WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following after the Senate failed to reach the required 60-vote threshold to establish a bipartisan, independent commission to examine the U.S. Capitol insurrection that occurred on January 6, 2021:

“Today, in the very room that a violent mob desecrated while attempting to undermine our democracy, my colleagues opted out of pursuing a fulsome and transparent investigation into the security failures and actions that ultimately led up to the tragic events on January 6. 

“It’s only been four months since the country, and the world, watched in real-time as insurrectionists breached and stormed the United States Capitol. Unfortunately today, there are those who believe that we can simply just wash our hands of what happened, and some who continue to peddle the kind of disinformation that instigated the insurrection in the first place. What we know is this: the actions that day only gave succor to our nation’s enemies, who rejoiced at the thought of democracy’s fragility. Despite the failure of today’s vote, my colleagues in the House and Senate must not shirk our responsibility to seek answers and accountability, and to reassure the American people that our democracy stands strong.” 

In February, Sen. Warner – a senior member of the Rules Committee – participated in congressional hearing convened by the Senate Rules Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee examining the security failures that enabled a mob supporting former President Donald Trump to overrun the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Following the attack on January 6, as Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Sen. Warner has also pushed to examine how violent domestic extremists continue to pose a significant threat to our nation.

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WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $8,899,215.83 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

“We are glad to announce this funding to support Virginia Department of Emergency Management’s vaccination efforts,” said the Senators. “With half of the U.S. adult population now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, now is not the time to slow down. We remain committed to expanding Virginia’s vaccination capacity so that all eligible workers and residents can get their shots as soon as possible.” 

Sens. Warner and Kaine strongly supported the recent passage of the American Rescue Plan, which included $7.5 billion in funding for the CDC and public health departments to expand vaccine distribution and administration. 

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) in urging the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to side with American workers and fully and fairly enforce U.S. trade remedy laws. In a bipartisan letter to the ITC, Warner, Brown, and Portman led their colleagues in pressing the ITC to give full and fair consideration to the United Steelworker’s petitions in these cases of unfairly traded imports. Warner, Brown, and Portman led this letter with Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Todd Young (R-IN), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Mike Braun (R-IN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Boozman (R-AR), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA).

“U.S. trade remedy laws are intended to provide relief to U.S. companies and their workers when they are undermined by unfairly traded imports.  We urge you to give full and fair consideration to the USW petitions in these cases and to ensure U.S. trade remedy laws are fully enforced,” the Senators wrote.

For years, United Steelworkers at tire companies including Cooper Tire in Findlay, Ohio, have found themselves at a severe competitive disadvantage due to unfairly traded foreign imports. The United Steelworkers’ trade petitions seeks to secure relief for their members in the tire industry to ensure the U.S. tire industry can compete on a level playing field.  

Full text of the letter is available here and below: 

The Honorable Jason Kearns

Chairman

United States International Trade Commission

500 E Street, SW

Washington, D.C. 20436

Dear Chairman Kearns:

We write on behalf of U.S. passenger vehicle and lightweight tire (PVLT) manufacturers and their workers who face ongoing challenges from unfairly traded tire imports in the above referenced cases and to reiterate our support for strong enforcement of U.S. trade remedy laws.  

The U.S. tire industry has been marked by unfair trade from foreign competitors for years.  In 2009, President Obama imposed Section 421 tariffs on Chinese tire imports to address the systemic dumping of tires in the U.S. market.  After the tariffs expired, USW tire-producing members again faced unfair competition, and the union filed antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty petitions in 2014.  AD and CVD orders have been in place on certain Chinese PVLT imports since.  Unfortunately, other foreign competitors are employing unfair practices to gain market share in the U.S. while Chinese tire imports face additional duties.  As a result, the USW union recently filed the AD and CVD petitions against tire producers in Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

U.S. trade remedy laws are intended to provide relief to U.S. companies and their workers when they are undermined by unfairly traded imports.  We urge you to give full and fair consideration to the USW petitions in these cases and to ensure U.S. trade remedy laws are fully enforced.  

Sincerely, 

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WASHINGTON – With more and more businesses rooted in service and intellectual property, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne (D-IA) reintroduced legislation today to require public companies to disclose crucial workforce management metrics, including investments made in skills training, workforce safety, and employee retention. 

“In our information-based economy, workers are easily one of the most valuable assets that a company can have. However, there continues to be too much variability among public companies when it comes to disclosing human capital metrics,” said Sen. Warner. “This legislation will help provide a clearer picture of how public companies are managing, supporting, and investing in their workers – factors that significantly influence a company’s ability to innovate and compete.”

“Over the past century, we’ve seen businesses become less reliant on physical assets and more reliant on their workers, but the public disclosures we ask of our businesses don’t cover the investments they’re making in their employees,” said Rep. Axne. “We expect our public companies to disclose their holdings and their balance sheets – but in an economy that needs people in order to be productive, we must keep that same transparency to make the U.S. a leader in helping investors understand the long-term prospects of the companies they’re investing in. The COVID-19 pandemic has only emphasized how important this information is, especially when it comes to workplace health and safety or the ability to work from home.”

In 1975, more than 80 percent of the S&P 500’s market value was in companies’ tangible assets, such as real estate holdings or purchased equipment. By 2015, tangible assets accounted for less than 20 percent.

The Workforce Investment Disclosure Act would require public companies to disclose basic human capital metrics, which have an increasingly high value across industries in our 21^st century economy. These metrics include workforce turnover rates, skills and development training, workforce health and safety, workforce engagement, and compensation statistics. This legislation would build on existing disclosure requirements, which do not currently provide sufficient information for potential workers and investors looking to evaluate modern businesses. 

“This bill takes disclosure on every company’s most valuable asset, People, out of the shadows and into the light. Every public and private company should be sharing these metrics in their public disclosures.” Jeff Higgins, founder and CEO of Human Capital Management Institute. 

"We know that human health, safety, and well-being are material to businesses’ bottom line, and human-centered policy interventions are critical to improving employee health, engagement and productivity,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute. “We commend Representative Axne and Senator Warner for their continued leadership and introduction of the Workforce Investment Disclosure Act. This bill, which takes a significant step forward on driving transparency and incentivizing investment in the workforce, will help ensure businesses prioritize the overall welfare of their most valuable asset - their people. By simply compelling businesses to report on their workforce management policies, we can accelerate better corporate practices, recognize market leaders and spur powerful investments in the health, safety and equity of employees around the country."

Gary Gensler, the new Chair of the SEC, recently said that updating disclosure rules on workforce metrics would be an “early focus” and a “top priority” of his tenure. Both Chairman Gensler and his predecessor, Chairman Jay Clayton, have affirmed the need for more information about companies’ human capital. 

The bill has the support of the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) and the National Employment Law Project. Additionally, notable investment and asset management firms already support updating these disclosure requirements.

In 2019, leadership of major investors BlackRock and State Street Global Advisory both emphasized the importance of human capital — and have indicated the need to create standardized reporting. In addition, research from the Embankment Project on Inclusive Capitalism, a partnership between asset managers directing $30 trillion and large public corporations, found U.S. companies that disclose their total human capital costs outperform those that do not.

Sen. Warner, a former entrepreneur and venture capitalist, has long stressed the importance of updating human capital disclosure requirements to reflect the priorities of modern companies. In a May 2020 letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Sen. Warner and Rep. Axne urged the SEC to require that human capital management information be made publicly available in a timely and accurate manner to help determine whether a company will be successfully able to weather risks following the COVID-19 crisis. 

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WASHINGTON —Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine sent a letter to the White House recommending Judge Arenda Wright Allen, Judge Hannah Lauck, and Virginia Solicitor General Toby J. Heytens to fill the upcoming vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which will be created when Judge Barbara M. Keenan assumes senior status in August 2021. 

Judge Allen has been a U.S. District Court Judge in the Norfolk division of the Eastern District of Virginia since 2011. Judge Allen served in the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2005-2011 and served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in both the Eastern District of Virginia and the Western District of Virginia from 1990 to 2005. She also has a distinguished record of service in the Navy and has a lifelong commitment to diversity.  

Judge Lauck has been a U.S. District Court Judge in the Richmond division of the Eastern District of Virginia since 2014 and was previously a Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District—the first woman to be appointed to either position in Richmond. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Lauck served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 1994 to 2005. Judge Lauck served as a clerk to U.S. Judge Randolph Spencer of the Eastern District of Virginia. 

Mr. Heytens has been the Solicitor General of Virginia since 2018, representing the Commonwealth in state and federal courts, including three cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Prior to this role, Mr. Heytens was a professor at his alma mater, the University of Virginia School of Law, from 2010 to 2018. Mr. Heytens also served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Chief Judge Edward R. Becker on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. 

“All three candidates possess the requisite fairness, temperament, and integrity to serve as a U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, and have our highest recommendation,” said the senators. “Ultimately, we believe each of these individuals would win confirmation from the Senate and serve capably on the bench.”

Warner and Kaine recommend these individuals based on their distinguished records and the assessments of an independent panel of attorneys from across the Commonwealth as well as feedback from bar associations in Virginia. 

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals is based in Richmond and hears federal appeals from Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina. President Biden will nominate one individual for the position, which is subject to confirmation by the full Senate. 

The full text of today’s letter appears here and below: 

Dear Mr. President: 

We are pleased to recommend United States District Court Judge Arenda Wright Allen, United States District Court Judge Hannah Lauck, and Virginia Solicitor General Toby J. Heytens for the vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit following Judge Barbara M. Keenan’s decision to take senior status, effective August, 2021. All three candidates possess the requisite fairness, temperament, and integrity to serve as a U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, and have our highest recommendation. 

The Honorable Arenda Wright Allen is a United States District Court Judge in the Norfolk Division of the Eastern District of Virginia.  Prior to joining the bench in 2011, Judge Allen served in the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2005-2011. From 1990 to 2005, Judge Allen served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in both the Eastern District of Virginia and the Western District of Virginia.  Judge Allen also has an exemplary record of military service, serving as a Navy JAG Trial Attorney and Staff Judge Advocate from 1985-1990.  Judge Allen continued her service as a Commander in the United States Navy Reserves until she retired in 2005.

Judge Hannah Lauck has had an impressive legal career to date, and is currently serving as a United States District Court Judge in Richmond, Virginia.  Prior to becoming a United States District Court Judge, she served as a federal Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, from 2005 to 2014.  Additionally, she was the first woman District Court Judge and Magistrate Judge appointed in the Richmond Division for the Eastern District of Virginia.    

Toby Heytens is the Solicitor General of Virginia, a position he has held since 2018. As the Solicitor General, Mr. Heytens exclusively represents the Commonwealth, its officers, and its agencies. In the last three years he has represented the Commonwealth in federal and state courts, including three arguments before the Supreme Court of the United States, defense of the Commonwealth’s new firearms laws and the Governor’s COVID-19 related orders in trial courts and on appeal.  Prior to joining the Virginia Attorney General’s office, Heytens was a professor at his alma mater, the University of Virginia School of Law, from 2010 to 2018. 

Ultimately, we believe each of these individuals would win confirmation from the Senate and serve capably on the bench. We are honored to recommend them to you.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) led a group of 12 colleagues in urging the Biden administration to work with states, tribes, and territories to prioritize young people in the foster care system, who have been particularly afflicted by the COVID-19 health and economic crisis. In a letter to the Administration for Children and Families at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the senators stressed the disparate outcomes faced by young people in foster care in the areas of educational attainment, employment rates, and earnings, and urged the administration to ensure that states take full advantage of existing flexibilities to mitigate these outcomes.

Joining Sen. Warner in the letter to the Associate Commissioner of the Administration for Children and Families were Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Angus King (I-ME), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).

“As efforts to curtail the pandemic prove successful, it is clear that the long-term impacts of the pandemic will be significant. As you continue to work through year-one priorities, we ask that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ensure that youth currently in and transitioning out of the foster care system receive the support and resources they need to thrive,” wrote the Senators in a letter to HHS Associate Commissioner Aysha Schomburg. “We also ask that you prioritize implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 to ensure that children, youth, and their families can access a range of services to keep them safely together and prevent unnecessary entry into foster care whenever possible. For circumstances when foster care placement is needed, we request that you work with states, tribes, and territories to ensure that children and youth in foster care have high-quality placements and trauma-informed care.”

“The past year has been a difficult time for many. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the overwhelming obstacles youth in the foster care system face, particularly the challenges associated with transitioning into adulthood after leaving the system,” they continued. “We believe that if changes are made to strengthen support and the resources for foster youth, they will be better able to realize their goals and become active members of our nation’s workforce.”

Throughout the past year, young people in the foster care system have felt the educational and economic toll of the pandemic at much higher rates than their peers. In fact, a University of Pennsylvania study found that foster youth have lost their jobs during COVID-19 at a rate three times that of the general population. The senators also cited the findings of a longitudinal study, which revealed that by age 23 and 24, one-quarter of youth with experience in foster care did not have a high school diploma or a GED. Additionally, although nearly one third had completed at least one year of college, only 6 percent had completed a 2- or 4-year post-secondary degree. 

In the letter, the senators requested that the administration take action to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on foster youth. Specifically, they asked the administration to:

·         Allow title IV-B funds to be used to provide internet and other technology to vulnerable foster youth and families in order to ensure that foster youth do not continue to fall behind in meeting their work and study obligations because they do not have necessary technological tools available to them. 

·         Work with states to address the impact of the digital divide on foster youth by considering long-term solutions to technology-access challenges that have been exacerbated during the public health emergency, and working with child welfare agencies on context-specific plans to ensure foster youth have resources necessary to participate in online instruction or work virtually.  

·         Implement a plan to ensure that agencies proactively reach out to foster youth to inform them about benefits related to stimulus checks, unemployment insurance, and other COVID-19-related assistance. 

·         Help ensure that foster youth and other at-risk youth are aware of and have the resources to take advantage of the extension of the earned income tax credit (EITC) to working youth under age 26 and work toward making the child tax credit (CTC) as accessible as possible. They asked that the Administration make the EITC and the CTC as accessible as possible by working with youth and their families to ensure they are aware of these opportunities. They also asked that the Administration provide flexibility for caregivers of children in the welfare system to claim a dependent. 

·         Create and implement a plan to ensure that foster youth have access to and are aware of mental health supports. Given the high rates of trauma experienced by foster youth and the increase in reports of mental illness during the pandemic, the senators asked that the administration work to ensure foster youth are provided the necessary mental health resources to support their resilience during this difficult time. 

·         Commit to working with Congress and states, tribes, and territories to address inequalities in the child welfare system in the U.S. and outline steps to make child welfare programs more equitable by working ensuring better opportunities for foster youth and combat the racial disparities we have known to persist within the system for too long. 

A PDF of the letter is available here. Text is available below.

Associate Commissioner Aysha Schomburg

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

The Administration for Children and Families

Children’s Bureau

330 C Street, SW

Washington, D.C. 20201

Dear Associate Commissioner Aysha Schomburg, 

We write today in support of children and youth in the foster care system as they continue to face a number of unique challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the steady progress of nationwide vaccine distribution, like many Americans, we feel a sense of reassurance that our nation will soon transition into a more manageable period of the health and economic crises that the nation has endured for over a year now. As efforts to curtail the pandemic prove successful, it is clear that the long-term impacts of the pandemic will be significant. As you continue to work through year-one priorities, we ask that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ensure that youth currently in and transitioning out of the foster care system receive the support and resources they need to thrive. We also ask that you prioritize implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 to ensure that children, youth, and their families can access a range of services to keep them safely together and prevent unnecessary entry into foster care whenever possible. For circumstances when foster care placement is needed, we request that you work with states, tribes, and territories to ensure that children and youth in foster care have high quality placements and trauma-informed care. 

It is well-documented that current and former foster youth face disparate outcomes compared to their peers in various areas, including educational attainment and employment rates and earnings.[1] A longitudinal study in Iowa, better known as “The Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth,” found that by age 23 and 24, one-quarter of youth with experience in foster care did not have a high school diploma or a GED, and although nearly one third had completed at least one year of college, only 6% had completed a 2- or 4-year post-secondary degree.[2] Foster youth aging out of the system are also more likely to become homeless and struggle with job insecurity.[3]

The past year has been a difficult time for many. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the overwhelming obstacles youth in the foster care system face, particularly the challenges associated with transitioning into adulthood after leaving the system. 

In fact, former foster youth are some of the most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] According to a study from the University of Pennsylvania, former foster youth have lost their jobs during the pandemic at a rate three times that of the general population. Additionally, two-thirds of study participants reported that COVID-19 had a major negative impact on their educational progress or attainment.[5] These outcomes can be partially explained by inconsistent access to the internet, with only 5% of rural foster youth and 21% of urban foster youth having consistent access to computers in their homes.[6]

These statistics are heartbreaking and unacceptable. We believe that if changes are made to strengthen support and the resources for foster youth, they will be better able to realize their goals and become active members of our nation’s workforce. 

We greatly appreciate the Biden Administration’s leadership in working with state, tribal and territorial child welfare agencies to slow the spread of the virus and “build back better.” We respectfully ask that you continue to encourage states to take full advantage of existing flexibilities and make additional changes to best support foster youth. Specifically, we request that you: 

·         Allow title IV-B funds to be used to provide internet and other technology to vulnerable foster youth and families. The virtual working and learning environments we have experienced during the pandemic are likely to last long after the spread of the virus is slowed.[7] Therefore, we must ensure that foster youth do not continue to fall behind in meeting their work and study obligations because they do not have necessary technological tools available to them. We ask that allowable expenses be expanded to include laptop computers, tablets, and internet access for children and families in the child welfare system.  

·         Work with states to address the impact of the digital divide on foster youth. We were proud to vote in support of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which increased support for John H. Chafee Foster Care Programs for Successful Transition to Adulthood, mandated that a state operating a program under Title IV-E cannot require that a child who is in foster care leave solely because of the child’s age until October 1, 2021, and suspended certain training and postsecondary educational requirements that could be barriers to youth accessing Chafee supports during the public health emergency. In addition to working with states, territories, tribes and tribal organizations to ensure this law is implemented effectively, we ask that you consider long-term solutions to technology-access challenges that have been exacerbated during the public health emergency. We ask that you work with child welfare agencies on context-specific plans to ensure foster youth have resources necessary to participate in online instruction or work virtually. 

·         Implement a plan to ensure that agencies proactively reach out to foster youth to inform them about benefits related to stimulus checks, unemployment insurance, and other COVID-19-related assistance. We ask that you work to ensure foster youth are aware of all resources available to them during this difficult time. 

·         Help ensure that foster youth and other at-risk youth are aware of and have the resources to take advantage of the extension of the earned income tax credit (EITC) to working youth under age 26 and work toward making the child tax credit (CTC) as accessible as possible. We were pleased to see that the American Rescue Plan included an extension of the EITC to working youth under age 26. We believe this change has significant potential to equip former foster youth to become productive members of the workforce. We ask that the Administration help make foster youth and other vulnerable youth aware of this expansion, as well as help ensure they have the resources to take advantage of this opportunity. In addition, we are proud that the American Rescue Plan temporarily expands the CTC and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) for 2021. We ask that the Administration make the CTC as accessible as possible by working with families to ensure they know how the monthly payments work and allow non-filers to establish eligibility. We also ask that the Administration provide flexibility for caregivers of children in the welfare system to claim a dependent. 

·         Create and implement a plan to ensure that foster youth have access to and are aware of mental health supports. Foster youth who have aged out of the system are like other populations experiencing isolation due to the pandemic, but many lack substantive social supports. The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental illnesses. Given the high rates of trauma experienced by foster youth and the increase in reports of mental illness during the pandemic, we ask that you work to ensure foster youth are provided the necessary mental health resources to support their resilience during this difficult time. The Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 allows Title IV-E funds to cover evidence-based mental health services and programs for children, youth, and their families. We encourage you to support states, tribes, and territories in development and implementation of robust Title IV-E Prevention Program plans that include a range of mental health services.

·         Commit to working with Congress and states, tribes, and territories to address inequalities in the child welfare system in the U.S. and outline steps to make child welfare programs more equitable. Youth of color frequently experience negative outcomes, such as homelessness, unemployment, economic hardship, and involvement with the criminal justice system, at higher rates than their white peers after transitioning out of the foster care system.[8] We ask that the Biden Administration work with youth, parents, kinship caregivers with lived expertise, as well as child welfare agencies and Congress to play a leading role in ensuring better opportunities for foster youth and combat the racial disparities we have known to persist within the system for too long. 

Thank you for your diligent, impactful work on behalf of our nation’s foster youth. We appreciate your time and attention to this urgent matter. We are grateful for your partnership as we continue to work on behalf of youth in need. 

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, took to the Senate floor today in support of the United States Innovation and Competition Act, bipartisan legislation that includes Warner-led provisions to foster U.S. innovation in the race for 5G and shore up American leadership in the microelectronics industry. This speech comes one day after the Senate reached a bipartisan deal with a procedural vote to move forward with the legislation.

The United States Innovation and Competition Act – also known by an earlier name, the Endless Frontier Act – would help invest in domestic semiconductor manufacturing, packaging and advanced research and development by investing $52 billion to implement the CHIPS for America Act, a bipartisan law championed by Sen. Warner to help restore semiconductor manufacturing back to American soil. Semiconductors power modern technology, including cars, computers, smartphones and an increasing number of internet-connected ‘smart’ devices as varied as laundry machines to toothbrushes. A current production shortage of chips has backed up manufacturing supply lines in the United States, with major automobile manufacturers projecting $110 billion in lost sales this year due to factories sitting idle while waiting for components, and increased costs for goods such as televisions and home appliances dependent on imported semiconductors being passed on to U.S. consumers. Demand for semiconductors is expected to continue to grow, as internet connectivity and software processing is added to an ever-wider array of consumer, enterprise, and industrial products, services, and systems.

“The semiconductor industry, while we’ve seen some sliding, still represents one of the shining lights of our country’s innovation economy. And as a wider array of products and services depend on internet connectivity and software processing, the demand for semiconductors has only grown. Unfortunately, that leadership position we’ve had for so long is at stake,” said Sen. Warner on the floor of the U.S. Senate. “So the CHIPS Act, which was baked into the Endless Frontiers Act, directs agencies like the Department of Commerce, in consultation with others like our Intelligence Community, to make investments in microelectronics R&D a priority.”

He continued, “It emphasizes the need for multilateral effort with our allies and close trading partners to bring greater transparency and accountability to subsidies. It alignspolicies towards non-transparent, non-market competitors like the Chinese, and it makes sure that we have concerted and coordinated action both domestically and again, with our allies, on supply chain security and integrity. It invest billions in basic research related to advanced semiconductors, via DoD and a newly created National Semiconductor Technology Center – helping us maintain our lead in the design, prototyping, lithography and packaging of advanced microelectronics. And it makes an unprecedented investment in trying to build new foundries, fabs, and basic manufacturing facilities here in the United States so that we have that secure supply chain for the future.”

This crucial provision comes as the U.S. faces a decline in R&D and advanced manufacturing, including in advanced chip manufacturing. As Sen. Warner noted on the Senate floor, U.S. production of semiconductors and microelectronics has gone down from 37 percent in 1990 to just 12 percent today. By contrast, China has committed to invest $150 billion and produce at least 70 percent of semiconductors it consumes by 2030.

The United States Innovation and Competition Act also includes funding for the bipartisan Utilizing Strategic Allied (USA) Telecommunications Act, legislation Sen. Warner introduced to provide Western-based alternatives to Chinese equipment providers like Huawei and ZTE, which are heavily subsidized by the Communist Party of China and present serious risks to national security and the integrity of information networks globally. 

“I was proud to work with two of my colleagues, Senator Burr and Senator Rubio. We put up a Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund to spur movement towards open-architecture and ‘leap-ahead’ technologies in our domestic mobile broadband market,” said Sen. Warner. “I believe that so-called ‘Open RAN’ represents the single best approach to tackling the 5G challenge – opening the radio access network to competition from a wider array of players, including startups, non-traditional players like software companies, and enterprise networking companies. That approach plays to U.S. strengths like software and network virtualization. And it means we have a wider set of firms – including American firms with healthier balance sheets – competing against Huawei. Because one thing that’s been clear over the past two Administrations: Our anti-Huawei message won’t work unless the U.S. proposes lower-cost Western alternatives.”

With the U.S. funding less than 28 percent of global R&D – down from 69 percent after World War II – the Warner-led provision would put forth $1.5 billion to invest in Western-based alternatives to Chinese equipment providers and $500 million to work with close allies and trading partners on the development and adoption of secure and trusted wireless infrastructure globally.

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

I rise today in support of the Endless Frontier Act – a long-overdue bipartisan effort to invest in our country’s innovation and competitiveness. 

I am pleased to see Congress finally taking action to shore up U.S. investment in the research, development, and manufacturing of critical technologies. 

Without intervention, China will continue to outpace and outperform us in the global technology race – impacting our country’s economic well-being, our global influence, and our national security.

In recent years, China has rapidly ramped up investment in its domestic industries – and particularly in areas that confer long-term strategic influence.    

For instance, China consistently increases its investment in the semiconductor industry, with a commitment to invest $150 billion and a goal to produce at least 70 percent of semiconductors it consumes by 2030.

And this is a global competition: South Korea, for instance, has pledged to invest over $130 billion over the next 9 years, while training 36,000 new microelectronics engineers and technicians.  And Germany and 18 other EU members announced investments of up to $60 billion in key hardware like semiconductors over the next few years.

By contrast, over the past 10 years only 17 major semiconductor fabs have been built in the U.S. – while we’ve seen over 122 built elsewhere. In absolute terms, we’ve actually seen the number of facilities in the U.S. decline – going from 81 production facilities a decade ago to 76 today.  And as a country we’ve gone from a 37% share of semiconductors and microelectronics production in 1990 to just 12% today.

In part, this is because the cost of new fabs is 25-50% higher in the U.S. – a delta, in major part, attributable to the significantly lower financial incentives government provides in the U.S. for new construction compared to in competing locales. 

And for its part, China doesn’t plan on taking its foot off the pedal any time soon. Last year, President Xi Jinping announced a $1.4 trillion commitment through 2025 to develop advanced technologies like next-generation wireless networks and artificial intelligence.  Technologies that will undergird entire ecosystems of innovation, commerce, and communications.

US semiconductor firms - and firms in the adjacent areas of lithography, packaging, and metrology – still lead the world. However, many of the key ingredients to our success… including federal support for R&D, investment in basic research, and support for advanced manufacturing… have declined over the last 20 years.

Simply put, we are just not keeping up.

Between 1995 and 2018, Chinese R&D investment increased by over 15 percent per year on average, compared to the United States, which averaged just over 3 percent growth per year over the same period.  

Despite once championing investment in R&D and technological advancements, we are losing ground.

After World War II, the United States funded 69 percent of annual global R&D. Today, we fund less than 28 percent, with only 7 percent going to non-defense technologies like wireless communications.

To get back to where we once were and reassert US technology leadership, we need to re-prioritize foundational technologies to maintain not just our country’s economic leadership, but to ensure that countries with inconsistent values and objectives aren’t able to leverage control over these foundational technologies in worrisome ways.

As Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I have long been banging the drum about the ways that the PRC has taken advantage of what makes our country and our economic system so great – our openness, our transparency, our technology, and our free markets. 

The Chinese government, unfortunately, plays by a different set of rules.

The Chinese government is using all aspects of its society to increase China’s dominance– using all means at its disposal to establish its position as the world’s technology leader – often with opaque subsidies and financing that dramatically tilt the playing field towards Chinese vendors.

And unfortunately, for too many of these trading partners, the deal is simply too good to turn down… in part, because we haven’t worked, either on our own or better yet with our close allies, to offer a secure, competitively-priced alternative. 

That’s why this bill is so important. It includes funding for the bipartisan Utilizing Strategic Allied (USA) Telecommunications Act, which fosters U.S. innovation in the race for 5G by providing $1.5 billion to invest in Western-based alternatives to Chinese equipment providers like Huawei and ZTE, and $500 million to work with close allies and trading partners on development and adoption of secure and trusted wireless infrastructure globally.

This is a bill I was proud to work on with my colleagues, Senator Burr and Senator Rubio.

And it would stand up a new Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund – to spur movement towards open-architecture, software-based wireless technologies, funding innovative, “leap-ahead” technologies in the domestic mobile broadband market.

I believe that so-call “Open RAN” represents the single best approach to tackling the 5G challenge – opening the radio access network to competition from a wider array of players, including startups, non-traditional players like software companies, and enterprise networking companies.

That approach plays to U.S. strengths like software and network virtualization. And it means we have a wider set of firms – including American firms with healthier balance sheets – competing against Huawei.

Because one thing that’s been clear over the past two Administrations: Our anti-Huawei message won’t work unless the U.S. proposes lower-cost Western alternatives. 

Crucially, this bill also, invests in domestic semiconductor manufacturing, packaging and advanced R&D, with a $52 billion investment in the CHIPS for America law we enacted last year as part of a bipartisan effort by Senator Cornyn, Senator Schumer, Senator Cotton and me.

The semiconductor industry represents one of the shining lights of our country’s innovation economy. And as a wider array of products and services depend on internet connectivity and software processing, the demand for semiconductors has only grown. Unfortunately, experts note that the U.S. lead over China is shrinking each year.

The Endless Frontier Act would serve as a major step in shoring up American leadership in the microelectronics industry. 

It directs – and empowers – key agencies like the Department of Commerce to make investments in microelectronics R&D a priority. 

It emphasizes the need for multilateral effort with our allies and close trading partners – bringing greater transparency and accountability to subsidies… aligning policies towards non-transparent, non-market competitors… and underlining the need for concerted action on supply chain security and integrity.

It invest billions in basic research related to advanced semiconductors, via DoD and a newly created National Semiconductor Technology Center –helping us maintain our lead in the design, prototyping, lithography and packaging of advanced microelectronics. 

And it makes an unprecedented investment in advanced manufacturing, with a focus on building new, advanced fabs in the United States to ensure a resilient and secure supply chain for the future. The $39 billion we provide in the form of investment incentives will mean that 7 to 10 new fabs are built here in the U.S. – something that will help ensure we never face the devastating supply chain constraints across a wide array of industries … from automotive to aerospace, biomedical, and other important sectors … that we have seen in the last year, stemming from a shortfall in semiconductor production. 

The Endless Frontier Act serves as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to solidify U.S. leadership in science and tech innovation, strengthen our national security, and reinvigorate American ingenuity.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in meeting this challenge and investing in America’s competitiveness.  

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) along with Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Shelley Capito (R-WV), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), John Boozman (R-AR), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) today reintroduced legislation to encourage greater private investment in rural and underserved areas, which have been particularly hard-hit by the COVID-19 health and economic crisis. Seeking to build on the proven success of the New Markets Tax Credit (NTMC) program, the bipartisan Rural Jobs Act would increase the flow of capital to rural areas and will serve as an important tool in U.S. economic recovery efforts. Companion legislation has also been introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Jason Smith (R-MO).

“The New Market Tax Credit program has a proven track record of reviving local economies and creating needed jobs in communities around the country. Unfortunately, less than one in four jobs created by this program have been in rural communities,” said Sen. Warner. “This legislation will bridge this job creation gap by earmarking additional tax credits specifically for rural and underserved regions, which are suffering tremendously due to the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.” 

The NMTC program currently provides a modest tax incentive to private investors to invest in low-income communities. The Rural Jobs Act would build on the success of this program by designating, for two years, $500 million in NMTC investments for “Rural Job Zones” – low-income communities that have a population smaller than 50,000 inhabitants and are not adjacent to an urban area. Under this new definition, Rural Job Zones would be established in in 342 out of the 435 congressional districts across the country, including communities in the following Virginia localities: Accomack, Albemarle, Alleghany, Appomattox, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buchanan, Buckingham, Buena Vista, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charlotte, Covington, Culpeper, Cumberland, Danville, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Emporia, Essex, Fauquier, Floyd, Franklin, Frederick, Galax, Giles, Gloucester, Grayson, Greene, Greensville, Halifax, Henry, Highland, Isle of Wight, King and Queen, King William, Lee, Lexington, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Martinsville, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, Northampton, Northumberland, Norton, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Prince Edward, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Richmond, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, Sussex, Tazewell, Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, Wise, and Wythe. 

Since the creation of the NMTC, a total of 77 businesses and economic revitalization projects in Virginia have received financing, contributing to $1.5 billion in total project investments. 

“The Rural Jobs Zones initiative will drive more resources to projects such as the OnePartner/HMG Medical Center in Duffield, Virginia. Hampton Roads Ventures used the New Markets Tax Credit to finance a new facility that expanded medical services to residents in this medically underserved area. Rural Jobs Zones will benefit from billions in private sector financing for health centers, manufacturing businesses, broadband expansions, and Main Street revitalization efforts. We applaud Senator Warner for his continued commitment to rural economic development,” said Jennifer Donohue, CEO of Hampton Roads Ventures, LLC. 

“Senator Warner’s bill, the Rural Jobs Act, will create a powerful new tool for economic and community development in rural communities across Virginia and across the nation, it will lead to more quality jobs and better futures in rural America,” said Rob Goldsmith, President and CEO, People Incorporated Financial Services.

Under this legislation, Virginia would have more qualified census tracts than almost any other state, providing greater investment opportunity to support and grow businesses and create jobs in communities across the Commonwealth. The bill would also require that at least 25 percent of this new investment activity be targeted to persistent poverty counties and high-migration counties. There are approximately 400 persistent poverty counties in the United States, 85 percent of which are located in non-metro or rural areas. 

Bill text is available here. A bill summary is available here.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $2,040,321 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership, also known as GENEDGE, in Martinsville. GENEDGE is a part of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network, based at NIST. The partnership aims to help small and medium-sized manufacturers lower costs, boost efficiency, develop the industry’s workforce, create new products, and expand to new markets.

“We’re excited to see this investment in Virginia’s manufacturing industry,” said the Senators. “We’ll continue working to support the growth of good jobs and expansion of businesses in the Commonwealth as we continue to recover from the economic hardships of the last year.”

MEP is a public-private partnership with resource locations called “Centers” in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Last year, MEP Centers interacted with 27,574 manufacturers, leading to $13.0 billion in sales, and helped create or retain 105,748 jobs.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and 41 Senate Democrats in urging Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra to quickly finalize the proposed rule for the Title X family planning program that would reverse the Trump Administration’s gag rule, commit to health equity, and ensure that patients who depend on Title X providers can get the care they need—including for birth control, STD screenings, cancer screenings, and more.

“For over 50 years, the Title X program has been an invaluable tool for providing high-quality family planning and preventive health care to millions of people, many of whom earn low incomes and have extremely limited access to health care,” wrote the Senators in a letter. “We urge you to swiftly finalize the proposed rule to ensure patients have widespread, affordable access to the comprehensive family planning services and cancer and sexually transmitted disease (STD) screenings they need from providers they trust.”

In the letter, the Senators expressed their support for Secretary Becerra to swiftly act to reverse the Trump Administration’s harmful gag rule prohibiting providers who receive Title X funds from informing patients about the full range of reproductive health care options available to them, including abortion. Despite the Title X program’s 50 years of bipartisan support, the Trump Administration’s gag rule slashed the Title X-funded health care network’s capacity, compromising the health care of millions patients nationwide—disproportionately women of color—who rely on Title X health centers. 

“The proposed rule would be a vital step in reversing the devastating loss of Title X services caused by the 2019 Title X regulations,” continued the Senators. “After the 2019 Title X regulations went into effect in July 2019, one-quarter of the clinics in the Title X network were forced to withdraw from the program, which meant at least 1.6 million people lost access to the Title X-supported services that were previously available to them.”

In addition to Senators Warner and Murray, the letter was signed by: Senators Bennet (D-CO), Luján (D-NM), Booker (D-NJ), Shaheen (D-NH), Wyden (D-OR), Murphy (D-CT), Gillibrand (D-NY), Baldwin (D-WI), Blumenthal (D-CT), Smith (D-MN), Menendez (D-NJ), Warren (D-MA), Casey (D-PA), Cardin (D-MD), Duckworth (D-IL), Leahy (D-VT), Hassan (D-NH), Markey (D-MA), Brown (D-OH), Durbin (D-IL), Tester (D-MT), Schumer (D-NY), King (I-ME), Hirono (D-HI), Van Hollen (D-MD), Whitehouse (D-RI), Stabenow (D-MI), Kaine (D-VA), Padilla (D-CA), Sanders (D-VT), Coons (D-DE), Rosen (D-NV), Carper (D-DE), Merkley (D-OR), Reed (D-RI), Feinstein (D-CA), Kelly (D-AZ), Warnock (D-GA), Peters (D-MI), Klobuchar (D-MN), and Ossoff (D-GA).

The full letter can be found HERE and below.

Dear Secretary Becerra

We write to provide formal comments on the Department of Health of Human Services’ (HHS) notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), “Ensuring Access to Equitable, Affordable, Client-Centered, Quality Family Planning Services,” RIN 0937-AA11. For over 50 years, the Title X program has been an invaluable tool for providing high-quality family planning and preventive health care to millions of people, many of whom earn low incomes and have extremely limited access to health care. We support HHS’s prompt efforts to revoke the 2019 Title X regulations, which failed to carry out congressional intent for the Title X program. We urge you to swiftly finalize the proposed rule to ensure patients have widespread, affordable access to the comprehensive family planning services and cancer and sexually transmitted disease (STD) screenings they need from providers they trust.

The proposed rule would be a vital step in reversing the devastating loss of Title X services caused by the 2019 Title X regulations. After the 2019 Title X regulations went into effect in July 2019, one-quarter of the clinics in the Title X network were forced to withdraw from the program, which meant at least 1.6 million people lost access to the Title X-supported services that were previously available to them.[1] Federal data shows that compared to 2018, 844,083 fewer patients received family planning and sexual health services from Title X-supported providers in 2019 than in 2018.[2] This includes 280,000 fewer cancer screenings, 1.3 million fewer STD screenings, 278,000 fewer confidential HIV tests, and hundreds of thousands of people losing access to contraceptive care due to the rule.[3] While data from 2020 is not yet finalized, the initial data shows millions of people lost access to Title X-supported services in 2020.[4] This includes the loss of care for people in six states who no longer have Title X-supported providers, leaving nearly 19 million people without access to these vital services.[5] As STD rates continue to rise and the country grapples with providing care during a pandemic, this loss of care is particularly alarming.

If finalized, the proposed rule would build on the over 50 years of bipartisan support for the Title X program, which Congress intended to make “comprehensive voluntary family planning services readily available to all persons desiring such services.”^[6] We support the proposed rule’s inclusion of health equity goals related to providing client-centered, culturally sensitive, linguistically appropriate, and equitable health care. Additionally, we believe the proposed rule restores the focus of the program to providing confidential, evidence-based care from trusted health care providers, which is vital to ensuring the program meets its core statutory mission of providing care. 

We urge you to swiftly finalize the proposed rule to restore the key focus of the Title X program and help move the program forward to ensure patients have access to the family planning services and cancer and STD screenings they need. 

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today announced $10,575,962 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to help fund projects at 7 airports across the Commonwealth. The funding was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which supports infrastructure improvement projects at airports across the nation. A portion of the funding also comes from the American Rescue Plan supported by Sens. Warner and Kaine.

“With the COVID-19 crisis almost in the rearview mirror and families beginning to plan their summer getaways, we’re pleased to see these funds go towards safety improvements at airports across the Commonwealth,” said the Senators.

• Tazewell County Airport will receive $750,000 in federal funds to rehabilitate runway lights.
• Danville Regional Airport will receive $172,222 to rehabilitate an apron.
• Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport will receive $1,189,592 in federal funds for lighting system repairs in order to ensure safe airfield operations during low visibility conditions. In addition, it will receive another $489,000 in funds for runway rehabilitation.
• Lynchburg Regional Airport will receive $2,082,588 in federal funds to construct an apron.
• Hampton Roads Executive Airport will receive $665,445 in federal funds to rehabilitate a taxiway.
• Norfolk International Airport will receive $5,143,782 in federal funds to rehabilitate a taxiway.
• Accomack County Airport will receive $83,333 in federal funds to construct a taxiway.

The American Rescue Plan provided additional funds to help airports weather the effects of COVID-19. To further assist with much-needed infrastructure updates at airports, Sen. Warner introduced bicameral, bipartisan legislation, which would set up a funding stream to help strengthen Virginia’s infrastructure and create jobs.  

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced legislation to increase cooperation between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and veterans legal clinics, such as the Lewis B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic housed at the College of William and Mary and the Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic (M-VETS) at George Mason University. The Veterans Legal Support Act of 2021 would allow the VA to provide funding to law school legal clinics that provide pro bono legal services to veterans.

“It’s an unfortunate reality that too many of our nation’s veterans encounter bureaucratic obstacles in accessing the assistance or benefits they’ve rightfully earned. In order to help address these challenges, veterans legal clinics have stepped in to provide free quality legal services to help veterans cut through the red tape,” said Sen. Warner. “Given the extraordinary sacrifices our veterans have made for our country, I’m proud to be introducing this bill to help our veterans get the timely assistance they need.” 

“Veterans legal clinics do tremendous work serving our most vulnerable veterans, allowing them to access essential, high-quality legal services. With many veterans facing bureaucratic challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic – on issues like foreclosure, accessing public benefits and processing disability claims – ensuring they have access to legal assistance has never been more important,” said Sen. Shaheen. “My bill with Senator Warner allows the VA to work more closely with law school legal clinics to provide critical assistance to the brave men and women who have served and sacrificed for our nation.” 

Legal clinics and their student volunteers have helped address disability claims backlogs and veterans homelessness in communities across the country. Under attorney supervision, students provide a range of pro bono legal services, including assistance with disability claims, foreclosures, bankruptcies, divorce, child custody and some minor criminal cases. By assisting veterans with complicated benefits claims, legal clinics are turning the VA’s most time-consuming cases into organized applications that are significantly easier to process. In addition, preventative services like expedited claims assistance and legal counsel offer veterans an opportunity to address challenges before they deteriorate, often resulting in significant long-term savings to the government. 

“The Lewis B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic of the William & Mary Law School has been at the forefront of efforts to assist veterans while educating future lawyers who are imbued with a deeply held public service ethos. Since its establishment in 2008, the efforts of William & Mary Veterans Benefits Clinic students and staff have resulted in the awarding of over $54 million in projected lifetime benefits to veterans. The Veterans Legal Support Act of 2021 would help the Puller Clinic expand efforts to meet the pressing unmet needs of veterans in Virginia and would greatly assist in establishing a more stable foundation for the Clinic’s continued operation,” said Michael Dick, Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.) and Co-Director, the Lewis B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic. 

“The Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic (“M-VETS”) strongly supports the legislation introduced by Senator Warner and Senator Shaheen, the Veterans Legal Support Act of 2021. As a pro bono law school legal clinic, this legislation is extremely important and would provide critical funding for law school pro bono veterans clinics across the country in their pursuit of securing vital Department of Veterans Affairs benefits and entitlement claims. This type of financial assistance would enable M-VETS to grow its staff, expand its scope of services, and ensure more veterans have quicker access to justice and receive the benefits they earned from their military service. Established in 2004 as the first law school veterans legal clinic in the country, M-VETS provides free legal representation to veterans, active duty service members, and their families while allowing law students to gain practical legal experience under the supervision of practicing attorneys. M-VETS provides representation in a variety of matters, including Virginia civil litigation matters, uncontested divorces, consumer protection matters, wills and powers of attorney, as well as assisting with matters before the Department of Veterans Affairs and various administrative boards, including discharge upgrades, record corrections, military pay and entitlement matters, medical and physical evaluation boards, Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims,” said Timothy M. MacArthur, Director & Clinical Professor, Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic (M-VETS).

Sen. Warner has been a longtime supporter of legal clinics dedicated to serving our nation’s veterans. In April 2013, he sent letters to then-VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and President Obama urging them to partner with the Puller Clinic to help veterans cut through red tape and reduce the VA claims backlog. Sen. Warner also sent a letter to each of his Senate colleagues promoting the Puller Clinic model, and met with Secretary Shinseki to advocate for the Puller Clinic program as a national model to help the VA solve its backlog challenges. He also worked to secure the Puller Clinic’s certification as a national “best practice” program, making it the first law school clinic in the nation to receive the VA designation.

A copy of the bill text can be found here.

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