical posts in one of our most important intelligence organizations, vacated not because of misconduct or failure, but because of the whims of a political provocateur whose public record is filled with hate and conspiracies.

And just a few weeks ago, we saw something that I believe should trouble every member of this body, regardless of party.

My staff and I had arranged a visit to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, located in my home state of Virginia, so that I could perform my constitutional duty of oversight… and meet with intelligence professionals who also happen to be my constituents. Yet at the last minute, that visit was blocked… again, apparently, at the direction of Laura Loomer.

M. President, what does it say about the state of our national security when a self-proclaimed white nationalist and Islamophobe, with a personal vendetta against U.S. government officials, someone with no accountability, no clearance, and no sworn duty to the Constitution, can dictate who serves in critical intelligence positions, and even prevent members of this chamber from conducting basic oversight?

M. President: I must also ask you: why is this administration going to war against the very professionals sworn to keep our country safe? Why are decades of service and sacrifice tossed aside, because they are obliged to provide unbiased truth?  Because it is inconvenient? Because their assessments are not what the DNI and the president want to hear?

The safeguards we put in place… the oversight this body provides… only work if intelligence officers know that they can tell the truth without losing their jobs. If analysts believe their careers will be destroyed for offering inconvenient assessments, then we will only get the intelligence the White House wants.

Imagine the consequences if our intelligence community is forced to spend its time chasing down conspiracy theories instead of monitoring terrorist networks, cyber threats, or foreign adversaries.

Imagine if analysts stop flagging real dangers because they fear political retaliation.

Imagine if experienced officers walk away from service altogether because they know their expertise will be dismissed or punished.

That kind of environment doesn’t just weaken our intelligence community, it puts every American family at risk.

M. President, this is not a partisan point. Democrats and Republicans alike have relied on the intelligence community to keep this country safe. Every president, whether they liked what they were hearing or not, has depended on accurate, independent analysis to make decisions that affect millions of lives.

That is what makes the current moment so alarming. We are dismantling trust in institutions that took generations to build. We are eroding morale among some of the most dedicated professionals in public service. And we are sending a clear message to young officers: don’t bother building a career in intelligence if you plan to tell the truth.

Meanwhile, our adversaries aren’t slowing down. Cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, nuclear proliferation, terrorist attacks, transnational criminal organizations… these threats are real, and they will not wait for us to get our house in order. If we let politics dictate what intelligence is acceptable, we are effectively flying blind.

That’s why I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle: take this seriously. We can disagree about policy, but we cannot allow the facts themselves to be corrupted. The intelligence community must remain independent, professional, and committed to the Constitution above all else.

The men and women who dedicate their lives to this work deserve nothing less. And the American people deserve nothing less.

Thank you M. President, I yield the floor.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to expand access to critical advance care planning (ACP) services in Medicare that allow people, especially those with serious illness, to plan for their care and have their choices honored when it matters most. The Improving Access to Advance Care Planning Act would help more Americans access critical ACP services by allowing social workers to provide ACP services, removing beneficiary cost-sharing, and promoting increased education for providers on current ACP codes and improved reporting on barriers to providing ACP services and billing the corresponding codes.

“Decisions about care planning are some of the hardest for a family to make, but they’re also some of the most important. One of my biggest regrets was not having early conversations about care planning with my own mom, who suffered from Alzheimer’s for 11 years and was unable to speak for nine of those years,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m proud to introduce this bill because folks with a serious illness deserve to have a say over what their care should look like, and families deserve the certainty of knowing they are honoring their loved ones’ wishes.”

“Unfortunately, most patients do not routinely make advance plans for their care in the event that they are diagnosed with a serious or life-threatening illness.  This can be a difficult topic for many families to address, but advance care planning has been shown to increase satisfaction and improve health outcomes because people with advance directives are more likely to get the care they want, in the setting they prefer, and avoid the care that they don’t want,” said Sen. Collins. “This bipartisan bill would help provide an opportunity for patients to have a structured discussion with their health care providers about their goals and treatment options so that they can make their choices known and develop a plan of care in consultation with their loved ones.”

Specifically, the Improving Access to Advance Care Planning Act would:

1. Codify and expand Medicare coverage of ACP services – a longtime priority for Sen. Warner, who first introduced legislation to improve planning options for patients in 2015. This bill would expand eligible providers that can bill for such services to include clinical social workers with experience in care planning.
2. Remove beneficiary coinsurance and deductibles for ACP visits – including those that happen outside of an annual Medicare Annual Wellness Visit – to ensure that beneficiaries are not deterred from seeking these services, and providers are not deterred from offering them.
3. Educate heath care providers by directing CMS to conduct an education campaign on the ACP billing options and report to Congress on such activities
4. Study areas of improvement – by directing the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to study and report to Congress on (A) barriers to providing and receiving ACP services despite the ability to bill for them, and (B) barriers to billing the code itself.
5. Make permanent the ability to provide advance care planning services over telehealth in Medicare.
6. Align the definitions of advance care planning used in the statute to ensure consistency of this service.

Bill text is available here.

This legislation has the support of a number of patient and family advocacy organizations, including the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC), LeadingAge, the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the National Alliance for Care at Home, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, the Consumer Coalition for Quality Health Care, MyDirectives, and the Smarter Health Care Coalition.

“Those of us working to improve care for individuals impacted by serious illness have known that high copays for Advance Care Planning were a barrier to patient-centered care. Thanks to Senators Warner (D-VA) and Collins (R-ME), who are passionate about these issues, we will be able to help remedy this technicality in the law and increase access to critical conversations between patients and their clinicians by eliminating copays and including social workers who will be eligible to be reimbursed for these services as part of the care team. A sincere thank you the Senators and their staff for continuing to be the voice of the patient and family,” said Jon Broyles, CEO, The Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC).

"Planning ahead can bring clarity to the often nuanced and complicated issues that sometimes arrive in critical healthcare situations or at end-of-life. Improving access to cost-effective care planning that all Americans need, as this bill will do, will bring peace of mind to millions of older adults and their family members,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services. “What’s more, because our nonprofit and mission-driven members deliver care across all aging services settings, LeadingAge recognizes the importance of acknowledging the preferences and beliefs of people and their families to deliver quality care. We hope greater access to these conversations will improve serious illness care through the end-of-life and help providers meet unique patient needs.”

“NPHI is proud to stand with the hospice and palliative care community in strong support of the Improving Access to Advance Care Planning (ACP) Act.” Said Carole Fisher, President of NPHI. “As a national organization comprised of nearly 120 community-based advanced illness care providers, NPHI and its members understand the importance of ensuring all Medicare beneficiaries have genuine access to counseling regarding their choices and preferences at the end-of-life. As we know, hospice services are often dramatically underutilized due in part to late referrals and a lack of prior planning. Engaging in ACP conversations earlier in the disease progression can improve quality of life for beneficiaries and lessen the burden on caregivers. We look forward to working with Congress and our partners to pass this important legislation,” said Carole Fisher President, National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI). 

“The National Alliance for Care at Home applauds Senators Warner (D-VA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) for reintroducing the Improving Access to Advanced Care Planning Act. As a physician who has worked directly with patients both planning for and facing serious illness, I know firsthand the role that advance care planning (ACP) plays in delivering compassionate, patient-centered support that ensures individuals’ values and preferences guide their care,” said Dr. Steve Landers, CEO of the National Alliance for Care at Home. “By making it easier for providers to engage in ACP with patients, this bill will help strengthen our healthcare system, ensuring individuals get the right care at the right time and often delivering better outcomes for less cost."

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today introduced the Protect America’s Workforce Act – bipartisan legislation to repeal two union-busting executive orders and restore collective bargaining rights and workplace protections for federal workers.

This legislation comes in response to two executive orders issued earlier this year by President Trump. These executive orders revoked collective bargaining rights for a majority of federal employees under a false national security pretext. While federal employee unions do not negotiate pay or benefits, collective bargaining agreements do protect federal employees from retaliation, discrimination, and illegal firings, while promoting resources for whistleblowers and veterans.

“From the gutting of essential government agencies to the politization of nonpartisan government jobs, there’s never been a tougher time to be a federal worker,” said Sen. Warner. “As the Trump administration continues to terrorize the federal workforce, I’m proud to introduce legislation to safeguard the longstanding protections that federal employees need right now.”

“Every day our patriotic, merit-based civil servants provide essential services to the American people – and their collective bargaining rights are critical to protecting them from unfair labor practices as they carry out that important work. Trump wants to strip them of these rights so he can continue to gut the federal workforce and easily replace them with political cronies who will do his bidding without regard for the law. This bipartisan bill will stop this lawless union-busting power grab – and protect the integrity of our federal workforce and the services they provide,” said Sen. Van Hollen.

“Trump’s attacks on unions, union jobs, and the right to collective bargaining is making our economy weaker and putting American jobs at risk,” said Leader Schumer. “Earlier this year, President Trump issued wide-sweeping executive orders that revoked collective bargaining rights that federal workers have held for decades – a threat to the rights of all of America’s workers. Federal workers deserve to have union protection to improve their working conditions and to defend those who speak up on behalf of the American people – it’s how our federal workforce finds and retains the best talent and how we live up to the values and standards our country has set for itself. Democrats know that union strong is America strong which is why I am proud to support the Protect America’s Workforce Act to restore commonsense measures that will right this wrong and help protect the rights of the people who have elected to serve our country.”

“Federal workers serve the American people and keep our country running every day.  They deserve fair treatment and a voice on the job. That means protecting unions and collective bargaining. As the administration continues to undermine their rights, our bill will restore worker protections and help strengthen the federal workforce,” said Sen. Schatz.

“Donald Trump’s executive orders ripping away collective bargaining rights from over a million federal workers constitute one of the biggest union busts in American history,” said Sen. Padilla. “Eliminating these basic labor protections is a thinly veiled retribution campaign under the guise of national security, but these orders make us all less safe by undermining the workforce Americans rely on for vaccine research, food inspections, natural disaster relief, and so much more. Our bill reverses these callous attacks to protect the fundamental workplace rights of federal employees in California and across the country so they can continue serving the American people.”

"Maryland's patriotic civil servants serve with dedication under both Democratic and Republican Administrations. The Trump Administration callously attacking them hurts the people they serve - the American people. It hurts seniors who count on Social Security, it hurts parents who count on their children's water and food to be safe, and it hurts families who count on public health experts to keep them healthy. I will always fight to protect our federal workers and their collective bargaining rights," said Sen. Alsobrooks.

“President Trump and his Administration’s attacks on collective bargaining rights of federal employees makes it easier to fire those who ensure public safety, respond to natural disasters, protect our national security, and more,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’m proud to introduce this legislation to help restore these rights and other workplace protections for federal employees.” 

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CRSA) grants the president authority to limit collective bargaining agreements when there is a national security concern. President Trump’s executive orders, however, sought to take advantage of the CRSA by inappropriately classifying two-thirds of the federal workforce as having national security missions in order to claim the authority needed to cancel valid union contracts.

This legislation also has the support of the AFL-CIO, Actors’ Equity Association, Alliance for Retired Americans, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Federation of Musicians, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Communications Workers of America (CWA), Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE), Federal Education Association, International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, LIUNA - the Laborers' International Union of North America, National Education Association, National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM), National Nurses United, National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Seafarers International Union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, United Auto Workers (UAW), United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), and United Steelworkers (USW).

“Donald Trump’s executive order launched the biggest act of union-busting in our history, ripping away collective bargaining rights from a million federal workers. In the months since, his administration has expanded that order and unilaterally cancelled union contracts for more than 400,000 workers. These moves are an assault on our fundamental freedoms and undercut critical services people across the country rely on. We commend Senators Warner, Van Hollen, and Minority Leader Schumer for bringing the fight to overturn the Trump administration’s attack on workers to the Senate. Bipartisan momentum is already building in the House, where lawmakers are collecting the final signatures on a discharge petition to bring this bill to a vote. The labor movement looks forward to working with senators to stop the senseless assault on workers who provide essential government services to communities across America. The labor movement stands united behind this bill, and we call on every senator—Democrat, Republican and Independent—to keep their promise to workers by backing this legislation,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler.

“President Trump’s March executive order stripping most of the federal workforce of collective bargaining rights represents the single most aggressive action taken by the federal government against organized labor in U.S. history, dwarfing any previous action against public or private sector working Americans.  AFGE members are grateful to Sen. Warner for introducing the Protect America’s Workforce Act and standing up for the nonpartisan civil service, the women and men who serve in it, and the critical role that collective bargaining has played for decades in fostering a safe, productive, and collaborative workplace that serves the American people,” said AFGE National President Dr. Everett Kelley.

“Presidential orders stripping union rights from federal employees are not only an attack on the civil service, they’re an attack on the vital services Americans depend on. NTEU members are grateful to Senators Warner, Van Hollen, Schumer, Schatz, Padilla, Alsobrooks, and Kaine for leading this legislation requiring agencies to honor the collective bargaining agreements already in place. The Protect America’s Workforce Act ensures federal employees can collectively advocate for a better workplace and the resources to best serve the American people,” said Doreen Greenwald, National President of the National Treasury Employees Union.

“NFFE is proud to endorse the Protecting America’s Workforce Act, which will restore union rights for over one million civil servants,” said NFFE National President Randy Erwin. “The union busting executive order signed by President Trump in March has proven to be detrimental to federal workers and the essential services they provide to the American people every day. This legislation has garnered broad bipartisan support in the House of Representatives and will surely do the same in the Senate. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle understand that if this bill is not passed into law, their constituents will suffer the consequences. Thank you to Senator Warner and the initial cosponsors of the legislation for their leadership on this critical issue.”

“They protect the environment, care for veterans, and support public health and education. Characterizing these workers as a national security threat in order to strip them of their union rights and protections is shameful and a gross overreach by this administration.  The Protect America’s Workforce Act is necessary to restore their collective bargaining rights, including protection against illegal firing, discrimination or retaliation particularly at this time in our country,” said Heather Conroy, Executive Vice President of the Service Employees International Union.

“Federal workers are essential to our nation's health and well-being, and when they have the freedom to collectively bargain for safe working conditions and strong public services, we all benefit. The billionaires running this administration are hell-bent on rigging our government to line their own pockets, and silencing federal workers is how they plan to do it,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “We thank Senator Mark Warner for introducing this legislation, and we urge the Senate to quickly pass this bill.”

“As nurses, we use our voices on the job every day to fight for safe staffing and the best possible care for our veterans,” said Irma Westmoreland, RN at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Ga., and Director of NNU’s VA division. “The Trump administration attempted to silence our voice by stripping collective bargaining rights from over a million federal workers, but we will not be silent. We thank Senator Warren for introducing the Protect America’s Workforce Act on the Senate side to restore our collective bargaining rights, and we urge the House and Senate to act quickly to pass this bill so nurses can continue advocating for the best care that veterans deserve.”

“IFPTE was founded in 1918 by federal workers at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and other Navy shipyards joined together, just as our nation entered World War I.  At agencies that support military readiness, advance scientific breakthroughs and space exploration, protect communities and commerce from environmental hazards, our federal sector local unions have a long and proud history of making sure federal employees and the federal agencies can succeed and serve the American public. We know full well that the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders to deny over 1million federal workers their bargaining rights on a bogus national security rationale make this the most anti-labor, anti-worker administration in United States history. IFPTE applauds Senator Warner, Senator Van Hollen, and Leader Schumer for standing up for federal workers' union rights and for a government that works for the America by sponsoring the Protect America’s Workforce Act,” said Matt Biggs, President of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE).

“Federal government employees play a crucial role in public service by keeping our transportation systems safe, investigating accidents, overseeing critical weather forecasts, and providing essential supplies to the U.S. military. These workers already surrender many of the rights that private-sector employees enjoy, such as the ability to negotiate wages and benefits and the fundamental right to strike. Transportation labor urges the Senate to pass the bipartisan Protect America’s Workforce Act and restore the basic collective bargaining rights of federal workers,” said Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) President Greg Regan.

“The Protect America’s Workforce Act is essential to restoring the collective bargaining rights that DoDEA educators and all federal employees deserve. Preserving collective bargaining is key to maintaining a strong, stable, and safe federal workforce where employee voices are heard, respected, and valued. This legislation affirms that our rights, our contracts, and our voices matter, and ensures we can continue advocating for the safety, well-being, and success of the students and families we serve every day,” said Richard Tarr, Executive Director of the Federal Education Association.

“I thank Senator Warner for introducing the Protecting America’s Workforce Act in the Senate. Protecting the rights of the federal workers we represent is a priority of our union, and passage of this very important piece of legislation is key in reversing the attack on these civil servants. Federal workers are essential to the livelihood and prosperity of the U.S., and these workers rightly deserve the right of collective bargaining, which provides benefits like protections in the workplace and better service to the public,” said International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers President Brian Bryant.

This legislation was also cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Bill text is available here.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement following new reporting by the Washington Post on the “serious safety risks” present at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on the night of the deadly crash over the Potomac River and the “political and economic forces” that perpetuated those conditions:

“Air traffic controllers and pilots are only human – their workload and work environment should reflect that. Unfortunately, Congress added more flights into DCA’s already chaotic airspace just months before this tragic crash over the objections of the region’s Senate delegation and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, disregarding the concerns of numerous pilots, air traffic controllers, and FAA and DOT personnel.

“What do you tell 67 families who have lost their loved ones? What do you tell America’s flying public? We have fought against adding more flights at DCA for years because safety has to be the first and top priority. While many risk factors must be reevaluated, Congress needs to start by rolling back the additional flight slots it forcibly crammed into last year’s FAA Reauthorization Act.”

Sens. Warner and Kaine have sounded the alarm for years about the need for increased safety for the flying public, including fighting against additional flights out of DCA that contribute to overcrowding.  Since the January 29th collision, both senators have been closely involved with the investigation, meeting with first responders and offering condolences to the families and loved ones of the 67 lives lost immediately following the tragedy. In June, Sens. Warner and Kaine introduced comprehensive aviation safety legislation in response to the tragic mid-air collision. The senators also saw through passage of a legislation to remember the victims of the crash. Sens. Warner and Kaine also requested answers from FAA earlier this year on its plans to protect the flying public in the wake of the January 29 collision.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon demanding the immediate reversal of the Department of Education’s decision to withhold millions of dollars in federal funding from Alexandria City Public Schools, Arlington Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Loudoun County Public Schools, and Prince William County Public Schools.

“We write to demand the immediate reversal of the Department of Education’s decision to punitively withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds from Alexandria City Public Schools, Arlington Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Loudoun County Public Schools, and Prince William County Public Schools – a move that is directly contrary to the interests of students, parents, and educators,” wrote the senators.

The senators continued, “These successful schools are being penalized for complying with the binding rules set forth by federal courts through Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board, which extended sex-based discrimination protections to transgender students. In the absence of a change in federal statutes or binding judicial precedent, you should not punish jurisdictions for trying to follow the law.”

“The fact that the Department is punishing these five school systems, while not taking similar action against other jurisdictions with similar policies, suggests that the asserted Title IX rationale is a pretext for political retribution,” the senators wrote. “Placing these schools on ‘high-risk’ status is unheard of and deeply troubling. Your actions will cause harm to over 386,000 students enrolled across all five districts that stand to lose over $300 million in federal funding.”

“Education is a key factor in Virginia’s transformation into an economic powerhouse over the last half-century,” the senators concluded. “Your attack on a region whose educational success has been key to that progress will stain your legacy and that of the Trump Administration.”

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Secretary McMahon:

We write to demand the immediate reversal of the Department of Education’s (Department) decision to punitively withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds from Alexandria City Public Schools, Arlington Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Loudoun County Public Schools, and Prince William County Public Schools – a move that is directly contrary to the interests of students, parents, and educators.

These schools are high-performing, not high-risk. As former Governors, we’ve worked with these divisions for decades. You will find world-class technical education academies in Arlington and Loudoun, innovative early childhood programs in Alexandria, exceptional education of students who speak nearly 175 native languages in Prince William, and world-class math education in Fairfax, where more than 70% of 8th graders attain proficiency in algebra. This is just a fraction of the good these school systems do, and they are a key reason why Virginia is commonly recognized as one of the premier states for education in America. Why would your Department want to punish such success?

These successful schools are being penalized for complying with the binding rules set forth by federal courts through Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board, which extended sex-based discrimination protections to transgender students. In the absence of a change in federal statutes or binding judicial precedent, you should not punish jurisdictions for trying to follow the law.

Your punitive actions also run counter to your stated goal of promoting parent choice and local control. The school divisions that you are targeting all have elected school boards that are directly accountable to local voters, allowing them to object to any policies regarding how students are educated. Local voters in these communities care deeply about their schools and are highly engaged in their interactions with school board members. The Department need not micromanage local policies when local citizens can change the direction of their schools, should they choose to do so.

The fact that the Department is punishing these five school systems, while not taking similar action against other jurisdictions with similar policies, suggests that the asserted Title IX rationale is a pretext for political retribution. Placing these schools on “high-risk” status is unheard of and deeply troubling. Your actions will cause harm to over 386,000 students enrolled across all five districts that stand to lose over $300 million in federal funding. Most alarming, this funding directly serves the most vulnerable students, including those facing food and housing insecurity and those with disabilities.

Education is a key factor in Virginia’s transformation into an economic powerhouse over the last half-century. Progress has been made under Democratic and Republican leadership. A state that deprived women and minorities of equal access to public education in our lifetimes has transformed into an opportunity-rich environment that attracts talented people and businesses from around the world to call Virginia home. Your attack on a region whose educational success has been key to that progress will stain your legacy and that of the Trump Administration.

Please rethink your adversarial stance and join us in moving forward.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and nine of his Senate colleagues introduced the Small Business RELIEF Act, legislation to exempt small businesses from global baseline and reciprocal tariffs and to provide refunds to the small businesses that were forced to pay them.

On August 29, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that President Donald Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs were illegal, setting the stage for small businesses to receive relief from those tariffs. The Supreme Court this week agreed to consider whether these tariffs are legal and will hear the case in November. However, the tariffs will remain in place until the Supreme Court makes a decision.

“Trump’s tariffs have hit small businesses particularly hard as they struggle to absorb the increased costs,” said Sen. Warner. “The Small Business RELIEF Act will help make sure that Trump’s reckless taxes don’t cripple small businesses in Virginia and across the country.”

In addition to Sen. Warner, this legislation was introduced by U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

Text of this legislation is available here.

"Small businesses were the ones hit hardest by the Trump-era tariffs — paying higher prices on everything from raw materials to the tools they need to keep their doors open,” said Richard Trent, Executive Director of Main Street Alliance. “If the Supreme Court overturns these tariffs, the fair thing to do is refund small business owners for the extra costs they were forced to pay. They shouldn’t be punished for decisions made in Washington that drove up their costs and squeezed their margins. Refunding small businesses would put money back into local economies, help create jobs, and level the playing field after years of unfair trade policy."

“Small businesses make up more than 99 percent of all U.S. companies, employ nearly half of the private-sector workforce, and contribute more than 40 percent of GDP,” said Todd McCracken, President & CEO of the National Small Business Association (NSBA). “Yet, unlike their larger counterparts, they often lack the financial cushion and in-house resources to absorb sudden policy shifts. Imposing emergency tariffs without exemptions for small companies threatens their survival, undermines local economies, and weakens supply chains upon which countless communities are built. By exempting small firms from these duties and providing timely refunds, the Small Business RELIEF Act acknowledges both their unique vulnerability and their vital role in driving economic growth.

“Tariffs are placing unprecedented pressure on American small businesses, and we’re encouraged to see leadership and legislation that would provide much-needed relief from these burdensome policies,” said Shaundell Newsome, Co-chair of Small Business for America’s Future and Founder of Sumnu Marketing in Las Vegas, Nevada. “We’ve heard countless stories from entrepreneurs across the country whose operating costs have abruptly increased due to tariffs and their erratic implementation, a major blow to businesses operating with tight margins and little wiggle room for error. These businesses are already making devastating choices: cutting jobs, canceling expansion plans, and struggling to keep their doors open. The retroactive relief included in the Small Business RELIEF Act could be the lifeline many small importers desperately need to recover from months of unexpected costs. Main Street is bearing the brunt of policies that failed to consider the real-world consequences for small businesses. Without action, we’ll continue to see economic consequences that devastate not just individual businesses but entire communities.”

"Widespread tariffs imposed on most imported goods have caused significant pain for small businesses, as evidenced by Small Business Majority's most recent polling that found 60% are experiencing higher operating costs due to tariffs,” said Alexis D’Amato, Director of Government Affairs at Small Business Majority. “This is no surprise given that 26% of businesses surveyed said they import goods directly, while nearly half said they buy from American suppliers that import from other countries. Cost increases have led small businesses to take a range of drastic actions that include raising prices and pausing expansion plans. The best way to bring small businesses immediate relief is to refund import duties that they have already paid and exempt them from tariffs going forward."

“WIPP strongly supports Senator Markey’s Small Business RELIEF Act, which would exempt small businesses from tariffs,” said Angela Dingle, President and CEO of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP). “Small firms, including women-owned firms, are facing rising costs and supply-chain disruptions that threaten their survival. More often than not, small businesses lack the resources to absorb the cost of tariffs, and have no choice but to raise prices and risk losing business. Small businesses can pivot and adapt, but they rely on certainty when it comes to their bottom line, and Senator Markey’s bill would help provide that certainty."

“CAMEO applauds Senator Markey’s Small Business RELIEF Act, which would provide relief for microbusinesses and self-employed entrepreneurs from economically damaging tariffs,” said Carolina Martinez, CEO of CAMEO Network. “In California alone, microbusinesses (those with five or fewer employees) account for 85% of all firms and generate nearly 25% of all jobs, yet they’re deriving the smallest margins and greatest vulnerability from rising costs. Tariffs are hurting them the most, and are a direct hit to their ability to survive, grow, and serve their communities. This act would provide essential relief that keeps innovation alive and Main Street thriving.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, released the following statement ahead of a scheduled committee vote on the nomination of Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors:

 “The Federal Reserve was designed to make decisions free from political interference, guided by data and the long-term stability of our economy, not the political agenda of any one president. Donald Trump has made clear he wants to tear down that independence, just as he has with so many of the institutions that have kept our democracy and our economy strong. His nomination of Stephen Miran to the Fed Board is yet another step in that dangerous campaign.

“Let’s be clear: under President Trump’s leadership, American families are already feeling the squeeze. Prices for everyday necessities are high and rising, while Trump’s reckless trade wars, chaotic tariffs, and deficit-busting tax cuts have left our economy weaker and more vulnerable. Now, by trying to stack the Fed with political loyalists, Trump is laying the groundwork for even more instability for consumers.

“The independence of the Fed is a cornerstone of America’s economic strength. Undermining it will only make it more difficult to get costs under control, weaken confidence in our markets, and make things harder for working families just trying to make ends meet. For that reason, I strongly oppose the nomination of Stephen Miran, and I urge my colleagues to reject this latest effort to politicize the Federal Reserve.”

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement after the Augusta Medical Group announced the closure of three practice locations—Weyers Cave Urgent Care, Buena Vista Primary Care, and Churchville Primary Care—in response to Republicans’ law that made major cuts to Medicaid:

“We appreciate Augusta Health’s courage and transparency in being clear about the cause of these closures: reckless cuts forced through by our Republican colleagues. We warned that their partisan tax bill would lead to shuttered clinics, lost jobs, and reduced access to critical health care services, especially in rural communities. Sadly, this is exactly what we are now seeing – and no amount of massive tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy can justify the damage to Virginia families.”

Warner and Kaine strongly opposed the Republican law that made major cuts to health care, food assistance, and other programs that Virginians rely on in order to slash taxes for the wealthiest Americans. More than 15 million people currently covered under Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act will lose their health insurance, and many rural hospitals will lose federal funding, putting them at risk of closure.

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WASHINGTON – Today, Democratic senators released a framework for market structure legislation. The group of senators include U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).

“The digital asset sector has grown to a $4 trillion global market. We owe it to the millions of Americans who participate in this market to create clear rules of the road that protect consumers and safeguard our markets. We also must ensure that digital assets are not used to finance illicit activities or to line the pockets of politicians and their families,” the senators said.

“Today, we’re releasing a framework for a market structure bill that would regulate digital asset markets in the U.S., ensure responsible innovation, and create a safe and level playing field for all market participants. The framework is a substantive road map to guide what we hope will be robust and fruitful bipartisan negotiations and ultimately, a bipartisan product.  

“Achieving a strong, bipartisan outcome will require time and cannot be rushed. We look forward to working on this with our Republican colleagues.”  

The framework contains seven key pillars that any market structure legislation should include:

1. Closing the Gap in the Spot Market for Non-Security Digital Assets;
2. Clarifying the Legal Status of Digital Assets and Regulator Jurisdiction;
3. Incorporating Digital Asset Issuers into the Regulatory Framework;
4. Incorporating Digital Asset Platforms into the Regulatory Framework;  
5. Preventing Illicit Finance;
6. Preventing Corruption and Abuse; and
7. Ensuring Fair, Effective Regulation.  

The full framework can be viewed here.

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