WASHINGTON – As Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues its purge of federal programs, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, is cautioning the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) against prematurely eliminating government contracts that protect millions of federal employees whose personal information was compromised in massive data breaches nearly 10 years ago.

In 2015, OPM announced two separate cybersecurity incidents attributed to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) that compromised the Social Security numbers, birthdates, and addresses of approximately 21.5 million individuals.

“The federal workforce was dangerously exposed by the 2015 OPM breach, and millions of impacted individuals will continue to be at risk because of the breach, likely for the remainder of their lives. In addition to Social Security numbers, birthdates, and addresses, there were also 1.1 million sets of fingerprints and detailed financial and health records exposed—some of the most valuable information today on the dark web,” wrote Sen. Warner.

In the immediate aftermath of the breach, Sen. Warner introduced legislation to protect federal workers affected by the attacks and eventually secured OPM-contracted identity protection services for those impacted by the breach. However, despite previous efforts by the Trump administration to protect federal workers whose data was compromised, DOGE has signaled that these protections may be in jeopardy. 

Sen. Warner continued, “Given the recent personnel cuts to OPM and Elon Musk’s imminent departure from the Trump administration, I am deeply concerned that OPM is planning to curtail identity theft monitoring for millions of public servants and their families whose information was compromised in 2015. I urge you to ensure that identity theft protection services for the impacted individuals from the 2015 OPM breach continue, as required by law.”

A copy of letter is available here and text is below.

Dear Mr. Ezell:

I write to bring your attention to a vital issue affecting the federal workforce, past and current, and their families. In 2015, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced two separate cybersecurity incidents. The Social Security numbers, birthdates, and addresses of approximately 21.5 million individuals were compromised in the breaches, including 19.7 million individuals who applied for background investigations and 1.8 million non-applicants (predominantly spouses or cohabitants of applicants).  In response to this massive security compromise, I co-sponsored the RECOVER Act, the original bill for OPM-contracted identity protection services for the impacted individuals.   Congress appropriated funds in section 633(a) of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017.   The Act and appropriation protected the 21.5 million impacted individuals with identity protection coverage and identity theft insurance.  This appropriation was “effective for a period of not less than 10 years,” and expires at the end of fiscal year 2026, on September 30, 2026. 

The 2015 OPM cybersecurity breach was attributed to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).  In the decade since the breach, the PRC has mounted additional attacks to steal information about America’s leaders and public servants to disrupt and endanger the lives of everyday Americans, including recent cyber, critical infrastructure, and telecom security breaches. The federal workforce was dangerously exposed by the 2015 OPM breach, and millions of impacted individuals will continue to be at risk because of the breach, likely for the remainder of their lives. In addition to Social Security numbers, birthdates, and addresses, there were also 1.1 million sets of fingerprints and detailed financial and health records exposed—some of the most valuable information today on the dark web. 

The risks and appropriate remedies for the compromise of sensitive information about public servants are well known to this administration. In March 2025, the Trump administration acknowledged the improper disclosure of sensitive information to former public servants when it disclosed the Social Security numbers, birthdates, and other sensitive information of hundreds of individuals in the release of the files pertaining the death of President John F. Kennedy.  To protect those compromised individuals, the Trump administration is reportedly providing credit monitoring and, in some cases, has issued new Social Security numbers to the impacted individuals.  While the March 2025 disclosure was a staggering unforced error, I applaud the administration’s swift response to protect the victims. Current and former public servants should not be abandoned to bear the risks of the federal government’s failure to protect their sensitive information. 

It was not practicable to issue millions of new Social Security numbers to the Americans impacted by the 2015 OPM data breach, which is why the federal government responded at the time, followed by Congress appropriating funds to OPM to contract for identity theft protection services. Given the recent personnel cuts to OPM and Elon Musk’s imminent departure from the Trump administration, I am deeply concerned that OPM is planning to curtail identity theft monitoring for millions of public servants and their families whose information was compromised in 2015. I urge you to ensure that identity theft protection services for the impacted individuals from the 2015 OPM breach continue, as required by law. Any attempt to prematurely phase out services to the victims of the 2015 OPM breach will introduce tremendous risk to former and current federal employees and create an opportunity for America’s adversaries and criminals to target and potentially further compromise millions of Americans.

If you do decide to alter or terminate the current contract(s) protecting over 21 million Americans from identity theft as a result of the 2015 OPM breach, please inform my office and the relevant committees of Congress as soon as you make any such determination.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (both D-MD) urged House Republican leadership to take up and pass the bipartisan legislation, passed previously by the Senate, to allow the District of Columbia to use its own local funding. Today marks two months since that bill, authored by Sen. Van Hollen and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) – and cosponsored by Sens. Warner, Kaine, and Alsobrooks – passed the Senate unanimously.

“It’s been two months since the Senate passed, with bipartisan support, a simple fix that allows the District of Columbia the ability make its own funding decisions, yet the House still refuses to act. Each day that this legislation stalls, we are leaving D.C. in the lurch, threatening the District’s schools, public safety, and emergency response operations. It’s well past time for the House to act,” Sen. Warner said.

“Republican House leadership’s decision to stall a bipartisan bill—which even President Trump supports—to allow D.C. to spend its own money is ridiculous and wrong,” said Sen. Kaine. “Law enforcement officers’ salaries and the quality of D.C.’s public schools and transportation have hung in the balance for months because of the House’s failure to act. It’s time for Speaker Johnson to do his job, and bring this bill up for a vote like he promised.”

“The District of Columbia should be able to spend its own revenue without Congress getting in the way. Yet by freezing over $1 billion of D.C.’s own funds through their sham funding bill in March, House Republicans are holding the District hostage – threatening the operations of local law enforcement, fire departments, schools, and more. This is all pain for D.C. residents, and no gain for federal taxpayers who aren’t saving a single cent as a result of this pointless provision. Two months ago today, the Senate unanimously passed the bill Senator Collins and I authored to fix this issue, and President Trump has urged the House to do the same. It’s time for Speaker Johnson to let this bill move forward and release D.C.’s funds,” said Sen. Van Hollen.

“I worked with my fellow DMV Senators to pass a bipartisan solution to the $1.1 billion budget cuts in the disastrous CR. It has been waiting on the House’s vote for two months. At a time when our neighbor D.C. is experiencing economic hardship and hundreds of civil servants, many of whom are Marylanders, are losing their jobs in the district, we need to make sure this budget fix gets passed,” said Sen. Alsobrooks.  

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WASHINGTON — Today, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined 26 of his colleagues in introducing a resolution to condemn the gift of a luxury airplane, valued at $400 million, President Donald Trump announced he will receive from the government of Qatar. According to reports, Trump intends to designate the plane as Air Force One while in office and then transfer it to a foundation for personal use following the end of his term.

In addition to Sen. Warner, this resolution is sponsored by Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Gary Peters (D-MI), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Andy Kim (D-NJ). Earlier today, the senators attempted to pass this legislation through the Senate by unanimous consent, but were blocked by Republicans.

“This is corruption plain and simple. The President of the United States accepting a $400 million plane from a foreign government is unheard of, and would require direct consent from Congress,” Sen. Warner said. “This is just the latest act by President Trump that shows his administration has no regard for the rule of law and is ripe to be exploited by foreign actors.”

“President Trump’s penchant for corruption and grift has risen to a new level with the news his presidency is for sale – if you happen to have $400 million dollars,” Leader Schumer said. “This Qatari plane deal would be the largest Presidential bribe in modern history and it’s not just naked corruption, it’s a grave national security threat. Senate Republicans may bury their heads in the sand while Trump tries to enrich himself and his billionaire buddies, but Senate Democrats are going to stand up for the American people and say enough is enough – we condemn this attempt at corruption and gross violation of the Constitution.”

“Air Force One is more than just a plane — it’s a symbol of the presidency and of the United States itself,” Sen. Schatz said. “Any president who accepts this kind of gift, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government creates a clear conflict of interest, raises serious national security questions, invites foreign influence, and undermines public trust in our government. We are asking the Senate to vote to reiterate a basic principle: no president should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts.”

“We wouldn’t trust another country to decorate the Oval Office, to set up our Situation Room, or to wire the White House briefing room, so why would we let another country build Air Force One for us, which is an airborne version of all three? This isn’t just a massive act of corruption, it’s a national security risk of the highest order,” Sen. Coons said. “If President Trump is so willing to put his own administration in danger for the sake of a $400 million gift, imagine how much danger he’s willing to put the American people in.

“While Republicans plot to gut vital services like Social Security and Medicaid and unleash economic uncertainty onto hardworking Americans, Donald Trump is planning to accept a luxury jet, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government,” Sen. Booker said. “This not only creates a clear conflict of interest, raises serious national security concerns, and undermines public trust in our government, but is a slap in the face to the people across the country who are struggling to make ends meet. All Senators should be able to agree that no one should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts. I hope my Republican colleagues will support this resolution.”

“The president doesn’t get to trade U.S. foreign policy and national security for a private jet,” Sen. Murphy said. “This resolution sends the message Trump won’t: the Oval Office is not for sale.

“No, Donald Trump cannot accept a $400 million flying palace from the royal family of Qatar. Not only is this farcically corrupt, it is blatantly unconstitutional,” Sen. Sanders said. “Congress must not allow this over-the-top kleptocracy to proceed.”

“President Trump wants to accept a $400 million private jet from a foreign government, have American taxpayers pay to retrofit it as Air Force One, and then keep it for himself to jet around the world as soon as he leaves office. It’s hard to imagine more brazen corruption or a clearer violation of our Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, and there’s no question this outlandish proposal puts our country’s national security at risk,” Sen. Murray said. “Every member of Congress should support this simple resolution condemning violations of the Emoluments Clause and making clear Trump cannot accept a $400 million private jet from Qatar without explicit consent from Congress.”

“If someone came to one of my town halls in Oregon and tried to argue that getting a $400 million jet from the government of Qatar wasn’t corruption, they would be laughed out of town,” Sen. Wyden said. “Instead of securing new allies against adversaries like China or opening new markets for American products, Trump is using America’s clout to get a private jet. It’s corruption plain and simple that fritters away American influence and leaves us weaker.” 

“While Republicans in Congress are working to gut Medicaid and Social Security, President Trump is brazenly accepting a luxury jumbo jet from Qatar — for his use during and after he leaves office,” Sen. Padilla said. “Once again, Trump is showing us that he puts his own interests above those of the American people, benefiting himself and leaving working families behind. This foreign gift reeks of corruption, is blatantly against the law, threatens our national security, and will cost taxpayers tens of millions in retrofit costs and security upgrades.”

“Donald Trump is accepting a multimillion dollar plane from a foreign government as a personal gift, while clearly ignoring the Constitution,” Sen. Rosen said. “Trump gets richer off of his position while hardworking families suffer from his reckless actions. This is corruption plain and simple, and I’m supporting this resolution to make our strong opposition clear.” 

 “Trump’s brazen willingness to accept a luxury jet from Qatar raises the dangerous prospect that the president can be bought and paid for by foreign powers — putting their interests over Americans’ and our national security. Every Senator should join us in rejecting it and blocking the sale of the presidency to the highest bidder,” Sen Van Hollen said.

“Our founding fathers knew that we must protect ourselves from corruption and foreign influence, which is exactly why we have a constitutional provision prohibiting presidents from accepting lavish gifts from foreign governments—a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet, reportedly valued at $400 million, is no exception,” Sen. Shaheen said. “Congress and the American public have a right to know the details of any arrangement that calls into question whether the President is acting on behalf of American interests and American interests alone. Further, the security implications of taking a foreign-owned and managed plane and outfitting it with the most sensitive U.S. technology continues to demonstrate a lack of judgement in this administration when it comes to guarding U.S. intelligence.”

“There's no such thing as a $400 million "no-strings-attached" gift,” Sen. Duckworth said. “This is the mother of all bribes. It puts our national security in jeopardy and erodes public trust—all for the President’s own personal gain. Donald Trump wants to sell our foreign policy and sell out our people.”

“Donald Trump accepting a $400 million gift from a foreign country is corruption in plain sight,” Sen. Hirono said. “Trump’s latest grift undermines our national security, flies in the face of the Constitution, and will cost American taxpayers hundreds of millions, if not billions, in retrofits.”

“The mere notion that the President would cravenly accept a $400 million attempt to win favor from a foreign power is beyond the pale and reeks of corruption.  The White House and presidency are sacred trusts from the American people, not venues for Trump to enrich himself and his family with shady deals and influence buying,” Sen. Durbin said. “Our resolution reaffirms what our Constitution makes clear – no President should receive gifts from a foreign power.”

“While President Trump claims to target fraud and abuse, his actions continue to prove that his priorities are his own interests and those of his wealthy friends,” Sen. Bennet said. “His plan to accept a $400 million luxury jet from the Qatari government for use as Air Force One is an act of blatant corruption and a violation of our Constitution that poses severe counterintelligence risks, needlessly undermining U.S. national security.”

“This is corruption in plain sight. Under no circumstance should a sitting president be accepting luxury gifts from a foreign government, especially while negotiating an arms sale,” Sen. Blunt Rochester said. “This is yet another example of President Trump focusing on enriching himself rather than improving the lives of everyday Americans. I’m joining with my colleagues on this resolution to protect national security, to stand up for our constituents, and to uphold the rule of law.”

“If an ordinary government official accepted a gift even a fraction as valuable as this, there would be a full investigation, and potential firings due to concerns of foreign influence,” Sen. Slotkin said. “Now the President is taking a $400 million foreign gift. Beyond the perception of corruption, the idea that a foreign country would have access to Air Force One, as the buyer, during production, leaves it incredibly vulnerable to bugs, tracking devices, and whatever else they or other countries may attempt to manipulate.”

“This is corruption, plain and simple. The U.S. is not for sale, and we cannot allow the presidency to be bought by foreign interests,” Sen. Klobuchar said.

“Just when you think the Trump Administration can’t sink to a new low of ethical misconduct, he accepts a luxury jet from a foreign nation. Corruption on full display,” Sen. Merkley said.

“We're beyond foreign interference at this point. We're watching a President invite a foreign government to buy him off,” Sen. Alsobrooks said. “American values are actively being flushed down the toiled by this corrupt President."

The full text of the resolution is available here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to increase capacity at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to address dramatic visa delays that threaten to stall international tourism to the United States, negatively impacting American communities and businesses. This letter comes in anticipation of two global events in 2026, the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th anniversary, that are expected to bring in millions of visitors and major economic opportunities. In Virginia alone, the 250th anniversary events are expected to draw more than 9 million visitors and deliver over $1.5 billion in economic activity, including 22,000 new jobs. 

“We are increasingly concerned that the Department of State is not prepared for the influx of international tourists we hope will come enjoy our nation’s and Virginia’s many exciting offerings during the America’s 250th celebrations. International visitors were projected to bring in more than $200 billion to the United States in 2025, though this administration’s tariffs and treatment of foreign visitors is actively driving down international tourism, resulting in a projected $9 billion loss in visitor spending,” wrote the senators. “Very little time remains to recover, but the rewards for doing so will be tremendous. America’s tourism industry has the opportunity to be dramatically buoyed when the United States begins hosting millions of international soccer fans for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be the first tournament that includes an expanded field of 48 nations. Virginia is eager to welcome visitors during their time in the United States to enjoy our beautiful state and national parks, historical sights, cities, restaurants, and small businesses.”

“Recent reporting indicates that, instead of increasing capacity at foreign embassies to address this influx of tourists to the United States, staff is being cut from the State Department, including at embassies and consulates around the world. These staff are responsible for interviewing potential visitors and processing visas ahead of tourist travel to the United States,” they continued. “Visa wait times at United States embassies and consulates have been a challenge for years, and there were bipartisan efforts in Congress during the past administration to increase resourcing commensurate with demand. We have strong concerns that, rather than working to chip away at these backlogs, the staffing policies by this administration threaten to dramatically increase tourist visa wait times.”

Emphasizing the need to address visa delays, the senators noted that wait times at some embassies already eclipse the number of days until next year’s events. They stressed that international visitors – including soccer fans from several likely FIFA World Cup qualifiers – will simply not be able to travel to the United States if no action is taken to address visa wait times.

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

Dear Secretary Rubio:

In just over a year, our nation will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. As the Senators from the Commonwealth of Virginia, we are particularly proud and excited to welcome our fellow Americans and visitors from across the globe to celebrate our nation’s history, our people, and our democracy in the place where this great experiment began – Virginia. The events surrounding the celebration of our America’s 250th anniversary are anticipated to bring in over 9 million visitors to participate in the programming with an estimated $1.5 billion economic impact to the Commonwealth, including the creation of 22,000 jobs.

We are increasingly concerned that the Department of State is not prepared for the influx of international tourists we hope will come enjoy our nation’s and Virginia’s many exciting offerings during the America’s 250th celebrations. International visitors were projected to bring in more than $200 billion to the United States in 2025 , though this administration’s tariffs and treatment of foreign visitors is actively driving down international tourism , resulting in a projected $9 billion loss in visitor spending.   Very little time remains to recover, but the rewards for doing so will be tremendous. America’s tourism industry has the opportunity to be dramatically buoyed when the United States begins hosting millions of international soccer fans for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be the first tournament that includes an expanded field of 48 nations. Virginia is eager to welcome visitors during their time in the United States to enjoy our beautiful state and national parks, historical sights, cities, restaurants, and small businesses. 

The Commonwealth and our nation are reliant on Department of State infrastructure and resourcing to make that happen, and our confidence is flagging. Recent reporting indicates that, instead of increasing capacity at foreign embassies to address this influx of tourists to the United States, staff is being cut from the State Department, including at embassies and consulates around the world.  These staff are responsible for interviewing potential visitors and processing visas ahead of tourist travel to the United States. This function is critical to ensuring U.S. national security by evaluating the safety and suitability of those visiting our country, and ensuring our visitors are secure in their status during their time in the United States. This vital work is labor-intensive and time-consuming. It requires a robust diplomatic corps free to exercise their expertise. Given the broad international interest in visiting the United States when we host global events, increasing capacity at embassies and consulates to screen and process the increased volume of potential visitors will have a direct positive economic benefit on American communities and businesses.

Visa wait times at United States embassies and consulates have been a challenge for years, and there were bipartisan efforts in Congress during the past administration to increase resourcing commensurate with demand. We have strong concerns that, rather than working to chip away at these backlogs, the staffing policies by this administration threaten to dramatically increase tourist visa wait times. Based on publicly available federal data, the wait time at some U.S. embassies abroad already eclipses the number of days until next year’s events. In the absence of intensive efforts to reduce visa wait times, international visitors will be unable to visit Virginia and other states for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, and soccer fans from several likely FIFA World Cup qualifiers will be unable to obtain visas to see their national teams play in the United States. The economic and reputational losses our nation will suffer if you do not resolve the current backlog and implement a surge visa processing plan would be significant. 

As our nation’s top diplomat, we do not have to tell you that our greatest tools in diplomacy are America’s democracy and our culture. America’s 250th anniversary and the FIFA World Cup are historic opportunities to share both with an enormous international audience, while bringing in tremendous economic benefits. We urge you to ensure your staffing model for embassies and consulates is calibrated to the unprecedented influx of international tourists our nation can expect over the coming months.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement regarding a Senate procedural vote on the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act:

“This is an area that demands American leadership. Stablecoins are undeniably a part of the future of finance, and the United States should set the standard for responsible innovation in the digital financial space.

“While we’ve made meaningful progress on the GENIUS Act, the work is not yet complete, and I simply cannot in good conscience ask my colleagues to vote for this legislation when the text isn’t yet finished.

“I remain fully committed to getting this right. I plan to continue working with my colleagues to strengthen this legislation and move it forward in a way that promotes innovation while protecting the interests of the American people. It is my sincere hope that we can start floor consideration next week after we have finalized our work and given our colleagues adequate time to review.”

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced two bills to protect wilderness in Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, and Bath counties.

“We are lucky to have such beautiful natural resources in Virginia, and we need to do more to ensure that these lands are protected for future generations,” said the senators. “We’re proud to introduce this legislation to preserve wilderness in Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, and Bath counties, protect wildlife, and support local economies that depend on tourism and outdoor recreation.”

These additions were recommended by the U.S. Forest Service in 2014 and endorsed by members of the George Washington National Forest Stakeholder Collaborative, a group of forest users that started work together over a decade ago to agree on acceptable locations in the George Washington National Forest for wilderness, timber harvest, trails, and other uses. 

In 2023, the tourism economy directly employed 7,562 people and generated $842.5 million in expenditures in Augusta, Rockingham, Bath, and Highland counties, as well as Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Waynesboro.

Shenandoah Mountain Act

The Shenandoah Mountain Act would establish a 92,562-acre Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area (SMNSA) in Rockingham, Augusta, and Highland counties. National Scenic Areas protect the scenic, historic, recreational, and natural resources in specific areas and allow compatible uses such as outdoor recreation activities.

The SMNSA encompasses four wilderness areas—Skidmore Fork, Little River, Ramsey’s Draft, and Lynn Hollow—and establishes a wilderness area at Beech Lick Knob. It also includes headwaters for the Potomac and James Rivers and watersheds that provide municipal drinking water sources for Harrisonburg, Staunton, and other communities. The NSA designation would protect these rivers and streams from industrial development and safeguard populations of at-risk species, such as the Cow Knob and Shenandoah Mountain Salamander.

James Madison University scientists estimate that lands within the SMNSA proposal already generate $13.7 million per year in other local benefits, including the value of the water supply and energy savings, and that the designation of the SMNSA would further grow this value.

"Friends of Shenandoah Mountain is so pleased with the reintroduction of the Shenandoah Mountain Act. For decades, we've worked with folks who hunt, hike, paddle, fish, and ride mountain bikes in this landscape, and everyone agrees that a National Scenic Area designation strikes the right balance between recreation and preservation,” said Lynn Cameron, Co-Chair of Friends of Shenandoah Mountain.

Full text of the Shenandoah Mountain Act is available here.

Virginia Wilderness Additions Act

The Virginia Wilderness Additions Act would add 5,600 acres to the existing Rough Mountain and Rich Hole wilderness areas within the George Washington National Forest in Bath County.

"Expanding the Rough Mountain and Rich Hole Wilderness Areas honors decades of work by dozens of stakeholders, and results in a number of ecological, economic, and recreational benefits. The Virginia Wilderness Committee is grateful to Senators Kaine and Warner for this reintroduction,” said Ellen Stuart-Haentjens, Executive Director of the Virginia Wilderness Committee.

Full text of the Virginia Wilderness Additions Act is available here.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, reintroduced the Augmenting Compatibility and Competition by Enabling Service Switching (ACCESS) Act, legislation that would encourage market-based competition between major social media platforms by requiring the largest companies make user data portable – and their services interoperable – with other platforms, and to allow users to designate a trusted third-party service to manage their privacy and account settings.

“As social media and online platforms continue to become a larger part of our society, we've seen a handful of companies completely dominate the marketplace, giving consumers no real option to shift platforms without losing years’ worth of data and interactions,” Sen. Warner said. “By making it easier for social media users to easily move their data or to continue to communicate with their friends after switching platforms, startups will be able to compete on equal terms with the biggest social media companies. Interoperability and portability are powerful tools to promote innovative new companies and limit anti-competitive behaviors. This legislation will create long-overdue requirements that will boost competition and give consumers more power.”

Joining Warner in introducing the legislation are Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).

Online platforms have become vital to our economic and social fabric, but network effects and consumer lock-in have solidified a select number of companies’ dominance in the digital market and enhanced their control over consumer data, even as the social media landscape continues to change by the day and platforms’ user experiences become more and more unpredictable. The ACCESS Act would increase market competition, encourage innovation, and increase consumer choice by requiring large communications platforms (products or services with over 100 million monthly active users in the U.S.) to:

1. Make their services interoperable with competing communications platforms.
2. Permit users to easily port their personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.
3. Allow users to delegate trusted custodial services, which are required to act in a user’s best interests through a strong duty of care, with the task of managing their account settings, content, and online interactions. 

Sen. Warner first introduced the ACCESS Act in 2019 and, as a former tech entrepreneur, has been one of Congress’s leading voices calling for accountability in Big Tech. He has introduced several pieces of legislation aimed at addressing these issues, including the SAFE TECH Act, which would reform Section 230 and allow social media companies to be held accountable for enabling cyber-stalking, online harassment, and discrimination on social media platforms; the Honest Ads Act, which would require online political advertisements to adhere to the same disclaimer requirements as TV, radio, and print ads; and legislation requiring that the prominent social media platform TikTok divest from China-owned parent company ByteDance. Sen. Warner continues to advocate for the sale of the app to a company not beholden to a U.S. adversary.

Full text of the ACCESS Act is available here. 

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 WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement after President Donald Trump released his Fiscal Year 2026 discretionary budget request to Congress:

“The budget the President released today reflects what we’ve seen over the past 103 days—that the Trump Administration is laser-focused on taking a chainsaw to important government programs that Americans rely on so that they can cut taxes for billionaires. This cruel budget would cut critical funding for education, such as Federal Work Study; substance use disorder prevention; rural development; housing; support for small businesses; research into cancer and other diseases; cybersecurity; foreign assistance; violence prevention, including Jabara-Heyer NO Hate grants; and more. It would also roll back funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other historic legislation that we were proud to help pass in Congress. As Congress continues negotiating a budget in the coming months, we are committed to pushing back against these massive cuts that will harm Virginians and our economy and make communities less safe.”   

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Rural Patient Monitoring (RPM) Access Act to ensure Medicare patients in rural and underserved communities have access to remote physiologic monitoring services, which lower costs and improve access to care by using technology to collect and transmit patient health data to healthcare providers.

“Too often, patients are struggling to receive the medical care they need because of how difficult it is to see a doctor in person,” said Sen. Warner. “Remote monitoring services offer a life-saving solution, expanding care options and allowing individuals to regularly receive the medical consultations they need, all while lowering costs and hospital admissions. I’m proud to introduce the Rural Patient Monitoring Access Act to improve health care services for our seniors.”

“Medicare beneficiaries in rural and underserved areas often face serious barriers to health care, and they deserve better,” said Sen. Blackburn. “The Rural Patient Monitoring Access Act would ensure Tennessee Medicare patients have access to high-quality remote physiologic monitoring services to manage chronic conditions and help patients eliminate unnecessary hospital visits.”

U.S. Reps. David Kustoff (R-Tenn.), Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.), Troy Balderson (R-Ohio), and Don Davis (D-N.C.) introducing companion legislation in the House.

Rural Medicare patients face high rates of chronic conditions like heart failure, hypertension, and diabetes. In particular, Medicare patients living in rural areas have limited access to healthcare because of roadblocks like lack of transportation. Remote Physiologic Monitoring (RPM) helps patients manage chronic conditions and eliminates unnecessary hospital visits. A recent study of over 4,000 hypertension patients found that RPM decreased patients’ total monthly cost of care by more than 50%. Current lack of adequate Medicare reimbursement leads to not implementing RPM programs in rural areas, reducing access to cost-saving and patient-centered care.

Specifically, The Rural Patient Monitoring Access Act would ensure high-quality remote physiological monitoring services are established and maintained for Medicare beneficiaries in rural and underserved geographies; allow rural areas to provide RPM services at the national average rate; and decrease patients’ total monthly cost. Under the RPM Access Act:

• RPM providers must be capable of responding to data anomalies detected by the monitoring service;
• RPM providers must be capable of promptly transmitting captured vitals and treatment management notes to electronic health record of the supervising provider; and
• The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may require providers of RPM to report data to the Secretary of Health and Human Services in order to facilitate the evaluation of cost savings generated to the Medicare program through the proliferation of remote physiologic monitoring services.

This legislation is supported by National Rural Health Association, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, HIMSS, American Telemedicine Association, Alliance for Connected Care, Ascension, LifePoint Health, Marshfield Clinic, SSM Health, the University of Virginia Center for Telehealth, and the Bipartisan Policy Center.

“Technology-enabled care is crucial to ensuring seniors in rural areas are able to safely manage their chronic conditions. Remote physiologic monitoring allows for chronic disease complications to be captured early – saving lives, reducing health care costs, and helping to mitigate common rural barriers such as longer distances to in-person treatment,” said Alan Morgan, CEO of National Rural Health Association.

“On behalf of HIMSS, we applaud Senators Blackburn and Warner, and Representatives Kustoff, Balderson, Pocan, and Davis for introducing the Rural Patient Monitoring (RPM) Access Act. Remote patient monitoring is a critical digital health tool that helps providers and patients work together to improve patient access and outcomes. We urge Congress to take action to advance the safe and effective use of RPM for millions of Medicare beneficiaries,” said Hal Wolf, President and CEO of HIMSS.

“Patients in rural and underserved communities deserve the same opportunity to manage their health as those in more resourced areas. At Lifepoint, we’ve seen firsthand how high-quality remote patient monitoring can help bridge long-standing access gaps and drive meaningful clinical improvement, especially for chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes. This bill is an important step forward in ensuring fair reimbursement for rural providers, empowering them to deliver high-quality, proactive care to the patients who need it most,” said Dr. Chris Frost, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer at Lifepoint Health.

“We are proud to support the Rural Patient Monitoring Access Act, which will help to ensure rural practitioners can provide remote physiologic monitoring services. RPM supports coordinated chronic disease management and acute and chronic disease risk reduction, while improving health outcomes helping patients remain healthy at home,” said Michael Richards, System Vice President at SSM Health.

“The Alliance for Connected Care applauds Senators Blackburn and Warner for their leadership to ensure rural patients have access to high-quality, innovative patient-centered care. Remote patient monitoring has a huge potential to empower rural seniors with technology to better take accountability for their own health,” said Chris Adamec, Executive Director of The Alliance for Connected Care.

“This proposed legislation will incentivize healthcare systems in rural areas to establish remote monitoring programs and ensure sustainability of existing programs. We are grateful for Sen. Warner and Sen. Blackburn’s leadership on this issue. Remote monitoring has been shown to improve outcomes and ultimately lower the cost of care,” said Karen Rheuban, MD, Director of the University of Virginia Center for Telehealth.

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WASHINGTON —Today U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner joined Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) in introducing legislation to help build nearly 1.6 million new affordable homes over the next decade. The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would lead to more affordable housing options for families and workers by expanding and strengthening the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, our country’s most successful affordable housing program.

Currently, nearly one-in-four renters, over 11 million families, spend more than half of their household income on rent, cutting into other essential expenses like child care, medication, groceries, and transportation. At the same time, over 600,000 Americans are experiencing homelessness on any given day, an increase over pre-COVID levels.

Since its creation, the Housing Credit has built or restored more than 4 million affordable housing units, nearly 90 percent of all federally funded affordable housing during that time. Roughly nine million American households have benefitted from the credit, and the economic activity that it generated has supported 6.6 million jobs and spurred more than $746 billion in wages.

“The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit is one of the most successful tools our country has to address the affordable housing crisis our communities are facing,” Sen. Warner said. “I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation to update and modernize this credit in order to build more homes, bring down costs, and tackle the growing demand for housing across the Commonwealth and the country.”

More specifically, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would:

• Increase the number of credits available to states by 50 percent for the next two years and make the temporary 12.5 percent increase secured in 2018 permanent—which has already helped build more than 59,000 additional affordable housing units nationwide;
• Stabilize financing for workforce housing projects built using private activity bonds by decreasing the amount of private activity bonds needed to secure Housing Credit funding. As a result, projects would have to carry less debt, and more projects would be eligible to receive funding; and
• Improve the Housing Credit program to better serve veterans, victims of domestic violence, formerly homeless students, Native American communities, and rural Americans.

Joining Sens. Warner, Young, and Cantwell in introducing this legislation are Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Ron Wyden (D-OR). The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act was also recently introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood (R-IL-16), Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01), Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19).

The ACTION Campaign and the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition endorsed the bill.

“The reintroduction of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act is a vital step toward addressing our nation’s housing crisis. Expanding the Housing Credit is the most effective way to increase the supply of affordable housing, leveraging public-private partnerships to build and preserve homes for working families, seniors, and vulnerable communities. At a time when rents are rising and supply is lagging, strengthening the Housing Credit will ensure that more Americans have access to safe, stable, and affordable housing,” said co-chairs of the ACTION Campaign Ayrianne Parks and Jennifer Schwartz. “The ACTION Campaign thanks Senators Todd Young, Maria Cantwell, Marsha Blackburn, and Ron Wyden for their leadership.”

“The overwhelming bipartisan support for the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025 underscores the critical need to increase the supply of affordable rental homes,” said Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition Chief Executive Officer Emily Cadik. “We thank Senator Todd Young, Senator Maria Cantwell, Senator Marsha Blackburn, and Senator Ron Wyden for their leadership and the 30 bipartisan cosponsors for supporting this commonsense solution to expand and strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, a proven, pro-growth tool with a nearly 40-year record of leveraging private investment to fill a critical need.”

This is the latest action in Sen. Warner’s longstanding efforts to make housing more affordable for Virginians. So far this year, he has already introduced the New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act, the Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act, and the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act – all bipartisan bills to encourage redevelopment and new construction in communities across the country. He is also the lead sponsor of the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act – which would create a new tax incentive to build and preserve more than 500,000 affordable, single-family homes over ten years – and the lead author of the Low-Income First Time Homebuyers (LIFT) Act to help qualified, first-generation homebuyers build equity in their homes by offering a 20-year mortgage for roughly the same monthly payment as a traditional 30-year loan. Warner has also joined his colleagues in sponsoring the Downpayment Toward Equity Act, which would provide federal grants to assist first-generation homebuyers with qualifying expenses toward purchasing their first home, including down payment costs, closing costs, and costs to reduce the rates of interest.

Full text of the bill is available here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the below statement:

“Throughout his career, Gerry Connolly has exemplified the very best of public service — fiercely intelligent, deeply principled, and relentlessly committed to the people of Northern Virginia and our nation. Whether it’s standing up for federal workers, advocating for good governance, or now confronting cancer with the same resilience and grit that have defined his life of public service, Gerry is one of the toughest fighters I know. I have no doubt that Gerry will continue to fight — for his health, for his community, and for the causes he believes in.

“I am proud to call Gerry a friend. Lisa and I are keeping him in our hearts and prayers, and we stand with him every step of the way.”

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), joined by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA-03) and Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), wrote to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem urging the Department to reverse its decision canceling the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure Communities (BRIC) program, which included funding for two major projects in Richmond and Portsmouth, as well as tens of millions in funding for other communities across the Commonwealth.

BRIC was established by Congress through the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to support state and local governments in reducing risks posed by natural hazards and future disasters. The bipartisan infrastructure law, which Sens. Warner and Kaine supported and saw through final passage, included $1 billion in funding for BRIC projects over five years, including $133 million that has already been provided to applicants. 

Through the BRIC program, Virginia had been set to receive tens of millions in funding for critical projects, including $12 million to make improvements to the Richmond Water Treatment Facility and $24 million to enhance the Lake Meade Dam in Portsmouth. However, DHS recently notified applicants that it was terminating the BRIC program and canceling all applications for funding through the BRIC program – including projects that had already been awarded funding.

“We strongly urge you to reverse this decision that will impact vulnerable residents, businesses, and critical infrastructure in Virginia,” the lawmakers wrote to Sec. Noem.

They continued, “BRIC projects support Virginia localities as they work to reduce immediate hazard risks that threaten community safety. For example, the city of Richmond was awarded $11.99 million in FY2022 to address design flaws and degradation at the Richmond Water Treatment Facility. This facility serves 4,721 businesses, 360 public properties, and 780 essential community facilities. The project is intended to protect water treatment and distribution services for those within the facility’s service area, making the plant more resilient to 100-year flood events. Unfortunately, the necessity of this award was made clear earlier this year when the facility experienced a power failure that resulted in loss of water service for residents across the region. If this award is revoked, the region will be more susceptible to future water contaminations and disruptions in water delivery.

The lawmakers highlighted how the cancelation of this funding will impact vulnerable residents, businesses, and critical infrastructure in Virginia, specifically underscoring that these projects are already underway.

Added the members, “The potential revocation of existing BRIC awards is an unanticipated shock to Virginia localities that have budgeted, planned, and in some cases begun work on these crucial projects. The city of Portsmouth received a $24.21 million BRIC award in FY2022 to protect the community’s drinking water supply by enhancing the Lake Meade Dam. The dam, which serves as a critical reservoir for drinking water and supplies residential, commercial, and industrial users in the Hampton Roads area, is at risk of instability and potential overtopping during heavy precipitation events. The project involves strengthening the dam, upgrading spillways, and improving flood protection, all of which serves to protect the more than 80 occupied residential properties and almost 30 businesses within the dam break inundation zone.”

“The mission of the BRIC program is to build more resilient communities to prevent the need for reactive and more costly disaster spending. Terminating this program – and many of the awards made in recent years – will make communities in Virginia less resilient and more vulnerable to disaster events. We urge you to maintain this critical funding for localities in Virginia,” they concluded.

A copy of letter is available here and text is below.

Dear Secretary Noem:

We write regarding the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) recent decision to end the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program and cancel BRIC applications from Fiscal Years (FY) 2020 – 2023. We strongly urge you to reverse this decision that will impact vulnerable residents, businesses, and critical infrastructure in Virginia.

BRIC projects support Virginia localities as they work to reduce immediate hazard risks that threaten community safety. For example, the city of Richmond was awarded $11.99 million in FY2022 to address design flaws and degradation at the Richmond Water Treatment Facility. This facility serves 4,721 businesses, 360 public properties, and 780 essential community facilities. The project is intended to protect water treatment and distribution services for those within the facility’s service area, making the plant more resilient to 100-year flood events. Unfortunately, the necessity of this award was made clear earlier this year when the facility experienced a power failure that resulted in loss of water service for residents across the region. If this award is revoked, the region will be more susceptible to future water contaminations and disruptions in water delivery.

The potential revocation of existing BRIC awards is an unanticipated shock to Virginia localities that have budgeted, planned, and in some cases begun work on these crucial projects. The city of Portsmouth received a $24.21 million BRIC award in FY2022 to protect the community’s drinking water supply by enhancing the Lake Meade Dam. The dam, which serves as a critical reservoir for drinking water and supplies residential, commercial, and industrial users in the Hampton Roads area, is at risk of instability and potential overtopping during heavy precipitation events. The project involves strengthening the dam, upgrading spillways, and improving flood protection, all of which serves to protect the more than 80 occupied residential properties and almost 30 businesses within the dam break inundation zone.

The mission of the BRIC program is to build more resilient communities to prevent the need for reactive and more costly disaster spending. Terminating this program – and many of the awards made in recent years – will make communities in Virginia less resilient and more vulnerable to disaster events. We urge you to maintain this critical funding for localities in Virginia.

Thank you for your attention to this letter. We look forward to your response.

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