WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and Congressman Bob Goodlatte announced $750,000 in federal funding to help the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission bring new non-stop service from Roanoke Regional Airport to Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas, Denver, Colorado, and/or Detroit, Michigan. The Commission can use the funds for a revenue guarantee, a marketing program, and fee waivers. This effort was a community collaboration where the Roanoke Regional Chamber and the Botetourt Chamber of Commerce worked with local businesses, who are frequent users of Roanoke Regional Airport, to secure pledges to match these funds. The Roanoke Regional Airport Commission led the process to secure the public sector funding. This funding will be formally announced at the Roanoke Regional Chamber today at 10:00 AM.

“Roanoke Regional Airport is vital to the economic health of the entire region and Virginia as a whole. We are proud to announce these grant dollars that will ensure the airport continues to offer flights that attract tourism and business and offer Virginians more travel options,” the Senators and Congressman said. “Congratulations to the Airport Commission and the local Chambers that worked so hard together to secure these funds.”    

“The Roanoke Regional Airport Commission is thrilled to have been awarded a Small Community Air Service Development Grant. We sincerely appreciate the support from the community and our stakeholders, including Sens. Kaine and Warner and Rep. Goodlatte. We are hopeful that given two and a half’s years of passenger growth, these funds will help secure additional service to Dallas/Ft. Worth, Denver and/or Detroit. Air service is a critical component for economic development and we feel this is a significant step in the right direction,” Tim Bradshaw, Executive Director of the Roanoke Blacksburg Regional Airport, said.

“Better connectivity from ROA will open new markets throughout the country for existing businesses and help attract new investment in the Roanoke region. We are excited to see how this grant will improve service from ROA, and we appreciate the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission’s commitment to supporting our community’s needs and economic growth,” Joyce Waugh, Roanoke Regional Chamber President & CEO, said. 

“Collaborative efforts such as this support existing business travel needs, ensure our region remains attractive to new business, and create new economic opportunities.  We look forward to continuing to work with our regional partners and our elected representatives to bring more opportunity to rural areas in Virginia’s Blue Ridge,” Sheri Winesett, Botetourt Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, said. 

The funding was awarded through the Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) under the Department of Transportation. These funds help smaller communities address air service access and high fares. 

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced more than $2.05 million to preserve six historic battlefields in Virginia. These grants were awarded through the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program, funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which is one of more than a dozen programs operated by NPS that provide states and local communities with technical assistance, recognition, and funding to help preserve their own history and create close-to-home recreation opportunities.

“Virginia is home to some of our nation’s most significant history,” said the Senators. “These funds will help local conservation groups and localities protect these important sites for future generations.”

Earlier this year, President Trump’s FY 2019 budget proposed to significantly cut funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), reducing the program by more than 95 percent from the $400 million level previously appropriated by Congress. The budget also proposed eliminating American Battlefield Protection Program acquisition grants, which are funded from LWCF—a cut of $10 million. The LWCF has long served as the primary tool for acquiring key sites or otherwise expanding historic and cultural parks managed by the NPS. In total, the proposed budget requested just $8.1 million for federal land acquisition programs across the Department of the Interior.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have worked to preserve and protect Virginia’s historic battlefield sites. They successfully passed legislation to add more than 7,000 acres to the Petersburg National Battlefield through the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act. Last week, Sen. Warner worked with colleagues and the Trump Administration to introduce bipartisan, consensus legislation to address the $12 billion maintenance backlog at NPS operated sites, including more than a $1 billion in Virginia alone. When Kaine first joined the Senate, he introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) that was signed into law in 2014 to reauthorize and expand the American Battlefield Protection Program. As Governor, Kaine worked across the aisle to preserve more than 400,000 acres of open space in Virginia. 

The following historic battlefields will receive funding from the Department of the Interior:

• Second Manassas Battlefield will receive $519,515 in federal funding.
• Opequon Battlefield will receive $910,500 in federal funding.
• New Market Battlefield will receive $143,248 in federal funding.
• New Market Heights Battlefield will receive $193,722 in federal funding.
• Rappahannock Station II will receive $240,306.25 in federal funding.
• Trevilian Station Battlefield will receive $47,751 in federal funding.

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WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) and Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) released the Committee’s unclassified summary of its initial findings on the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) on Russian activities in the 2016 U.S. elections. The Committee finds that the overall judgments issued in the ICA were well-supported and the tradecraft was strong. The course of the Committee’s investigation has shown that the Russian cyber operations were more extensive than the hack of the Democratic National Committee and continued well through the 2016 election.  

“The Committee has spent the last 16 months reviewing the sources, tradecraft and analytic work underpinning the Intelligence Community Assessment and sees no reason to dispute the conclusions,” said Chairman Burr. “The Committee continues its investigation and I am hopeful that this installment of the Committee’s work will soon be followed by additional summaries providing the American people with clarity around Russia’s activities regarding U.S. elections.”  

“Our investigation thoroughly reviewed all aspects of the January 2017 ICA, which assessed that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign to target our presidential election and to destabilize our democratic institutions,” said Vice Chairman Warner. “As numerous intelligence and national security officials in the Trump administration have since unanimously re-affirmed, the ICA findings were accurate and on point.  The Russian effort was extensive and sophisticated, and its goals were to undermine public faith in the democratic process, to hurt Secretary Clinton and to help Donald Trump.  While our investigation remains ongoing, we have to learn from 2016 and do more to protect ourselves from attacks in 2018 and beyond.”

The summary is the second unclassified installment in the Committee’s report on Russian election activities.  

The Committee held a closed door hearing in May to review the ICA on “Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent U.S. Elections.” Members heard testimony from former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John Brennan and former Director of the National Security Agency Mike Rogers, which informed the Committee’s report. 

You can read a copy of the unclassified summary here.

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WASHINGTON – Ahead of President Trump’s scheduled trip to Europe for a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit and a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA)—Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence—and top Senate Democrats laid out expectations for President Trump to stay focused on reaffirming America’s commitment to our longstanding transatlantic NATO allies and against Russian aggression around the world.  

In a letter signed by Vice Chairman Warner and Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Democratic Whip; and Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senators warned the President not to make any concessions that could further compromise the post-World War II order. 

“Clear U.S. leadership is necessary to counter President Putin’s efforts to undermine the NATO alliance and its founding values,” wrote the Senators, citing Russia’s interference in democratic elections, aggressions in Ukraine, occupation of Crimea, and its steadfast support of the Assad regime in Syria. “While there is a place for dialogue between nations on disagreements and common challenges, such as reducing nuclear dangers, we are deeply concerned that your Administration continues to send mixed messages regarding the Russian security threat.” 

The Senators also listed critical topics for President Trump to discuss with NATO allies, adding, “it is imperative that you make a strong statement of support for the democratic nations that make up the Alliance and make clear that the United States stands with—not in opposition to—our oldest and closest allies.”  

“We stand ready to engage with your Administration, and with our NATO partners, to further the implementation of [CAATSA] and a coherent, coordinated U.S. policy toward Russia that reflects the realities of Russia’s aggression and our nation’s deepest democratic values,” concludes the letter. 

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

July 2, 2018

The Honorable Donald J. Trump

President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We strongly disagree with your past statements praising Russian President Vladimir Putin, in spite of overwhelming evidence from our intelligence community that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 U.S. election, its illegal occupation of Crimea, its support for a war criminal in Syria, as well as its other destabilizing actions against the United States and our allies.  If you continue with your plan to meet with President Putin, you must hold him accountable for these actions. During your trip to Europe, we urge you to remember at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit in Brussels that NATO’s collective security principles have served to keep our nation secure and prosperous since the end of the Second World War.  

Clear U.S. leadership is necessary to counter President Putin’s efforts to undermine the NATO alliance and its founding values. In the last few years, the Kremlin has conducted a widespread campaign of interference in democratic processes around the globe, including in our own U.S. elections. From its violent aggression in eastern Ukraine, to its illegal occupation of the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, to its support for the brutal regime of Bashar Al-Assad in Syria – there is no evidence that the Government of the Russian Federation has changed or plans to change its behavior. If anything, the Kremlin appears to feel emboldened that it can launch attacks against the U.S. and our NATO allies – in the form of cyber attacks, disinformation, misinformation, and political interference, including the use of chemical agents on UK soil – with impunity.

While there is a place for dialogue between nations on disagreements and common challenges, such as reducing nuclear dangers, we are deeply concerned that your Administration continues to send mixed messages regarding the Russian security threat. 

During your meeting with President Putin, we ask that you convey that there will be clear consequences for Russia’s interference in democratic processes in the United States and elsewhere, its support for violence and bloodshed in Ukraine and Syria, and the illegal occupation of Crimea.  We strongly urge you to stand steadfast on the U.S. commitment to the mutual defense of our Allies and to the people of Ukraine. Congress will strongly oppose any step to degrade our strong bilateral relationship with Ukraine, including decreasing security assistance. In keeping with the United States’ longstanding support for human rights, we urge you to also raise the plight of prisoners in Russia and areas under Russian control who have been detained simply for peacefully expressing their political views and/or religious beliefs.

We agree with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s statement on April 27, 2018 that NATO has been “an essential pillar of American security interests for decades” and that, “In light of Russia’s unacceptable actions, NATO is more indispensable than ever.” In addition to urging NATO allies to meet their commitments to spend 2% of GDP on defense, working to boost NATO rapid mobility and readiness capacities, and addressing cyber threats and other evolving forms of hybrid warfare, it is imperative that you make a strong statement of support for the democratic nations that make up the Alliance and make clear that the United States stands with—not in opposition to—our oldest and closest allies.

The United States’ NATO allies rushed to collectively defend the security and freedom of the United States when—for the first and only time—Article 5 of the NATO treaty was invoked following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. Brave citizens of our NATO allies have since put their lives on the line alongside U.S. military and civilians, in Afghanistan and elsewhere, to combat terrorism and to tackle a range of security threats, sometimes paying the ultimate sacrifice in the process. This is a legacy that merits renewed efforts by the United States to reinforce the alliance, rather than diminish it.

Secretary Pompeo also said in April that “NATO should not return to business as usual with Russia until Moscow shows a clear change in its actions and complies with international law.” As you know, Congress is virtually unanimous on its concerns over Russia, as demonstrated by the passage of last year’s Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act which you signed into law in August 2017. We stand ready to engage with your Administration, and with our NATO partners, to further the implementation of this law and a coherent, coordinated U.S. policy toward Russia that reflects the realities of Russia’s aggression and our nation’s deepest democratic values.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON- The U.S. Senate passed bipartisan legislation introduced by Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) to protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence from emotional and psychological trauma caused by violence against their pets. The Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act was included in the 2018 Farm Bill passed by the Senate on a bipartisan 86-11 vote and now moves to the House for consideration.   

“We are pleased that the Senate passed this bipartisan legislation, which will help domestic violence survivors flee their abusers without having to compromise the safety of their beloved family pets,” the Senators said. “This is a step forward in solving this serious, yet often overlooked problem, and we look forward to seeing this bill signed into law.” 

Multiple studies have shown that domestic abusers often seek to manipulate or intimidate their victims by threatening or harming their pets, but according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), only three percent of domestic violence shelters across the country accept pets. Many victims choose not to leave their home if they cannot take their pets with them. 

The PAWS Act expands existing federal domestic violence protections to include threats or acts of violence against a victim’s pet, and provides grant funding to programs that offer shelter and housing assistance for domestic violence victims with pets. The bill also requires the full amount of the victim's losses for purposes of restitution in domestic violence and stalking offenses to include any costs incurred for veterinary services relating to physical care for the victim's pet. The 2018 Farm Bill authorizes $3 million a year for a FY19-23 grant program that will provide emergency and transitional housing assistance for victims of domestic violence and their pets.

The PAWS Act is supported by the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the ASPCA, the Humane Society of the United States, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, the National Link Coalition, the Sheltering Animals & Families Together (SAF-T) Program, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Animal Welfare Institute, RedRover, the National Animal Care & Control Association, the National District Attorneys Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, YWCA USA, the American Kennel Club, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the National Sheriffs’ Association. 

Sheltering services currently assist the victims of domestic violence who would be aided by the PAWS Act by placing their companion animals out of harm's way so that they may seek safety for themselves. A list of these “safe havens” in Virginia can be found here.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine praised final Senate passage of legislation to rename a U.S. Postal Service office located in Palmyra, Virginia as the U.S. Navy Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby Post Office. Seaman Rigsby died on the USS Fitzgerald on June 17, 2017 following a collision with a merchant vessel off the coast of Japan. He was a native of Palmyra.

“Seaman Rigsby served his country and his community with honor beginning in high school as a volunteer firefighter and then through his service in the Navy. We’re proud Congress came together to pay him tribute with this designation,” the Senators said.

In March, Warner and Kaine called on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security to support this designation to honor Seaman Rigsby’s memory and contributions to the community. The post office is located at 13683 James Madison Highway in Palmyra. The legislation, which has now passed the House and Senate, will next go to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

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WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate passed, on a bipartisan 86-11 vote, legislation that includes Virginia priorities championed by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA). Specifically, the 2018 Senate Farm Bill includes a Warner-Kaine sponsored measure to legalize industrial hemp production, a crop which is already cultivated for research purposes in Virginia but which the agriculture industry cannot currently grow for commercial use.

“This bipartisan bill would finally end an outdated ban that has held farmers back from participating in the industrial hemp market, allow states to decide the best way to regulate this emerging industry, and give farmers access to critical federal support to protect their investment. Legalizing industrial hemp production will bring new businesses to Virginia and create jobs,” said the Senators. “In addition, this legislation includes measures to continue successful Chesapeake Bay clean-up efforts, expand farm conservation, and preserve some of our most cherished public lands.”

The 2014 Farm Bill authorized industrial hemp to be made available for agricultural research purposes. Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the University of Virginia, and James Madison University have been active in hemp research in recent years. However, Congress must act in order to legalize hemp production for commercial purposes. Hemp is distinct from marijuana in that it has a miniscule concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and thus no narcotic capability. The plant is estimated to be used in more than 25,000 products spanning agriculture, textiles, recycling, automotive, furniture, food, nutrition, beverages, paper, construction materials, and personal care.

Warner and Kaine’s priorities for Virginia in the 2018 Farm Bill include:

·         Hemp Farming Act: a bill that would remove hemp from the federal list of controlled substances, allowing Virginia farmers to grow and sell the plant as an agricultural commodity. States would be given authority to regulate hemp, and hemp researchers will be able to apply for USDA grants. Hemp farmers would also be eligible to collect crop insurance under this provision.

·         Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancements Act: a bill which makes technical changes to the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) intended to bring more federal funding into the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Farm Bill doubles funding for RCPP from $100 million to $200 million providing farmers with the tools they need to implement effective conservation practices within the Bay watershed. These changes will improve sustainability across the region and result in a cleaner, healthier Chesapeake Bay.

·         Virginia Wilderness Additions Act: a bill that designates specified lands in George Washington National Forest in Bath County, Virginia as part of the Rough Mountain Wilderness area and the Rich Hole Wilderness area, adding those lands to the National Wilderness Preservation System. This provision adds a total of 5,600 acres of wilderness area within the George Washington National Forest in Bath County.

·        Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI): includes a technical change to the HFFI program that would allow both retailers and enterprises to be eligible for loans and grants under HFFI. Currently, only brick-and-mortar operations are able to receive funding through the HFFI program. This technical change could allow more non-traditional food access projects – such as mobile markets, farmers markets, and food banks to access HFFI funds. These changes closely follow Sen. Warner’s efforts in the Senate to eradicate food deserts.  

In the wake of President Trump’s ongoing trade war, the Farm Bill also includes a measure that will revamp existing trade promotion programs and authorize $6 million in new funding for trade promotion activities. Trade Promotion is a technique used by the United States to pursue trade agreements that support and create U.S. jobs while helping American manufacturers, service providers, farmers and ranchers increase U.S. exports and compete in a highly competitive, globalized economy.

In addition, the bill includes measures to protect the U.S. dairy and cotton industry. It streamlines a program that allows dairy producers to insure margins—the difference between the prices of milk and feed—and increases its funding. The bill also makes cotton once again eligible to participate in federal crop insurance programs, which are used by farmers to protect themselves against either the loss of their crops due to natural disasters, or the loss of revenue due to declines in the prices of agricultural commodities. Livestock producers also receive assistance through a new program authorized by this bill that will give USDA the authority tooperate a disease and disaster prevention program and a vaccine bank, including for foot and mouth disease. And the bill reauthorizes full funding to help vulnerable Virginia families put food on the table through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The bill now moves to the House for consideration. For more information on the 2018 Farm Bill, click here.

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Washington, DC — Late yesterday, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) sent a letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray expressing deep concern that the Department of Justice and the FBI are bowing to pressure from President Trump’s congressional allies to disclose sensitive information and material that is not usually shared with Congress and that relate directly to the Special Counsel’s ongoing investigation into President Trump, his own campaign, and his associates. 

The letter underscores that the recent provision of certain documents to a wider group in Congress violates assurances made to them that particular information would remain, properly, confined to the “Gang of 8.” It also cautions that DOJ and FBI’s departure in this matter from longstanding policy and precedent governing the agencies’ relationship with Congress risks a repeat of similar mistakes that the DOJ Office of the Inspector General recently identified in his review of the Clinton “Midyear” investigation.  

In the letter, the Members write: “With every disclosure, DOJ and FBI are reinforcing a precedent it will have to uphold, whether the Congress is in Republican or Democratic hands, of providing materials in pending or closed cases to the legislative branch upon request. As the attacks on the Special Counsel intensify, it is imperative that you withstand pressure on DOJ and FBI to violate established procedures and norms. Your role in preserving the integrity of the Special Counsel’s investigation and, most importantly, our justice system has become even more vital.”

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The full letter is below:

June 27, 2018

The Honorable Rod J. Rosenstein

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

United States Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20530

The Honorable Christopher Wray

Director

Federal Bureau of Investigation

935 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20535

Dear Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein and Director Wray:

Earlier this month, you provided important verbal assurances in response to our June 5, 2018 letter to you. In that letter, we expressed deep and ongoing concern about President Donald Trump and his legal team’s persistent efforts to interfere with the Special Counsel’s ongoing investigation and undermine your agencies’ lawful and appropriate activities. In particular, we underscored that, if fulfilled, demands by the President’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, that the White House and the President’s lawyers be given access to classified information and investigatory material of the utmost sensitivity – including information related to the Special Counsel’s ongoing investigation that implicates the President’s own campaign and his associates – would grossly violate our system of checks and balances, long-standing, well-founded, and established procedure, and fundamental norms.

You confirmed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will not provide the White House or any of the President’s attorneys with access to such sensitive information. You also assured that briefings and materials related to this matter would not be shared with others in Congress beyond the “Gang of 8.”

Unfortunately, it appears that part of this assurance has already been breached. As of June 20, 2018, the Department has made available to a wider group of Members and staff materials directly related, and similar in kind, to the information that was supposed to be restricted to the “Gang of 8.” This followed recent pressure from House and Senate Republicans on DOJ and FBI not to adhere to “Gang of 8” restrictions on access to and dissemination of information that can implicate sources and methods and/or ongoing investigations.

The Department and Bureau’s departure in this matter from longstanding policy and precedent governing your agencies’ relationship with Congress risks a repeat of similar mistakes that the DOJ Office of the Inspector General recently identified in his review of the Clinton “Midyear” investigation.

In 2016, DOJ broke with past practice by making investigative files in the Clinton investigation available to Congress, while the Bureau, in the name of “maximal transparency,” publicly disclosed information related to the investigation at key junctures. In his June 2018 report, the DOJ Inspector General correctly criticized this sharp deviation from DOJ and FBI guidelines:  

“The Department and the FBI do not practice “maximal transparency” in criminal investigations. It is not a value reflected in the regulations, policies, or customs guiding FBI actions in pending criminal investigations. To the contrary, the guidance to agents and prosecutors is precisely the opposite—no transparency except in rare and exceptional circumstances due to the potential harm to both the investigation and to the reputation of anyone under investigation.” 

This harmful cycle is now repeating itself with respect to the criminal and counterintelligence investigation into Russia’s 2016 election interference and any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Trump. The President’s congressional allies are applying growing pressure on your agencies, in line with the President’s improper demand for “total transparency,”  to disclose sensitive information and material that is not usually shared with Congress and that relate directly to the ongoing investigation into President Trump, his own campaign, and his associates.

Unfortunately, DOJ and FBI are increasingly bowing to this pressure, despite the corrosive implications. Unlike the Clinton investigation, your agencies are disclosing sensitive material to Congress even though the Russia investigation is ongoing under the leadership of the Special Counsel and your oversight. And given the pending nature of the Special Counsel’s investigation, these persistent and unrelenting document requests are not for legitimate oversight purposes. Rather, time and again, sensitive information shared with Congress has been selectively and misleadingly seeded into the public domain to advance the President and his legal team’s strategy of undermining public trust in DOJ and the FBI and attacking the legitimacy of the Special Counsel and his ongoing investigation. Every such disclosure to Congress, moreover, has and will continue to result in demands for more information about the ongoing investigation, which the Department and the Bureau will be unable to satisfy without further contravening its own policies and norms.

With every disclosure, DOJ and FBI are reinforcing a precedent it will have to uphold, whether the Congress is in Republican or Democratic hands, of providing materials in pending or closed cases to the legislative branch upon request.

As the attacks on the Special Counsel intensify, it is imperative that you withstand pressure on DOJ and FBI to violate established procedures and norms. Your role in preserving the integrity of the Special Counsel’s investigation and, most importantly, our justice system has become even more vital.

We would appreciate your written reply and your confirmation of this understanding.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment, released a statement after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today voted to adopt amendments to eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) requirements for operating companies and funds: 

“This is a long-overdue move that will improve the quality and accessibility of XBRL data, lowering costs for filers and investors. This is just one of several steps that the SEC should take to modernize existing reporting requirements.” 

In July 2015, Sen. Warner and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) sent a letter calling on the SEC to implement in-line XBRL.

Sen. Warner has been a longtime advocate for improving data access and transparency. The Digital Accountability and Transparency (DATA) Act, bipartisan federal financial management and transparency legislation authored by Sen. Warner, was signed into law in May 2014, requiring the development of government-wide financial data standards to make it easier to compare federal spending across federal agencies.

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WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) and Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) announced the Committee approved the Matthew Young Pollard Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA) for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019 by a unanimous bipartisan vote of 15-0. The bill authorizes funding, provides appropriate legal authorities and enhances Congressional oversight for the U.S. Intelligence Community. It is named after Matt Pollard, a dedicated Committee staffer who passed away in April.

“The 2019 Intelligence Authorization Act represents a bipartisan effort to enhance America’s national security and increase government efficiency,” saidChairman Burr. “With ever-increasing threats from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, we recognize that the Intelligence Community (IC) must have the resources, authorities and personnel necessary to keep America safe, while still remaining accountable to Congress for their efforts and expenditures. New security clearance reforms included in this bill will help deter insider threats, protect classified information and ensure the IC has a capable, agile workforce. Lastly, in the wake of foreign efforts to interfere with the 2016 U.S. elections, which this Committee continues to investigate, I am pleased to see this bill contains comprehensive measures to enhance our election security. It is vital that we ensure our voting process remains fair and free from undue influence.” 

“It is important that the full Senate take up and pass this bipartisan legislation, so that the men and women of the Intelligence Community (IC) have the resources they need to do their jobs and keep us safe,” said Vice Chairman Warner. “This legislation includes a number of important provisions to modernize our antiquated security clearance process and reduce the 700,000-person security clearance backlog. It also includes my provision requiring the Director of National Intelligence to report on the IC’s outreach to U.S. businesses and other nongovernment entities on efforts by adversaries such as China to acquire technology, intellectual property and R&D. The bill continues initiatives this Committee has undertaken on a bipartisan basis to push the IC to foster innovation in its approach to overhead satellite systems. Finally, as we approach the 2018 elections, the bill includes important measures to protect U.S. federal and state election systems – including from Russian threats – and to improve information sharing with states to ensure the integrity of the election process.”

Background:

The 2019 IAA includes provisions that will help:

• Deter and counter aggression from foreign state actors, such as Russia and China, both at home and abroad;
• Protect the U.S. government’s supply chain from sabotage and counterintelligence threats;
• Improve our security clearance process to make the Intelligence Community more robust, skilled, and agile;
• Institute reforms for science, technology, engineering or mathematic (STEM) recruitment and retention in Intelligence Community positions, such as cybersecurity experts; and
• Enhance election security to protect our voting process from foreign intelligence threats and efforts to influence the election process.

In May 2018, the Committee released the first installment in its Russia report, which provided recommendations to improve U.S. election security in the face of interference from foreign actors. Among the Committee’s recommendations to address ongoing vulnerabilities were creating effective deterrence, improving information sharing on threats and securing election-related systems. A summary of the Committee’s findings can be found here.

Last week, the Committee held a hearing to examine the policy response to Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections. Michael Daniel, former Special Assistant to the President and Cyber Security Coordinator under President Obama, testified that it is “highly likely” Russian actors scanned election systems in all 50 states for vulnerabilities. He also told the Committee that the U.S. should expect and be prepared to combat continued attempts at election interference. You can watch the hearing here.

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