WASHINGTON – As the Biden administration works to establish two crucial semiconductor initiatives authorized by CHIPS and Science Act, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) are leading eight of their colleagues in urging the U.S. Department of Commerce to take full advantage of the contributions, assets, and expertise available in states nationwide.

In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, the Senators advocate for a decentralized “hub-and-spoke” model for the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) and the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP). This model would establish various centers of excellence around the country, as opposed to a single centralized facility that is limited to the resources and strengths of a single state or region.

“Allowing the NSTC and NAPMP to draw upon experts, institutions, entrepreneurs, and private-sector partners spread across the country would best position these programs to fulfill their missions of driving semiconductor and advanced packaging research forward, coordinating and scaling up the ongoing workforce development efforts, promoting geographic diversity, and ensuring long-term U.S. competitiveness in this critical technology sector,” wrote the lawmakers.

They continued, “Such a model would allow them to draw upon the strengths of experts, research facilities, and private-sector partnerships and consortia from across the country. This model would consist of central research facilities with centers of excellence in various locations across the country where there is particular expertise in memory, logic, packaging, testing, or other elements of the semiconductor ecosystem.”

In their letter, the Senators also note that this approach was recommended by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in a report to President Biden. This report stated, “the Secretary of Commerce should ensure the NSTC founding charter includes establishing prototyping capabilities in a geographically distributed model encompassing up to six centers of excellence (COEs) aligned around major technical thrusts.” 

The NSTC and NAPMP – designed to accelerate U.S. semiconductor production and advance research and development – were championed by Sens. Warner, Cornyn, and Kelly, who authored the CHIPS law signed by President Biden in August. In addition to Sens. Warner, Cornyn and Kelly, the letter was signed by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Rob Portman (R-OH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).

A copy of the letter can be found here and below.

October 14, 2022

Dear Secretary Raimondo,

As the Department of Commerce begins implementing the CHIPS and Science Act, we respectfully urge your department to consider using a decentralized, so-called “hub-and-spoke” model as the basis for the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) and the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP). Allowing the NSTC and NAPMP to draw upon experts, institutions, entrepreneurs, and private-sector partners spread across the country would best position these programs to fulfill their missions of driving semiconductor and advanced packaging research forward, coordinating and scaling up the ongoing workforce development efforts, promoting geographic diversity, and ensuring long-term U.S. competitiveness in this critical technology sector.

When Congress passed the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America Act in January 2021 and funding of $11 billion in the recently-passed CHIPS and Science Act, it recognized the need for increased investment in research and development (R&D). This R&D will include prototyping of advanced semiconductor tools, technology, and packaging capabilities to advance both U.S. economic competitiveness and the security of our domestic supply chain.

The NSTC was established as a way to drive this research forward, bringing together the Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the private sector in a public-private consortium. Congress created the NAPMP to “strengthen semiconductor advanced test, assembly, and packaging capability in the domestic ecosystem” in coordination with the NSTC.

Incredibly diverse knowledge and expertise will be required to ensure that the NSTC and NAPMP are successful. We believe that it would be in the best interests of the long-term success of these programs if the Department of Commerce was to embrace a “hub-and-spoke” model for these programs. In fact, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology recommended such an approach in their report to President Biden titled, “Revitalizing the U.S. Semiconductor Ecosystem.” The report states, “The Secretary of Commerce should ensure the NSTC founding charter includes establishing prototyping capabilities in a geographically distributed model encompassing up to six centers of excellence (COEs) aligned around major technical thrusts.”  Such a model would allow them to draw upon the strengths of experts, research facilities, and private-sector partnerships and consortia from across the country. This model would consist of central research facilities with centers of excellence in various locations across the country where there is particular expertise in memory, logic, packaging, testing, or other elements of the semiconductor ecosystem. Doing so would ensure that a broader range of expertise is captured by the NSTC and NAPMP and ensure entrepreneurs and researchers across the country can take advantage of these programs to drive America’s semiconductor ecosystem forward.

Thank you for your consideration and for all of the work that you and your team are doing to implement this important legislation.

Sincerely,

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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD BROADCAST-QUALITY AUDIO AND VIDEO OF SEN. WARNER'S STATEMENT AND FLOOR SPEECH 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD BROADCAST-QUALITY AUDIO AND VIDEO TESTIMONIALS FROM AFFECTED BORROWERS 

WASHINGTON – President Biden has signed legislation from U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) to provide much-needed relief for individuals who previously consolidated their student loan debt with a spouse. Now law, the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act will provide a much-needed fix for borrowers who previously consolidated their student debt with a spouse.

Although Congress eliminated the consolidation program on July 1, 2006, it did not provide a means of severing existing loans, even in the event of domestic violence, economic abuse, or an unresponsive partner. As a result, there are borrowers across the country who remain liable for their abusive or uncommunicative spouse’s portion of their consolidated debts. Borrowers trapped in these loans are also unable to access federal relief, including the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. This legislation provides relief to these individuals by allowing borrowers to split this debt and apply for forgiveness benefits. 

“I’m thrilled that borrowers who have been ensnared in these exploitative loans for decades will finally get relief,” said Sen. Warner. “Passing this law means freedom for thousands of borrowers – freedom from financial and domestic abuse, freedom to control their own financial future, and freedom to enjoy the same benefits as other borrowers across the country.”

The Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act will allow borrowers to submit an application to the Department of Education to split the joint consolidation loan into two separate federal direct loans. The joint consolidation loan remainder – the unpaid loan and accrued unpaid interest – would be split proportionally based on the percentages that each borrower originally brought into the loan. The two new federal direct loans will have the same interest rates as the joint consolidation loan. Additionally, the bill will enable many borrowers to access student loan relief programs, such as the PSLF Program, for which they were previously ineligible due to their joint consolidation loans.  

Sen. Warner introduced the original version of the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act in 2017 after a constituent, Sara from Northern Virginia, contacted him to communicate her struggles with a joint consolidation loan. Sara was raising two children on a public school teacher’s salary and trying to keep up with payments on her student loans. Unfortunately, her ex-spouse, whom she had divorced and moved thousands of miles away from, refused to pay his share of their joint loan.

Because joint consolidation loans create joint and several liability for borrowers, Sara faced the threat of having her wages as a public school teacher garnished if she did not pay both her and her ex-husband’s portions of their debt. Sen. Warner did not think this was fair and sought to create a solution so that constituents like Sara could control their own financial futures. Video and audio of Sen. Warner reconnecting with Sara is available here.

A full media package, including broadcast-quality audio and video of Sen. Warner speaking with Virginians who will benefit from the new law and the testimonials of other impacted borrowers is available here. Broadcast-quality audio and video of Sen. Warner explaining the issue, making a statement on passage, and speaking about this issue on the floor of the Senate is available here.

Additionally, there are several affected borrowers that are open to sharing their stories with members of the press through interviews. Please send an email to request to be connected with these borrowers. 

The Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act has been supported by a number of organizations, including the National Network to End Domestic Violence, National Consumer Law Center, North Carolina Coalition against Domestic Violence, and the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance.   

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S.  Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe to discuss the latest developments on the war in Ukraine as the winter months approach, and the impact of the war on global energy prices.

On the current status of the Ukraine war:

“Things [for Russia] are not going to get better. And I think this is why, you know there are a lot things that I disagree with the administration on, but moving us in concert with our European allies has been really important. The solidarity of NATO is really important. What happens next? We're in uncharted territory. The next month between now and when the winter sets in in the middle of November, we hope the Ukrainians will be able to take Kherson and drive the Russian troops back across the Dnieper River, but it's going to be a wild few weeks.”

On additional aid to Ukraine:

“I think we should send more anti-missile defense weapons, but I do think that we've got to walk this careful line where you don't give carte blanche to the Ukrainians to have additional strikes into Russia itself. And at the same time, you've got to not get so ahead of the Europeans that they all of a sudden say, okay, America, you put up $65 billion, we're going to make you carry the whole burden. So I do think this is a navigation of a very, very challenging time. And on this one, I give the administration high marks.”

On the impact of Saudi Arabia’s decision to cut oil production:

“I'm as angry at Saudi Arabia and their irresponsibility as anyone. But I think even as you guys said on this show yesterday, you know, the truth is, certain areas, obviously, we have huge conflicts with Saudi Arabia -- but in other areas, as a counterbalance to Iran, in terms of being an ally over many decades. We've got to sort this through in a way that puts pressure on the Saudis, but does not drive them more into the Russia camp. One of the things I think would be, you know -- and I don't think this would mean backing off from our climate change goals -- but if we can replace some of those fuel sources coming out of the Middle East with American fuel sources, particularly as we transition to cleaner energy generation, I think that's good national security, that's good economic security, and it would be a tangible pushback against the Saudis.”

Video of Sen. Warner’s interview on Morning Joe can be found here. A transcript follows.

MSNBC’s Morning Joe

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Well, joining us now, Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia. He's Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and to Willie's point, Senator, we were talking earlier with Admiral Kirby about this. It seems Vladimir Putin has been in a corner, and everyone talks about what the off-ramp is, how this ends. Obviously, most people would like this to end with Russia moving back out of Ukraine. And yet he continues to push himself more into a corner, almost without -- indiscriminately, without any thought for himself about an off-ramp, with a war that is going terribly for him. How do you deal with a leader that doesn't seem to care that he's in a corner?

U.S. SEN. MARK WARNER:  Carefully. You know, this is a guy that's been an autocratic leader for 20-plus years. In the COVID environment, his number of advisers he's talking to gets smaller and smaller. You've seen not only the Russian military perform horribly on the field, you have seen a united West. You've seen NATO and our allies in Asia, all stand up against him. And now with this conscription, you know, what's not -- what's gotten some public reporting, but Russia has lost over 200,000 military-aged men, exiting the country.

BRZEZINSKI: More people leaving --

SEN. WARNER: Than being conscripted. So how he maintains that, the attacks, nobody is attacking the boss yet, nobody is attacking Putin, but the folks around the boss, some of his military advisers, they're under constant assault as well, from within Russia.

BRZEZINKSKI: But that seems dicey, too.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: So what scares you the most about a cornered Vladimir Putin? Because things are not going to get better for Russia.

SEN. WARNER: Things are not going to get better. And I think this is why, you know there are a lot things that I disagree with the administration on, but moving us in concert with our European allies has been really important. The solidarity of NATO is really important. What happens next? We're in uncharted territory. The next month between now and when the winter sets in in the middle of November, we hope the Ukrainians will be able to take Kherson and drive the Russian troops back across the Dnieper River, but it's going to be a wild few weeks.

SCARBOROUGH: Any suggestion that when winter comes, when things freeze in place, that negotiations can begin?

SEN. WARNER:  Again, I think there's some speculation. Is there a fully thought-through plan? Absolutely not. And again, with every Ukrainian success, frankly, the maneuverability of Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, gets mitigated, as well.

BRZEZINKSI: And you say it's going to be a wild few weeks.

SEN. WARNER: Because once you get mid-November, at least for the next few months, because of the winter, it will -- troops will freeze in place in a sense, and then we'll see also some of the ramifications of, will the Europeans stay strong when their energy costs go through the roof this winter? One of the reasons why, frankly, it would be good national policy as well as economic policy, we ought to continue to make sure that American oil and gas are in this mixture – and why we need to go ahead and revisit permitting reforms, so that particularly in terms of American natural gas, we can supply that supply, rather than counting on friends, or not-so-good of friends in the Middle East.

SCARBOROUGH: Jonathan Lemire is in New York and has a question for you. I hope he has a question for you.

JONATHAN LAMIRE: Senator Warner, good to see you. There's been a debate in Washington, as you well know, for several months about the U.S. sending enough weapons to Ukraine to defend itself, but not so much that it could perhaps escalate the war with incursions or attacks deep into Russia. In the wake of what happed over the weekend, U.S. officials are saying, hey, we're going to send more defense weapons, but still seem to hesitate going further than that, despite Kyiv asking for it. Where do you stand? What sort of weapons should the United States be sending?

SEN. WARNER: Jonathan, I think we should send more anti-missile defense weapons, but I do think that we've got to walk this careful line where you don't give carte blanche to the Ukrainians to have additional strikes into Russia itself. And at the same time, you've got to not get so ahead of the Europeans that they all of a sudden say, okay, America, you put up $65 billion, we're going to make you carry the whole burden. So I do think this is a navigation of a very, very challenging time. And on this one, I give the administration high marks.

WILLIE GEIST: Mr. Chairman, Let me ask you about one of your colleagues in the Senate, a fellow chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez, on the topic of Saudi Arabia. Who after Saudi Arabia's announcement of OPEC's, OPEC plus's handling of oil prices and the barrels of oil that they release or won't release said basically, we need to freeze our relationship with Saudi Arabia, including arms sales. Says they're underwriting Russia's war. They're backing Russia against Ukraine. Do you agree with him that we need to freeze our relations with Saudi Arabia?

SEN. WARNER: Listen, I'm as angry at Saudi Arabia and their irresponsibility as anyone. But I think even as you guys said on this show yesterday, you know, the truth is, certain areas, obviously, we have huge conflicts with Saudi Arabia -- but in other areas, as a counterbalance to Iran, in terms of being an ally over many decades. We've got to sort this through in a way that puts pressure on the Saudis, but does not drive them more into the Russia camp. One of the things I think would be, you know -- and I don't think this would mean backing off from our climate change goals -- but if we can replace some of those fuel sources coming out of the Middle East with American fuel sources, particularly as we transition to cleaner energy generation, I think that's good national security, that's good economic security, and it would be a tangible pushback against the Saudis.

SCARBOROUGH: And shouldn't we have more -- for national security purposes, and also, so we're less dependent?

SEN. WARNER: Absolutely.

SCARBOROUGH: Shouldn't we increase energy production in the United States, understanding, let me say to my friends, understanding, we're in the middle of an energy transition right now. But we have the ability to be less dependent on Russia. To be less dependent on Saudi Arabia, to be less dependent on Venezuela. These people that are talking about, oh, we can't drill at home, because it's bad for the environment, let's get dirty oil from Venezuela.

SEN. WARNER: Well the wild thing is, Joe, particularly, let's go back to natural gas for a moment. We don't even need to drill more if we simply utilize what we've already drilled. We've got to have the transmission capability to get that to places in our country, and frankly to be able to export to our European friends. You’re going to see costs, I've been told, in January in the UK, where an average home will get $5,000 per-year energy costs. Now, the British government will subsidize that, bring it back down to a reasonable number. But how long can any government do that with a very cold winter in front of them.

SCARBOROUGH: Let's talk about China. How do they play into what's happening right now in Russia.

SEN. WARNER: I think you've got the Chinese economic team, who are concerned about this alliance or friendship that has no bounds. I think Xi and Putin said.

SCARBOROUGH: It does have bounds.

SEN. WARNER:  The personal relationship between these two autocratic leaders is a real challenge for all of us who live in democracies. I think the long-term challenge of our time, candidly is not Russia, but it is going to be China's attempted to dominate technology field after technology field. We in this country have stepped up on semiconductors. We've pointed out the problems with Huawei in terms of next-generation wireless. I know my committee is taking a big look at synthetic biology and next generation energy generation, and making sure that we in our country maintain the technology edge. And that's going to take the kind of investments perhaps in other domains the way we just did in semiconductors.

BRZEZINSKI: Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tina Smith (D-MN), joined by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (HHS/CMS) leadership urging them to review and formally report on the adequacy of the Affordable Care Act’s Essential Health Benefits (EHBs). The letter expressed the need for a review of telehealth flexibilities and the impact that scaling back these service options will have on those who rely on telehealth capabilities for treatment.

“As we begin to envision health care policies post-pandemic, we remain concerned telehealth services will be significantly pared back, hindering access to care for millions of Americans—especially those with complicated health conditions,” the Senators wrote.

When the Affordable Care Act was enacted, it required the Secretary of HHS to review EHBs and provide a report to Congress, and the public, that contains:

• An assessment of whether enrollees are facing any difficulty accessing needed services for reasons of coverage or cost;
• An assessment of whether the EHBs list needs to be modified or updated to account for changes in medical evidence or scientific advancement;
• Information on how EHBs will be modified to address any such gaps in access or changes in the evidence base;
• An assessment of the potential of additional or expanded benefits to increase costs and the interactions between the addition or expansion of benefits and reductions in existing benefits to meet actuarial limitations;

Despite this requirement, this formal review and report have never been undertaken or completed. The Senators stressed the need for this process in light of changes being made to care as the health care system shifts to a post-pandemic structure.

“We have heard from constituents who have concerns that coverage will start to vary based upon visit modality. For some specialized, complicated care—eating disorders, for example—it has always been challenging getting the most appropriate treatment covered, whether that’s because of parity or network issues,” the Senators continued. “We are concerned that modality will become one additional way barriers to treatment will be enacted, if arbitrary in-person requirements become one more way care is denied or delayed.”

The full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Secretary Becerra, Administrator Brooks-LaSure and Deputy Administrator Montz:

We thank you for your continued partnership in establishing and extending telehealth flexibilities to ensure Americans have access to vital health care services and supports over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we begin to envision health care policies post-pandemic, we remain concerned telehealth services will be significantly pared back, hindering access to care for millions of Americans—especially those with complicated health conditions.

According to federal statute, it is incumbent upon the Secretary to periodically review insurance plan Essential Health Benefits (EHBs) and provide a public report to Congress that contains 1) an assessment of whether enrollees are facing difficulty accessing needed services for reasons of coverage or costs; 2) an assessment of whether plan benefits need to be modified or updated to account for changes in medical evidence or scientific advancement; 3) information on how plan benefits will be modified to address any such gaps or changes in the evidence base; and 4) an assessment of potential of additional or expanded benefits to increase costs and the interactions between the addition of benefits and reductions in existing benefits.

We believe after 12 years of the ACA it is important that EHBs be formally reviewed and the mandated report be issued to the public and Congress, especially as your Administration is committed to maintaining and further strengthening the law’s protections. We urge you to undertake such a review and report, and in addition we urge you to ensure that visit modality is not one of the “reasons of coverage” for which “enrollees are facing difficulty accessing needed services.”

We have heard from constituents who have concerns that coverage will start to vary based upon visit modality. For some specialized, complicated care—eating disorders, for example—it has always been challenging getting the most appropriate treatment covered, whether that’s because of parity or network issues. We are concerned that modality will become one additional way barriers to treatment will be enacted, if arbitrary in-person requirements become one more way care is denied or delayed.

The Department addressed a delay in completing such a report to Congress in its 2019 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameter Final Rule, citing the need for further insurance market stabilization that the final rule would provide. Although we understand the difficulty of reviewing the markets as they continue to evolve, it is for that reason critical that the Administration review and report on EHBs so that we have an understanding of whether they continue to be adequate in an ever-evolving health care ecosystem. The health care system will not be the same after the COVID-19 pandemic, and this is an opportunity to renew our commitment to comprehensive, affordable and accessible health care coverage. We respectfully request this report be conducted and issued to Congress to inform future health policy to better serve Americans.

Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to continuing to work with you on this very important issue.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (D-VA) along with Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09) issued a statement after President Biden formally approved the Commonwealth of Virginia’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration in response to the severe flooding event in Southwest Virginia on July 13, 2022. This declaration triggers the release of Public Assistance in the affected areas, while the Commonwealth’s request for Individual Assistance remains under review.

“We are pleased that the federal government has taken this crucial step to aid recovery efforts in Buchanan and Tazewell counties,” said the lawmakers. “We will continue pushing for Individual Assistance and all resources needed to help residents rebuild following this devastating flooding.”

Today’s announcement comes after Sens. Warner and Kaine and Rep. Griffith urged President Biden to issue a Major Disaster Declaration earlier this month.  

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WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) was joined by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Northern Virginia officials for an event announcing $20 million to construct a new bicycle-pedestrian bridge crossing the Potomac River between Arlington and Washington, D.C. The funding for the project was made possible by the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program that was included in the Warner-authored Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The construction of the new shared-use path for bikes and pedestrians, connecting the Mt. Vernon Trail in Virginia to downtown Washington, is a crucial component of the broader Long Bridge project, which will relieve a major passenger and freight rail bottleneck by constructing a new two-track bridge upstream and expanding the existing railroad corridor, which is currently the only rail bridge connecting Virginia to Washington, D.C., from two tracks to four.

“I am thrilled to announce this new funding for the Long Bridge Pedestrian Crossing project. This $20 million investment was made possible by the bipartisan infrastructure law I was proud to help write and will help the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority complete a new span across the Potomac dedicated to cyclists and pedestrians,” said Sen. Warner. “This project is a key component of the broader effort to fix a major rail chokepoint and expand commuter and passenger service over the Potomac River.”  

“I want to thank Senator Warner for sticking with the Long Bridge project for all these years,” said DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. “People in our region want opportunities to get around without cars. They want to live and work near train stations. They want to get around on bikes, scooters, and buses. And more and better bridges, trains, and bike paths mean more opportunities to do just that. I look forward to seeing this project come to fruition and, in the meantime, working together to build a more connected region.”

“Today’s announcement will pave the way to build an unprecedented, purpose-built bicycle and pedestrian bridge that will become a major gateway to Arlington, Long Bridge Park, Crystal City and beyond,” said Katie Cristol, Arlington County Board Chair. “Arlington is extremely grateful to Senator Warner for his leadership in securing funding for this important project that will enhance mobility and accessibility across our region.”

“VPRA’s Long Bridge Project includes not only a new bridge dedicated to passenger rail, but also a bicycle and pedestrian bridge, which will make it safer and more convenient to cross the Potomac River,” said DJ Stadtler, executive director of the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority. “This RAISE grant highlights how the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Federal Government are partnering to support multi-modal infrastructure investments that will benefit not only Virginians, but also residents of our nation’s capital.  We would like to thank Senator Warner for his support of this worthwhile project.”

Sen. Warner has been a longtime advocate for the $1.9 billion Long Bridge project. In 2020, he secured passage of legislation transferring four acres of land required for the project from the federal government to Virginia and the District of Columbia. Once complete, the rail expansion will double the capacity of the Potomac River crossing and is projected to bring an annual $6 billion in benefits to the region by 2040.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, is cosponsoring comprehensive legislation to address the rise in threats targeting election workers. The Election Worker Protection Act would provide states with the resources to recruit and train election workers and ensure these workers’ safety, while also instituting federal safeguards to shield election workers from intimidation and threats.

“Because of their roles on the front lines of our democracy, local election workers have been subjected to increasing harassment and violent threats from those seeking to overturn the results of lawfully conducted elections,” said Sen. Warner. “As Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I’m disturbed that so many Americans, including a former president, have been so enthusiastically willing to aid and abet adversaries like China and Russia in undermining confidence in our elections and faith in our democratic process. As we face this new and unfortunate reality, we should take steps to ensure that election workers have the support and protection they need to do their jobs safely.”

The Election Worker Protection Act would: 

1. Establish grants to states and certain local governments for poll worker recruitment, training, and retention, as well as grants for election worker safety;
2. Direct the Department of Justice to provide training resources regarding the identification and investigation of threats to election workers;
3. Provide grants to states to support programs protecting election workers’ personally identifiable information;
4. Establish threatening, intimidating, or coercing election workers as a federal crime; 
5. Expand the prohibition on voter intimidation in current law to apply to the counting of ballots, canvassing, and certification of elections;
6. Extend the federal prohibition on doxing to include election workers; and 
7. Protect the authority of election officials to remove poll observers who are interfering with or attempting to disrupt the administration of an election.

As Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Sen. Warner has been outspoken on the need to protect American democracy from those seeking to undermine confidence in the security of our elections and overturn the results of fairly conducted elections. As a leader of the Intelligence Committee, he released a groundbreaking, bipartisan and comprehensive investigation into Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election. More recently, he introduced the Preventing Election Subversion Act, legislation to institute new federal safeguards insulating state election administration from partisan pressure. He also just negotiated and introduced bipartisan legislation to reform and modernize the outdated Electoral Count Act of 1887 to ensure that the electoral votes tallied by Congress accurately reflect each state’s vote for president, which passed out of the Senate Rules Committee earlier this week in a bipartisan 14-1 vote. 

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WASHINGTON – This evening, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) took to the Senate floor to speak on the urgent need to enact the Congressionally-approved Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act, legislation he authored and championed to provide much-needed relief for individuals who previously consolidated their student loan debt with a spouse.  

“In 2017, I introduced the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act to solve this problem and give borrowers a way out of these exploitative loans. It took seven years, but we got the bill through Congress with bipartisan support. This is a rare accomplishment. As a Congress, it’s not often that we pass standalone bills. Much less ones with unanimous Senate support or bipartisan House support. That’s a testament to what a critical and commonsense fix this is ­ —one that will actually change the lives of thousands of folks almost overnight,” said Sen. Warner on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

“I’d like to close in saying that this week, I called Sara back, the constituent who originally brought this to my attention,” he continued. “She told me that without this law, and even if she’d continued making all her monthly payments, it would be impossible to erase this debt in her lifetime. She would be tied to her ex-husband for the rest of her life. For Sara, and for all the thousands of borrowers impacted by this, it’s time for President Biden to sign this and finally free these borrowers.

Sen. Warner’s remarks as prepared for delivery are available below:

M. President, I rise today to celebrate a major accomplishment for thousands of Americans who have been trapped for decades in exploitative… joint student loans.

This is an issue that is near and dear to me… because I’ve been working on it for seven years… since hearing from a constituent in 2015.

Sara from Northern Virginia was part of a group of student loan borrowers who entered into something called a “joint consolidation loan,” which allowed married couples to combine their student loan debt into one loan.

In 2006, Congress got rid of this program. However, Congress did not create a way for folks to split the loan back into two.

When my constituent, Sara, divorced from her husband, she was still responsible for this loan. All of the debt had originally been his, but when he decided to stop paying… it was Sara who had to continue facing the consequences.

A single mom of two and a public school teacher… Sara was financially on the hook for the payments. Her credit suffered and she even faced the possibility of losing her teacher’s license.

After looking for a way out, she found out that the only way she could be free of her ex-husband’s debt was through an “act of Congress.” So she contacted my office, and we found out that across the country, thousands of borrowers were trapped in similar situations.

Domestic violence survivors were bound to their abusers by loans. Many were victims of financial abuse and were held completely responsible for debt they’d never taken out. Others were unable to save for retirement or their children’s educations. Public servants were left out of loan forgiveness programs because of the unique constraints of these loans.

In 2017, I introduced the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act to solve this problem and give borrowers a way out of these exploitative loans.

It took seven years… but we got the bill through Congress with bipartisan support.

This is a rare accomplishment. As a Congress, it’s not often that we pass standalone bills. Much less ones with UNANIMOUS Senate support or bipartisan House support.

That’s a testament to what a critical and commonsense fix this is … one that will actually change the lives of thousands of folks almost overnight. Since we introduced this law the first time, my office has heard from so many Americans that are desperate to get this done.

Chris, from Indiana, said: “I’ve spent over sixteen years thinking about this loan every day… and waking up at night trying to create a strategy to pay this loan off. For the first time, I may be able to put my mind at peace.”

Sharon… a 7th grade teacher whose former partner has not made a payment in years… told us, “I don’t have to do this anymore. I get to live my life. I get to retire this year.”

Jessica…. whose former partner refuses to pay his share of the loan…. said, “I am finally about to be free… of one last way my ex controls me.”

Amy is a public servant who has never been able to take advantage of a single debt-relief program. This bill will change that.

All these people have asked for… is a chance to take their student loans into their own hands, and not be saddled with the debt of a former partner.

Applications for the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program close on Oct. 31 of this year.

Many of these borrowers are public school teachers and government workers. They need to be able to apply by that deadline so they are eligible for the same benefits all other Americans have enjoyed.

I am hopeful that Pres. Biden will sign this into law as soon as possible so that these borrowers can finally experience freedom from financial and domestic abuse… freedom to control their own financial future… and freedom to enjoy the same benefits as other borrowers across the country.

I’d like to close in saying that this week, I called Sara back, the constituent who originally brought this to my attention.

She told me that without this law… and even if she’d continued making all her monthly payments… it would be impossible to erase this debt in her lifetime. She would be tied to her ex-husband… literally… for the rest of her life.

For Sara, and for all the thousands of borrowers impacted by this, it’s time for Pres. Biden to sign this and finally free these borrowers. 

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) today introduced the Savings Security Act. The legislation would help the American people protect their savings from changes in inflation by increasing the public’s ability to utilize I Bonds, a type of savings bond created by the U.S. Treasury Department. Series I Savings Bonds were created so consumers could invest their hard-earned savings in something that isn’t hurt by inflation, earns a reasonable rate of return, and is backed by the full faith and credit of the federal government.

“We need to take an all-encompassing approach to help families facing high costs,” said Sen. Warner. “In tandem with our inflation-fighting efforts, and intervention from the Federal Reserve, this legislation would allow Americans to better shield their finances from the unpredictability of inflation and offer peace of mind during difficult economic times.”

“The American people are scrambling for ways to protect their earnings from rampant inflation. I Bonds are one option consumers should be able to leverage. Arbitrary purchasing caps on I Bonds, however, are shortchanging the public from better utilizing the program. Our bill would raise the annual purchasing cap to ensure working families can insulate a greater portion of their savings from the pain of sky-high inflation,” said Senator Fischer.

Currently, the Treasury Department caps annual purchases of I Bonds at $15,000 per person per year. The Savings Security Act would require the Treasury Secretary to raise the annual cap to $30,000 per person when the average six-month annual Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) is above 3.5%. The new purchase limit only applies to families and individuals. Businesses and trusts would not be eligible for the increased cap.

Additional Background

Series I Bonds are a type of savings bond created by the U.S. Treasury. I Bonds earn monthly interest for 30 years, or until the saver cashes out of the bond.

I Bonds were created in 1998 during the Clinton Administration as a financial tool that families can utilize to protect their savings from the negative impacts of high inflation. 

Currently, the Treasury Department caps annual purchases of I Bonds at $15,000 per person. That includes $10,000 per person per year in electric I Bonds, and an additional $5,000 per person per year in paper-issued I Bonds that are purchased through a federal income tax return. The Savings Security Act would require the Treasury Secretary to raise the annual cap to $30,000 per person when the CPI-U is above 3.5%. The Savings Security Act does not change the $5,000 per person paper I bond cap.

I-Bonds can only be purchased via Treasurydirect.gov or through your federal income tax return.

The annual inflation rate in the United States is 8.3%

Fill text of the legislation is available here.

WASHINGTON— Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $4,275,080 in federal funding to help more Virginians access affordable housing. The funding will be awarded to Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) across the Commonwealth through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Incremental Housing Choice Vouchers program.  

“Rising rents and home prices are making it harder and harder for Virginians to find affordable housing options,” the senators said. “We’re glad this funding will help more Virginians across the Commonwealth find safe, affordable housing.”    

The funding is distributed as follows:

• $827,363 to the Virginia Housing Development Authority
• $590,155 to the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority
• $307,394 to the Richmond Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $246,989 to the Arlington County Department of Human Services
• $275,732 to the Prince William County Office of HCD
• $152,811 to the Newport News Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $133,126 to the Roanoke Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $168,800 to the Virginia Beach Department of Housing & Neighborhood Preservation
• $254,170 to the Alexandria Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $133,190 to the Hampton Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $61,800 to the Danville Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $104,987 to the Chesapeake Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $163,219 to the Loudoun County Department of Family Services
• $89,254 to the Portsmouth Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $56,761 to the Lynchburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $69,356 to the Harrisonburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $61,615 to the Petersburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $62,381 to the Charlottesville Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $66,306 to the Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority
• $61,917 to the County of Albemarle Office of Housing
• $46,777 to the Hopewell Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $37,367 to the Waynesboro Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $49,789 to the James City County Office of Housing
• $34,459 to the Buckingham Housing Development Corp. Inc.
• $22,586 to the Bristol Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $32,885 to the Franklin Redevelopment and Housing Authority
• $30,231 to the Staunton Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $23,624 to the Marion Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $20,335 to the Scott County Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $23,822 to the Covington Redevelopment & Housing Authority
• $27,355 to the Accomack-Northampton Regional Housing Authority
• $19,131 to the People Inc. of Southwest Virginia in Abingdon
• $19,393 to the Norton Redevelopment & Housing Authority

Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) help low-income families, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities afford housing of their choice. These new vouchers are an additional allocation of HCVs and will allow a greater number of Virginians to access safe and decent housing across the Commonwealth.

Sens. Warner and Kaine, a former fair housing attorney, have long supported efforts to expand affordable housing in the Commonwealth. Earlier this year, the senators announced nearly $115 million for affordable housing in Virginia. They’ve introduced legislation that would address rising home prices, assist first-generation homebuyers, and close widening wealth and homeownership gaps. Sen. Kaine has also introduced legislation that would protect veterans and low-income families who use HCVs from discrimination.

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Earlier this month, Apple publicly acknowledged that it is considering procuring NAND memory chips for future iPhones from Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC), a state-owned company with extensive links to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its armed wing, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). 

U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chairman and Vice Chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, sent a letter to U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines calling for a public analysis and review of YMTC and the risks it presents to U.S. national security. 

• “[W]e write to convey that any decision to partner with YMTC, no matter the intended market of the product offerings developed by such a partnership, would affirm and reward the PRC’s distortive and unfair trade practices, which undermine U.S. companies globally by creating significant advantages to Chinese firms at the expense of foreign competitors. Last year, the Biden Administration described YMTC as China’s ‘national champion memory chip producer,’ which supports the CCP’s efforts to counter U.S. innovation and leadership in this space.” 

• “Policymakers have for several years now conveyed to the American public the importance of a competitive semiconductor industry to U.S. national and economic security. A partnership between Apple and YMTC would endanger this critical sector and risk nullifying efforts to support it, jeopardizing the health of chipmakers in the U.S. and allied countries and advancing Beijing’s goal of controlling the global semiconductor market. Buoyed by a major contract with a leading global equipment vendor such as Apple, YMTC’s success would threaten the 24,000 American jobs that support memory chip production. More broadly, such a partnership would also threaten the opportunities this market provides for research at U.S. universities and further development of memory chips for civilian and military uses.”

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) also signed the letter.

Full text of the letter is available here and below. 

Dear Director Haines:

We write to convey our extreme concern about the possibility that Apple Inc. will soon procure 3D NAND memory chips from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-owned manufacturer Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC). Such a decision would introduce significant privacy and security vulnerabilities to the global digital supply chain that Apple helps shape given YMTC’s extensive, but often opaque, ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and concerning PRC-backed entities. In addition, we write to convey that any decision to partner with YMTC, no matter the intended market of the product offerings developed by such a partnership, would affirm and reward the PRC’s distortive and unfair trade practices, which undermine U.S. companies globally by creating significant advantages to Chinese firms at the expense of foreign competitors. Last year, the Biden Administration described YMTC as China’s “national champion memory chip producer,” which supports the CCP’s efforts to counter U.S. innovation and leadership in this space. 

In July 2022, we wrote to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to warn of the threat YMTC poses to U.S. national security and to request that it be added to the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Entity List. We made these arguments based on the company’s central role in CCP efforts to supplant U.S. technological leadership, including through unfair trade practices. YMTC also appears to have strong ties to the PRC’s military-civil fusion program, as shown through its investors and partnerships; its parent company, Tsinghua Unigroup, allegedly supplies the PRC military.

The PRC has heavily subsidized YMTC for several years, enabling the company to rapidly expand production and sales in China and internationally. Since its formation in 2016, YMTC’s nearly $24 billion in PRC subsidies triggered explosive growth, helping to prepare the company’s plan to launch a second plant in Wuhan as early as the end of this year. At a time when overcapacity is potentially disrupting the market for chipmakers, these subsidies could enable YMTC to distort this often highly cyclical market, selling memory chips below cost in an effort to push out competitors. In addition, in April, reports alleged that YMTC may have breached the U.S.’s foreign direct product rule for supplying smartphone and electronics components to Huawei.

For these reasons, we request that you coordinate among the relevant intelligence community (IC) components a comprehensive review and analysis of YMTC and the threat that a suppler partnership arrangement between it and Apple would pose to U.S. national and economic security. The review should consider, among other issues:

• How the CCP supports the YMTC as part of its plan to bolster and indigenize China’s semiconductor industry and to displace chipmakers from the United States and allied and partnered nations;
• YMTC’s role in assisting other Chinese firms, including Huawei, to evade U.S. sanctions;
• YMTC’s role in the PRC’s military-civil fusion program and its linkages to the People’s Liberation Army; and
• The risks to U.S. national and economic security of this potential procurement.

Policymakers have for several years now conveyed to the American public the importance of a competitive semiconductor industry to U.S. national and economic security. A partnership between Apple and YMTC would endanger this critical sector and risk nullifying efforts to support it, jeopardizing the health of chipmakers in the U.S. and allied countries and advancing Beijing’s goal of controlling the global semiconductor market. Buoyed by a major contract with a leading global equipment vendor such as Apple, YMTC’s success would threaten the 24,000 American jobs that support memory chip production. More broadly, such a partnership would also threaten the opportunities this market provides for research at U.S. universities and further development of memory chips for civilian and military uses.

We once again request that you convene the relevant IC components to review and assess YMTC’s ties to the CCP and produce a comprehensive public report on YMTC, which can be used to inform federal agencies and the public as to the nature and risks associated with YMTC and similar companies.  

We look forward to your attention to this critical matter and request a response by October 1, 2022.

Sincerely,

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