Press Releases
WASHINGTON—Tomorrow, President Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, days after the Israeli Security Cabinet advanced a policy to dramatically expand Israeli control and settlements in the West Bank.
Ahead of the White House meeting, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Democratic Leader, Chris Coons (D-DE), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, and Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, issued the following statement:
“We are deeply troubled by the Israeli government’s decision to blatantly consolidate administrative control over and set the conditions to expand settlements into the West Bank. The Israeli government's actions contravene decades of bipartisan United States policy, including that expressed by President Trump, which asserts the United States supports a two-state solution and that it is not in the U.S. national security interest to support annexation of the West Bank.
“We have long expressed our concern that these reckless moves make the possibility of a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and security, further out of reach. We urge Prime Minister Netanyahu to reverse course. When President Trump meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu this week, we also urge the President to clearly reinforce the opposition of the U.S. government to Israeli government actions that set the conditions for irreversible annexation.”
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement after an FBI search warrant affidavit regarding the 2020 election results in Fulton County, GA, was unsealed:
“The newly unsealed affidavit shows this search originated from the frivolous claims of Kurt Olsen, an attorney who traffics in debunked falsehoods about the 2020 election. It also makes clear there was no foreign intelligence nexus.
“So why was the Director of National Intelligence there?
“When the nation’s top intelligence official inserts herself into a matter with no connection to a foreign threat, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that the objective was political – namely, getting back into Donald Trump’s good graces – and that her presence was meant to lay the groundwork for baseless claims of foreign interference. Americans should be deeply concerned about what someone with sweeping authority over the country’s intelligence apparatus might do to achieve that.”
Earlier today, Warner and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) called on Director Gabbard to immediately schedule an Intelligence Community (IC) briefing for senators on election security ahead of the 2026 midterms. The request comes in light of Gabbard’s unprecedented involvement in the Fulton County raid and the seizure of voting machines and election data in Puerto Rico, actions tied to unsubstantiated claims about the 2020 election. Warner and Padilla emphasized that Gabbard’s conduct – acting without a clear foreign threat, providing inconsistent explanations, and undermining state election officials – makes urgent transparency and a full briefing essential to keep the IC focused on genuine threats, not partisan politics.
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) slammed the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) final rule that will allow the Trump Administration to reclassify and fire federal employees without cause or appeals rights. Schedule Policy/Career, previously known as Schedule F, is a policy that President Donald Trump pursued during his first term to strip federal workers of their protections and carry out politically motivated firings.
“For decades, our nonpartisan civil service has set us apart from other countries and enabled us to have stability and continuity no matter who is in the White House. The Trump Administration’s move to reclassify federal employees to make it easier to fire them for political reasons will hurt these workers and their families, threaten our national security, and make it harder for Americans to access the services they need. If we want to continue to lead the world, then we must have a federal workforce based on merit, not politics. We will continue to do everything we can to protect these dedicated public servants, many of whom live in Virginia.”
Warner and Kaine, members of the Federal Workforce Caucus that launched earlier this week, have strongly pushed back against the mass firings and politicization of the federal workforce. Last May, Warner and Kaine sent a letter opposing OPM’s rule change. The senators previously introduced the Saving the Civil Service Act, legislation to protect the merit-based federal workforce system and prevent any position in the competitive service from being reclassified to Schedule P/C.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, released the following statement:
“The independence of the Federal Reserve isn’t optional – it’s the foundation of our economy. It stabilizes borrowing prices so families can buy homes, afford everyday necessities, and run small businesses.
“It is difficult to trust that any Chair of the Federal Reserve selected by this president will be able to act with the independence required of the position, knowing that this administration will levy charges against any leader who makes interest rate decisions based on facts and the needs of our economy rather than Trump’s personal preferences."
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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement marking the one-year anniversary of the January 29, 2025 midair collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which resulted in the deaths of all 67 people aboard both aircraft:
“One year ago, 67 people – passengers, airline personnel, and members of the U.S. Armed Forces – died in a midair collision that never should have happened in the first place and must never happen again. Among the dead were more than a dozen of our Virginia constituents, including children and parents returning from a figure skating event in Kansas. Over the past year, we’ve been in touch with the families of those who lost their lives. Our hearts go out to the families, friends, and communities for whom today marks a grim and tragic anniversary, and will continue to do all that we can to work together to enhance safety for the flying public.”
Earlier this week, the senators released a statement in response to the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) findings about the causes of the accident.
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Warner: Why is Tulsi Gabbard in Fulton County?
Jan 29 2026
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement on the FBI raid in Fulton County, Georgia:
“There are only two explanations for why the Director of National Intelligence would show up at a federal raid tied to Donald Trump’s obsession with losing the 2020 election. Either Director Gabbard believes there was a legitimate foreign intelligence nexus – in which case she is in clear violation of her obligation under the law to keep the intelligence committees ‘fully and currently informed’ of relevant national security concerns – or she is once again demonstrating her utter lack of fitness for the office that she holds by injecting the nonpartisan intelligence community she is supposed to be leading into a domestic political stunt designed to legitimize conspiracy theories that undermine our democracy. Either is a serious breach of trust that further underscores why she is totally unqualified to hold a position that demands sound judgment, apolitical independence, and a singular focus on keeping Americans safe.”
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the below statement on a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearing announcing the agency’s findings from its year-long investigation into the deadly midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) that took the lives of 67 people:
“We thank NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, Board Member Inman, the other members of the Board, and the investigators and staff at the National Transportation Safety Board for their thorough and tireless work to uncover the truth about what happened on January 29, 2025. The conclusions announced at today’s hearing are sobering and underscore just how preventable this tragedy was. An overstretched system, overwhelmed air traffic controllers, an overreliance on pilots to maintain separation in one of the most complex airspaces in the country, and the Federal Aviation Administration’s failure to act on safety recommendations all contributed to a disaster that should never have occurred.
“The NTSB’s work will make our airspace safer — but only if Congress and the FAA act on these findings. We remain fully committed to making DCA, every airport in Virginia, and airports across the country as safe as possible. In December, the Senate passed the bipartisan ROTOR Act, which addresses several of the systemic issues implicated in this incident. We call on the House to swiftly pass the ROTOR Act, on the administration to faithfully implement it, and on Congress to continue taking proactive steps to make air travel safer.
“Congress will also soon have the opportunity to dig into the NTSB’s report, as well as two additional reports from the Army, regarding this crash. We will do everything in our power to ensure that these investigations lead to additional, comprehensive steps to enhance safety for the flying public. It is obvious that those steps must include removing slots from DCA. For years, we have warned that continually squeezing more flights into an already constrained airspace and an airport with the busiest runway in America carries serious safety risks. Today’s findings confirm those concerns in the most painful way possible. We owe it to the 67 lives lost, to their families, and to everyone who flies in and out of DCA to learn from this tragedy and to act decisively.”
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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement regarding Attorney General Pam Bondi’s announcement that Lindsey Halligan—whom a federal judge ruled was unlawfully appointed to her position—was leaving the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA):
“Virginia Senators of both parties have always worked closely with presidential Administrations, regardless of party, on Virginia nominations. That fair and deliberate process has always included at least one meeting with the nominees to discuss their qualifications—until now. It has been over 16 weeks since the Trump Administration nominated Lindsey Halligan, but neither she nor the White House ever reached out to meet with us or even introduce herself. It’s clear this Administration never expected her to be confirmed by the Senate given her lack of qualifications to serve as a U.S. Attorney, and instead wanted to end-run around the Senate and the Judiciary Committee.”
On January 21, 2025, the Trump Administration appointed Erik Siebert as the interim U.S. Attorney for the EDVA. In April of 2025, after an extensive interview process that included the input of a bipartisan panel of former Virginia U.S. Attorneys and other well-respected members of the Virginia legal community, Warner and Kaine sent a letter to the White House recommending Siebert for the U.S. Attorney position. In May of 2025, the White House announced that Siebert was formally nominated for the role. Siebert was serving in an interim capacity because he had not yet been confirmed by the U.S. Senate. On May 9, 2025, the District Judges of the Eastern District of Virginia unanimously voted for Seibert to continue as the interim U.S. Attorney.
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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), along with U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA-03) and Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04) issued the following statement after the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia issued a preliminary injunction against the Trump Administration allowing Dominion Energy to resume construction of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project:
“We applaud today’s federal court decision granting Dominion Energy’s request for a preliminary injunction and allowing construction of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project to resume. This project has already undergone years of rigorous review and is poised to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy while creating thousands of good-paying jobs in Hampton Roads. CVOW represents the kind of investment in domestic energy our region and nation need.
“Today’s ruling is a victory for Virginians, who otherwise would face increased energy costs as a result of the Trump Administration’s shortsighted opposition to clean energy. We will continue to work to protect this critical and growing industry and to ensure clean energy projects that have met every legal and regulatory requirement can move forward without undue political interference.”
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Warner, Kaine, Scott Slam Trump Administration's Sudden Halt of Virginia Offshore Wind Project
Dec 22 2025
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine along with U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott (all D-VA) issued the following statement:
“Despite our senior roles on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, the administration has failed to share any new information that supports this sudden and sweeping move to halt all offshore wind development, including a project off the coast of Virginia that is already almost complete and operational. That silence speaks volumes, especially given the president’s longstanding, well-documented opposition to offshore wind – and the promises he’s made to his donors to put his thumb on the scale against certain energy projects. This reckless, haphazard approach puts billions of dollars in private investment at risk, threatens thousands of good-paying American jobs coming to a veteran-heavy area, undermines energy security, and damages the credibility of the United States government. Virginia’s offshore wind project has undergone years of rigorous review and represents a critical step toward strengthening our energy independence, lowering energy costs for American families, growing our clean energy economy, and positioning the Commonwealth as a global leader in this industry. When a project that has met every requirement is suddenly stopped without explanation, it is fair to ask whether this decision is being driven by evidence, or by personal and political grievance.”
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WASHINGTON – Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued a statement after an investigation by the Department of Defense’s (DoD) independent watchdog found that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth violated DoD policy and endangered the lives of Virginia-based pilots by sharing classified information over an unsecure personal group chat:
“An objective, evidence-based investigation by the Pentagon’s internal watchdog leaves no doubt: Secretary Hegseth endangered the lives of American pilots based aboard the USS Harry S. Truman as they prepared to launch a mission against terrorist targets. By sharing classified operational details on an unsecure group chat on his personal phone, he created unacceptable risks to their safety and to our operational security.
“The report also notes that the IG is aware of several other Signal chats Hegseth used for official business, underscoring that this was not an isolated lapse. It reflects a broader pattern of recklessness and poor judgment from a secretary who has repeatedly shown he is in over his head.
“Our servicemembers, including those stationed in Virginia and around the world, expect and deserve leaders who honor the sacrifices they make every day to protect our nation and never put them at unnecessary risk. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Pete Hegseth should resign, or the president must remove him at once.”
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today issued the following statement after successfully pushing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide more options to Medicare Advantage seniors who lose network access to their doctors in the middle of the year:
“Navigating the health care landscape is hard enough as is – we shouldn’t be forcing seniors to jump through hoops in order to continue seeing the doctors they know and trust. I’m glad to see CMS heed our call by proposing new measures that would allow Medicare Advantage enrollees to change their coverage more easily when they experience mid-year provider network changes. I’ll keep working with CMS to get this proposed rule finalized and ensure that elderly Americans can count on the continuity of care they need.”
CMS currently has the ability to allow affected Medicare Advantage enrollees to switch plans as part of a “special enrollment period” when a significant number of doctors or hospitals no longer accept their insurance in the middle of the year. However, the circumstances for how these special enrollment periods are determined are currently opaque, and there is minimal notice to the public, states, and enrollees. In November, Sen. Warner joined Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) in calling on CMS to clarify how these special enrollment periods are determined and provide seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage with more information about plan changes.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and co-founder of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, released the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to roll back cybersecurity regulations put in place following Salt Typhoon, the worst telecommunications cyberattack in our nation’s history:
“In the aftermath of the worst telecommunications compromise in our nation’s history, today’s vote by the FCC walks back yet another effort to set meaningful, enforceable cybersecurity standards for America’s communications backbone, after congressional Republicans overturned cybersecurity rules set by the FCC in 2017.
“The Salt Typhoon intrusion made clear that existing voluntary measures alone have not been sufficient to prevent sophisticated, state-sponsored actors from gaining long-term, covert access to critical networks. While collaboration with industry is essential, it must be paired with clear, enforceable expectations that reflect the scale of the threat.
“I am concerned that abandoning an enforceable, standards-based approach in favor of undefined ‘flexible’ solutions leaves us without a credible plan to address the gaps exposed by Salt Typhoon, including basic failures like credential reuse and the absence of multi-factor authentication for highly privileged accounts.
“Congress, the administration, and the FCC should be moving toward greater transparency and stronger protections, not less. I will continue pressing for a comprehensive national strategy to ensure that our telecommunications infrastructure is resilient against the kinds of intrusions we know are not hypothetical, but ongoing.”
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Sen. Warner Applauds Virginia Broadband Approval
Nov 19 2025
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement today after the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced approval of Virginia’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Final Proposal, clearing the way for more than $545 million in federal funding to connect the remaining 133,000 unserved locations across the Commonwealth to high-speed internet:
“Expanding broadband access has been a top priority of mine since my time as governor, and I’m proud that Virginia continues to remain a national leader in this effort. When I wrote the broadband sections of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the goal was simple: give states the resources to finally finish the job. Today’s approval shows that work paying off, and now Virginia is poised to become one of the first states in the country with high-speed internet for every home and business.”
As a result of today’s announcement, Virginia is set to receive more than $545 million in additional BEAD funding, leveraging nearly $430 million in additional private investment. Awarded projects will extend broadband infrastructure to more than 133,000 unserved homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions across the Commonwealth.
Sen. Warner has long fought to expand access to broadband in Virginia. During negotiations for the bipartisan infrastructure law, Sen. Warner secured $65 billion in nationwide funding to help deploy broadband, increase access, and decrease costs associated with connecting to the internet. The BEAD Program was created and funded through this landmark legislation and provided $42.45 billion in federal funding to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs in all states and territories.
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Sen. Warner Statement on the Epstein Files
Nov 18 2025
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement on the Senate’s unanimous vote to compel the Trump administration to release the Epstein files:
“For years, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, abetted by a powerful circle of accomplices, committed heinous crimes against hundreds of girls and young women. Today, Congress has moved to end the months of obstruction by President Trump and shed more light on these horrific crimes and Epstein’s accomplices.
“Make no mistake: Trump can and should have released these files months ago. Now that new details have emerged – including Epstein’s statement that Trump ‘knew about the girls’ – it’s easier to see why he decided to break his promise to release them. Instead, he’s rolled out stunt after stunt to try to change the subject.
“No matter what obstruction Trump tries next, I will keep pressing for justice and accountability for Epstein’s victims and for full transparency with the American people.”
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the following statement ahead of oral arguments in Learning Resources v. Trump, in which the Supreme Court will determine whether President Trump can continue to wield sweeping, unilateral authority to raise taxes on imported goods:
“Donald Trump’s reckless tariff policies are a tax on Virginians, driving up prices on everything from farm equipment and building materials to everyday consumer goods and costing the average household $1800 this year. Families and small businesses across the Commonwealth are already being stretched thin by rising costs, and the last thing they need is the president jacking up prices even more on a whim. No single leader should have unlimited authority to raise costs on Americans without accountability. We need trade policies that lower prices and strengthen our economy, not chaotic decisions that leave hardworking Virginians footing the bill.”
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement after the Trump administration announced “substantial” layoffs of federal workers amid the government shutdown:
“Donald Trump and Russ Vought are once again showing us exactly who they are: reckless ideologues willing to inflict real pain on hardworking Americans to score political points. They have repeatedly treated federal employees not as partners in serving the American people, but as punching bags for their political agenda. Now, in the middle of a shutdown manufactured by Republicans – who control the House, the Senate, and the White House – they’re doubling down by laying off federal workers, turning their own failure to govern into a direct attack on the people who keep this country running and jeopardizing vital government services.
“Let’s be very clear: this is not an unfortunate byproduct of the government shutdown, but a deliberate choice. Republicans are intentionally holding federal workers hostage to force through their agenda driving up health care costs for millions. Instead of keeping health premiums affordable, the Trump administration is using America’s public servants as pawns to advance policies that harm working families. It’s irresponsible, it’s cruel, and it won’t work. It’s time for Republicans in Congress to end this shutdown and work with us to keep health care affordable for all Americans.”
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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement regarding the Trump Administration’s malicious prosecution of New York Attorney General Letitia James:
“A few weeks ago, Trump forced Erik Siebert, a highly-qualified prosecutor with a sterling reputation, to resign as interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia because he refused to bring trumped-up charges against James. Then, Trump installed to lead the Eastern District his personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan—a Florida insurance lawyer who is not licensed to practice law in Virginia and had prosecuted exactly zero cases in her life. By putting someone so unqualified in charge of one of the most important law enforcement offices in the country, Trump has made clear that he doesn’t care about keeping Virginians safe, only about weaponizing the justice system to punish his political opponents.
“To prosecutors across America: the integrity of our justice system depends on your courage to resist political interference. History will remember those who stood firm in defense of the rule of law, and those who allowed themselves to be complicit in corrupt, politically-motivated prosecutions.”
Last month, Warner and Kaine blasted President Donald Trump’s forcing out of Erik Siebert, interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, because Siebert was unwilling to bring criminal charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James that Trump demanded after Siebert’s office was unable to find incriminating evidence of mortgage fraud.
On January 21, 2025, the Trump administration appointed Erik Siebert as the interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. In April, after an extensive interview process that included the input of a bipartisan panel of former Virginia U.S. attorneys and other well-respected members of the Virginia legal community, Warner and Kaine sent a letter to the White House recommending Siebert for the U.S. attorney position. In May, the White House announced that Siebert was formally nominated for the role. Siebert was serving in an interim capacity because he had not yet been confirmed by the U.S. Senate. On May 9, 2025, the District Judges of the Eastern District of Virginia unanimously voted for Seibert to continue as the interim U.S. Attorney.
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Washington – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) released the following statement ahead of President Trump’s meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu:
“As President Trump prepares to welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu to the White House for the fourth time in the last 10 months, we urge the President to finally reach agreement to end the war in Gaza, end the suffering, and bring the hostages held by Hamas home.
“Monday’s meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu is a critical opportunity for the President to stand by his statements that “a deal is close” to end the war in Gaza. Importantly, President Trump must press Prime Minister Netanyahu to accept a hostage ceasefire framework proposed by the United States and its partners and ensure Hamas accepts it. It is long past time to secure an agreement that brings home the hostages, includes military withdrawals of the IDF from Gaza, that allow unhindered and overwhelming flows of humanitarian aid, and leads to the complete and permanent cessation of hostilities. As we approach the two-year anniversary of the October 7th attack, it is clear that only a hostage ceasefire agreement can bring home all the hostages –including American Itay Chen and Omer Neutra—and ensure Israel’s long-term security, not the ongoing and increasing large-scale military operations in Gaza. Any long-term plan for Gaza must both ensure Israel's security and meet the desperately-needed large-scale humanitarian, reconstruction, and governance needs in Gaza, deny Hamas a role in Gaza’s future, reject plans of displacement of Palestinians and provide dignity for Palestinians. We welcome the active role of Arab and regional leaders in this effort.
“This meeting also comes at a critical time for the West Bank amid Prime Minister Netanyahu’s irresponsible threats of potential annexation and prevention of a future Palestinian state as a part of a negotiated two-state solution. We commend President Trump’s statement that he will “not allow annexation” of the West Bank and urge him to use this meeting to get tangible commitments that take annexation off the table. This statement underscores the long-standing policy of Republicans and Democrats alike to reject unilateral steps in the West Bank that undermine the prospects for peace. Such steps include unilateral annexation, continued settlement activity that is illegal under international and Israeli law, construction in the E1 settlement block around Jerusalem, forced displacement of Palestinians, violations of the status quo, and other steps that make impossible a future where Israelis and Palestinians, along with the rest of the region's citizens, can live in equal measures of peace, security, dignity, prosperity, and mutual recognition.
“Now is the time to finally end this war. President Trump must secure a ceasefire agreement to end the war in Gaza, bring home the hostages, surge humanitarian aid to Gaza, take the dangerous step of annexation off the table, and begin the path to lasting peace.”
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Warner, Beyer, Subramanyam & Walkinshaw Release Statement Following Visit to Chantilly ICE Field Office
Sep 26 2025
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and U.S. Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) and James Walkinshaw (D-VA-11) issued a statement:
“We take seriously our responsibility to provide oversight and ensure that all federal agencies meet their obligations under the law. Today, we visited the ICE field office in Chantilly, Va., after a month of attempting to gain access following serious reports of troubling conditions and severe overcrowding at this facility. ICE field offices are not designed or equipped to safely hold individuals for more than 12 hours, which was the long-standing policy until June, making the dangerous overcrowding both disturbing and wholly predictable. We are relieved to report that as of today, conditions appear to have improved from the horrifying reports we received just weeks ago.
“It should not have taken this long for members of Congress to gain access to a federal facility to conduct lawful oversight. The pervasive overcrowding and unsafe conditions that occurred are the direct consequences of the Trump administration’s mass detention policies and ICE has a legal obligation to ensure that anyone in its custody is treated safely, humanely, and in accordance with federal law. With its budget now tripled in size to unprecedented levels, ICE has no excuse for failing to plan ahead: it must put in place a clear policy to ensure that when a field office reaches capacity, the burden is relieved immediately and not allowed to spiral into a humanitarian crisis. We will continue pressing for accountability and transparency to make certain those obligations are met, not temporarily or on the administration’s delayed timeline, but every single day.
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement:
“Donald Trump has made clear that he intends to turn our justice system into a weapon for punishing and silencing his critics. After prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia reviewed the facts and recommended against charges for James Comey, Trump forced out Erik Siebert – a highly qualified U.S. Attorney with an outstanding record – because he refused to deliver the outcome Trump demanded. In his place, Trump installed one of his personal lawyers, a political loyalist with zero experience prosecuting cases anywhere, to bring the charges that career professionals had already rejected.
“This kind of interference is a dangerous abuse of power. Our system depends on prosecutors making decisions based on evidence and the law, not on the personal grudges of a politician determined to settle scores. By ousting a respected, independent prosecutor and replacing him with a partisan loyalist, Trump is undermining one of the most important U.S. Attorney’s offices in the country and eroding the rule of law itself.”
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement on the memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) last night regarding agency preparations for a potential government shutdown:
“America deserves a leader focused on solving problems, not someone who treats chaos and disruption as tools of governing. Instead of threatening government employees and the American public with even more mass layoffs and federal dysfunction, President Trump should come to the table and negotiate a funding bill that prevents health care premiums from skyrocketing for families and keeps the government operational. If President Trump truly cares about the American people, he will work with Congress to avoid a shutdown of his own making.”
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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), and James Walkinshaw (D-VA-11) released the following statement:
“The rise in political violence—which has inflicted tragedy upon the families of Republican activist Charlie Kirk and Minnesota’s House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband Mark, and many other Americans on both sides of the aisle—is disturbing and unacceptable. We are unified in our condemnation of these attacks. It is critical to the safety of all Americans and the health of our democracy that we are able to approach our political differences with respect and without resorting to violence.”
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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, released the following statement ahead of a scheduled committee vote on the nomination of Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors:
“The Federal Reserve was designed to make decisions free from political interference, guided by data and the long-term stability of our economy, not the political agenda of any one president. Donald Trump has made clear he wants to tear down that independence, just as he has with so many of the institutions that have kept our democracy and our economy strong. His nomination of Stephen Miran to the Fed Board is yet another step in that dangerous campaign.
“Let’s be clear: under President Trump’s leadership, American families are already feeling the squeeze. Prices for everyday necessities are high and rising, while Trump’s reckless trade wars, chaotic tariffs, and deficit-busting tax cuts have left our economy weaker and more vulnerable. Now, by trying to stack the Fed with political loyalists, Trump is laying the groundwork for even more instability for consumers.
“The independence of the Fed is a cornerstone of America’s economic strength. Undermining it will only make it more difficult to get costs under control, weaken confidence in our markets, and make things harder for working families just trying to make ends meet. For that reason, I strongly oppose the nomination of Stephen Miran, and I urge my colleagues to reject this latest effort to politicize the Federal Reserve.”
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WASHINGTON – Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement:
“Weeks ago, I arranged an on-site meeting this coming Friday at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s headquarters in Springfield, Va., to connect with the nonpartisan career intelligence professionals who serve our country every day. These are Virginians – my constituents – and I have held more than a dozen similar private listening sessions with NGA and other intelligence agencies in Virginia under both Democratic and Republican presidents, including during President Trump’s first term. Engagements such as these are a core part of my responsibility to provide oversight and support to our intelligence community and hear from Americans who live in Virginia, and they have never been questioned or politicized, until now.
“Over the weekend, conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer discovered the unpublicized, classified visit and launched a campaign of baseless attacks against both me and NGA Director Vice Admiral Trey Whitworth for hosting what has always been considered a routine oversight meeting. In response to Loomer’s criticism, political appointees canceled the visit, just the latest example of an administration seemingly desperate to please Loomer, a figure with a long history of extreme and outlandish fringe views, including 9/11 denialism, anti-Muslim harassment campaigns, and associations with white supremacists.
“This nakedly political decision undermines the dedicated, nonpartisan staff at NGA and threatens the principle of civilian oversight that protects our national security. Members of Congress routinely conduct meetings and on-site engagements with federal employees in their states and districts; blocking and setting arbitrary conditions on these sessions sets a dangerous precedent, calling into question whether oversight is now allowed only when it pleases the far-right fringe. This should concern Republicans as well as Democrats: if routine oversight can be obstructed for political reasons, no member of Congress is immune.
“Let me be clear: I will never be deterred from carrying out my constitutional responsibilities. The business of government and the security of our nation will not be dictated by extremist attention-seekers. I will continue to hold the government accountable and meet with the career intelligence professionals who keep our country safe.”
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