WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) will introduce the Designing Accounting Safeguards to Help Broaden Oversight And Regulations on Data (DASHBOARD) Act, bipartisan legislation that will require data harvesting companies such as social media platforms to tell consumers and financial regulators exactly what data they are collecting from consumers, and how it is being leveraged by the platform for profit.

“For years, social media companies have told consumers that their products are free to the user. But that’s not true – you are paying with your data instead of your wallet,” said Sen. Warner. “But the overall lack of transparency and disclosure in this market have made it impossible for users to know what they’re giving up, who else their data is being shared with, or what it’s worth to the platform. Our bipartisan bill will allow consumers to understand the true value of the data they are providing to the platforms, which will encourage competition and allow antitrust enforcers to identify potentially anticompetitive practices.”

“When a big tech company says its product is free, consumers are the ones being sold. These 'free' products track everything we do so tech companies can sell our information to the highest bidder and use it to target us with creepy ads,” said Sen. Hawley. “Even worse, tech companies do their best to hide how much consumer data is worth and to whom it is sold. This bipartisan legislation gives consumers control of their data and will show them how much these 'free' services actually cost.”

As user data increasingly represents one of the most valuable, albeit intangible, assets held by technology firms, shining light on how this data is collected, retained, monetized, and protected, is critical. The DASHBOARD Act will:

• Require commercial data operators (defined as services with over 100 million monthly active users) to disclose types of data collected as well as regularly provide their users with an assessment of the value of that data.

• Require commercial data operators to file an annual report on the aggregate value of user data they’ve collected, as well as contracts with third parties involving data collection.

• Require commercial data operators to allow users to delete all, or individual fields, of data collected – and disclose to users all the ways in which their data is being used. including any uses not directly related to the online service for which the data was originally collected.

• Empower the SEC to develop methodologies for calculating data value, while encouraging the agency to facilitate flexibility to enable businesses to adopt methodologies that reflect the different uses, sectors, and business models.

The DASHBOARD Act is the second tech-focused bill Hawley and Warner have partnered on. The first was Hawley’s Do Not Track Act, which would be modeled after the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) “Do Not Call” list and allow users to opt out of non-essential data collection.

A section-by-section summary of the bill is available here. Bill text is available here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released a statement after attending a White House briefing on Iran:

“Iran’s provocation must be taken very seriously. No nation can be permitted to strike U.S. assets in international airspace without consequences. However, we also need to ensure that any response to Iran’s destabilizing behavior is part of a coherent strategy, and that we take care not to escalate an already-volatile situation in the Middle East.

“America’s position is strengthened when we have allies standing with us. As the U.S. weighs an appropriate response, the President must work with our allies and continue to consult broadly with Congress.”

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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced legislation 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 IMPROVE (Incorporating Measurements and Providing Resources for Outreach to Veterans Everywhere) Wellbeing for Veterans Act creates a new grant program to enable the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct additional outreach through veteran-serving non-profits in addition to state and local organizations.

“Congress has provided significant resources to the VA to decrease veteran suicides, yet the number of veterans who take their own lives everyday remains unchanged,” Boozman said. “We all share the goal of saving the lives of veterans. We must have better coordination of existing programs; a common tool to measure the effectiveness of our programs; and better information sharing, data collection and continual feedback in order to identify what services are having the most impact. Creating a framework for these necessary pieces is essential to empowering organizations to work together in the fight against veteran suicide.”  

“Of the 20 veterans who commit suicide every day in this country, roughly 14 of them don’t receive treatment from the VA,” said Warner. “This legislation will target that group by providing grant funding to private organizations with a proven track record of strong mental health and suicide prevention efforts among veterans. It’s my hope that broad coordination between the VA, state veterans affairs departments, first responders, and local leaders, will allow us to support more at-risk veterans and make a meaningful impact on reducing veteran suicide rates in this country.”

In Fiscal Year 2010, the VA requested $62 million for suicide prevention outreach. In Fiscal Year 2020, that number nearly quadrupled to $222 million. Despite the sharp increase in funding, the rate of veterans suicides has remained roughly unchanged at 20 per day. Only six of those 20 veterans are receiving healthcare services at the VA. This points to a significant need to empower the VA to work through community partners to expand outreach. At the same time, national data indicates there are more than 50,000 organizations that provide suicide prevention services for veterans, yet they are hard for veterans to find, access, apply for and use. 

To date, policymakers have assessed capacity and access to services as a measurement for effectiveness. Despite significant capacity increases, the rate of veterans suicides remains the same. There are no shared tools to measure the effectiveness of programming at improving mental resiliency and outlook, which would be indicators of reduced suicide risk.

To address these programmatic gaps, the IMPROVE Wellbeing for Veterans Act will accomplish three broad objectives:

• Enable the VA to directly or indirectly reach more veterans than it currently does.
• Increase coordination among currently disparate community resources that serve a wide variety of veteran needs – all of which play a part in reducing the purposelessness that ends in suicide.
• Create and inspire broad adoption of a measurement tool that will indicate effectiveness of services provided for veterans suicide prevention.

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) are original cosponsors of the legislation.

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WASHINGTON – Today the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced bipartisan legislation written by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO), co-founders of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, to improve the cybersecurity of Internet-connected devices. The Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2019 would require that devices purchased by the U.S. government meet certain minimum security requirements. The bill now awaits consideration in the full Senate.

“While I’m excited about their life-changing potential, many IoT devices are being sold without appropriate safeguards and protections in place, with the device market prioritizing convenience and price over security,” said Sen. Warner, a former technology entrepreneur and executive and Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. “Today the Committee took an important step forward to proactively address the risks posed by improperly secured IoT devices, by using the purchasing power of the federal government to establish some minimum security standards for IoT devices.”

“I was pleased to see further action in the Senate on this important bill and I look forward to it being swiftly signed into law. The Internet of Things (IoT) landscape continues to expand, with most experts expecting tens of billions of devices to be operating on our networks within the next several years,” said Sen. Gardner. “As these devices continue to transform our society and add countless new entry points into our networks, we need to make sure they are secure, particularly when they are integrated into the federal government’s networks. Agencies like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which has a major campus in Boulder, are key players in helping establish guidelines for improved IoT security and our bill builds on those efforts.”

Last week, the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform advanced companion legislation sponsored by Reps. Robin Kelly (D-IL) and Will Hurd (R-TX).

“This is an essential and bipartisan step toward improving our cybersecurity. We simply cannot allow IoT devices to become a backdoor for hackers and cybercriminals,” said Rep. Kelly. With the House and Senate taking action, Congress is signaling that it’s past time to address the issue of unsecure devices on federal networks.”  

“Every single minute of every single day, hackers are trying to steal Americans’ information. From credit card numbers, to social security numbers, our personal information is targeted by bad actors around the globe. Internet of Things devices will improve and enhance nearly every aspect of our society, economy and everyday lives – and are growing rapidly. We must act now to ensure these devices are built with security in mind, not as an afterthought,” said Rep. Hurd. “I applaud Sens. Warner and Gardner for their hard work on moving this important, bipartisan cybersecurity bill forward in the Senate, and I’ll continue to work with Rep. Kelly and my colleagues in the House to bring this bill to the House floor.”

Specifically, the Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2019 as passed out of Committee today would:

• Require the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to issue recommendations addressing, at a minimum, secure development, identity management, patching, and configuration management for IoT devices.
• Direct the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue guidelines for each agency that are consistent with the NIST recommendations, and charge OMB with reviewing these policies at least every five years.
• Require any Internet-connected devices purchased by the federal government to comply with those recommendations.
• Direct NIST to work with cybersecurity researchers, industry experts, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to publish guidance on coordinated vulnerability disclosure to ensure that vulnerabilities related to agency devices are addressed.
• Require contractors and vendors providing information systems to the U.S. government to adopt coordinated vulnerability disclosure policies, so that if a vulnerability is uncovered, that can be effectively shared with a vendor for remediation.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) has introduced several amendments to the annual defense authorization bill, including one that would build on his legislation, Ensuring Safe Housing for Our Military Act, most of which was included in the base text, by adding additional measures to improve privatized military housing.

Following reports of health hazards in privatized military housing in bases across the Commonwealth and the country, Sen. Warner has advocated on behalf of servicemembers and their families, and recently introduced an amendment to establish an advisory group to help the Department of Defense strengthen accountability and oversight in military housing. The amendment was offered in the FY20 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the legislative vehicle that provides support for our servicemembers and sets the national security priorities for the United States.

“Servicemembers and their families sacrifice so much for this country. That’s why we’ve got to make things right for military families who, too often, have been subjected to subpar and sometimes dangerous living conditions. This includes making sure that the health and well-being of our nation’s servicemembers and their families are part of our national security priorities,” said Sen. Warner.

The amendment would also require the Secretaries of the Navy, Air Force, and Army to issue standard mold assessments, remediation’s and procedures in their agreements with privatized housing companies. Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) joined Sen. Warner in introducing the amendment, which comes on the heels of Sen. Warner’s letter to Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, urging the Department of Defense (DoD) to establish an advisory group to address the prevalent health and environmental hazards in privatized military housing.

To protect U.S. innovation and combat technology threats, Sen. Warner filed a bipartisan amendment with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) to establish an Office of Critical Technologies within the Executive Office of the President. The office would be responsible for coordinating a whole-of-government approach to protect the U.S. from state-sponsored technology theft and risks to critical supply chains. The amendment is based on the bipartisan legislation introduced by Sens. Warner and Rubio that would combat technology threats from China. Sen. Warner also introduced a bipartisan amendment with Sen. Crapo to strengthen the intelligence support to protect our supply chain from growing adversary threats.

“In the 20^th century, the U.S. pioneered many groundbreaking technological advancements, and today, countries like China are using every tool in their arsenal to try to diminish U.S. leadership, set the standards for technologies like 5G, and dominate key technologies. In order to confront this challenge, the United States must push forward a coherent strategy to protect our technological edge and preserve American leadership,” continued Sen. Warner.

In a move to further defend national security and respond to emerging cyber-threats, Sen. Warner also introduced a series of amendments that would revamp the security clearance process, assess cyber threat detection and encourage the DoD to work with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to identify new spectrum for reallocation for 5G services.

“To ensure the U.S. can hire trusted professionals to tackle the emerging threats in cyber and technology, we must modernize our outdated security clearance system. While we’ve already seen an encouraging drop in individuals waiting on a background check, there is still more work to be done,” concluded Sen. Warner. 

The security clearance reform language is based on legislation introduced by Vice Chair Warner, and unanimously approved in the Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA) for Fiscal Years 2018-2020. Text for the cyber threat assessment amendment can be found here.

Sen. Warner also introduced amendments to improve the quality in information submitted in background investigation requests, ensure DoD has the funding flexibility to perform the personnel vetting mission, and ensure the new Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency adequately protects the millions of pieces of personally identifiable information it will hold as the government’s primary investigative service provider.

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WASHINGTON – Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) today called on federal investigators to improve transparency surrounding their review of the fatal shooting of Bijan Ghaisar by U.S. Park Police in 2017. In letters to the FBI and National Park Service, the senators are requesting an update of the investigation as well as the U.S. Park Police’s policies regarding the use of force.

In the letter to the FBI, the senators expressed frustration that previous inquiries have been ignored. The lack of transparency and cooperation have forced Ghaisar’s family to seek information via Freedom of Information Act requests to obtain basic details about a shooting that occurred 19 months ago.

“The FBI has failed to provide information on this investigation, which has been ongoing since November 2017, to us, our colleagues, or the public.  The FBI’s slow pace and lack of transparency are weakening the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve,” the senators wrote to the FBI.

Grassley first sought information on the FBI’s investigation in December of 2018. The FBI responded without providing much information in March. Grassley again sought an update in March, but the FBI has failed to respond.

In the letter to the National Park Service, the senators pushed for additional transparency and cooperation to promote and improve the trust and accountability necessary for law enforcement to effectively serve their communities.

“As you know, our communities are safer when law enforcement and the people they protect can trust and hold each other accountable. Officer-involved shootings and the use of excessive force, which have led to criminal investigations and prosecutions, demonstrate that there is still work to do in order to strengthen police-community relations,’ the senators wrote to the National Park Service.

In January 2018, Warner, along with Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Representative Don Beyer (D-Va.), pushed the FBI for an update on the status of the FBI’s investigation into the Ghaisar shooting. That April, the FBI responded that it would not discuss an active investigation. Warner has also pressed the National Park Service regarding the circumstances under which U.S. Park Police officers engaged with Mr. Ghaisar, and has met with leaders from both the National Park Service and the FBI to encourage full transparency regarding this incident.

Grassley and Warner’s letter to the FBI is available HERE. Their letter to the National Park Service is available HERE.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Marco Rubio (R-FL), member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, expressed deep concern that the Trump Administration may concede on important national security matters related to the development of fifth-generation wireless telecommunications technology (5G) in order to achieve a favorable outcome on trade negotiations. In a letter to the U.S. Department of State and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Senators underscored the threats posed by Chinese telecommunications equipment to network security, data privacy, and economic security across the globe, and emphasized the need to keep trade negotiations separate from any changes in policy concerning national security threats posed by Huawei.

“Allowing the use of Huawei equipment in U.S. telecommunications infrastructure is harmful to our national security,” the Senators wrote. “In no way should Huawei be used as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations. Instead, the U.S. should redouble our efforts to present our allies with compelling data on why the long-term network security and maintenance costs on Chinese telecommunications equipment offset any short-term cost savings.”

Sens. Warner and Rubio reiterated their support for existing U.S. efforts to convey the long-term security risks posed by Chinese telecommunications firms to allies and partners abroad. However, the Senators expressed concern that this message is being undermined by President Trump, whose Administration reversed a seven-year ban on ZTE last year in defiance of a Commerce Department recommendation, and who in late May indicated that Huawei could be included in a future trade deal. In the letter, the Senators also emphasized that any modifications of Huawei’s Temporary General License must be pursued in a risk-based way, separate from trade negotiations, and without undermining national security.  

As a former telecommunications executive who introduced bipartisan legislation on 5G, Sen. Warner continues to be a leading voice on the national security risks posed by Chinese-controlled telecom companies. In December, Sens. Warner and Rubio urged Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reconsider Huawei’s inclusion in Canada’s fifth-generation network. In January, Sens. Warner and Rubio teamed up to introduce legislation to combat tech-specific, national security threats posed by foreign actors like China, and establish a whole-of-government strategy to protect the U.S. from technology theft. Additionally, Sen. Warner led legislation with Sen. Wicker to provide $700 million for rural telecommunications providers in order to offset the costs of removing equipment from vendors that pose a security threat, such as Huawei.

The full text of the letter appears below. A copy of the letter is available here.

Dear Secretary Pompeo and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer:

We are writing to express our deep concern that the Administration may concede on important national security matters related to Huawei Technologies, Inc. and the adoption of fifth-generation wireless telecommunications technology (5G) in order to achieve a favorable outcome in the Administration’s trade negotiations.

As Members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), we have strongly supported efforts by our diplomats, military, and intelligence personnel to persuade allies and partners around the world that Huawei and other Chinese telecommunications firms present a long-term legitimate security threat to their network security, data privacy, and economic security.  As you know, Chinese telecommunications equipment poses a threat that intelligence and military officials assess will only become more acute as energy infrastructure, transportation networks and other critical functions move to 5G networks and as millions more Internet of things (IoT) devices are connected.

Despite the best efforts of our government to convince other countries to keep Huawei components out of their 5G infrastructure, our message is being undermined by concerns that we are not sincere.  For example, Europeans have publicly expressed fears that the Administration will soften its position on Huawei in the United States to gain leverage in trade talks, as the Administration did in June 2018 when the seven-year ban on ZTE was reversed and a new settlement agreement reached at the urging of President Xi over the recommendation of Commerce Department leadership.  The President himself reinforced these fears in late May, stating:

“Huawei is something that’s very dangerous.  You look at what they’ve done from a security standpoint, from a military standpoint.  It’s very dangerous.  So it’s possible that Huawei even would be included in some kind of a trade deal.  If we made a deal, I could imagine Huawei being possibly included in some form of or some part of a trade deal.”

Allowing the use of Huawei equipment in U.S. telecommunications infrastructure is harmful to our national security.  In no way should Huawei be used as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations. Instead, the U.S. should redouble our efforts to present our allies with compelling data on why the long-term network security and maintenance costs on Chinese telecommunications equipment offset any short-term cost savings. Any modifications to Huawei’s Temporary General License must be pursued in a risk-based way, separate from any trade negotiations, and consistent with national security considerations. Successfully identifying and mitigating these security risks requires sustained coordination and alignment with our international partners, particularly the Europeans who represent key parts of the 5G supply chain, and India, which is poised to be the single-largest telecommunications market. Conflating national security concerns with levers in trade negotiations undermines this effort, and endangers American security.

We appreciate your attention to this important matter of national security and request that you keep us apprised of your efforts.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, took to the Senate floor today to request immediate passage of a modified version of his Foreign Influence Reporting in Elections (FIRE) Act that would require campaigns to report to the appropriate federal authorities any contacts from foreign nationals seeking to interfere in a presidential election. Immediately after Sen. Warner requested unanimous consent, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) objected and thereby blocked the immediate passage of this essential legislation.

Sen. Warner’s request comes on the heels of alarming comments by President Trump, who said on Wednesday that he would not alert the FBI if a foreign government tried to offer damaging information on his 2020 election opponents.

“President Trump's own FBI director and his Director of National Intelligence have said that Russia, or others, will likely be back in 2020 because their tactics in 2016 were both cheap and effective. We're now 17 months before the 2020 elections and personally, we are not prepared,” Sen. Warner said on the floor. “One of my colleagues on the other side said they don't want to re-litigate 2016. There will be other times and places to further litigate whatever happened in 2016. In terms of today, I don't want to either. I just want to make sure that we are safe from foreign intervention in 2020.”

He continued, “The mantra at our airports that the TSA and Homeland Security always try to promote is, ‘if you see something, say something.’ This is not an undue burden on our traveling public, and because of that involvement, I think airports are safer. Shouldn't we have the same de minimis standard to protect the integrity of our election system? If you see something, say something. All my legislation is requiring is if there is indications that agents of foreign governments are trying to intervene in our elections, tell law enforcement, tell the FBI.”

Sen. Warner also stressed that his legislation would not interfere with any official government activities, and urged his colleagues to work together to pass bipartisan election security legislation and to put guardrails on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Google to prevent them from being used by bad actors for the widespread dissemination of misinformation.

Below are Sen. Warner’s floor remarks as originally prepared for delivery:

Mr. President, in a moment I will ask unanimous consent for the Senate to take up and pass by bill, the FIRE Act, S.1562, as amended. But before I do that, I want to address the President’s recent comments regarding foreign election interference.

We all take an oath when we get sworn into these jobs to defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign or domestic. Our own political ambitions, our partisan affiliations — that all should take a back seat to defending our democracy.

Unfortunately, this President doesn’t see it that way. His recent comments that he would once again welcome dirt on an opponent from a foreign government fly in the face of that oath.

Let me be clear. If a foreign adversary attempts to offer assistance to your campaign, you have a moral obligation to call the FBI.

And if the President, or his son-in-law, or other members of his campaign can't be trusted to do the right thing and report their foreign contacts, then we need to make it a legal requirement. That’s what this amendment is all about.

Mr. President, I am not here to re-litigate the 2016 election or second-guess the Special Counsel’s findings. This is a question of how we defend our democracy on a going-forward basis.

But I do want to recall the facts of what we learned through the Mueller investigation, as well as the Senate Intelligence Committee’s bipartisan investigation.

After two years of investigating, we now know that the Trump Campaign had a series of inappropriate and unreported contacts with the Russian government and its proxies, who were part of the Kremlin’s election interference efforts.

This should have come to light far sooner, but the Trump Campaign intentionally hid these contacts from the American people and law enforcement.

Another thing we learned through the investigation is that when then-candidate Trump made his infamous “Russia, if you’re listening” plea — on that very same day, Russian operatives began sending illegal phishing emails to members of his opponent’s campaign.

Mr. Trump’s comments this week are not trivial. These are the words of the President of the United States, spoken in the Oval Office. That still means something to the world.

And frankly, what it means here is that this President is once again giving Russia and other bad actors the greenlight to interfere in the 2020 elections.

This sends a message to the American people and foreign governments that this conduct is acceptable. Not only is this morally wrong, it also undermines the crucial counterintelligence work of our federal law enforcement agencies.

Recently, FBI Director Chris Wray testified that such attempts to offer assistance or “dirt” would be “something that the FBI would want to know about.”

He’s right. Because, the truth is, when a foreign adversary like Russia is peddling dirt on an American candidate, they are not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. They’re trying to undermine our democracy, and the FBI is our first line of defense against that threat.

Mr. President, that is what this amendment is about — safeguarding our democracy from those who wish us harm. I ask my colleagues to take a step back, take off our Republican and Democratic hats for a minute, and support this amendment.

My bill, the FIRE Act — creates a first-of-its-kind requirement to make sure that foreign contacts during a presidential election are promptly reported to the FBI and FEC.

It would serve a vital intelligence need and make sure that all individuals involved in a presidential campaign understand both the existing law on foreign contributions and their affirmative obligation to report suspicious foreign contacts.  

The FIRE Act is not about prohibiting innocent contacts or the exercise of First Amendment rights. It is about restoring Americans’ trust in the democratic process. 

If a candidate is receiving or welcoming help from the Kremlin, I think the American people should have a right to know that before they head to the polls.

And in a world where campaigns are a target for foreign espionage, I think our law enforcement and counter-intelligence professionals should have the tools they need to protect the integrity of our presidential elections.

The Senate must take a stand against foreign attacks on the democratic process.  This is not a Republican or Democratic issue; it is an issue of America’s national security.

And I hope the Senate can come together at this moment to send a clear message that we will defend our Democracy, even if this President won’t.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a former technology entrepreneur and venture capitalist, joined Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) in co-sponsoring the Do Not Track Act, bipartisan legislation to give control over personal data back to users. Similar to the national “Do Not Call” list, the Do Not Track Act gives every person the power to block online companies from collecting any data beyond what is necessary for the companies’ online services.

“Unfortunately, as our technology continues to evolve, so do the avenues for consumer exploitation,” said Sen. Warner. “In the age of the internet, user information is an incredibly valuable asset and Americans deserve to have more control over who can collect it and how they can use it. This legislation will give power back to users and allow them to decide who can and cannot access their private data.”

“Big tech companies collect incredible amounts of deeply personal, private data from people without giving them the option to meaningfully consent. They have gotten incredibly rich by employing creepy surveillance tactics on their users, but too often the extent of this data extraction is only known after a tech company irresponsibly handles the data and leaks it all over the internet. The American people didn't sign up for this, so I'm introducing this legislation to finally give them control over their personal information online,” said Sen. Hawley.

The sheer enormity of data big tech companies extract, and the unscrupulous ways they use that data, is distressing. These companies track user locations and spy on their internet history – even when they are told not to. In March, a senior official at Google admitted, under oath, that Google still tracks a user’s geolocation hundreds of times a day even after that person turns off “location history.” Facebook even collects data on people who don’t have a Facebook account. These companies and others exploit this harvested data to build massive profiles on users and then rake in hundreds of billions of dollars monetizing that data.

For years, industry groups promoted a program called “Do Not Track” to give users control, and the FTC endorsed the program in 2010. However, the program was voluntary, and tech giants that built their businesses around exploiting data refused to voluntarily comply. This bill would give Do Not Track legal force and expand it to cover all internet activity, not just browser-based activity. It would do this by:

• Creating a program similar to the national Do Not Call list that gives every person the power, at a touch of a button, to block online companies from collecting any data beyond what is indispensable to the companies’ online services.
• Prohibiting companies from profiling Americans who activate Do Not Track.
• Banning discrimination against people who activate Do Not Track.
• Banning companies from transferring data to other companies when a user activates Do Not Track unless the first company is an intended intermediary.
• Forcing internet companies to disclose to users their rights under this legislation.
• Imposing strict penalties for violating these provisions.

Under the Do Not Track Act, users would have several options to enroll, including a one-time click in the settings on their browser or downloading a simple app.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement on the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposal to relocate two research agencies, the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), from Washington, D.C. to Kansas City.

“USDA’s proposed relocation of the Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture will unnecessarily uproot hundreds of dedicated federal employees and could negatively impact the missions of both agencies,” the Senators said. “These agencies play a critical role in setting agricultural, nutritional, and environmental policy in the U.S. Disconnecting them from other vital research agencies in the National Capital Region will undoubtedly disrupt the work they carry out and impact their ability to attract and retain highly-qualified personnel. We have introduced legislation to block this ill-conceived move and will continue to work with our colleagues to keep these agencies in the National Capital Region.”

 In May, Sens. Warner and Kaine, along with other members of Congress representing the National Capital Region, sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue urging him not to relocate ERS and NIFA. The Senators have also introduced legislation barring the research agencies from leaving the National Capital Region. In addition, Sen. Warner has placed a hold on nominee Scott Hutchins for Undersecretary for research, education, and economics at the Department of Agriculture in opposition to the proposed relocation.

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WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate unanimously passed legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine to honor the victims of the Virginia Beach shooting, as well as the first responders and city officials who have supported the Virginia Beach community in the wake of this tragedy.

“We’re grateful the Senate has passed this resolution to honor the lives of the 12 victims of the tragic shooting in Virginia Beach. We will continue to mourn this immense loss but we must turn our pain into action and enact commonsense reforms to reduce gun violence in our communities,” the Senators said.

U.S. Representative Elaine Luria (VA-02) led the entire bipartisan Virginia delegation in introducing a companion resolution in the House.

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WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine introduced a resolution honoring the 12 victims of the mass shooting in Virginia Beach, as well as the brave first responders, city officials, and the entire Virginia Beach community.

“Compassion and strength are the qualities the community of Virginia Beach has demonstrated since the tragic event that took 12 innocent lives,” said Warner. “When Virginia Beach mourns, so does the rest of the Commonwealth. It’s for this reason that we recognize the public servants, first responders, and community members that will forever be marked by this tragic event.”

“As we mourn the twelve beautiful lives lost in the horrific shooting in Virginia Beach, we want the country to know who these dedicated public servants, friends, and family members were,” Kaine said. “This resolution honors them and recognizes the heroic actions of those who risked their lives to save others. No community should go through this pain.”

U.S. Representative Elaine Luria (VA-02) introduced a companion resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives with support from the entire bipartisan Virginia delegation.

The text of the resolution is here and below:

Whereas, on Friday, May 31, 2019, 12 people were killed in a mass shooting at the Municipal Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia;

Whereas 11 of the 12 victims were employees of the city of Virginia Beach with more than 150 years of combined service to the city, and the remaining victim was a contractor who had come to the Municipal Center for business;

Whereas Laquita C. Brown, a 4-year employee of the city of Virginia Beach Department of Public Works who was known for her love of travel with friends and her ability to light up a room with her presence, was murdered in the shooting;

Whereas Ryan Keith Cox, a 12-year employee of the city of Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities who was known for his kindness and beautiful singing voice, and who ran into danger looking for more people to save after ensuring his coworkers were sheltered in a barricaded room, was murdered in the shooting;

Whereas Tara Welch Gallagher, a 6-year employee of the city of Virginia Beach Department of Public Works who worked as an engineer to provide clean drinking water for her community, was murdered in the shooting;

Whereas Mary Louise Gayle, a 24-year employee of the city of Virginia Beach Department of Public Works who was known as a cheerful coworker and devoted mother and grandmother, was murdered in the shooting;

Whereas Alexander Mikhail Gusev, a 9-year employee of the city of Virginia Beach Department of Public Works who emigrated from Belarus to Virginia Beach to find a better life and who was known as a generous and devoted coworker, friend, brother, and uncle, was murdered in the shooting;

Whereas Joshua O. Hardy, a 4-year employee of the city of Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities who was known for his kindhearted nature and love for his family and faith, was murdered in the shooting;

Whereas Michelle “Missy” Langer, a 12-year employee of the city of Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities who was known for her beaming smile and passion for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and who had plans to retire soon, was murdered in the shooting;

Whereas Richard H. Nettleton, a 28-year employee of the city of Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities who was a selfless leader in regional utility system planning and a veteran of the 130th Engineer Brigade of the Army, was murdered in the shooting;

Whereas Katherine A. Nixon, a 10-year employee of the city of Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities who was known for her intellect and who was a loving wife and mother of 3 children, was murdered in the shooting;

Whereas Christopher Kelly Rapp, an 11-month employee of the city of Virginia Beach Department of Public Works who was known for his kindness, his passion for playing the bagpipes, and his devotion to his wife, was murdered in the shooting;

Whereas Herbert “Bert” Snelling, a contractor who had come to the Municipal Center to get a permit and who was celebrating his 38th wedding anniversary, was murdered in the shooting;

Whereas Robert “Bobby” Williams, a 41-year employee of the city of Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities, who was awarded with 8 service awards in recognition of his lifetime of devoted work and who was planning on retiring later in the year to spend more time with his family, was murdered in the shooting;

Whereas the actions of those city employees who alerted their coworkers to danger and pulled them into shelter saved an unknowable number of lives;

Whereas police officers responded within minutes of the first reports of shooting, heroically risking their lives by running into the line of fire;

Whereas 1 police officer was shot while confronting the gunman and survived because he was wearing a bulletproof vest;

Whereas those who were present at, or responded to, the scene of the shooting encountered a “war zone” of horrific violence that will be forever seared into their memories;

Whereas mental health providers, counselors, and faith leaders have tended to the invisible wounds of the shooting, and will continue to do so for decades to come;

Whereas Virginia Beach Chief of Police James Cervera, Mayor Bobby Dyer, and City Manager David Hansen have led their community through its darkest hour with courage, dignity, professionalism, and compassion; and

Whereas, within hours of the shooting, the residents of Virginia Beach had come together in an outpouring of support for those affected, showing the resiliency of love in the face of evil: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) joins the Commonwealth of Virginia in mourning the deaths and celebrating the lives of the 12 victims killed in the shooting at the Municipal Center in Virginia Beach on May 31, 2019;

(2) applauds the heroism, dedication, and compassion of the police officers, first responders, and emergency medical personnel who responded to the shooting and tended to the wounded, in some cases risking their own lives while saving others;

(3) recognizes the strength of the Virginia Beach community in coming together to show that this tragedy will not define them; and

(4) reaffirms its responsibility to find ways to prevent more individuals in the United States from dying in acts of violence.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine released the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Rossie David Alston, Jr. to serve on the Eastern District Court of Virginia. He will be the only African American judge serving in the Alexandria Division:

“We’re pleased that the Senate supported Judge Alston’s nomination for the Eastern District Court of Virginia,” the Senators said. “Based on his qualifications, we are confident he will serve with great distinction at the federal level.”

In December 2017, Warner and Kaine sent a letter to President Trump, recommending Judge Alston for the vacancy after an independent panel of attorneys from across the Commonwealth—selected by Warner and Kaine—interviewed applicants, including Judge Alston, for the position. Key members of the Virginia Bar spoke highly of Alston, who first joined the Commonwealth bench in 1998 and received an appointment to the Virginia Court of Appeals in 2009. The White House first nominated Alston in June 2018, and the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced his nomination in February 2019. The Eastern District of Virginia has offices in Alexandria, Richmond, Newport News, and Norfolk.

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Washington, D.C. – As Congressional Republicans and Democrats continue to call on Leader McConnell to bring election security legislation up for a vote on the Senate floor, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), the Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, delivers this week’s Weekly Democratic Address. In the address, Warner highlights the importance of securing our elections and explains why it is critical that the Senate vote on bipartisan election security legislation. In closing, he emphasizes that the Senate must act on this issue in order to secure the 2020 elections, and cannot allow critical, bipartisan bills to protect our democracy to die in Leader McConnell’s legislative graveyard.

The Weekly Democratic Address is available in both AUDIO AND VIDEO FORMAT. You may download the audio of the address HERE and the video of the address HERE.

Senator Warner’s remarks as delivered follow:

“Hi, I’m Senator Mark Warner. I’m proud to represent Virginia in the United States Senate. I also serve as Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting the only bipartisan investigation into Russia’s interference in our 2016 presidential election.

“Our intelligence community, the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, and Special Counsel Robert Mueller have all concluded that Russia mounted an unprecedented attack on our democratic process. Russian intelligence conducted hacking operations against Democratic targets and then released the stolen documents to influence the election. Using an army of Internet trolls, Russia flooded social media with fake news and propaganda designed to sow discord and divide Americans through our news feeds.

“We also know that, as part of its interference campaign, the Kremlin also targeted election infrastructure in all 50 states. The Intelligence Community’s Assessment in January 2017 concluded that Russia secured and maintained access to multiple elements of U.S. state and local electoral boards. For example, in Illinois, Russian hackers were able to penetrate a voter registration database and access 90,000 voter registration records. Using spearphishing emails, Russia was able to access the network of at least one county in Florida. Now, there is no evidence that Russians were successful in changing vote totals in 2016 or in 2018 – but we can certainly expect them to try again in 2020.

“While the Department of Homeland Security has improved information-sharing with states and Congress has allocated some additional funding for election security, there is still more work to do to secure local election equipment ahead of the presidential election.

“In 2016, Russia exploited platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube to manipulate and divide Americans, to smear Hillary Clinton, and to aid Donald Trump. As we enter another presidential election cycle susceptible to foreign interference, Congress needs to put in place some commonsense guardrails on social media. We should start with the bipartisan Honest Ads Act, which I introduced, which would prevent foreign actors from purchasing online political ads, and bring much-needed transparency to the online ad ecosystem.

“There is already a bill to protect our elections systems that has strong bipartisan support. The Secure Elections Act from the last session of Congress would establish some common-sense measures to ensure the sanctity of the ballot-box.

“It would provide states with money to replace old, insecure voting machines that don’t leave a paper trail, and make sure that elections can be audited, so that Americans can have confidence in the results. It would also take several steps to improve sharing about threat information between the Department of Homeland Security, and states that administer the vote. And it would require election agencies to promptly report suspected cybersecurity incidents to proper state and federal authorities.

“The truth is the Secure Elections Act that was introduced last session were brought to the floor today for a vote, it would pass overwhelmingly. But the White House and Senate Republican leaders have been blocking a vote.

“Unfortunately, that’s just part of a pattern with a White House and a President that has shown no interest in tackling this problem. According to reports, the former Secretary of Homeland Security was instructed not to even raise the issue of election security with the President, and when she tried to convene a Cabinet-level meeting ahead of the 2018 midterms, the White House chief of staff nixed the idea.

“What happened in 2016 will happen again in 2020 if we are not prepared. In the face of White House inaction to secure the vote, Congress must work together to protect our democracy and reassure Americans that their votes will be counted in 2020. We cannot let election security become another tombstone in the Republican Senate’s legislative graveyard.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) – co-chairs of the Senate Aerospace Caucus – re-introduced S.1713, Aeronautics Innovation Act, to help boost innovation, research and development in the aeronautics industry. The bill would provide a five-year funding commitment to advance innovation and supplement research in the field.

In 2017, the U.S. aerospace and defense industry produced approximately 2.4 million jobs and generated $865 billion in economic output. However, without the proper strategy and investment, the U.S. risks falling behind other industrialized nations in developing and advancing the next generation of aircraft. Forecasts estimate that the world’s demand for passenger aircraft fleet above 100 seats will double over the next 20 years, generating new plane orders between 35,000 and 40,000 worth more than $5 trillion by 2035.

“The future of our aerospace industry depends on our commitment today in aviation research, testing and manufacturing,” said Sen. Moran. “As the Air Capital of the World, Kansas continues to play a prominent role in the national aerospace industry and for generations has been a leader in propelling the industry forward. Across the country – with the proper resources and the ability to continue attracting a strong workforce – the industry is poised to make groundbreaking discoveries, perfect new technology and build better and more efficient aircraft. The investment that can be made by passing this legislation will make certain that our successes can continue into the next generation.”

“In order for the U.S. to boost its competitive edge in aeronautics, Congress must enact policies that invest in long-term research and development,” said Sen. Warner. “With countries across the globe looking to profit from record demand in the coming years for commercial aircraft, competition is fierce to lead the way in developing next-generation technology. This bill lays out a blueprint for how the U.S. can lead the world in a new age of manufacturing, where we can build the safest, quietest, most-fuel efficient and environmentally friendly planes available. Virginia is home to a thriving aerospace industry with leading federal facilities such as NASA Langley, and this bill will continue to support the nation’s next-generation capabilities in this important industry.”

“We applaud Sen. Moran and Sen. Warner for introducing the Aeronautics Innovation Act and for supporting efforts of the aerospace industry to design and certify the next generation of aircraft,” said Spirit AeroSystems President and CEO Tom Gentile. “Spirit supports further collaboration between industry, NASA and other federal stakeholders. We look forward to participating in this new program.”

American industry leads the world, but we can’t maintain our competitive edge without government’s investments in science and research to feed into our innovation pipeline,” said Aerospace Industries Association President and CEO Eric Fanning. “The Aeronautics Innovation Act will provide important continuity and budget stability for aeronautics research, which helps boost our economy and strengthen our national security. We applaud Senators Warner and Moran for championing this legislation and look forward to continuing to work together to assure American technological superiority in air and space.”

“We applaud Senators Moran and Warner for introducing this bill, which supports critical innovations and recognizes the importance of aviation manufacturing in the U.S., an industry that creates over 500,000 jobs and produces over $342 billion in economic activity,” said General Aviation Manufacturers Association President and CEO Pete Bunce. “This legislation will support research in new sectors of the industry, including electric propulsion, simplified air vehicle operation and increased vertical takeoffs and landings, as well as research efforts on unmanned aircraft systems and supersonic flight. These rapidly developing initiatives will allow for safer and more efficient aviation products, provide more high-quality engineering and manufacturing jobs, further contribute to the economy and keep the U.S. competitive in the global aviation market.”

This legislation is endorsed by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), Spirit AeroSystems and the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University.

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