WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and John Cornyn (R-TX) reintroduced the Health Care Cybersecurity and Resilience Act to protect Americans’ health data by strengthening cybersecurity. This legislation is a product of the senators’ bipartisan health care cybersecurity working group launched in 2023.  

“Cyberattacks on our health care organizations threaten the sensitive information of millions of Americans and can have life-or-death consequences on the care patients receive,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m glad to join my colleagues in introducing this bill to strengthen our cybersecurity, protect patients, and provide additional tools for rural health care providers in Virginia.”

“Cyberattacks on our health care sector not only put patients’ sensitive health data at risk but can delay life-saving care,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This bipartisan legislation ensures health institutions can safeguard Americans’ health data against increasing cyber threats.”  

“Cyberattacks in the health care sector can have a wide range of devastating consequences, from exposing private medical information to disrupting care in ERs – and it can be particularly difficult for medical providers in rural communities with fewer resources to prevent and respond to these attacks,” said Sen. Hassan. “Our bipartisan working group came together to develop this legislation based on the most pressing needs for medical providers and patients, and I urge my colleagues to support it.”

“Patients deserve absolute confidence that their sensitive medical data stored online is protected and shielded from cybersecurity breaches or ransomware attacks,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would strengthen interagency coordination and improve security practices for rural providers, ensuring Texans’ health care is not delayed or compromised by cyberattacks.” 

The Health Care Cybersecurity and Resiliency Act of 2025:  

• Strengthens cybersecurity in the health care sector by providing grants to health entities to improve cyberattack prevention and response.   
• Provides training to health entities on cybersecurity best practices.   
• Supports rural communities by providing best practices to rural health clinics and other providers on cybersecurity breach prevention, resilience, and coordination with federal agencies.  
• Improves coordination between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to better respond to cyberattacks in the health care sector.  
• Modernizes current regulations so entities covered under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) use the best cybersecurity practices.  
• Requires the HHS Secretary to develop and implement a cybersecurity incident response plan.  

Click here for full bill text. 

BACKGROUND 

Health records, unlike other personal records like credit card numbers, are more valuable on the black market since health conditions are permanent and cannot be reissued.     

There were more than 730 cyber breaches last year, affecting over 270 million Americans. This includes the attack on Change Healthcare, the largest health care cybersecurity incident in history. This attack exposed the data of over 190 million people, leading to significant delays in care and electronic prescribing.  

WASHINGTON – Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued a statement after an investigation by the Department of Defense’s (DoD) independent watchdog found that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth violated DoD policy and endangered the lives of Virginia-based pilots by sharing classified information over an unsecure personal group chat:

“An objective, evidence-based investigation by the Pentagon’s internal watchdog leaves no doubt: Secretary Hegseth endangered the lives of American pilots based aboard the USS Harry S. Truman as they prepared to launch a mission against terrorist targets. By sharing classified operational details on an unsecure group chat on his personal phone, he created unacceptable risks to their safety and to our operational security.

“The report also notes that the IG is aware of several other Signal chats Hegseth used for official business, underscoring that this was not an isolated lapse. It reflects a broader pattern of recklessness and poor judgment from a secretary who has repeatedly shown he is in over his head.

“Our servicemembers, including those stationed in Virginia and around the world, expect and deserve leaders who honor the sacrifices they make every day to protect our nation and never put them at unnecessary risk. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Pete Hegseth should resign, or the president must remove him at once.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), both members of the Senate Finance Committee, sent a letter to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Terry Cole urging the DEA to extend telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances. The current flexibilities, which have been critical in connecting individuals in rural and underserved communities with access to essential medications, are set to expire December 31, 2025.

“We write to urge the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to act quickly and extend critical flexibilities for telemedicine prescribing of controlled substances that were first put in place during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency,” wrote the senators. “These policies ensure individuals can successfully access medical treatment via telehealth, and for many—including those with substance use disorder—these flexibilities have been life-saving.”

The senators continued, “Telemedicine has been instrumental in expanding access to health care, supporting those with the greatest need and bridging the divide between patients and providers, especially for individuals in rural and under-resourced areas. The flexibility afforded by telemedicine has been particularly important in providing access to essential medications, including those for mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and chronic illnesses.”

The senators highlighted that without continued telemedicine flexibilities, millions of Americans could lose access to essential health services, including mental and behavioral health care.

“Americans face barriers to accessing mental health and substance use disorder treatment services, particularly in rural and under-resourced communities. As of August 2024, more than one third of the U.S. population, or 122 million individuals, live in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area, as determined by an insufficient psychiatrist-to-population ratio. Rural areas face additional provider shortages, with many lacking access to psychologists, clinical social workers, and other types of providers. These challenges underscore the importance of maintaining flexibilities that increase access to treatment and services. Telemedicine flexibilities have ensured that patients receive timely and necessary care, at a time and location that is convenient for them,” added the senators.

These telemedicine flexibilities were made possible by the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, which allowed for an exception to the in-person medical evaluation requirement under the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act, legislation regulating the online prescription of controlled substances. The DEA has previously recognized the life-saving success of telemedicine flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances and since January 2020, has extended these temporary flexibilities three times.

Sen. Warner has been a longtime advocate for increased access to telehealth services, emphasizing that consistent, uninterrupted access to providers is fundamental to managing chronic conditions, supporting mental health, preventing small health issues from becoming crises, and modernizing our health system. He is an original co-author of the CONNECT for Health Act, which seeks to expand the coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, and make it easier for patients to safely connect with their doctors. He also previously wrote to both the Biden and Trump administrations urging the DEA to finalize regulations that allow doctors to prescribe controlled substances through telehealth. At the height of the COVID-19 crisis, Sen. Warner sent a letter to Senate leadership calling for the permanent expansion of access to telehealth services. In September 2023, Sen. Warner led bipartisan partners to share serious concerns about an earlier version of DEA’s proposed rule, which would also have seriously curtailed access to prescriptions through telemedicine.

In October 2025, Sens. Warner and Whitehouse reintroduced the bipartisan Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services (TREATS) Act, which addresses regulatory hurdles to accessing telehealth services. In 2018, Sen. Warner included a provision to expand financial coverage for virtual substance use treatment in the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018. In 2003, then-Gov. Warner expanded Medicaid coverage for telemedicine statewide, including evaluation and management visits, a range of individual psychotherapies, the full range of consultations, and some clinical services, including in cardiology and obstetrics. Coverage was also expanded to include non-physician providers. Among other benefits, the telehealth expansion allowed individuals in medically underserved and remote areas of Virginia to access quality specialty care that isn’t always available at home.

The full letter is available here.

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

U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA), Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman, Chris Coons (D-DE), Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair, Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee, issued the following statement in response to a reported deal the Trump administration proposed to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that would require heavy Ukrainian concessions:

“The United States is safer and stronger when democracies like Ukraine are free, stable, and strong enough to deter our adversaries. The deal President Trump is forcing on Ukraine calls on Ukraine and NATO allies to make major concessions or risk losing American support. It goes so far as to hand Russia substantial territory it has not been able to take on the battlefield thanks to the bravery of the Ukrainian forces. This deal will not create a just and lasting peace. It will leave Ukraine vulnerable, Europe unstable, and America weaker. It will not end the war in Eastern Europe. It will only give Russia time to rebuild and rearm before coming back for the rest of Ukraine and then setting its sights on NATO allies. 

“President Trump needs to work with Republicans and Democrats in Congress alongside our partners in Ukraine and NATO allies to find a lasting solution that will make Americans and the world safer. 

“We support the cause of peace in Ukraine. Ukraine must emerge as a free, sovereign state with the ability to defend itself and deter Russia, and President Putin must learn that aggression does not pay. Ukraine should not be forced into accepting this dangerous proposal, and Congress must make unmistakably clear that we stand firmly against it.

“Let us be clear: this is a war of Russian aggression, led by a dictator who has commanded his troops to commit war crimes, steal children from their families, and torture civilians. President Trump is rewarding President Putin for these crimes while cutting out the Ukrainians who have fought and died for the cause of democracy and our European allies who have stepped up to support them. 

“Americans would also have to live with the ramifications of a bad deal: allies and partners who see us as untrustworthy and are less willing to come to our aid when we call for help. A weakened nation on the world stage. Adversaries who know they can simply wait for us to cave. A government in Washington that continues to abandon the principles of separate but equal branches of government.

“We will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine and for American safety and security.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined every Senate Democrat in introducing the Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025. The legislation would repeal the devastating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cuts Republicans in Congress approved in July in order to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.

Congress has long maintained a bipartisan commitment to ensure Americans have access to food, but the partisan tax and budget megabill Republicans wrote and approved over the summer included the largest SNAP cuts in history. To fund tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, congressional Republicans approved cuts that the Congressional Budget Office estimates will reduce food assistance by $187 billion over the next ten years, even as grocery prices rise and tariffs increase costs for families. These Republican cuts will take meals from millions of Americans, including children, seniors, veterans, workers, and people with disabilities, while harming farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and grocers who rely on SNAP dollars. In addition, the Republican bill creates a massive unfunded mandate on state governments that could force deep cuts or even eliminate SNAP entirely.

“It is unconscionable that congressional Republicans voted in July to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans by cutting SNAP, taking assistance away from millions of seniors, veterans, and working families even as it gets harder and harder for them to afford groceries,” said the senators. “Our legislation will reverse these harmful cuts so that families aren’t forced to go hungry while food costs continue to climb because of President Trump’s reckless policies.”

Earlier this week, nearly 1,500 national, state, and community-based organizations joined a letter voicing support for this effort.

SNAP is a lifeline for over 42 million Americans, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, 1.2 million veterans, and 850,000 Virginians. 

In addition to Sens. Warner and Kaine, this legislation is sponsored by U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), 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), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), 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), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

U.S. Reps. Jahana Hayes (D-CT-05) and Angie Craig (D-MN-02) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The full bill text of the legislation can be found here.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and co-founder of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, released the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to roll back cybersecurity regulations put in place following Salt Typhoon, the worst telecommunications cyberattack in our nation’s history:

“In the aftermath of the worst telecommunications compromise in our nation’s history, today’s vote by the FCC walks back yet another effort to set meaningful, enforceable cybersecurity standards for America’s communications backbone, after congressional Republicans overturned cybersecurity rules set by the FCC in 2017.

“The Salt Typhoon intrusion made clear that existing voluntary measures alone have not been sufficient to prevent sophisticated, state-sponsored actors from gaining long-term, covert access to critical networks. While collaboration with industry is essential, it must be paired with clear, enforceable expectations that reflect the scale of the threat.

“I am concerned that abandoning an enforceable, standards-based approach in favor of undefined ‘flexible’ solutions leaves us without a credible plan to address the gaps exposed by Salt Typhoon, including basic failures like credential reuse and the absence of multi-factor authentication for highly privileged accounts.

“Congress, the administration, and the FCC should be moving toward greater transparency and stronger protections, not less. I will continue pressing for a comprehensive national strategy to ensure that our telecommunications infrastructure is resilient against the kinds of intrusions we know are not hypothetical, but ongoing.”

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BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO IS AVAILABLE HERE

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate warning that the United States faces a deepening threat to our security as the Trump administration continues a sweeping political purge of the FBI, dismantles America’s cyber defenses, and hollow outs the institutions responsible for protecting the homeland. Today’s remarks follow a September address in which Warner outlined concerns with the growing politicization of intelligence under the Trump administration.

In his speech today – “A Deepening Threat: How Politicizing Intelligence Endangers Our National Security” – Warner detailed how thousands of FBI agents and senior leaders have been forced out for political reasons, including the heads of the Bureau’s counterterrorism, intelligence, cyber, and critical incident response units. He warned that these purges, combined with the unprecedented reassignment of 25 to 45 percent of FBI agents working counterterrorism, cyber, espionage, and child exploitation cases to President Trump’s immigration roundups, have sharply reduced the Bureau’s ability to prevent attacks, disrupt foreign plots, and respond to cyber intrusions.

“Firing agents who investigate terrorists, foreign spies, cyber hackers, and child predators does not make America safer, especially when the president’s own intelligence officials warn, publicly and repeatedly, of the many threats facing our nation,” said Warner today.

Warner also highlighted the administration’s dismantling of core cyber infrastructure beyond the FBI. More than one-third of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has been fired and pushed out, even as ransomware and destructive cyberattacks hit state and local governments in at least 44 states. The administration has removed the leadership of the National Security Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency, left U.S. Cyber Command without a permanent commander, and disbanded the Foreign Influence Task Force responsible for safeguarding U.S. elections from foreign interference.

Quoting the intelligence community’s own assessments, Warner underscored the intensifying threat environment: Beijing expanding AI-enabled malign influence operations; Moscow increasing the sophistication and volume of its disinformation and cyber activities; and Iran enhancing its capacity for aggressive cyberattacks on U.S. networks and infrastructure.

Warner warned that the administration’s political interference, including the gutting of the FBI’s operational capabilities and the erosion of federal cyber defenses, is leaving Americans at growing risk.

“The next attack will not wait for Congress to act,” Warner said. “And when it comes, the consequences will not be measured in polling numbers or election results. They will be measured in lives lost, infrastructure damaged, and national security compromised.”

Warner reiterated that he will return to the Senate floor in the coming weeks to continue highlighting instances of political interference across the federal government’s national security apparatus and to press for urgent action to restore integrity and protect the American people.

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

M. President, two months ago, I came to this floor to warn about the growing politicization of our intelligence community.

I laid out, in detail, how this administration, led by Director of National Intelligence Gabbard, was dismantling the independence, integrity, and credibility of the very institutions we rely on to keep Americans safe.

I had hoped that by sounding that alarm early, the administration might reconsider its actions… or at the very least, slow its march toward turning our intelligence agencies into instruments of political loyalty.

But instead, the situation has grown only more dangerous.

And I want to say at the outset: this will not be the last time I come to this floor on this issue.

I intend to continue making these speeches… for as long as it takes… because the stakes for our national security are too high to let this pattern go unchallenged.

Since my remarks in September, we’ve seen not restraint, but an escalation… an escalation of political retaliation, of the hollowing out of expertise, and of the outright manipulation of intelligence. We are watching, in real time, an administration strip away the guardrails that have protected this country for generations.

I have had the distinct privilege of representing the people of Virginia in this body since 2009. And in nearly 17 years, one of the most consequential responsibilities I’ve held has been serving on the Senate Intelligence Committee… first as a junior member and then, for the last eight years, as Chairman or Vice Chairman.

I always tell our new members that getting a seat on the Committee is a double-edged sword. 

On the one hand, you get access to things that no other Senators see… you see capabilities that would astonish even the most seasoned spy-novel reader among us.

But the other edge is harder: you also see the full scope of the threats facing the United States… daily reports about terrorist plots, cyber-attacks, hostile foreign services targeting our citizens and institutions.

And once you’ve seen that picture clearly, you don’t sleep quite so easily at night. 

It’s precisely because those threats are real, persistent, and in many cases, growing, that I’m so deeply concerned about the Trump administration’s reckless actions – actions that have left our country more vulnerable than at any point in recent memory.

Just last month, FBI Director Kash Patel testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that the FBI has experienced a 300percent increase in terrorist cases opened this year alone… on top of a 30percent increase in foreign espionage cases.

At the Senate Intelligence Committee’s Annual Threat Assessment hearing, Director Gabbard reiterated that foreign terrorists remain intent on striking the United States and our citizens… that a range of cyber and intelligence actors continue to target our critical infrastructure… and that state adversaries possess weapons capable of hitting U.S. territory and disabling vital U.S. systems. Indeed, in an interview earlier this month, Director Gabbard repeated that “terrorism continues to pose the greatest – both short- and long-term – threat to the American people.”

Whatever one thinks of the individuals delivering them, the assessments themselves leave no ambiguity about the dangers confronting the United States.

And yet, in spite of those clear and present threats, the Trump administration has chosen a course of action that weakens our defenses and leaves Americans more vulnerable to the very risks its own officials have publicly described.

Since Inauguration Day, the president and his hand-picked FBI Director, Kash Patel, have forced out thousands of experienced agents for reasons that appear more political than professional, like refusing to lie about who won the 2020 election, or for prosecuting the violent criminals who attacked Capitol Police officers on January 6, or simply for being friendly with someone critical of the president.

Alarming court filings suggest that even Director Patel has privately acknowledged that many of these actions may be illegal… yet justified them by saying that his position depended on carrying them out.

The list of those purged reads like a Who’s Who of the Bureau’s most decorated public servants:

Those agents forced out include the former Acting Director of the FBI, Brian Driscoll, who rose through the FBI ranks in some of its most elite units, including the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team… where in 2015 he supported U.S. Special Operations in rescuing an American humanitarian aid worker, Kayla Mueller, from ISIS. Special Agent Driscoll would later rise to be the Head of FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group, the FBI’s elite team in charge of dealing with terrorists, child abductors, bomb threats, and hostage situations. For his service, Agent Driscoll was awarded the FBI Medal of Valor and the Shield of Bravery… only to have Director Patel fire him because he would not purge agents the president deemed politically disloyal.

They include Bobby Wells, who joined the FBI shortly after 9/11 and spent decades in counterterrorism. He eventually became the Head of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, leading efforts against Al Qa’ida, ISIS, and other global terrorist networks. Notably, he helped bring to justice the mastermind of the Kabul International Airport bombing that killed 13 American service members – an accomplishment publicly touted by the president – only to have the president fire him shortly thereafter.

They include Michael Nordwall, the Head of the FBI’s Criminal Cyber Response Branch, who led efforts to combat ransomware attacks, online fraud, and sophisticated cyber intrusions targeting critical U.S. infrastructure.

They include Ryan Young, the Head of FBI’s Intelligence Division… overseeing the collection and analysis of intelligence on domestic and foreign threats, ensuring that field offices had the situational awareness to prevent attacks.

Other senior agents forced out include dozens of heads of FBI field offices nationwide, from Washington, D.C., to Miami, New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Seattle. 

Among them was Special Agent Jacqueline Maguire, the lead investigator into the five hijackers of American Airlines Flight 77, whose expertise was critical to understanding 9/11 and preventing further attacks.

And most recently, they include Steven Palmer, a 27-year veteran of the FBI and the third head of the FBI’s elite Critical Incident Response Group to be fired in just three months. As head of the Critical Incident Response Group, he led teams tasked with responding to terrorist attacks, mass shootings, hostage crises, and high-risk national security incidents… work that requires split-second decision-making under extreme pressure. He was fired not for failing in his duties, not for misconduct, and not for political disagreements about law enforcement policy.

He was fired because the American people learned that Director Patel had been using the FBI’s $60 million jet, at $20,000 per flight, to go on dates with his girlfriend. To make matters worse, recent reporting indicates that Patel has now also pulled agents off of an FBI SWAT team to provide a personal security detail for his girlfriend… an unprecedented use of some of one our nation’s most elite units, ordinarily assigned to deal with terrorism, hostage situations, or mass shootings.

Thousands of FBI agents… all forced out, not because they failed to do their jobs, but because they refused to bend the knee to partisan politics. 

And as if that weren’t alarming enough, in recent months the FBI has reassigned between 25 and 45 percent of its agents who handle counterterrorism, cyber, espionage, child sexual abuse, and other critical missions… to immigration enforcement.

Data reveals a 33 percent decrease in the hours spent on child exploitation cases, compared to previous years.

Firing agents who investigate terrorists, foreign spies, cyber hackers, and child predators does not make America safer, especially when the president’s own intelligence officials warn, publicly and repeatedly, of the many threats facing our nation. 

Just this summer, the ODNI issued a bulletin warning of Al Qa-ida and ISIS plots targeting the homeland. And just last month, the FBI disrupted ISIS terrorist plots in Michigan and New Jersey that may have been aimed at Halloween festivities.

I shudder to think what would have happened had the FBI missed these plots… had semi-automatic rifles been unleashed on young children trick-or-treating.

The FBI Agents Association, which represents over 90percent of all active FBI agents, issued a sobering warning earlier this month that Director Patel, quote, “disregarded the law and launched a campaign of erratic and arbitrary retribution” and that his actions, quote, “make the American public less safe.”

Unfortunately, this political purge of our country’s defenses is not limited to the FBI. 

Since April, the National Security Agency – the agency in charge of spying on the communications of our adversaries – has been without a permanent Director or Deputy Director after President Trump fired General Tim Haugh and his Deputy, Wendy Noble, at the behest of conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer. 

Same for the Defense Intelligence Agency, whose director, General Jeff Kruse, was fired after DIA provided a fact-based assessment that contradicted the president’s false televised claim that U.S. strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program.

This pattern of reckless firings has extended to nearly every corner of our national security enterprise. 

Hundreds of workers who are responsible for maintaining our country’s nuclear weapons… fired. 

Staff managing foreign assistance programs ranging from the detention of ISIS terrorists in Syria to air defense support for Ukraine… fired. 

Hundreds of analysts monitoring China and Russia… fired… including a 29-year veteran of the CIA who supported President Trump’s Alaska Summit with President Putin… whose undercover identity was publicly and incompetently disclosed by DNI Tulsi Gabbard.

More than one-third of CISA – the agency Congress established for the explicit purpose of protecting our critical infrastructure like water, power, and our elections – fired…  even as major cyberattacks hit state and local governments in at least 44 states, including a massive ransomware attack on Nevada’s online government systems in August, a ransomware attack in July on local government networks in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a cyberattack on city systems in Mission, Texas in February.

The irony is stark: despite persistent efforts by China, Russia, Iran, and other adversaries, the 2020 presidential election was one of the most secure in history, thanks in large part to steps taken during the Trump administration’s first term to safeguard our critical infrastructure.

Yet now, much of that hard-won protection has been dismantled, leaving Americans more vulnerable than ever.

Cyber Command, which under General Paul Nakasone disrupted Russian troll farms in 2017, lacks a permanent Commander.  The Foreign Influence Task Force – stood up by President Trump in his first term to share information with state and local partners about foreign interference in our elections – has been disbanded entirely.

And all the while, the administration’s own intelligence reporting warns – and I quote:

“Beijing will continue to expand its coercive and subversive malign influence activities to weaken the United States…[and] is likely to feel emboldened to use malign influence more regularly in coming years, particularly as it fields AI to improve its capabilities.”

“Moscow’s malign influence activities will continue for the foreseeable future and will almost certainly increase in sophistication and volume.”

“Iran’s growing expertise and willingness to conduct aggressive cyber operations make it a major threat to the security of U.S. networks and data.”

The pattern is unmistakable: political loyalty is now valued over competence, and the very institutions created to protect Americans are being dismantled before our eyes.

We can no longer pretend that politics and national security are separate. Every day we allow this purge to continue is a day we leave Americans more exposed – in their homes, on their streets, and online.

The next attack will not wait for Congress to act. The next threat will not ask permission. And when it comes, the consequences will not be measured in polling numbers or election results. They will be measured in lives lost, infrastructure damaged, and national security compromised.

This is the moment to stand up. To defend our intelligence agencies, to protect our agents, and to safeguard the American people. If we fail to act now, we will bear the cost later… a cost that could be catastrophic.

Thank you. I yield the floor.

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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced almost $70 million in federal grant funding to improve Virginia’s bus systems and reduce their emissions. This funding is awarded through the Department of Transportation’s FY25-26 Low- or No-Emission Program and FY25 Buses & Bus Facilities Program, which is made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that the senators helped negotiate and pass.

“Reliable access to public transportation is vital to Virginians, and we’re thrilled to announce this funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will modernize and electrify buses across the Commonwealth’s cities and rural communities, increasing their efficiency, boosting accessibility, and reducing operating costs and environmental risk,” said the senators.

The program grants will be distributed as follows:

• The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) will receive $8,621,909 for Phase III of the VA Rural Transit Asset Management and Modernization Program, which purchases or improves current buses to increase performance, update technology, and reduce risk to the environment in rural Virginia. 
• The City of Alexandria (VA-08) will receive $10,939,552 for its DASH Bus Fleet Replacement & Facility Rehabilitation project, which aims to transition the city to 100% zero-emission buses as well as purchase and build necessary transit facilities to support its growing fleet.
• The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will receive $50,322,380 for the procurement of low-emission transit buses, which will serve communities throughout the DMV and reduce the harm from toxic emissions in the region.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long supported efforts to fund lower emission vehicles. Last year, the senators announced over $50 million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Low- or No-Emission Program for Fairfax County to purchase new low-emission hybrid buses under the county’s fleet replacement plan. In 2023, they secured more than $171 million in funding to invest in American-built, low-emission buses and bus facilities.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has brought billions of dollars in investments to Virginia, including resources to repair roads and bridges, expand broadband access, improve airports, ports and waterways, and modernize public transportation.

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

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined their Senate Democratic colleagues in calling on Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to immediately bring the Epstein Files Transparency Act to the Senate floor for a vote, without delay or unnecessary process distractions. Their letter follows the U.S. House of Representatives’ overwhelming bipartisan approval of the measure by a vote of 427-1. For more than two decades, survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have sought justice and accountability for his alleged sex trafficking crimes involving underage girls. The bipartisan legislation would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all documents and records related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, ensuring transparency and providing the American people with access to critical information. 

“The victims of Jeffrey Epstein – and the American people – deserve answers, accountability and the truth,” wrote the senators. “So far, they have only seen empty promises from President Trump and his Administration. Now that a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives has acted to provide transparency on this matter – we call on you to quickly hold a vote in the U.S. Senate to help deliver the accountability that was promised and that so many Americans are demanding.”  

“Despite multiple Senate oversight requests and House subpoenas for release of the full and complete Epstein files, the DOJ and FBI have refused to produce any information to the Senate and have failed to provide the complete set of files to the House,” wrote the senators.  

In a social media post over the weekend, President Donald J. Trump abruptly changed course and encouraged House Republicans to vote for the bill, despite having tried for months to prevent the complete release of the files. Given longstanding efforts by President Trump and his Administration to slow walk or discourage the release of these files, the Senate must take action to provide transparency and help restore the public’s trust. 

“The U.S. Senate has the chance to show strong leadership and swiftly pass this legislation,” concluded the senators. “We urge you to promptly proceed to the consideration of H.R. 4405 on the Senate floor pursuant to Senate Rule XIV, so that the legislation can be immediately placed on the Senate Calendar.”  

Joining Sens. Warner and Kaine in sending the letter were Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), 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), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), 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), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). 

The full text of the letter is available here.

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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 – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement:

“Every day this shutdown drags on, Virginians feel it, from federal workers struggling to pay their bills to families unsure how they will put food on the table because this administration is cruelly and deliberately withholding the assistance they need. I want nothing more than to reopen the government, get folks back to work, and end the needless hardship this Republican shutdown is causing.

“I appreciate that this proposal includes important language preventing further mass layoffs of federal employees. That’s a critical step in protecting our public servants from this administration’s campaign of retribution, and something I’ve long pushed for.

“But I cannot support a deal that still leaves millions of Americans wondering how they are going to pay for their health care or whether they will be able to afford to get sick. We owe the American people more than a short-term fix that leaves working families staring down a health care crisis, and simply kicking the can down the road is not good enough. Families are already struggling with rising prices on everything from groceries to housing. I will keep working in the Senate to bring costs down and relieve the pressure on working families who are already paying more because of President Trump’s policies that are driving prices up instead of lowering them.” 

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) introduced the Securing Assurance for Federal Employees (SAFE) Act, legislation to explicitly prohibit the federal government from carrying out reductions in force (RIFs) during a lapse in appropriations. The bill would also reverse RIF actions taken during the current government shutdown.

The SAFE Act comes in response to recent efforts by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to initiate thousands of RIFs during the ongoing shutdown – an unprecedented step that a federal judge has already said appears “politically motivated,” illegal, and “arbitrary and capricious.”

More than 4,000 federal employees have received RIF notices since early October. While the court has temporarily blocked these actions, the threat remains for many other federal employees serving the American public without pay during this shutdown. 

Current law does not permit agencies to conduct RIFs during a lapse in appropriations. This bill reaffirms and makes explicit Congress’s intent that no administration may use a shutdown as a pretext to initiate layoffs. The SAFE Act makes clear that such actions have no legal force and ensures federal workers cannot be targeted for job cuts during a funding lapse.

“Our civil servants take an oath to serve the American people, not a political party or a president. Weaponizing a shutdown to push out career professionals is not only wrong, it’s unlawful and dangerous for our democracy,” said Sen. Warner. “This bill makes clear that no administration can use manufactured chaos as a backdoor way to purge the federal workforce.”

“Donald Trump and Russ Vought have been deliberately inflicting trauma on our patriotic civil servants since day one, jeopardizing the important work they do on behalf of the American people. This legislation will stop this Administration from weaponizing their shameful shutdown to further their lawless agenda while playing politics with the lives and livelihoods of civil servants and the vital services they provide,” said Sen. Van Hollen.

“Despite court orders and legal precedent, the Trump administration continues to play politics with Americans’ lives during the Republican shutdown,” said Leader Schumer. “The erratic slash-and-burn approach to the federal workforce has already caused chaos—firing dedicated public servants one week, only to rehire them the next. It’s reckless, it’s cruel, and it’s illegal. The SAFE Act will put an end to these politically motivated firings during a shutdown once and for all and make Congress’s intent unmistakably clear: no president can weaponize a shutdown to punish federal workers.”

“Trump is using RIFs as a political tool to punish hardworking federal workers and their families during this Republican shutdown, sowing chaos for hundreds of thousands of people,” said Sen. Hirono. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation to combat this Administration’s lawlessness and protect the jobs and livelihoods of crucial federal employees.”

“Since day one, the Trump Administration has fired thousands of federal employees,” said Sen. Kaine. “Our dedicated federal workers—and Americans across the country who rely on their service and expertise—deserve better, and that’s why I’m introducing legislation to prevent any administration from laying off federal employees during a shutdown.”

“This President and his Administration have spent the last 10 months attacking our patriotic civil servants – laying off swaths of federal workers, canceling grants and funding that their work relies on, and now shutting down our government, leaving federal workers without pay. Russell Vought has said he wants our federal workers to feel trauma.  It’s cruel, callous, and un-American. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the SAFE Act to prevent mass firings and stop this President from inflicting even more trauma on our federal workers, and the people they serve – the American people,” said Sen. Alsobrooks.

The bill is also sponsored by Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Andy Kim (D-NJ).

The legislation is endorsed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), National Education Association (NEA), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

“NTEU strongly supports the Securing Assurance for Federal Employees Act which would ban mass layoffs of federal employees during a government shutdown. The SAFE Act would be a strong compliment to the court-ordered injunction now in place against such layoffs. To be furloughed without pay and receive a layoff notice is devastating to federal employees who simply want to do the job they were hired to do and serve their country,” said Doreen Greenwald, National President of the National Treasury Employees Union.

“IFPTE wholeheartedly backs the SAFE Act, sponsored by Senator Warner, which would stop the Trump Administration from laying off federal workers during a shutdown. Simply stated, initiating Reductions in Force (RIFs) during a shutdown is unprecedented, illegal, and immoral. The SAFE Act is necessary to rein in the callous and unlawful effort to RIF federal workers, and IFPTE asks all Senators to support this legislation,” said Matt Biggs, President of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE).

Read the full bill here.