Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), joined by U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushing back on his decision to gut the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), firing nearly 900 employees. Recent reporting has indicated that these firings include all employees tasked with protecting the health and safety of coal miners.

“According to reports, HHS is laying off approximately 873 employees, or two-thirds, of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),” the senators wrote. “According to a notification provided to AFGE Local 1969, whose federal employee members are being impacted, all employees working on mining safety and health in NIOSH’s Spokane, WA and Pittsburgh, PA, offices are being let go. , The NIOSH Pittsburgh Mining Research Division focuses on coal miner safety, and the Spokane Mining Research Division specializes in hard rock mining, and are the two main research hubs for NIOSH’s Mining Research Program. Additionally, reports indicate more than 185 NIOSH employees are being laid off from its Morgantown, WV, office, who also work to protect miner health, among other occupational safety and health activities.”

The senators also highlighted the immediate impacts of this move, explaining that mining communities are already being left without key health services.

They continued, “We also have heard from those who work directly with our miner constituents in these communities that the Enhanced Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program is also being decimated. This program provides direct screening services via a mobile medical unit to miners at no cost. NIOSH also supports clinic sites where screening is done, so miners can understand if they are developing black lung or another condition and be as healthy as possible for themselves and their families.”

In their letter, the senators demanded answers from Secretary Kennedy, questioning how these crucial services will continue with a significantly reduced workforce. The senators requested a written response to the following:

How many HHS employees who work in offices that work on mining health and safety have been fired, put on administrative leave, accepted the deferred resignation program offer, or accepted the VERA/VSIP offer since January 20, 2025? Provide a complete breakdown by agency and position. For each category of employee at each agency, provide information on GS level and veteran status, and clearly state the justification for termination. Include employees who have since been reinstated or placed on administrative leave, noting that change in status. Please provide the latest data available.
How many HHS employees remain who work on mining health and safety? Please provide a complete breakdown by agency and position.
How many additional employees who work in offices that work on mining health and safety do you intend to fire following the announcement made on March 27, 2025?
Provide all analyses conducted prior to the reorganization and firings of HHS employees who work in offices that focus on mining safety and health to determine the immediate and long-term impact these firings will have on programs and activities that those employees are tasked with administering. In particular, provide all analyses relating to 1) ensuring statutory obligations will be met, and 2) the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

A copy of letter is available here and text is below.

Dear Secretary Kennedy:

We write today with alarming concern about reports that nearly the entire workforce that works to improve the health of miners was laid off and the office that oversees this work was eliminated. We urge you to reverse course immediately and ensure the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) continues its important work in our states to protect and serve our constituents.

According to reports, HHS is laying off approximately 873 employees, or two-thirds, of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to a notification provided to AFGE Local 1969, whose federal employee members are being impacted, all employees working on mining safety and health in NIOSH’s Spokane, WA and Pittsburgh, PA, offices are being let go. , The NIOSH Pittsburgh Mining Research Division focuses on coal miner safety, and the Spokane Mining Research Division specializes in hard rock mining, and are the two main research hubs for NIOSH’s Mining Research Program. Additionally, reports indicate more than 185 NIOSH employees are being laid off from its Morgantown, WV, office, who also work to protect miner health, among other occupational safety and health activities.

We also have heard from those who work directly with our miner constituents in these communities that the Enhanced Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program is also being decimated. This program provides direct screening services via a mobile medical unit to miners at no cost. NIOSH also supports clinic sites where screening is done, so miners can understand if they are developing black lung or another condition and be as healthy as possible for themselves and their families.

Never has there been a more critical time to do this work. A 2023 study conducted jointly by researchers at NIOSH and at the University of Illinois Chicago found that coal miners in central Appalachia—Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky—were eight times more likely to die from respiratory diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and black lung than American men who are not miners. Our constituents are getting more severe disease at younger ages in recent decades, and we might never had known that without the expertise of NIOSH’s work on coal miner health.

We require more than a fact sheet indicating these duties will be reorganized into an Administration for a Healthy America given the extensive cuts to personnel. In order for us to better understand how the same amount of work can be done with hundreds fewer individuals, please provide responses to the following questions by April 9, 2025:

How many HHS employees who work in offices that work on mining health and safety have been fired, put on administrative leave, accepted the deferred resignation program offer, or accepted the VERA/VSIP offer since January 20, 2025? Provide a complete breakdown by agency and position. For each category of employee at each agency, provide information on GS level and veteran status, and clearly state the justification for termination. Include employees who have since been reinstated or placed on administrative leave, noting that change in status. Please provide the latest data available.
How many HHS employees remain who work on mining health and safety? Please provide a complete breakdown by agency and position.
How many additional employees who work in offices that work on mining health and safety do you intend to fire following the announcement made on March 27, 2025?
Provide all analyses conducted prior to the reorganization and firings of HHS employees who work in offices that focus on mining safety and health to determine the immediate and long-term impact these firings will have on programs and activities that those employees are tasked with administering. In particular, provide all analyses relating to 1) ensuring statutory obligations will be met, and 2) the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

Art Miller, an expert in mine air quality who has been working for NIOSH since 1996 and for its predecessor before this, was part of the Spokane-area firings. He noted that no one else does this kind of research and that “every worker in this country deserves to go home safe.” We agree, and urge you to reverse these cuts before it’s too late.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner today joined Sens. Peter Welch (D-VT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in introducing the bipartisan Protecting Pharmacies in Medicaid Act, legislation to limit abusive pricing practices by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The Senators’ legislation cracks down on PBMs’ use of ‘spread pricing,’—charging Medicaid more than PBMs pay pharmacies for a drug—which drives up costs for Medicaid and short-changes pharmacies that are already struggling to stay in business. The bill would save Medicaid an estimated $2 billion over 10 years.

“Independent pharmacies deliver critical health care, including providing life-saving prescriptions, to patients all across the Commonwealth. Unfortunately, for too long, PBMs have engaged in shady tactics to line their own pockets at the expense of these small businesses and sick seniors. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Protecting Pharmacies in Medicaid Act, legislation that will put an end to the abusive practice of spread pricing and bring down costs for patients and our local pharmacies,” said Sen. Warner.
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“Pharmacies are essential to the care and wellbeing of our rural communities. But spread pricing by pharmacy benefit managers is making it harder than ever for community pharmacies to stay in business and lining the pockets of middlemen,” said Sen. Welch. “This bill takes an important step to limit PBMs’ abusive pricing practices, protect our pharmacies, and support our rural communities. I’m grateful to have Senators Marshall, Warner, and Cassidy’s partnership on this bipartisan legislation to protect the health of Vermonters and Americans across the country.”

“Pharmaceutical industry middlemen use a variety of tricks to line their own pockets at the expense of small, independent pharmacies and senior citizens,” said Sen. Marshall. “Prohibiting PBM spread pricing will cut costs for prescription drugs relied upon by Medicaid enrollees while simultaneously preserving access to local pharmacies that have financially struggled in recent years due to PBMs cutting them out of their share of payments. I’m grateful to partner with Senator Welch on this important legislation that is pro-consumer, pro-small business, and pro-taxpayer.”

“My goal as a doctor in the exam room was to provide the best care at the most affordable price for the patient. The same principle should apply to Medicaid,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Taxpayers should not be cheated by those looking to take advantage of Medicaid.”
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Spread pricing has been linked to the increasing failure rate for independent pharmacies, which are a critical source of health care and community for rural communities in Vermont, Kansas, and across the United States. Between 2018 and 2021, more pharmacies closed than opened in Vermont and across the country.

The Protecting Pharmacies in Medicaid Act will require Medicaid’s payments to PBMs to be passed directly to pharmacies, excluding administrative fees. The bill also requires all pharmacies participating in state Medicaid programs to report National Average Drug Acquisition Costs (NADAC) to increase transparency in drug pricing and ensure reimbursements to pharmacies reflect the true costs of prescription drugs.

The Protecting Pharmacies in Medicaid Act is endorsed by the Food Industry Association (FMI), National Association of Specialty Pharmacy, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, and the National Community Pharmacist Association.

“These are among the PBM reforms needed right away by Americans and their pharmacies. These also are among the reforms backed overwhelmingly in the Congress on a bipartisan basis. Every day that PBM reform is delayed is another day that Americans pay inflated drug prices, that care gets more remote for people and for communities, and that pharmacies are forced out of business. NACDS thanks Senators Peter Welch, Roger Marshall, Mark Warner, and Bill Cassidy and the cosponsors for their continued leadership, and urges swift action by the Congress to right these wrongs of the middlemen's pharmaceutical benefit manipulation,” said Steven C. Anderson, President and CEO, National Association of Chain Drug Stores.

“Time and time again, PBMs have been caught using tactics like spread pricing to take advantage of the system, lining their pockets while harming patients and the taxpayers they are supposed to serve. Through spread pricing in Medicaid alone, PBMs can cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year,” said B. Douglas Hoey, CEO, National Community Pharmacists Association. “These policies nearly made it through Congress at the end of last year. That is why we are grateful for Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Roger Marshall (R-KS) , Mark Warner (D-VA), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) for introducing the Protecting Pharmacies in Medicaid Act, which not only promotes transparency and prohibits spread pricing, but it makes sure pharmacies are paid fairly, allowing them to continue serving their communities.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, (both D-VA), joined a bipartisan group of 27 of their Senate colleagues in introducing the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act, legislation that would allow previously-vetted health care providers to enroll as participating providers in Medicaid programs across state lines to treat children with complex medical needs.

“Specialized care is crucial when treating complex medical issues, especially for children, but too often bureaucratic red tape interferes in treatment for patients with out-of-state Medicaid coverage,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation that will eliminate redundancies for health care professionals and ensure that kids are getting the care they need, when they need it.”

“Ensuring that sick kids have access to the specialized care they need is critical,” said Sen. Kaine. “This bill will allow health care providers who have already demonstrated quality care to avoid redundant screening processes and care for children who have out-of-state Medicaid coverage. I am proud to be joining a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing this important legislation to reduce delays in kids’ access to care.”

Under the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act, state Medicaid programs would be required to create a process for qualifying out-of-state providers to enroll as providers in multiple states to treat children with complex medical conditions. To qualify for this accelerated process, a health care provider must have previously been screened by Medicare or by the state Medicaid program, as well as pose a limited risk of fraud or waste as determined by the state Medicaid program or federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long supported efforts to improve health care access for children. In 2014, the senators introduced the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, which established crucial federal funding for pediatric cancer research. Sens. Warner and Kaine introduced legislation to reauthorize this funding in 2021, ultimately securing its reauthorization in the Senate by a unanimous vote in December 2024 in the final hours of the 118th Congress.

A link to the text of the bill can be found here.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) released the following statements after introducing the Patients Before Middlemen (PBM) Act, which would delink the compensation of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from drug price and utilization. It would also ensure fair treatment of all pharmacies by requiring Medicare Part D plans to contract with any willing pharmacy that meets reasonable terms and conditions.

“For too long, Seniors on fixed incomes have had to worry about the high cost of prescription drugs. Meanwhile, PBMs continue to contribute to this phenomenon by keeping drug prices high and reimbursements for local pharmacies low. Seniors on Medicare – and the Medicare program itself – can’t afford to be taken advantage of by middlemen who don’t contribute to quality of care. I’m proud to introduce this legislation as part of our ongoing fight to get these policies across the finish line,” said Sen. Warner.

“The Patients Before Middlemen Act would increase transparency and reduce prescription drug costs for seniors at the pharmacy counter. For too long, middlemen have taken advantage of misaligned incentives in the pharmaceutical supply chain at the expense of taxpayers and seniors. We need to put patients before the profits of pharmacy benefit managers,” said Sen. Blackburn.

“Seniors shouldn’t have to choose between paying for essential medications and other basic needs,” said Sen. Hassan. “This bipartisan legislation will help stop pharmacy benefit managers from exploiting loopholes that allow them to drive up drug prices, saving seniors their hard-earned money while also saving taxpayer dollars. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I will continue to work to lower prescription drug costs for Granite Staters and all Americans.”

PBMs are third-party intermediaries that manage prescription drug benefits and pharmacy networks on behalf of health plans, including Medicare Part D plans. PBMs perform multiple functions, including determining which medications will be covered by health insurance plans and how much patients will pay.

The PBM industry was created to assist employers with managing overall prescription drug costs and benefits. However, the current system incentivizes PBMs to steer health plans and seniors towards more expensive prescription drugs. Currently, PBMs’ income is often linked to the price of a drug. By tying administrative fees, rebate-based compensation, and other payments to a percentage of the list price, current arrangements incentivize increases in sticker prices, harming patients at the pharmacy counter. Existing regulations allow Part D plan sponsors to contract selectively with pharmacies, favoring preferred networks that often exclude independent pharmacies.

The PBM Act would:

Ensure pharmacies are given fair and equitable treatment by requiring Part D plans to contract with any willing pharmacy and introduce the designation of essential retail pharmacies to provide better classification in rural and underserved areas.

Enhance transparency and accountability, ensuring PBMs are not limited patient access to available pharmacy options under Medicare Part D.

Prohibit PBM compensation based on the price of a drug as a condition of entering into a contract with a Medicare Part D plan. Under this legislation, PBM service fees would not be connected to the price of a drug, discounts, rebates, or other fees.

Create an enforcement mechanism requiring PBMs to pay to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary any amount in excess of the designated service fees.

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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, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, (both D-VA) today joined U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and their Senate Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. expressing serious alarm over the Trump Administration’s decision to cut NIH funding – a move that threatens to undermine America’s biomedical research infrastructure and set us back generations. These illegal cuts would create a serious funding shortfall for research institutions nationwide, undermining progress on lifesaving scientific advancements, and potentially costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars and threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers.

“As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH plays a critical role in sustaining the research infrastructure necessary for scientific breakthroughs in cancer treatment, infectious disease prevention, and medical technology innovation, among many others. President Trump has wreaked havoc on the nation’s biomedical research system in recent weeks. In his first several days in office, President Trump imposed a hiring freeze, communications freeze, ban on travel, and cancellation of grant review and advisory panels that are necessary to advance research. While some of these efforts have been reversed, they continue to cause confusion and miscommunication among researchers and recipients of NIH funds,”wrote the senators.

Last week, the NIH announced it would set the maximum reimbursement rate for indirect costs to 15 percent – creating a serious funding shortfall for research institutions of all types across the country. This move would dismantle the biomedical research system and stifle the development of new cures for disease. It would also fail produce real cost savings and instead just shift costs to states who can’t afford to pay the difference.

“This change to NIH’s indirect cost rate represents an indiscriminate funding cut that will be nothing short of catastrophic for the lifesaving research that patients and families are counting on. The Administration’s new policy means that research will come to a halt, sick kids may not get the treatment they need, and clinical trials may shut down abruptly,” the senators continued.

The senators’ letter points out that, in addition to the stifling impact on discovering new cures and ripping away treatment from those who need it, changes to NIH policy and communications threaten jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. NIH research supported more than 412,000 jobs and fueled nearly $93 billion in new economic activity in Fiscal Year 2023 and every dollar the NIH invests in research generates almost $2.50 in economic activity.

“The Trump Administration has left researchers, universities, and health systems with great uncertainty about whether they can continue to support entire research programs and patient clinical trials across the country. Institutions and grantees nationwide are dealing with an unprecedented external communications “pause” enacted by new leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the lack of transparency regarding the Administration’s illegal funding freeze, and the uncertainty of how new Executive Orders would be applied to their critical work. These actions resulted in NIH freezing grant reviews and cancelling advisory meetings, delaying critical funding that scientists need to continue advancing new cures and treatments. These disruptions do not just slow research—they cost lives,”the senators stressed.

“Our standing as a world leader in funding and producing new medical and scientific innovations has been put at risk by these recent actions from the Trump Administration. We urge you to stop playing political games with the lifesaving work of the NIH and to allow NIH research to continue uninterrupted.”

This letter comes on the heels of a Monday ruling in which a federal judge temporarily blocked the NIH rate cut and set a hearing for February 21.

A copy of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

We write to express our serious concern with the Trump Administration’s recent decisions that threaten to undermine the nation’s biomedical research infrastructure and set us back generations. The steps the Trump Administration has taken will create a serious funding shortfall for research institutions nationwide, threaten to undermine progress on lifesaving scientific advancements, could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars, and threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers.

As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH plays a critical role in sustaining the research infrastructure necessary for scientific breakthroughs in cancer treatment, infectious disease prevention, and medical technology innovation, among many others. President Trump has wreaked havoc on the nation’s biomedical research system in recent weeks. In his first several days in office, President Trump imposed a hiring freeze, communications freeze, ban on travel, and cancellation of grant review and advisory panels that are necessary to advance research. While some of these efforts have been reversed, they continue to cause confusion and miscommunication among researchers and recipients of NIH funds.

Just last week, NIH announced an illegal plan to cap indirect cost rates that research institutions rely on. In capping indirect cost rates at 15 percent for NIH-funded grants, this policy would cut funding essential for conducting research, such as operating and maintaining laboratories, equipment, and research facilities. This change to NIH’s indirect cost rate represents an indiscriminate funding cut that will be nothing short of catastrophic for the lifesaving research that patients and families are counting on. The Administration’s new policy means that research will come to a halt, sick kids may not get the treatment they need, and clinical trials may shut down abruptly.

These confusing and harmful policy changes threaten patient safety. The strength of the American research enterprise – recognized as the best in the world – is built on Congress’ bipartisan commitment to supporting essential research infrastructure. This funding, which Congress has long appropriated on a bipartisan basis, fuels groundbreaking medical discoveries and cements the United States’ position as the global leader in biomedical research.

In addition to the stifling impact on discovering new cures and ripping away treatment from those who need it, changes to NIH policy and communications threaten jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with everyone from custodians, to research trainees, to scientists facing potential layoffs. NIH research supported more than 412,000 jobs and fueled nearly $93 billion in new economic activity in Fiscal Year 2023. Every dollar the NIH invests in research generates almost $2.50 in economic activity. These reckless policy changes not only threaten biomedical innovation and research, but also the livelihoods of thousands of workers in every state across the nation.

The Trump Administration has left researchers, universities, and health systems with great uncertainty about whether they can continue to support entire research programs and patient clinical trials across the country. Institutions and grantees nationwide are dealing with an unprecedented external communications “pause” enacted by new leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the lack of transparency regarding the Administration’s illegal funding freeze, and the uncertainty of how new Executive Orders would be applied to their critical work. These actions resulted in NIH freezing grant reviews and cancelling advisory meetings, delaying critical funding that scientists need to continue advancing new cures and treatments. These disruptions do not just slow research – they cost lives.

The NIH plays a critical role in our nation’s efforts to fund scientific advancements that improve health and save lives. Our standing as a world leader in funding and producing new medical and scientific innovations has been put at risk by these recent actions from the Trump Administration. We urge you to stop playing political games with the lifesaving work of the NIH and to allow NIH research to continue uninterrupted.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) led 20 of their colleagues in writing a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Acting Secretary Dorothy A. Fink, M.D. regarding reports that Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grantees, including community health centers, are experiencing significant delays in accessing funding. The senators also expressed concerns about restrictions on regular communications between HRSA and grantees. These issues come after an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo that suspended all federal grant and loan funding. The memo has since been rescinded following pressure from the senators, other Democrats in Congress, and the public, but many grantees that rely on federal funding are still experiencing confusion and uncertainty, and have received little to no guidance from the Trump Administration about their funding.

There are 31 Federally Qualified Health Centers with over 200 locations—a majority of which serve rural areas with limited access to medical care—in Virginia. Due to the funding freeze, several centers within the Capital Area Health Network closed earlier this week. Kaine and Warner met with Virginia community health centers earlier this week.

“We are writing to express serious concerns regarding reports that Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grantees, such as Community Health Centers (health centers), continue to experience significant delays in accessing funding to support services, as well as restrictions on regular communications with agency staff as a result of the Trump Administration’s January 20, 2025 executive orders to pause external communication from federal agencies, and subsequent memorandum directing all federal departments and agencies to freeze all financial assistance.” wrote the members.

The members continued, “While nearly 70 percent of health center revenue comes from payments from Medicaid, Medicare, commercial insurance, and self-pay patients, health centers rely on their regular federal grant funding to meet payroll obligations and keep their doors open. Beginning in late January, health centers started reporting issues accessing the Payment Management System (PMS) – getting “locked out”, being denied funding they had been awarded, and experiencing long delays in funding being released. As a result, health centers across the country are experiencing panic, unsure how to pay their staff and keep their doors open.”

“Despite a judge’s order blocking the funding freeze, we are troubled by reports that health centers are unable to access funding duly appropriated by Congress through the PMS. To compound this issue, our offices have heard troubling reports that since the Trump Administration’s executive orders and funding freeze, funding that has already been appropriated and directed by Congress is still being restricted, and standing webinars, briefings, and meetings are being cancelled at the last minute,” they wrote. “Health centers are receiving little communication regarding these cancellations and changes, and the communication they have received from HRSA has been unclear, directing actions that may conflict with current court orders.”

“Two-thirds of Virginia’s community health centers are located in the rural areas of our Commonwealth,” said Tracy Douglas, CEO of the Virginia Community Healthcare Association. “For countless hardworking individuals and families in these regions, these health centers are not just a place for medical care—they are a lifeline. People rely on them to stay healthy so they can work, care for their families, and live full, productive lives. It is absolutely imperative that we ensure the continued operation of these vital health centers to protect the well-being of our communities and our nation.”

In addition to Kaine and Warner, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-CT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angus King (I-ME), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). The letter is also signed by U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA-02), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), and Sarah McBride (D-DE-At-Large).

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

Dear Acting Secretary Fink,

We are writing to express serious concerns regarding reports that Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grantees, such as Community Health Centers (health centers), continue to experience significant delays in accessing funding to support services, as well as restrictions on regular communications with agency staff as a result of the Trump Administration’s January 20, 2025 executive orders to pause external communication from federal agencies, and subsequent memorandum directing all federal departments and agencies to freeze all financial assistance.

Community Health Centers provide high-quality primary and preventive care, dental care, behavioral health and substance use disorder services, and low-cost prescription drugs to more than 32 million Americans annually, serving one in five rural Americans and one in three people living in poverty. Nationally, more than 1,400 health centers operate over 15,000 service sites across every state and Territory, employing more than 500,000 individuals and generating nearly $85 billion in economic output.

Despite the critical role health centers play in addressing health inequities, many centers struggle to keep up with the growing demand for services and rising costs to deliver high-quality care in their communities. While nearly 70 percent of health center revenue comes from payments from Medicaid, Medicare, commercial insurance, and self-pay patients, health centers rely on their regular federal grant funding to meet payroll obligations and keep their doors open. Beginning in late January, health centers started reporting issues accessing the Payment Management System (PMS) – getting “locked out”, being denied funding they had been awarded, and experiencing long delays in funding being released. As a result, health centers across the country are experiencing panic, unsure how to pay their staff and keep their doors open. Due to delays in funding, health centers have reported:

“We have put off signing a contract to replace our mammography machine, which has reached end of life, because of this freeze and the uncertainty.”
“I'm also now getting providers asking if they should be looking for a new job. Without any understanding and guidance, I'm pretty limited with how much I can actually assure them to do other than tighten our belts…”
“Any services that are directly funded by federal funds will be placed on hold…”
“We had to use all reserves in 2024. We will not make payroll or any other payments next week without access to this federal funding. Staff will be dismissed without access to federal funds.”
“If everything stays the same…the best guess is that we could be fully operational for six months.”
“We have the ability to sustain current or full operations for 60 days…Outreach and case management staff…would be in the first wave of layoffs. Unfortunately, those positions rely on federal support as they are typically not reimbursable through third-party payors. In a short period of time, this has had a profound impact on our staff. [Staff are] concerned that we will lose valuable staff members as they are concerned about the stability of the organization.”
“We will step back on hiring and likely implement hiring pause unless this is resolved quickly.”
“We have enough in reserve to cover two payroll periods.”
“The pause in grant funding would create a deficit for us...We would likely need to start reducing staff and healthcare services to the…patients we serve…within the next couple of weeks if the freeze persists.”

As safety net providers operating on razor-thin margins, health centers need certainty to provide care in underserved communities. In Virginia alone, ongoing delays in accessing funding have caused health centers to close their doors and cancel patient appointments. When health centers close, people with chronic conditions miss appointments, pregnant women miss prenatal visits, and behavioral health services are interrupted, worsening outcomes and increasing costs to the entire health care system.

Despite a judge’s order blocking the funding freeze, we are troubled by reports that health centers are unable to access funding duly appropriated by Congress through the PMS. To compound this issue, our offices have heard troubling reports that since the Trump Administration’s executive orders and funding freeze, funding that has already been appropriated and directed by Congress is still being restricted, and standing webinars, briefings, and meetings are being cancelled at the last minute. Health centers are receiving little communication regarding these cancellations and changes, and the communication they have received from HRSA has been unclear, directing actions that may conflict with current court orders.

We request that you provide answers to the following questions in writing no later than Wednesday, February 12, 2025.

How many health centers have draw-down requests pending in the PMS?

How has that number changed, daily, since January 27, 2025?
What is the average wait time from submission of a draw-down request to disbursement of funds prior to January 27, 2025 and after January 27, 2025?

How many health center draw-down requests have been denied since January 27, 2025?

What is the rationale for these denials?

What is the exact timeline for ensuring the PMS is fully operational and disbursing all pending health center draw-down requests?
What specific authority and under which executive action did HRSA or the Department of Health and Human Services use to restrict health center access to the PMS and funding that they had been previously awarded?
Please provide a list of regular standing calls or meetings between HRSA staff and HRSA grantees that have been cancelled since January 20, 2025. Please include the following:

A description of the grantees impacted, including the type of grantees and number of grantees.
Whether funds appropriated by Congress for the purpose of the grant are being withheld from being awarded to the grantees.

Please provide a list of webinars, briefings, information sessions, and trainings that have been cancelled since January 20, 2025. Please include the following:

A description of the purpose of each webinar, briefing, information session, or training.
Whether or not the webinar, briefing, information session, or training is required by statute and if so, provide the corresponding citation.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and 26 of their Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers. Currently, firefighters are only eligible for support under the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program for physical injuries sustained in the line-of-duty, or for deaths from duty-related heart attacks, strokes, mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and 9/11 related illnesses.

The Honoring our Fallen Heroes Act would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and first responders who pass away from cancer caused by carcinogenic exposure during their service. The bill would also extend disability benefits in cases where these first responders become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer.

“Our first responders put their lives on the line day in and day out to keep our communities safe, and in the face of this work, are often exposed to harmful carcinogens that have led to long-term and devastating diagnoses,” Sen. Warner said. “It is wholly unacceptable that firefighters who have gotten sick due to the job do not receive the same benefits as all those who die in the line of duty. I’m proud to introduce this legislation to ensure that these heroes receive the benefits they deserve.”

The PSOB program provides benefits to the survivors of fire fighters, law enforcement officers, and other first responders who are killed as the result of injuries sustained in the line of duty. The program also provides disability benefits where first responders become permanently or totally disabled. The Public Safety Officers' Educational Assistance (PSOEA) program, a component of the PSOB program, provides higher-education assistance to the children and spouses of public safety officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. The PSOB and PSOEA programs are administered by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would ensure that firefighters and other first responders across the country are eligible to receive similar benefits under the federal PSOB program.

Joining Sens. Warner, Klobuchar, and Cramer in introducing this legislation are Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jim Justice (R-WV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The legislation is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), as well as the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI); Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA); Fraternal Order of Police (FOP); International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC); Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA); Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs); National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO); National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF); National Fire Protection Association (NFPA); National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC); National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC); and Sergeants Benevolent Association of the NYPD.

Text of the legislation is available here.

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WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, (both D-VA) joined a group of Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Health Care Affordability Act, legislation to lower health care costs for millions of Americans and make permanent the current enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs) for Health Insurance Marketplace coverage. The PTCs were created in the Affordable Care Act and previously enhanced under the American Rescue Plan Act and the Inflation Reduction Act but are set to expire at the end of this year, increasing health insurance costs for over 20 million Americans. The Health Care Affordability Act would make the enhanced PTCs permanent, ensuring that these Americans don’t face sudden cost increases or leave almost 3.8 million Americans each year without coverage at all. Without this extension, out-of-pocket premium payments across the Commonwealth are projected to increase as much as 33%, according to the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

“For years, the ACA premium tax credits have lowered health care costs and increased access to insurance for Virginians and their families,” said the senators. “And through the American Rescue Plan Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, we further lowered costs for American families. But without action, these enhanced tax credits will expire. We are proud to introduce this legislation that will ensure more than 20 million Americans don’t face unfair cost increases at the end of the year.”

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long fought to lower health care costs and increase accessibility for all Americans.

In addition to Sens. Warner and Kaine, the bill is sponsored by U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Peter Welch (D-VT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Gary Peters (D-MI), John Fetterman (D-PA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

In the House of Representatives, the legislation is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14).

Full text of the bill is available here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), John Thune (R-SD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Todd Young (R-IN) today applauded the passage of two bills to protect the privacy of Americans and remove burdensome health care reporting requirements by allowing certain communications to be filed electronically.

“Health care for Americans has only gotten better and more accessible since the passage of the Affordable Care Act — just ask anyone who faced lifetime limits or was denied insurance because of a pre-existing condition. These two pieces of legislation will make needed adjustments to modernize and streamline ACA reporting requirements to ensure that they don’t needlessly compromise the privacy of Americans or get in the way of their access to health care. I’m proud to have introduced these pieces of legislation and look forward to seeing them signed by President Biden,” said Sen. Warner.

“Small businesses in South Dakota and across the country have been forced to comply with overly burdensome administrative requirements from the Affordable Care Act,” said Sen. Thune. “These bills would eliminate convoluted paperwork and streamline the current reporting requirements to ensure businesses can focus their resources on serving their customers and employees.”

“Employers shouldn’t have to jump through unnecessary hoops to provide health care coverage for their employees,” said Sen. Cortez Masto. “These bills provide flexibility to employers, streamline health insurance reporting, and make communication more secure for employees and employers alike. I urge the president to sign them into law as soon as possible.”

“Under current law, overreaching compliance requirements create uncertainty and stress for employers in Indiana and across the nation. Our bipartisan bills will help reduce these unnecessary burdens and increase efficiency,” said Sen. Young.

The Employer Reporting Improvement Act will protect Americans’ privacy and ease compliance burdens on employers. Among other steps, it will modernize communication by allowing employers to electronically file certain documents. It will also protect privacy by clarifying that the IRS can accept full names and dates of birth in lieu of dependents’ and spouses’ Social Security numbers. In addition, it will ease compliance burdens by extending the time period (from 30 days to 90 days) during which an applicable large employer can appeal a penalty for not offering adequate, affordable health insurance to all full-time employees. Finally, it will enact a six-year statute of limitations for the IRS to levy penalties under the Employer Shared Responsibility provision of the ACA.

The Paperwork Burden Reduction Act will reduce the number of physical forms that employers have to mail to employees as part of complying with the ACA. Currently, employers and health insurance providers that provide minimum essential coverage must report this information to the IRS for each covered individual and provide a copy of this information to the covered individual (through 1095-B or 1095-C tax forms, depending on the coverage type) by January 31 of each year. Current IRS regulations allow employers to provide only 1095-B forms electronically. The Paperwork Burden Reduction Act will codify the current IRS policy by allowing the 1095-B to be provided electronically and would extend this to 1095-C, limiting unnecessary physical paperwork.

The Employer Reporting Improvement Act and the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act were approved by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year and now head to President Biden’s desk for his signature.

Full text of the Employer Reporting Improvement Act is available here. Full text of the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act is available here.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a former fair housing lawyer, (both D-VA) announced $1,450,000 in federal funding to address lead-based paint hazards in homes across Virginia. Many older homes still have lead-based paint on walls, which is dangerous when it peels and chips. Young children are most susceptible to lead poisoning and can face long-term developmental delays if exposed. The funding is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program, which provides federal funding to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible homes.

“Lead poisoning can pose long-term health issues for those exposed,” the senators said. “This funding will help to protect Virginians from lead-based hazards and help ensure they have safe housing.”

The funding is broken down as follows:

$750,000 for the City of Roanoke.
$700,000 for the Commonwealth of Virginia. This funding will be distributed across Virginia by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s Lead Hazard Reduction Program.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long advocated for safe, affordable housing for Virginia families. This funding builds on the $11.6 million in federal funding the senators announced in October to address this issue. Earlier this year, the senators announced over $98 million in federal funding for affordable housing, community development, and homelessness assistance and over $55 million in federal funding for improvements to affordable housing across the Commonwealth.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, John Cornyn (R-TX), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced legislation to strengthen cybersecurity in the health care sector and protect Americans’ health data. This legislation is a product of the senators’ health care cybersecurity working group launched last year.

“Cyberattacks on our health care systems and organizations not only threaten personal and sensitive information, but can have life-and-death consequences with even the briefest period of interruption. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation that strengthens our cybersecurity and better protects patients,” said Sen. Warner.

“Cyberattacks on our health care sector not only put patients’ sensitive health data at risk but can delay life-saving care,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This bipartisan legislation ensures health institutions can safeguard Americans’ health data against increasing cyber threats.”

“In an increasingly digital world, it is essential that Americans’ health care data is protected,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This commonsense legislation would modernize our health care institutions’ cybersecurity practices, increase agency coordination, and provide tools for rural providers to prevent and respond to cyberattacks.”

“Cyberattacks in the health care sector can have a wide range of devastating consequences, from exposing private medical information to disrupting care in ERs – and it can be particularly difficult for medical providers in rural communities with fewer resources to prevent and respond to these attacks,” said Sen. Hassan. “Our bipartisan working group came together to develop this legislation based on the most pressing needs for medical providers and patients, and I urge my colleagues to support it.”

The Health Care Cybersecurity and Resiliency Act of 2024:

Strengthens cybersecurity in the health care sector by providing grants to health entities to improve cyberattack prevention and response.
Provides training to health entities on cybersecurity best practices.
Supports rural communities by providing best practices to rural health clinics and other providers on cybersecurity breach prevention, resilience, and coordination with federal agencies.
Improves coordination between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to better respond to cyberattacks in the health care sector.
Modernizes current regulations so entities covered under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) use the best cybersecurity practices.
Requires the HHS Secretary to develop and implement a cybersecurity incident response plan.

Click here for full bill text.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Bob Casey (D-PA) in sending a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra urging continued action to address the critical intravenous (IV) fluid shortage affecting hospitals across the nation. This shortage, caused by the temporary closure of Baxter International's manufacturing plant in North Carolina due to flooding from Hurricane Helene, has created significant challenges for health care providers in Virginia and across the country.

The senators’ letter comes in response to the production halt at Baxter International, the largest manufacturer of intravenous (IV) solutions in the United States, which produces nearly two-thirds of the IV fluids used in U.S. hospitals. While federal agencies—including the HHS, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR)—work to increase supply from other manufacturers, allow temporary importation of products manufactured abroad, and provide guidance on compounded alternatives, hospitals across the country, including in Virginia, continue to face shortages and need clear communication to effectively plan for the months ahead. The letter emphasized that the federal response must especially prioritize providers whose patient communities will be most at risk in the face of continued shortages.

“The uncertainty created by reduced product deliveries has led to conservation policies in health facilities across our states. After orders were recently cancelled, some providers have reported having only single-digit days’ worth of product on hand, while others are utilizing over the-counter oral hydration solutions like Gatorade—and fear reduced allocations of those alternatives as well. While providers are seeing promising results from HHS’s actions so far, we must ensure this progress continues,” wrote the senators.

“As you take the necessary steps to increase production of IV products at alternative domestic sites, facilitate the expedited arrival of additional product from overseas, and review product shelf life to consider extensions, we ask you provide clear and continuous communication to health providers on their options and the path forward as communities recover from this storm and any impact that may stem from Hurricane Milton,” the senators concluded.

Read the full letter to Secretary Becerra here and below:

Dear Secretary Becerra:

We appreciate the Biden Administration’s efforts to swiftly respond to the catastrophic damage caused across the southeast by Hurricane Helene. As you continue this recovery work, on behalf of our constituents and the health care providers who serve them, we write to urge you to continue to work with hospital and health system partners to address disruptions in the intravenous (IV) solution supply chain resulting from the hurricane-induced closure of the Baxter International plant in North Cove, North Carolina.

As you know, Baxter is the largest manufacturer of IV solutions in the United States. Their facility in Western North Carolina produces nearly two-thirds of the IV solution used to provide health care nationwide. As you also know, to protect from stockpiling, Baxter has instituted limits on the amount of saline solution and dextrose product hospitals and health systems are currently able to order. We are encouraged by steps taken by your agency and other federal government agencies to move product more quickly, including rebuilding physical infrastructure, working with manufacturing partners to increase supply from other sites, and providing guidance on appropriate compounding.

However, the uncertainty created by reduced product deliveries has led to conservation policies in health facilities across our states. After orders were recently canceled, some providers have reported having only single-digit days’ worth of product on hand, while others are utilizing over-the-counter oral hydration solutions like Gatorade—and fear reduced allocations of those alternatives as well. While providers are seeing promising results from HHS’s actions so far, we must ensure this progress continues.

As you take the necessary steps to increase production of IV products at alternative domestic sites, facilitate the expedited arrival of additional product from overseas, and review product shelf life to consider extensions, we ask you provide clear and continuous communication to health providers on their options and the path forward as communities recover from this storm and any impact that may stem from Hurricane Milton. We also request intentional outreach to safety net, tribal, and rural providers, as well as those caring for vulnerable populations who may lack the resources to sustain prolonged shortages. Hospitals and health systems in our states are eager to work with you to protect patient care and welcome your outreach.

We look forward to working with you to ensure timely and robust communication to keep our communities healthy. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, both D-VA, announced $2,225,710 in federal funding for education programs based in Alexandria, Richmond, and Harrisonburg to train behavioral health professionals to address substance use disorders, students’ mental health, and racial disparities in access to mental health treatment. The funding is being allocated by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for which the senators have consistently supported robust and continued funding.

“Helping those who struggle with behavioral health needs starts with adequately funding programs to recruit, educate, and train the first responders and behavioral health professionals who will be on the front lines,” said the senators. “This over-$2.2 million in grant funding will help us do that, and we will continue to do all that we can to bring resources to Virginia to support the mental health of our communities.”

The funding will be allocated as follows:

$1,924,595 to the Alexandria-based Foundation for The Advancement of Human Systems via the Minority Fellowship Program to recruit, train and support master’s- and doctoral-level students in behavioral health care professions to address services disparities for racial and ethnic minority populations.
$199,939 to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond to recruit and train first responders in rural areas on how to provide trauma-informed, recovery-based care for people with substance use disorders (SUD), and co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders (COD), in emergency situations.
$101,716 to Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg to strengthen mental health services for college students, including increasing protective factors that promote mental health, as well as reducing risk factors for suicide.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long advocated for federally-funded resources for Virginians who struggle with mental and behavioral health issues. In September 2024, Warner and Kaine announced $3.5 million in federal funding to expand mental health and substance abuse disorder services at community health centers. In August 2023, Warner and Kaine announced $1.4 million in federal funding for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to expand access to mental health care in Virginia. In December 2022, Warner and Kaine announced $1 million in federal funding from SAMHSA to expand the 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline in Virginia.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $11,692,000 in federal funding to protect young children and their families from hazardous lead poisoning in their homes. The sale of lead-based paint is banned in the United States, but many older homes still have the old paint on walls, which can become dangerous as it peels and chips. Young children are most susceptible to lead poisoning and can face long-term developmental delays if exposed. This funding, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program, will be used to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in Virginia’s older housing units.

“Lead poisoning can have negative long-term health impacts for those exposed,” the senators said. “This funding will help to protect children and families by identifying and mitigating the presence of dangerous lead-based paint.”

This funding is broken down as follows:

The Commonwealth of Virginia will receive $6,692,000 in funding to update older housing and improve community health. This funding will be distributed across Virginia;
The City of Roanoke will receive $5,000,000 in funding to update older housing and improve community health.

Sens. Warner and Kaine been vocal about the need for safe, affordable housing for Virginians. Earlier this year, the senators announced over $55 million in federal funding for improvements to affordable housing across the Commonwealth.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, (both D-VA) joined a group of Senate colleagues to introduce the Health Care Affordability Act, legislation to lower health care costs for millions of Americans and make the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs) for Health Insurance Marketplace coverage permanent. PTCs were previously enhanced under the Inflation Reduction Act but are set to expire at the end of 2025, increasing health insurance costs for over 20 million Americans. The Health Care Affordability Act would make the enhanced PTCs permanent, ensuring that these Americans don’t face sudden increases and also protecting another 3 million Americans' access to care.

“All Virginians should have access to affordable health care, no matter their financial situation, and the ACA premium tax credits play a key role in this,” said the Senators. “The Health Care Affordability Act will ensure over 20 million Americans don’t face unfair cost increases and help more Virginians access care they can afford—it’s a win-win.”

Warner and Kaine have long fought to lower health care costs and increase accessibility for all Americans, and earlier this month, the senators wrote to leadership stressing the importance of passing legislation to address this issue. Kaine’s Medicare-X Choice Act includes a provision to make the enhanced premium tax credits permanent. The senators voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, groundbreaking legislation that passed in the Senate by one vote and instituted a cap on prescription drug costs for seniors on Medicare, lowered premiums for more than 500,000 Virginians, and capped insulin costs at $35 a month. Kaine also introduced the Improving Health Insurance Affordability Act last year, which would lower health care costs and expand access to insurance for millions of Americans.

In addition to Warner and Kaine, the bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), John Tester (D-MT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Gary Peters (D-MI), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Ed Markey (D-MA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), George Helmy (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

Full text of the bill is available here.

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WASHINGTON — This week, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease, applauded House passage of two bipartisan bills he introduced that would cement and build on the important progress that has been made to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease. The National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA) Reauthorization Act and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (AAIA) now head to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

Nearly seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s costs our nation an astonishing $360 billion per year, including $231 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid. If we continue along this trajectory, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s may grow to a projected 12.7 million and approach $1 trillion in annual costs by 2050. Family caregivers provide 18 billion hours of unpaid care for loved ones with dementia annually, valued at nearly $347 billion.

“I know from firsthand experience what a devastating illness Alzheimer’s disease is, as I watched my mother battle with it for a decade before her passing,” Sen. Warner said. “While we’ve made great strides in research, there is still so much work to be done to find effective ways to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s. On behalf of the millions of American families who have been touched by Alzheimer’s, I’m glad to see these two bills head to the president’s desk to be signed into law.”

The NAPA Reauthorization Act would:

Reauthorize NAPA through 2035 and modernize the legislation to reflect strides that have been made to understand the disease, such as including a new focus on promoting healthy aging and reducing risk factors; and
Update language in recognition of the need to include underserved populations, including individuals with Down syndrome, who are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s as they age.

The Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act would:

Continue through 2035 a requirement that the Director of the National Institutes of Health submit an annual budget to Congress estimating the funding necessary to fully implement NAPA’s research goals. Only two other areas of biomedical research – cancer and HIV/AIDS – have been the subject of special budget development aimed at speeding discovery.

Along with Sen. Warner, both bills were co-authored by Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ed Markey (D-MA).

The NAPA Reauthorization Act and Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act are endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association and UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. The NAPA Reauthorization Act is also endorsed by the National Down Syndrome Society, the National Down Syndrome Congress, and LuMind IDSC Foundation.

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WASHINGTON – Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) today announced legislation to improve cybersecurity in the American health care system amid a wave of increased cyberattacks that are breaching Americans’ privacy and causing major disruptions to care across the country.

“Cyberattacks on our health care institutions threaten patients’ most private data and delay essential medical care, directly endangering Americans’ lives and long term health,” Sen. Warner said. “With hacks already targeting institutions across the country, it’s time to go beyond voluntary standards and ensure health care providers and vendors get serious about cybersecurity and patient safety. I’m glad to introduce legislation that would mandate sensible cybersecurity protocols while also getting resources to rural and underserved hospitals to ensure they have the funding to meet these new standards.”

“Megacorporations like UnitedHealth are flunking Cybersecurity 101, and American families are suffering as a result,” Sen. Wyden said. “The health care industry has some of the worst cybersecurity practices in the nation despite its critical importance to Americans’ well-being and privacy. These commonsense reforms, which include jail time for CEOs that lie to the government about their cybersecurity, will set a course to beef up cybersecurity among health care companies across the nation and stem the tide of cyberattacks that threaten to cripple the American health care system.”

“Cybersecurity remains an ever-evolving challenge in our health care ecosystem and more must be done to prevent cyber attacks and ensure patient safety,” said Andrea Palm, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. “Clear accountability measures and mandatory cybersecurity requirements for all organizations that hold sensitive data are essential. We are grateful for Senator Wyden and Senator Warner’s leadership and look forward to continuing to work together on this legislation to strengthen cyber resiliency across our entire health care ecosystem.”

The bill, titled the “Health Infrastructure Security and Accountability Act,” would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and enforce a set of tough minimum cybersecurity standards for health care providers, health plans, clearinghouses and business associates, including stronger standards for systemically important entities and entities important for national security. The bill would also remove the existing cap on fines under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which prevent the regulator from issuing fines large enough to deter megacorporations from ignoring cybersecurity standards, and provides funding for hospitals to improve their cybersecurity, particularly low-resource hospitals in rural and urban areas.

A one-page summary of the bill can be found here. The legislative text can be found here.

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WASHINGTON – After announcing draft legislation earlier this year, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and 16 colleagues in introducing the Keeping Obstetrics Local Act - legislation to address the rising trend of labor and delivery unit closures in rural and underserved hospitals.

“Rural communities need comprehensive access to health care, but in recent years we’ve seen far too many hospitals in these areas struggle to keep their doors open, with expectant mothers bearing the brunt of the impact,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m proud to introduce legislation that will help to ensure rural Virginians retain access to crucial OB-GYN care.”

The Keeping Obstetrics Local Act (KOLA) would increase Medicaid payment rates for labor and delivery services at eligible hospitals in rural and high-need urban areas, provide “standby” payments to cover the costs of staffing and maintaining an obstetrics unit at low-volume hospitals, create low-volume payment adjustments for labor and delivery services at hospitals with low birth volumes, and require all states to provide postpartum coverage for women in Medicaid for 12 months, among other steps. The bill would make sure that hospitals are required to use these additional resources to invest in the maternal health care needs of the local communities they serve.

A copy of the text is available here.

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WASHINGTON – With winter cold, flu, and COVID season upon us, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) is leading Senate introduction of the Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act, legislation requiring federal agencies to establish and publish workplace protections in the instance of a public health emergency declared for an infectious disease. Companion legislation was also introduced today in the House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA).

The legislation is named for Chai Suthammanont, a kitchen staff worker at a childcare facility on Marine Corps Base Quantico, who died from coronavirus-related complications in May of 2020 after being exposed to COVID-19, likely in the tight kitchen space he shared with additional staff. Confusion and uncertainty regarding best practices and agency policies, as well as a general lack of communication with federal workforce staff, likely contributed to his death.

Joining Sen. Warner in Senate introduction are Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

“Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal employees remained hard at work, ensuring that the American people could continue to count on their government. But unfortunately, the pandemic highlighted that our federal agencies were widely unprepared to protect these essential workers,” said Sen. Warner. “It’s crucial that we learn from our mistakes. We owe it to our federal workforce to ensure a safe workplace, and when faced with another public health emergency, we must be prepared.”

“On May 26, 2020, Chai Suthammanont, my constituent and a kitchen staff worker at a childcare facility on Marine Corps Base Quantico, died from COVID-related complications,” said Rep. Connolly. “Confusion and uncertainty surrounding agency guidance during the pandemic emerged as two of the largest contributing factors to Chai’s death. These factors, combined with a general lack of communication with federal workforce staff, led to tragedy. Our Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act will ensure federal employees are informed and better protected during any future public health emergency. I want to thank Senator Warner for his partnership, and I want to thank Chai’s widow, Christina, for her continued efforts to transform her family’s loss into a charge to help others.”

Specifically, the Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act would:

Require each federal agency to develop and maintain a plan that details public health protocols the agency will take during a nationwide infectious disease PHE declaration. The plan must include guidelines for testing, cleaning, occupancy limits, use of personal protective equipment, notification of individuals who may have been exposed, and protections for employees who travel off-site;
Require each agency to publish the safety plan on its website and communicate its plan to employees, contractors, and subcontractors;
Ensure accountability and oversight by requiring the Office of the Inspector General for each agency to report to Congress on plan implementation. The Government Accountability Office would also issue a report on the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic to improve future protocols.

This bill has been endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE).

Bill text is available here.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, (both D-VA) announced $3,517,754 in federal funding to support behavioral health across Virginia. The funding will help expand mental health and substance use disorder services at community health centers, which are often a primary source of care for individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, or enrolled in Medicaid. It was awarded through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Behavioral Health Service Expansion program.

“Behavioral health care is a critical part of caring for our communities, and we need to do more to expand access to this support,” said the Senators. “We’re glad this funding will help community health centers across Virginia reach more Virginians and provide them with the behavioral health services they need.”

The funding is allocated as follows:

$600,000 for New Horizons Healthcare in Roanoke
$600,000 for Neighborhood Health in Alexandria
$600,000 for Rockbridge Area Health Center in Lexington
$600,000 for Southwest Community Health in Saltville
$599,996 for Tri-Area Community Health in Laurel Fork
$517,758 for Daily Planet Inc. in Richmond

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long supported efforts to expand and support behavioral health across the Commonwealth. Last year, Warner and Kaine announced nearly $1.4 million in federal funding made possible by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act they helped pass to expand access to mental health care in Virginia. Sens. Warner and Kaine also introduced the CONNECT for Health Act, which would expand coverage of telehealth services, including mental health treatment and treatment for substance use disorders.

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WASHINGTON — Today, in the midst of the National Suicide Prevention Month, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced $4,549,848 in federal funding for suicide prevention efforts targeted towards Virginia’s veterans. The funding, courtesy of the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, will support community-based prevention efforts to meet the needs of veterans and their families through outreach, prevention services, and connection to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and community resources.

The Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program was created through the Warner-sponsored IMPROVE Wellbeing for Veterans Act, legislation introduced in 2019 to improve coordination of veteran mental health and suicide prevention services and to better measure the effectiveness of these programs in order to reduce the alarming number of veteran suicides. The legislation was signed into law as part of the broader Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act, which was passed unanimously in the Senate in August 2020.

“Too many veterans are silently suffering with their mental health when their tours of duty conclude. That’s why it is our duty to make sure that servicemembers, who sacrificed so much for our freedom and security, have the support and resources they deserve when they are struggling,” said Sen. Warner. “I was proud to help write the legislation that made this funding possible, and I am thrilled that Virginia’s veterans will receive more support as we continue to tackle the alarming rate of veteran suicide.”

“Our veterans have made great sacrifices for our nation, and we owe it to them to provide them with the best support possible, including mental health resources,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’m proud this funding, made possible by legislation I helped pass, will expand community-based suicide prevention efforts for veterans across Virginia.”

This funding is broken down as follows:

Volunteers of America Chesapeake will receive $750,000 in funding and will serve the cities of Alexandria, Bristol, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Harrisonburg, Norton, and Winchester as well as Arlington, Buchanan, Caroline, Clarke, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Essex, Fauquier, Frederick, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lee, Loudoun, Page, Prince William, Rockingham, Russell, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Tazewell, Warren, Washington, and Wise counties.
Western Tidewater Community Services Board will receive $613,910 in funding and will serve Accomack, Essex, Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King William, Middlesex, Northampton, and Southampton counties, Chesapeake, Franklin, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg.
Boulder Crest Foundation will receive $725,000 in funding and will operate in Arizona and Virginia, serving Clarke, Frederick, and Loudoun counties in Virginia.
Modern Military Association of America, Inc. will receive $669,800 in funding and will operate in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, serving Alexandria, as well as Fairfax and Arlington counties in Virginia.
EveryMind will receive $541,138 in funding and will operate in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, serving Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William counties and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park in Virginia.
United States Veterans Initiative will receive $400,000 in funding and will operate in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, serving Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Prince William, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford and Warren counties in Virginia.
Community Building Art Works will receive $100,000 in funding and will operate in Washington, D.C., Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia, serving all counties in Virginia.
Blue Star Families Inc. will receive $750,000 in funding and will operate nationally, including serving Virginia veterans.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long been strong advocates for improving mental health care for Virginia’s veterans. In addition to seeing through the signing of his legislation to expand veterans’ access to mental health services and reduce the alarming rate of veteran suicide, Sen. Warner has also previously met with senior leadership at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center and Hampton VA Medical Center to discuss suicide prevention efforts and other issues affecting the local veteran community. Last year, Sen. Kaine cosponsored the Not Just a Number Act, bipartisan legislation that would help the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs better prevent veteran suicide.

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WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement on the Senate’s failure to advance the Right to IVF Act, Warner-sponsored legislation that would establish the right to receive, provide or cover in-vitro fertilization (IVF) services and expand IVF insurance coverage nationwide:

“For many Americans who dream of starting a family, access to IVF can make all the difference. Unfortunately, in the years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, we’ve continued to see states and legislatures across the county chip away at a woman’s right to access reproductive care, including IVF. I am baffled and disappointed to see so many of my Republican colleagues vote to block this pro-family legislation, which would have protected the right to IVF, provided support to veterans who want to grow their families, and increase IVF affordability under insurance.”

The Right to IVF Act includes provisions from the Warner-cosponsored Access to Family Building Act, and would establish a right for individuals to access IVF and (assisted reproductive technology) ART services, as well as an adjacent right for doctors to provide these services. It also includes measures from the Veteran Families Health Services Act, which would improve fertility treatment and counseling options for veterans and servicemembers and promote research on servicemember and veteran reproductive health. It would also take several steps to increase affordability, including through mandating coverage of fertility treatments through employer-sponsored insurance plans and other public plans, as well as the Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) Program.

Sen. Warner is a longtime advocate for comprehensive protections for reproductive care. In April, Sen. Warner urged the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to require all insurance carriers in the FEHB Program to cover in-vitro fertilization (IVF) medical treatments and medications. He also cosponsored and voted to pass the Right to Contraception Act, which would codify a right to birth control, and the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would protect abortion access, both of which have been blocked by Republicans.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today released the following statement on reporting that the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is working on a proposed rule that would significantly impact patients’ ability to access certain prescriptions through telemedicine.

“As currently reported, the DEA’s proposal provides an even worse solution than the one put forth under the first proposed rule. This arcane approach would represent a significant step back for patients who rely on telemedicine for critical medications, and yet another failure by the DEA to establish a meaningful special registration, which Congress has repeatedly directed it to do for over a decade. The pandemic proved that the vast majority of health care providers can successfully provide quality health care through telehealth. We don’t need an arbitrary new set of regulations – we just need DEA to set up the minimum training requirements for providers and a special registration that allows the DEA to do its job to monitor telemedicine prescribing of these medications and catch bad actors. If the DEA is unable to work with health care providers and finalize a workable proposal soon, Congress should be prepared to take action so patients aren’t left without care on January 1st.”

Since 2008, Congress has directed the DEA to set up a special registration process, an exception process under the Ryan Haight Act, a law that regulates the online prescription of controlled substances. This special registration process would open up the door for quality health care providers to evaluate a patient and safely prescribe medications over telehealth, as was done for years during the pandemic.

Sen. Warner, a former tech entrepreneur, has been a longtime advocate for increased access to telehealth. He is an original cosponsor of the CONNECT for Health Act, which would expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to safely connect with their doctors. He previously wrote to both the Biden and Trump administrations to urge the DEA to finalize regulations that allow doctors to prescribe controlled substances through telehealth. Sen. Warner also sent a letter to Senate leadership during the height of the COVID-19 crisis, calling for the permanent expansion of access to telehealth services. In September 2023, Sen. Warner led bipartisan partners to share serious concerns about an earlier version of DEA’s proposed rule, which would also have seriously curtailed access to prescriptions through telemedicine.

In 2018, Sen. Warner included a provision to expand financial coverage for virtual substance use treatment in the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018. In 2003, then-Gov. Warner expanded Medicaid coverage for telemedicine statewide, including evaluation and management visits, a range of individual psychotherapies, the full range of consultations, and some clinical services, including in cardiology and obstetrics. Coverage was also expanded to include non-physician providers. Among other benefits, the telehealth expansion allowed individuals in medically underserved and remote areas of Virginia to access quality specialty care that isn’t always available at home.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) celebrated the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) becoming law. Both senators were proud to support the groundbreaking legislation, which passed in the Senate by one vote and has lowered health care costs, capped insulin prices, and brought new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate investment to Virginia—all while cutting the deficit in the process.

“I’m proud that we passed the Inflation Reduction Act, a truly historic investment in unleashing domestic energy production, lowering prices for hardworking families, and creating American jobs,” said Sen. Warner. “In the two years since we got the IRA done, we’ve already seen historic efforts to bring down the skyrocketing costs of insulin and other prescription drugs, critical job-creating investments across the Commonwealth, and lower health care premiums for hundreds of thousands of Virginians. The best part is that we’re just getting started. I’m looking forward to more provisions of this law setting in to lower costs, turbocharge energy production, and create good jobs for Virginians.”

“The IRA is a landmark piece of legislation that has already established a $35 monthly cap on insulin, lowered health care premiums for over 300,000 Virginians, and brought hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate investments to Virginia to create new jobs,” said Sen. Kaine. “And we’re not finished yet. Thanks to the IRA, Medicare has begun negotiating drug prices for the very first time—and the results of the initial round of negotiations that were announced yesterday will save older Americans $1.5 billion and the federal budget $6 billion in the first year of implementation alone. Lowering costs and creating jobs are among my top priorities, and I look forward to building on this progress.”

The IRA included clean energy tax credits that have incentivized a series of corporate investments in Virginia, including:

A $681 million investment by LS GreenLink to build a state-of-the-art facility to manufacture high-voltage subsea cables used for offshore wind farms in Chesapeake.
An investment of over $400 million by Topsoe to build a new manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County, which will create at least 150 new jobs in Virginia.
An investment of over $208 million by Mack and Volvo Trucks to sustain 7,900 union jobs and create 295 new jobs in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Volvo Trucks is the second largest employer in the New River Valley, sustaining 3,600 jobs in Dublin, including 3,200 United Automobile Workers (UAW) jobs. In April 2023, Kaine toured the Volvo Trucks NRV facility in Dublin, met with employees, and drove a Volvo VNR Electric truck.

In addition to incentivizing those investments, the IRA included the following provisions that have already taken effect:

Health Care

Black lung benefits: The law permanently extended the black lung excise tax at a higher rate, providing more certainty for miners, miner retirees, and their families who rely on the fund to access benefits. In Virginia, thousands of miners and their families have received benefits through the trust fund since it was established, including approximately 2,600 Virginians in 2021. Click here to learn more about what this means for miners and miner retirees like Mr. James Gibbs, a Bristol native, the At-Large International Vice President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), and Kaine's guest to the 2023 State of the Union.
$35 cap on the cost of insulin: Out-of-pocket costs for insulin—regardless of how much a patient needs—are capped at $35 per month under Medicare. Thanks to the IRA, 36,461 Virginians on Medicare who use insulin now pay no more than $35 per month. Click here to learn how seniors like Mrs. Marguerite Bailey Young of Fredericksburg, who was Warner’s guest to the 2023 State of the Union, are benefiting from the $35 cap.
Free vaccines for Medicare recipients: People with Medicare no longer have to pay to receive most vaccines under Medicare Part D, which includes vaccines for shingles, HPV, MMR, diphtheria, and pertussis. In 2023, over 230,000 seniors in Virginia received a recommended vaccine free of cost.
Extension of ACA subsidies: During the pandemic, Congress enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help lower health care premiums for millions of Americans. The IRA extended these enhanced subsidies through 2025 to help make Virginians’ health insurance more affordable. 350,008 Virginians with ACA coverage are receiving assistance to lower the cost of their premium. In 2022, Virginians saved an average of $508 per month on their health insurance premium.
Lower Premiums for More Than 500,000 Virginians: There are additional provisions that went into effect to limit annual premium increases for Americans, including more than 500,000 Virginians enrolled in Medicare Part D.
Penalties on drug manufacturers that increase prices: Manufacturers are required to keep the increase in the cost of their drugs at or below inflation.

A fact sheet including a timeline for various IRA provisions related to lowering health care costs is available here.

Clean Energy

Boosts to clean energy investments: Clean energy manufacturers can apply for expanded tax credits that incentivize investment in and production of renewable energy technologies like solar power and offshore wind. The IRA set aside $4 billion in credits for businesses that make these investments in energy communities that have seen closures of coal mines or retirements of coal-fired power plants in recent years. This means that communities in Virginia, especially Southwest Virginia, are well-positioned to benefit from many of these tax credits and funding opportunities. Last year, Kaine hosted an event at Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap to discuss how Virginia can best harness the clean energy tax credits, economic development, and job creation opportunities created by the legislation.
Improvements to home energy efficiency: Homeowners can receive up to 30 percent back through tax credits for making energy efficiency improvements to their home—generally up to a maximum of $1,200 per year but potentially up to $3,200 if improvements include heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, or biomass stoves.
Simplified Electric Vehicle (EV) Tax Credits: The IRA allows qualified individuals to get a tax credit of up to $7,500 for the purchase of new EVs or a tax credit of up to $4,000 for certain used EVs and plug-in hybrids purchased through a dealership. Virginians who buy an EV from a participating dealer can now choose to receive their tax credit for that purchase at the point-of-sale instead of after filing their taxes.
Federal funding to help low-income and disadvantaged communities more easily access solar energy: The IRA brought over $156 million in federal funding to Virginia to support solar energy development in low-income areas, which will lower energy costs for families and create good-quality jobs while tackling the effects of climate change.

While many provisions in the IRA have already been implemented, there are additional provisions that will begin later this year or in the years to come:

Cap on out-of-pocket costs on prescription drugs: Beginning in 2025, there will be a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket costs on prescription drugs for seniors covered under Medicare Part D. Some estimates have shown that Virginia seniors on Medicare will save an average of $440.62 on out-of-pocket costs on prescription drugs thanks to this cap. Watch here to hear what this cap will mean for seniors like Mr. Irv Varkonyi from Fairfax.
Medicare drug price negotiation: On September 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a list of the first 10 drugs covered under Part D eligible for the Medicare drug price negotiation program. Yesterday, CMS announced the results of that first round of negotiations, which included discounts of up to 79% and will go into effect in 2026. The IRA provided Medicare with the ability to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for the first time in history.

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