WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded Senate passage of legislation to fund a number of major priorities, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Fiscal Year 2026.

“Especially after Congress failed to pass a full-year FY25 funding bill last year, I am encouraged to see the Senate move to pass legislation to fund key parts of the government for Fiscal Year 2026 and deliver federal dollars for important community projects across Virginia,” said Sen. Warner. “As the president continues to try to encroach on Congress’ power of the purse, I will continue working with my colleagues to fund our nation’s most critical priorities as the Constitution intended.”

“I’m glad to have helped pass three funding bills to deliver for our veterans, bring over $900 million in federal funding to Virginia for military construction projects like on-base child care centers, expand broadband access, support rural businesses, and more,” said Sen. Kaine. “These bills were crafted through a strong bipartisan process – just like federal budgets should be. As we continue to consider additional government funding bills, I’m going to keep doing all that I can to ensure that Congress’ constitutional duty to allocate funding is not trampled upon by the Trump administration.”

As part of the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process, members of Congress are able to work with the communities they represent to request funding for local community projects, otherwise known as congressionally directed spending, in a manner that promotes transparency and accountability. This process allows Congress to dedicate federal funding for specific projects in Virginia. This package contains $24.95 million for 11 specific projects in Virginia.

Through strong advocacy, the senators secured funding in the relevant spending bills for the following Virginia projects: 

1. For projects in Northern Virginia,?click here.
2. For projects in Central Virginia, click here.
3. For projects in Southwest and Southside Virginia,?click here.
4. For projects in Hampton Roads,?click here. 

In addition to community-specific projects, this $167.5 billion legislation includes funding for the following Warner and Kaine priorities: 

Funding critical military construction projects: Includes more than $912 million in funding for 14 military construction projects across the Commonwealth, including:

1. $12.36 million for the completion of a child development center at JEB Little Creek-Ft. Story
2. $63.56 million for a water treatment plant at MCB Quantico
3. $11.7 million for the completion of a child development center at Norfolk Naval Shipyard
4. $93.3 million for electrical distribution system upgrades at Norfolk Naval Shipyard
5. $20.43 million for MQ-25 aircraft laydown facilities at Norfolk Naval Shipyard
6. $380 million for a privatized unaccompanied housing investment at Norfolk Naval Shipyard
7. $188.57 million for dry dock modernization in Portsmouth, Va.
8. $71.75 million for a weapons magazines facility in Yorktown, Va.
9. $34 million for an operations facility at the Pentagon
10. $15.5 million for the completion of an aircraft maintenance hangar for the Virginia National Guard in Sandston, Va.

Building on protections for toxic-exposed veterans: Provides $52.7 billion in funding for the Cost of War Toxic Exposures Fund to cover the costs of health care related to toxic exposures and expanded eligibility in the PACT Act, legislation that both senators supported to expand health care and benefits for toxic-exposed veterans.

Delivering for rural veterans: Provides $342 million to support improved access to care for veterans in rural communities, including through expanded access to transportation and telehealth.

Delivering for women veterans: Provides $1.4 billion for gender-specific health care services, programmatic initiatives, and improvements to health care facilities to support women veterans. 

Delivering for homeless veterans: Provides $3.5 billion to support critical services and housing assistance for veterans – and veteran families – experiencing housing insecurity. 

Delivering for struggling veterans: Provides $18.9 billion – including $698 million for suicide prevention outreach – to help connect veterans with mental health services.

Delivering for military families: Provides $21.7 million to expand the Child Care Pilot Program and eliminate barriers for veterans who need child care in order to attend medical appointments.

Delivering hard-earned benefits: Provides $4.1 billion to administer benefits – including disability compensation benefits – to nearly 7 million veterans and their survivors.

Honoring fallen veterans: Continues unwavering support for Arlington National Cemetery and its future as an active cemetery by providing $118.8 million for operational costs.

Supporting vulnerable women, children and infants: The bill rejects President Trump’s request to reduce funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and instead fully funds the program at $8.2 billion, an increase of over $600 million from fiscal year 2025. WIC serves 7 million women and kids nationwide and approximately 100,000 in Virginia.

Boosting agricultural research: Provides $3.6 billion for critical agricultural research programs, including $1.9 billion for the Agricultural Research Service and $1.7 billion for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to ensure the U.S. maintains its competitive advantage in agricultural production and innovation.

Supporting access to nutritious foods: Provides $500,000 for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), a public-private partnership that provides technical assistance and financing to support existing grocery stores, food hubs, agriculture producers, farmers, mobile markets, and other food retailers. Also provides $80 million in funding to help administer the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a federal program that helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans, including elderly people, by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost. Through TEFAP, the USDA purchases a variety of nutritious, high-quality USDA Foods, and makes those foods available to state distributing agencies.

Expanding broadband: Provides $96 million for rural broadband grants and loans.

Supporting small businesses in rural communities: Provides $1.8 billion in grants and loans for rural businesses and industry programs that promote small business growth in rural communities.

Strengthening rural infrastructure: Provides $1.3 billion for programs that support rural water and waste infrastructure improvements.

Improving rural housing access: Provides $3.7 billion to support rural development programs, including $1.7 billion for affordable housing rental assistance for low-income families and seniors.

Enforcing tobacco safety laws: Provides $2 million to support an interagency task force dedicated to preventing the sale of illegal tobacco products.

Keeping our government accountable: Provides $811.9 million for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to support the agency’s essential oversight and auditing responsibilities.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today applauded the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee for advancing legislation to renew and expand the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant program – a community-based mental health initiative Warner co-authored with Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) that is set to expire this year without congressional action.

“This program was born out of a simple but urgent idea: that we need to meet veterans where they are, in their communities, with the support and services that could save their lives,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m proud to see this grant program making a difference across the country, including here in Virginia, and glad that we’re one step closer to making sure it doesn’t lapse at the end of the year.”

Suicide is the 12^th-leading cause of death for veterans, and the 2^nd-leading cause for veterans under 45. Over 131,000 veterans have died by suicide since 2001, with veterans being 72% more likely than the civilian population to die by suicide. Since its original passage in 2021, the Fox Grant Program has worked to end this crisis by distributing hundreds of millions in funding to organizations that provide critical, frontline mental health services to veterans. In 2024 alone, Virginia organizations received $4.5 million from these grants. The program honors Veteran Parker Gordon Fox, a veteran and former sniper instructor at the U.S. Army Infantry School at Ft. Benning, GA. SSG Fox died by suicide on July 21, 2020 at the age of 25. 

The legislation advanced in committee on Wednesday would reauthorize the program before it expires on September 30 and expand its reach to ensure more veterans can access support where they live.

“Veteran suicide is a national emergency,” Sen. Warner added. “We have a responsibility to keep pushing for solutions that work. This program is one of them, and I look forward to seeing it expanded under the law.”

The bill now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) are urging the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to swiftly take up and reapprove the authorization of 18 major Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facility leases, including a proposed lease for an outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads.

The leases were originally authorized under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act which Sens. Warner and Kaine strongly supported. However, updated cost estimates and rent bids triggered the VA and the General Services Administration (GSA) to seek reauthorization from four congressional committees: the Senate and House Veterans’ Affairs Committees, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. To date, only the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and House Transportation and Infrastructure committees have put forward resolutions to reapprove the leases.

In a letter to the leaders of the EPW Committee, the senators stressed the current challenges veterans in Hampton Roads are facing when trying to access care. 

“One of these impacted leases is for a new outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads, with a proposed size of 182,230 net usable square feet,” the senators wrote. “This proposed facility would serve a critical need in a high-density region that has increasing demand for VA services. Particularly for those veterans who live on the south side of Hampton Roads – home to more than 60 percent of the patient population at the Hampton VA Medical Center – this clinic would broaden care access, and provide increased services at a location more convenient to many of these veterans.”

The senators continued, “Those associated with the region are all too familiar with challenges accessing care. The VA acknowledges through its own assessment, that the Hampton VAMC faces many physical challenges, such as frequent flooding and severe access difficulties for a large portion of the veterans it serves due to heavy traffic restricting area patients’ access to the VAMC. Hiring and recruitment challenges, in a state and region that are near the top of the list nationally in terms of share of veteran population, have contributed to challenges accessing timely care over the years. Looking forward, the VA estimates that the already sizable enrollee base in the region is expected to grow by upwards of 10 to 15 percent in the coming decades, leading to a patient population that could support multiple new VA medical centers and outpatient clinics.”

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long fought to expand health care and benefits for Virginia’s nearly 700,000 veterans. Sens. Warner and Kaine began raising the alarm about the significant backlog of unapproved VA leases in 2016. After putting significant pressure on officials across the federal government, Congress unanimously passed the Providing Veterans Overdue Care Act, legislation written by Sen. Warner and supported by Sen. Kaine, to cut the backlog and get over two dozen delayed VA medical facilities’ leases approved.

A copy of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Chair Capito and Ranking Member Whitehouse,

We write today to urge your committee to take up and pass a resolution approving of 18 major medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which were originally authorized under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022, and now await reapproval by relevant Congressional committees. This tranche of facility prospectuses includes a planned facility in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, and so we encourage timely action by your committee.

The PACT Act (P.L.117-168) included authorization and initial support funding for thirty-one veterans’ medical care and research facilities in nineteen states. In the intervening years from when the VA first calculated cost estimates for these projects, to the time they initiated conversations with local developers, the cost estimates for 18 of the facilities had increased. As such, the VA resubmitted those 18 prospectuses for their reapproval by Congressional committees.

One of these impacted leases is for a new outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads, with a proposed size of 182,230 net usable square feet. This proposed facility would serve a critical need in a high-density region that has increasing demand for VA services. Particularly for those veterans who live on the south side of Hampton Roads – home to more than 60 percent of the patient population at the Hampton VA Medical Center – this clinic would broaden care access, and provide increased services at a location more convenient to many of these veterans.

Those associated with the region are all too familiar with challenges accessing care. The VA acknowledges through its own assessment, that the Hampton VAMC faces many physical challenges, such as frequent flooding and severe access difficulties for a large portion of the veterans it serves due to heavy traffic restricting area patients’ access to the VAMC. Hiring and recruitment challenges, in a state and region that are near the top of the list nationally in terms of share of veteran population, have contributed to challenges accessing timely care over the years. Looking forward, the VA estimates that the already sizable enrollee base in the region is expected to grow by upwards of 10 to 15 percent in the coming decades, leading to a patient population that could support multiple new VA medical centers and outpatient clinics.

In recognition of the need to streamline the process whereby Congress considers VA facility approvals and remove some the hurdles and delays to their being built, the PACT Act simplified the acquisition process. Under the law, re-approval of this slate of leases would require resolutions of approval by four Committees in Congress: the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works. As of our writing of this letter, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs and House Transportation and Infrastructure committees have passed resolutions of approval.

We urge your committee to quickly consider and approve these leases. As always we appreciate your attention to these matters, as well as your efforts to conduct oversight and work with the Executive Branch on important matters impacting federal infrastructure. And we share your commitment to ensuring that veterans who have earned these services and care have the facilities needed to access them in a timely manner.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced legislation to renew and expand the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-administered program that provides essential funding for mental health outreach in veteran communities. The Fox Grant Program was created through a Warner- and Boozman-led bill, passed as part of the broader Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act, and it has distributed millions in grants to community and veteran service organizations (VSOs), as well as mental health providers across the country. Without further intervention, the program is scheduled to sunset later this year.

“Veterans put an enormous amount on the line to serve our nation, and we owe them the best benefits available when they come home – including robust mental health resources,” said Sen. Warner. “For the past several years, the Staff Sergeant Fox Grant Program has played an invaluable role getting organizations already doing life-saving mental health outreach more support, including many incredible organizations in Virginia. We cannot back down on our commitment to preventing suicide in veteran communities – it’s time for us to extend and expand this essential grant program.”

“Veterans who struggle with mental health have responded well to support provided by those they know and trust,” said Sen. Boozman. “When our former servicemembers have access to assistance within their own communities, from organizations with demonstrated ability to build strong relationships and foster hope, they are less likely to take their own lives. Reauthorizing funding for this life-saving initiative is part of the commitment we made to fulfilling what was promised to our veterans struggling to carry the invisible weight of their mental and physical sacrifice.”

Suicide is the 12^th-leading cause of death for veterans, and the 2^nd-leading cause for veterans under 45. Over 131,000 veterans have died by suicide since 2001, withveterans being 72% more likely than the civilian population to die by suicide. Since its original passage, the Fox Grant Program has worked to end this crisis by distributing hundreds of millions in funding to organizations that provide critical, frontline mental health services to veterans. In 2024 alone, Virginia organizations received $4.5 million from these grants. The program honors Veteran Parker Gordon Fox, a veteran and former sniper instructor at the U.S. Army Infantry School at Ft. Benning, GA. SSG Fox died by suicide on July 21, 2020 at the age of 25.

Specifically, this reauthorization of the Fox Grant Program would:

• Reauthorize the Fox Grant Program until Sept. 30, 2028.
• Increase the total authorized funding for the grant program from $174 million to $285 million.
• Expand the maximum potential award from $750,000 to $1.25 million.
• Direct the VA to collect additional measures and metrics on performance to better serve veterans.
• Require annual briefings for VA medical personnel to improve awareness of the program, and coordination with providers.

The legislation has strong support from Veterans of Foreign Wars and Blue Star Families.

“The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) strongly supports the bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Warner and Boozman to reauthorize and expand the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program,” said Joy Craig, Associate Director of Service Member Affairs with the VFW’s National Legislative Service. “Veteran suicide remains a national crisis, and increasing the maximum grant amount while improving oversight and coordination will help ensure life-saving resources reach those in need. The VFW has long advocated for community-based solutions, and this legislation strengthens critical partnerships between the VA and local organizations working to prevent suicide. We urge Congress to swiftly pass this bill and reaffirm its commitment to those who have sacrificed for our nation.” 

"The SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program is a lifeline for Veterans and military families facing the invisible wounds of service,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO, Blue Star Families. “Blue Star Families has seen firsthand the impact of these critical resources—support that saves lives and strengthens communities. This program ensures that Veterans and their loved ones get the help they need before a crisis turns tragic. We are proud to support its reauthorization and urge Congress to continue investing in solutions that honor the service and sacrifice of those who’ve given so much for our country."   

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined Ranking Member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and 23 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins pushing him to take immediate actions to secure veterans’ personal information provided by the VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE). This call follows Musk’s takeover of the U.S. Treasury’s payment system, which includes private information of veterans and their families, and reports of DOGE employees accessing VA computer systems at the Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

There are millions of veterans’ medical records stored in VA’s computer systems. These confidential records include veterans’ prescriptions, diagnoses, and procedures they have undergone. Access to these medical records could give Musk and DOGE the ability to identify veterans who have received abortions or abortion counseling in the past. The Million Veteran Program, which manages the genomic data of its more than one million veteran participants for authorized research programs, also stores its data in VA data systems. In addition, the U.S. Treasury’s payment system stores private information of veterans, surviving spouses, and their families, including their monthly disability compensation amount, home address, and bank account numbers.

In their letter, the senators demanded the Secretary deny and sever Musk and DOGE’s access to any VA or other government system with information about veterans, and to delete any veterans’ information in their possession writing, “Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans…Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain.”

“Our nation’s veterans have entrusted their health records, including genetic samples, disability data, bank information, and other private information, to VA. The Department also stores sensitive veteran casework, files of whistleblowers who have come forward with concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse, and sensitive investigative files with veteran and federal employee information,” they continued.

The senators wrote, “Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk, an unelected citizen, and a team of colleagues with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government. It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government, who lack proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements. We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by Administrations of both parties.”

A copy of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Secretary Collins,

Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans. Today, we call on you to immediately secure any personal and related information regarding veterans provided by VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and associates under the auspices of the “Department of Government Efficiency” established under Executive Order 14158. Further, we call on you to deny and sever their access to any VA or other government system that includes information about veterans, and to require them to immediately and permanently delete any information in their possession. Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain.

 Our nation’s veterans have entrusted their health records, including genetic samples, disability data, bank information, and other private information, to VA. The Department also stores sensitive veteran casework, files of whistleblowers who have come forward with concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse, and sensitive investigative files with veteran and federal employee information. Veterans and VA employees entrusted the Department with this information with the understanding that it would be kept private and only used to help deliver the highest quality of services to veterans, their families, and survivors.

 Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk, an unelected citizen, and a team of colleagues with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government. It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government, who lack proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements. We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by Administrations of both parties.

 These actions are in direct violation of federal laws meant to protect our national security and the privacy of our citizens’ personal information. This includes information on Social Security payments, Medicare, Medicaid, student loans, veterans’ disability compensation payments, GI Bill payments, federal civil servants’ personnel records, and much more. With every hour, we see DOGE further expand its efforts to create a massive private database of previously guarded data outside the federal government’s cyber and legal protections. It is an abhorrent and illegal overreach of executive powers, which conflicts with various federal statutes, including the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, the Privacy Act, the E-Government Act of 2002, and likely several other cyber and national security laws.

During your confirmation process, you claimed you would be focused on rooting out corruption and ensuring accountability at VA, and committed to following the laws passed by Congress. We now call on you to respond quickly and comprehensively to these privacy violations by revoking DOGE’s access to VA systems and insisting they permanently remove all VA data collected from their files.

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 WASHINGTON — Legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) to rename the Lynchburg VA Clinic after Private First Class Desmond T. Doss, a highly revered Medal of Honor recipient from Lynchburg who saved dozens of lives in World War II, passed the U.S. House of Representatives today in a voice vote and is now headed to the president’s desk for signature.

“Private First Class Desmond Doss was a true American hero. Renaming the Lynchburg VA Clinic after him is a fitting tribute to a man who demonstrated unwavering commitment to his fellow soldiers and to his country,” said the senators. “We are proud to see this legislation head to the president’s desk to be signed into law so that future generations of Virginians can be reminded of and inspired by Desmond Doss’ bravery and service.”

Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Private First Class Doss was inducted into the Army in April of 1942 following the attack on Pearl Harbor. As a Seventh-Day Adventist, Private First Class Doss could have tried to refuse enlistment on grounds of being a conscientious objector. Instead, he enlisted as a self-described “conscientious cooperator,” going on to pursue medical roles in the Army.

While serving with his platoon in 1944 in Guam and the Philippines, he was awarded two Bronze Star Medals for exceptional valor in aiding wounded soldiers under fire. Later on, during the Battle of Okinawa, he saved the lives of 75 wounded infantrymen atop the area known by the 96th Division as the Maeda Escarpment or Hacksaw Ridge – an act of heroism that earned him a Medal of Honor, awarded by President Harry Truman. Private First Class Doss was wounded four times in Okinawa, and was evacuated on May 21, 1945, aboard the USS Mercy and was brought to Hawaii.

The legislation to rename the local VA clinic previously passed the Senate in August with the support of a number of veterans organizations and groups, including: the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council Inc.; Salem VA Medical Center; American Legion Post 16; Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 196; Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 1607; Marine Corps League Detachment 759; Military Order of the World Wars, Piedmont Chapter; Veterans of Foreign Wars, Desmond T. Doss Post 12179; the National Center for Healthy Veterans, Valor Farm; and Monument Terrace Troop Rally. The legislation was sponsored in the House by U.S. Rep. Bob Good (R-VA).

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined a group of Senate colleagues to urge the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to prioritize mental and physical health care resources for women veterans who experienced sexual trauma during their service. In a letter to the VA Secretary Denis R. McDonough, the senators urged the VA to remove unnecessary barriers to sexual assault resources and programming, including by increasing the utilization of existing Women Veterans Call Centers, training all health care staff to be well-versed in trauma-informed care, and expanding telehealth options.

An estimated 33% of women veterans experience Military Sexual Trauma (MST), a term used by the VA to refer to sexual assault or harassment that occurs during military service. These veterans are at an increased risk of developing a substance use disorder or experiencing suicidal ideations compared to veterans who do not have a history of MST.

“While the VA has made many improvements over the years, we are concerned that women veterans, specifically those who have experienced Military Sexual Trauma (MST), continue to face barriers to care,” the senators wrote. “While we commend the VA for providing free counseling and evidence-based treatment for women with MST, these services are clearly under-utilized, as only approximately half of female veterans with an MST history use VA healthcare.”

The senators continued, “Once enrolled in VA care, many women veterans with MST report needing to justify and explain their request for treatment to their provider. This experience causes undue stress and places an unnecessary burden on the veteran. To reduce the stigma of seeking care for MST, the VA must educate all providers about the high prevalence and complexities of MST. Staff at all levels of care should be well-versed in trauma-informed care, recognize the signs and symptoms of PTSD and MST, and understand how that impacts trust. This is especially important for women who report MST to military legal officials but experience significant secondary victimization, which often impairs later help-seeking in VA facilities.”

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Kaine is dedicated to supporting and expanding benefits for our veterans and servicemembers. To improve the care that women veterans receive and address gender disparities at the VA, Kaine introduced, alongside Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and John Boozman (R-AR), the Deborah Sampson Act. This legislation ensures that women veterans get equitable care and was signed into law in 2021. Kaine has also cosponsored the Vet Center Support Act to provide better identification, intervention, and care to veterans coping with mental health issues in underserved areas.

The letter was led by U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Patty Murray (D-WA) and signed by 30 senators in addition to Warner and Kaine.

The letter can be found below.

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Dear Secretary McDonough,

Thank you for your hard work and dedication to our nation and its veterans. While the VA has made many improvements over the years, we are concerned that women veterans, specifically those who have experienced Military Sexual Trauma (MST), continue to face barriers to care. Healthcare access for women veterans is a growing area of importance, as women veterans are expected to comprise 18% of the veteran community by 2040. To address this, the VA must increase engagement with women veterans and build trust by enforcing accountability. ¹

About one in three women veterans have experienced MST during their service in the military.² Veterans who have experienced MST may face difficulties with interpersonal relationships, have an increased risk of developing substance use disorder.³ These issues can significantly impact the veteran’s quality of life, make it difficult to successfully transition into civilian life, and increase their risk of suicide. In fact, a recent VA report found that suicide rates among women veterans jumped over 24 percent between 2020 and 2021.⁴ Women veterans with histories of MST, in particular, are at a 65 percent increased risk of suicidal ideations compared with women who have not.⁵

While we commend the VA for providing free counseling and evidence-based treatment for women with MST, these services are clearly under-utilized, as only approximately half of female veterans with an MST history use VA healthcare.⁶ To inform these women of their VA benefits, the VA should consider employing the Women Veterans Call Center (WVCC) to conduct additional outreach tailored to women veterans with MST. Specifically, the VA should look to inform veterans about Vet Centers, which provide essential services regardless of the nature of their discharge.⁷

Once enrolled in VA care, many women veterans with MST report needing to justify and explain their request for treatment to their provider. This experience causes undue stress and places an unnecessary burden on the veteran. To reduce the stigma of seeking care for MST, the VA must educate all providers about the high prevalence and complexities of MST. Staff at all levels of care should be well-versed in trauma-informed care, recognize the signs and symptoms of PTSD and MST, and understand how that impacts trust. This is especially important for women who report MST to military legal officials but experience significant secondary victimization, which often impairs later help-seeking in VA facilities.⁸

The environment in which veterans receive MST care may trigger post-traumatic stress symptoms.⁹ A large percentage of these women veterans anticipate harassment or associate harassment with VA facilities.¹⁰ Female-only waiting rooms for privacy, expanded VA telemedicine capabilities, and additional programming at Vet Centers for women would all work to create a more inclusive environment for women veterans.

Women veterans who have experienced MST already endure so many hardships – let’s work to eliminate any barriers to VA care so they can access the high-quality care that they deserve.

We ask that you answer the following questions:

1. What is the VA doing to reduce social stigmas that prevent veterans from accessing MST treatment?
2. Are women veterans who are ineligible for care at a VAMC informed of their eligibility for treatment at a Vet Center? If so, how are they informed?
3. What research is the VA currently conducting or planning to conduct to understand and prevent women veteran suicide, especially amongst younger and older veterans?
4. What additional resources and care are provided to women veterans who respond “yes” when being screened for MST?
5. Since launching the “Don’t Wait. Reach Out.” campaign in 2021, how many of the 2.8 million veterans who were made aware of the campaign and reached out for help were women?Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement in response to the release of a Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report detailing failures at the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Hampton, VA that led to the delayed diagnosis and treatment during the period of 2021 to 2022:

“We are deeply saddened and troubled to learn that deficiencies in primary and specialty care services at the Hampton VA Medical Center led to a veteran’s delayed cancer diagnosis and treatment. The promise of quality and timely health care is one of the most important commitments we make to the brave men and women who serve our nation, and this Inspector General report makes it clear that the Hampton VA failed to live up to that promise. In a separate report last year, the Inspector General noted additional coordination and follow-up concerns. This new report sadly broadens the impact of some of those failures. This report outlines alarming logistical and communication failures, as well as failures pertaining to the coordination of care among providers, all of which impacted the veteran’s ability to have appropriately urgent and well-managed care. We will continue to engage with leadership at the Hampton VA to pursue accountability and ensure the quick and full implementation of the new recommendations outlined in the report.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) sponsored the Build, Utilize, Invest, Learn, and Deliver (BUILD) for Veterans Act of 2022 – legislation to strengthen the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) ability to carry out key infrastructure projects, including medical facilities, in order to better care for veterans across the country. Virginia has one of the country’s largest and fastest-growing concentrations of veterans, resulting in increased demand for the services and benefits provided by the VA.

“I have been working for years to ensure that our nation’s veterans receive the high-quality medical care they deserve,” said Sen. Warner, who successfully spearheaded congressional efforts to approve new VA healthcare projects across the country, including outpatient clinics in Hampton Roads and Fredericksburg. “Unfortunately, as a country, we’ve struggled to keep up with the needs of veterans seeking care and support through the VA, due in part to processes that are just too slow and too bureaucratic, leading to years of unnecessary delays in opening and remodeling needed hospitals, clinics, and benefits offices. This legislation will push the VA to modernize and improve its capacity to manage current and future infrastructure projects.”  

Specifically, the BUILD for Veterans Act would bolster and invest in VA infrastructure by requiring the Department to:

• Develop relevant plans, metrics, infrastructure workforce hiring strategies, year-by-year budgets and oversight mechanisms to overhaul its capacity to accomplish new facility projects and provide Congress with its plans and performance data for enhanced accountability.
• Implement a more concrete schedule to eliminate or repurpose unused and vacant buildings such as old maintenance sheds or warehouses to safeguard taxpayer dollars, and focus funding on new and productive infrastructure.
• Examine infrastructure budgeting strategies, identify if reforms are required, and implement industry best practices.
• Provide annual budget requirements over a 10-year period so that Congress and VA can set about on the task of fully modernizing VA’s infrastructure in a strategic, comprehensive approach.

The legislation has been endorsed by The American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and Paralyzed Veterans of America.

This effort comes on the heels of the bipartisan Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022, legislation supported by Sen. Warner and signed into law by President Biden to expand health care and resources for toxic-exposed veterans. The law also provided $5.5 billion in funding for 31 new facilities across the country – including another outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads – and streamlines the process for the VA to execute on new leases, removing bureaucratic hurdles and cutting down on some of the frustrating delays to these facilities’ completion.

Sen. Warner has long fought to improve care for Virginia’s veterans.  In 2015, confronted with wait times in Hampton Roads that were three times the national average, Sen. Warner successfully urged the VA to send down a team of experts to address the problem. He also succeeded in getting the Northern Virginia Technology Council to issue a free report detailing how to reduce wait times. Sen. Warner also spearheaded a bipartisan effort to approve long-overdue leases for more than two dozen VA medical facilities across the country, including two in Virginia. In October 2020, Sen. Warner successfully saw through the signing of his legislation to expand veterans’ access to mental health services and reduce the alarming rate of veteran suicide. 

Full text of the BUILD for Veterans Act is available here. 

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WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine celebrated Senate passage of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 following obstruction efforts by Senate Republicans last week. This legislation will expand health care and benefits for toxic-exposed veterans under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and authorize a new community-based outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads:

“Our nation’s veterans have sacrificed so much while serving in the Armed Forces, and we must honor that sacrifice by ensuring they have access to the benefits they’ve earned and deserve. We’re glad the Senate has finally done the right thing by passing this bipartisan legislation to expand much-needed health care benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxins and burn pits while serving our country,” the senators said.

Sens. Warner and Kaine voted to pass the Honoring Our PACT Act on June 16 and again on July 27.

The bill is named in honor of Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson, who died in 2020 from toxic exposure as a result of his military service in Kosovo and Iraq with the Ohio National Guard.

 Specifically, the Honoring Our PACT Act will:

• Expand VA health care to more than 3.5 million toxic-exposed post-9/11 combat veterans;
• Authorize 31 major medical facility leases and allocate $5.5 billion to fund those facilities—including a new outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads;
• Improve VA’s resources and training for toxic-exposed veterans;
• Create a framework for the establishment of future presumptions of service connection related to toxic exposure;
• Add 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related conditions to VA’s list of service presumptions, including hypertension;
• Expand presumptions related to Agent Orange exposure and include Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, American Samoa, and Johnston Atoll as locations for Agent Orange exposure;
• Strengthen federal research on toxic exposure; and
• Set VA and veterans up for success by investing in VA claims processing, the VA’s workforce, and VA health care facilities.

The bill will now head to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

Virginia is home to more than 700,000 veterans. Sens. Warner and Kaine have long supported expanding health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxins and burn pits during their service. The Fiscal Year 2021 National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA), which Sens. Warner and Kaine voted to pass, included provisions to expand the VA’s list of medical conditions associated with Agent Orange exposure. Warner and Kaine also cosponsored legislation that was signed into law in 2019 to extend VA coverage to veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange while stationed off the coast of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The bill also extended these benefits to servicemembers exposed to herbicides while serving in the Korean Demilitarized Zone and to children of servicemembers stationed in Thailand who were born with spina bifida.

In 2015, confronted with wait times in Hampton Roads that were three times the national average, Sen. Warner successfully urged the VA to send down a team of experts to address the problem. He also succeeded in getting the Northern Virginia Technology Council to issue a free report detailing how to reduce wait times. Most recently, in October 2020, Warner successfully saw through the signing of his legislation to expand veterans’ access to mental health services and reduce the alarming rate of veteran suicide. He’s also previously met with senior leadership at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center and Hampton VA Medical Center to discuss wait time reduction at their facilities and suicide prevention efforts. 

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Kaine has introduced the bipartisan Vet Support Act to provide better identification, intervention, and care to veterans coping with mental health issues in underserved areas. He also cosponsored legislation to allow doctors at the VA to prescribe medical marijuana to veterans in states like Virginia that have established medical marijuana programs.

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, along with 39 of their Senate colleagues, sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough seeking answers to reports of the VA refusing to provide certain benefits to same-sex veteran couples. The letter calls for speedy action to ensure these couples have access to the full spousal benefits they are owed.

“Each of our veterans and their spouses deserve the same quality care and services once they leave the military – no matter who they love. Our veterans and their families, who selflessly served our nation and have sacrificed so much, must be afforded the benefits they have so rightly earned. This is not only a matter of fairness and equity, it is the morally right thing to do,” wrote the senators. “Yet, we have recently heard from numerous survivors about issues they are facing when they attempt to access the full Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits that they are entitled to under the law.”

In the letter, the senators underscored examples of the VA refusing to recognize same-sex marriages as meeting duration requirements for benefits. The senators highlighted how duration requirements had left same-sex couples ineligible for benefits due to living in states where marriage laws barred them from marrying earlier—even though they had been in loving, committed relationships. Whereas other federal agencies like the Social Security Administration took action to accept and reconsider claims for survivor benefits by same-sex spouses who were previously unable to meet marriage duration requirements, the VA has until now failed to do so. The senators called for the VA to make sure benefits are available to same-sex couples who have been denied benefits solely because they could not meet a strict marriage durational requirement.

The senators conclude, “We promise to take care of all our veterans after they serve our country, and that includes ensuring that their partners have access to full and complete spousal benefits. Correcting this error will help end the discriminatory treatment of potentially thousands of same-sex veteran couples and allow them to access the benefits they are owed.

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

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Secretary McDonough:

We write to inquire about the discriminatory treatment of certain same-sex veteran couples who are being denied full and complete spousal benefits. We must ensure that the unconstitutional laws of the past do not further harm the surviving loved ones of our country’s LGBTQ+ veterans.

Each of our veterans and their spouses deserve the same quality care and services once they leave the military – no matter who they love. Our veterans and their families, who selflessly served our nation and have sacrificed so much, must be afforded the benefits they have so rightly earned. This is not only a matter of fairness and equity, it is the morally right thing to do.

Yet, we have recently heard from numerous survivors about issues they are facing when they attempt to access the full Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits that they are entitled to under the law. 

It has come to our attention that VA is refusing to deem same-sex marriages as having met the statutory marriage duration or deadline requirements when the couples were legally barred from marrying within that timeframe immediately before the veteran’s death. For example, dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) benefits may only be awarded if the surviving spouse was married to the veteran for at least one year or within 15 years of the veteran’s discharge,1 and for eight years in the case of enhanced DIC benefits.2 Survivor’s pension benefits also have a one-year marriage duration requirement.

By denying benefits in cases where same-sex couples failed to meet marriage duration requirements, VA ignores the reality that discriminatory marriage laws where these couples lived barred them from marrying—even though they were in loving, committed relationships and would have married earlier if they could. It was not until the Supreme Court held in Obergefell v. Hodges a constitutional right to marry that same-sex relationships were properly recognized, including the “constellation” of rights associated with marriage, such as the “rights and benefits of survivors.”  

After courts found unconstitutional the nine-month marriage duration requirement under the Social Security Act when applied to same-sex couples who were barred from meeting the requirement due to discriminatory marriage laws, the Social Security Administration began accepting and reconsidering claims for survivor benefits by same-sex spouses and partners who were unable to be married for the requisite nine months because of these bans on same-sex marriage.5 VA should do the same for veterans survivor benefits. Just like the unconstitutional laws banning same-sex couples from marrying, denials for veterans benefits that are tied to those marriage bans are unconstitutional too.

Specifically, VA must make eligible for benefits bona fide same-sex relationships where either the same-sex couple had married but were prevented from being married for the time required under the statute, or where they were prevented from marrying each other at all. While marriage duration requirements may be defensible as a proxy for detecting or deterring sham relationships between opposite-sex couples—who have always enjoyed the right to marry—they cannot serve that function for same-sex couples who were barred from marrying one another. Surviving same-sex partners and spouses of veterans who were unable to marry because of now unconstitutional marriage laws should not be denied benefits solely because they did not meet a strict marriage durational requirement. We urge VA to be mindful of other past, discriminatory practices that upended the lives our veterans and their families – like the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy – and look primarily to the surviving partner’s own statements about whether and when they would have married but for unconstitutional bans on same-sex marriage.

It also has come to our attention that VA’s setting of effective dates for benefits furthers these unconstitutional same-sex marriage bans. After the Supreme Court held that the federal government must recognize same-sex marriages under state law in June 2013, the Department of Justice subsequently announced on September 4, 2013, that it would no longer enforce laws banning benefits to same-sex spouses of veterans.6 The VA General Counsel interpreted the announcement to apply retroactively but only “as to claims for benefits based on same-sex marriages that were pending on direct review as of” the date of the Attorney General’s announcement.7 For claims received or re-applied for after the Attorney General’s announcement, “such claims could receive an effective date up to one year prior to receipt of the claim, but in no event earlier than September 4, 2013.”

By setting an effective date no earlier than September 4, 2013, VA is giving credence to the unconstitutional laws that prevented same-sex spouses from obtaining veterans benefits in the first place. A spouse married to an opposite-sex veteran would have had no issues receiving benefits immediately. However, VA is cutting short benefits of those in same-sex marriages who initially applied for such benefits and were denied due to bans on same-sex marriage. Moreover, any delay by a widow of a same-sex veteran in filing a claim for spousal benefits can be directly linked to VA’s enforcement of unconstitutional laws that would have led to the ultimate denial of such benefits. VA must stop its discriminatory treatment of veterans’ spouses based on their sex or sexual orientation, and apply retroactive effective dates as if the unconstitutional laws struck down by the Supreme Court were never enacted. Prior claims not previously appealed should be permitted to be reopened, as well as new claims to be filed.

We promise to take care of all our veterans after they serve our country, and that includes ensuring that their partners have access to full and complete spousal benefits. Correcting this error will help end the discriminatory treatment of potentially thousands of same-sex veteran couples and allow them to access the benefits they are owed. Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and we look forward to hearing back from you soon. 

Sincerely, 

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