WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing the Kids Off Social Media Act, legislation that would set a minimum age of 13 to use social media platforms and prevent social media companies from feeding algorithmically-targeted content to users under the age of 17. Joining Sens. Warner, Schatz and Cruz in introduction are U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Katie Britt (R-AL), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Angus King (I-ME).

The Kids Off Social Media Act aims to address concerns regarding the mental health crisis of children and teens in relation to their use of social media. No age demographic is more affected by the ongoing mental health crisis in the United States than kids, especially young girls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 57 percent of high school girls and 29 percent of high school boys felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021, with 22 percent of all high school students—and nearly a third of high school girls—reporting they had seriously considered attempting suicide in the preceding year.

Studies have shown a strong relationship between social media use and poor mental health, especially among children. From 2019 to 2021, overall screen use among teens and tweens (ages 8 to 12) increased by 17 percent, with tweens using screens for five hours and 33 minutes per day and teens using screens for eight hours and 39 minutes. Based on the clear and growing evidence, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory last year, calling for new policies to set and enforce age minimums and highlighting the importance of limiting the use of features, like algorithms, that attempt to maximize time, attention, and engagement.

“Parents across the country are struggling to protect their kids from the harmful effects of too much social media, and studies show that today’s unregulated social media landscape has fostered a toxic environment for young people, promoting bullying, eating disorders, and mental health struggles unchecked,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort to enact some common sense guardrails for kids and teens using social media platforms.”

Specifically, the Kids Off Social Media Act would:

• Prohibit children under the age of 13 from creating or maintaining social media accounts, consistent with the current practices of major social media companies;
• Prohibit social media companies from pushing targeted content using algorithms to users under the age of 17;
• Provide the FTC and state attorneys general authority to enforce the provisions of the bill; and
• Follow existing CIPA framework to require schools to block and filter social media on their federally funded networks, which many schools already do.

Sen. Warner, a former tech entrepreneur, has been a vocal advocate building a safer online environment, specifically for young people. Last year, he introduced the Kids Online Safety Act, legislation that provides young people and parents with the tools, safeguards, and transparency they need to protect against online harms. He has also introduced several pieces of legislation aimed at holding Big Tech accountable, including the SAFE TECH Act, which would reform Section 230 and allow social media companies to be held accountable for enabling cyber-stalking, online harassment, and discrimination on social media platforms; the Honest Ads Act, which would require online political advertisements to adhere to the same disclaimer requirements as TV, radio, and print ads; and most recently, seeing through the passage of the national security supplemental aid package, which included a requirement that the prominent social media platform TikTok divest from China-owned parent company ByteDance within one year.

“Public Citizen stands in strong support of this legislation intended to protect the nation’s children from the pernicious impacts of social media. Frequent use of social media can harm vulnerable children and teens as their identities and feelings of self-worth are forming. A straightforward ban for younger children and stopping abusive algorithmic engagement with teens just makes sense. We applaud Senator Schatz for his commonsense bill,” said Lisa Gilbert, Executive Vice President of Public Citizen.

“We survey mothers on pressing issues they face and on the federal bills that seek to address them. We do this because mothers’ first-hand experiences and knowledge are critical sources of information in the policy-making process. This bill, newly renamed the ‘Kids Off Social Media Act,’ had more support by mothers -- across the political spectrum -- than any bill we've studied. Mothers are on the frontlines of this issue, and according to our quantitative and qualitative study, they overwhelmingly believe that social media companies' products and practices should be regulated using age limits and guardrails, similar to other harmful substances,” said Jennifer Bransford, Founder of Count on Mothers.

“Our nation is facing a severe crisis in children’s mental health,” said Dr. Regena Spratling, President of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. “Every day pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) and other advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) focused on children’s health see the serious impact that social media can have on our young people’s well-being. The ‘Kids Off Social Media Act’ will help to provide parents the tools they need to safeguard their children from threats in the digital world.”

“Preparing nurses to help address our country’s growing mental health problems is one of nursing education’s highest priorities,” said Dr. Beverly Malone, President and CEO of the National League for Nursing. “The National League for Nursing is pleased to support the ‘Kids Off Social Media Act’ as an important step to help parents and health care professionals shield our young people from harmful online content that can lead to behavioral health problems.”

“KIDS TOO strongly supports comprehensive legislation that protects kids on social media. Senator Schatz's Kids Off Social Media Act solidifies prohibiting youth under 13 from maintaining or creating social media accounts. This bill gets to the root of the issue by eliminating the chance of young kids being vulnerable to harmful tactics by predators, bullies and drug dealers,” said Tania Haigh, Executive Director of KIDS TOO.

“We’re still learning about the long-term implications that unfettered access to social media has on children and adolescents. Until then, especially considering evidence showing that the way people use social media can impact mental health outcomes, it makes sense to put safeguards in place. As we learn more, we can modify these safeguards as needed. But we need to begin somewhere, and this legislation would provide an opportunity to more clearly understand whether modest safeguards can protect children and adolescents and what responsible measures look like,” said Chuck Ingoglia, President and CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

The Kids Off Social Media Act is supported by the American Counseling Association, KidsToo, National Association of Social Workers, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Tyler Clementi Foundation, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Count on Mothers, Parents Television and Media Council, Parents Who Fight, Public Citizen, National Federation of Families, National Organization for Women, National Association of School Nurses, National League for Nursing, and American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Full text of the legislation is available here.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Thom Tillis (R-NC) – the bipartisan co-chairs of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus – introduced the Secure Artificial Intelligence Act of 2024, legislation to improve the tracking and processing of security and safety incidents and risks associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Specifically, this legislation aims to improve information sharing between the federal government and private companies by updating cybersecurity reporting systems to better incorporate AI systems. The legislation would also create a voluntary database to record AI-related cybersecurity incidents including so-called “near miss” events.

As the development and use of AI grow, so does the potential for security and safety incidents that harm organizations and the public. Currently, efforts within the federal government – led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) – play a crucial role in tracking of cybersecurity through their National Vulnerability Database (NVD) and the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures Program (CVE), respectively. The National Security Agency (NSA), through the Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, also provides intel-driven cybersecurity guidance for emerging and chronic cybersecurity challenges through open, collaborative partnerships. However, these systems do not currently reflect the ways in which AI systems can differ dramatically from traditional software, including the ways in which exploits developed to subvert AI systems (a body of research often known as “adversarial machine learning” or “counter-AI”) often do not resemble conventional information security exploits. This legislation updates current standards for cyber incident reporting and information sharing at these organizations to include and better protect against the risks associated with AI. The legislation also establishes an Artificial Intelligence Security Center at the NSA to drive counter-AI research, provide an AI research test-bed to the private sector and academic researchers, develop guidance to prevent or mitigate counter-AI techniques, and promote secure AI adoption.

“As we continue to embrace all the opportunities that AI brings, it is imperative that we continue to safeguard against the threats posed by – and to -- this new technology, and information sharing between the federal government and the private sector plays a crucial role,” said Sen. Warner. “By ensuring that public-private communications remain open and up-to-date on current threats facing our industry, we are taking the necessary steps to safeguard against this new generation of threats facing our infrastructure.”

"Safeguarding organizations from cybersecurity risks involving AI requires collaboration and innovation from both the private and public sector,” said Sen. Tillis. "This commonsense legislation creates a voluntary database for reporting AI security and safety incidents and promotes best practices to mitigate AI risks. Additionally, this bill would establish a new Artificial Intelligence Security Center, within the NSA, tasked with promoting secure AI adoption as we continue to innovate and embrace new AI technologies."  

Specifically, the Secure Artificial Intelligence Act would:

·         Require NIST to update the NVD and require CISA to update the CVE program or develop a new process to track voluntary reports of AI security vulnerabilities;

·         Establish a public database to track voluntary reports of AI security and safety incidents;

·         Create a multi-stakeholder process that encourages the development and adoption of best practices that address supply chain risks associated with training and maintaining AI models; and

·         Establish an Artificial Intelligence Security Center at the NSA to provide an AI research test-bed to the private sector and academic researchers, develop guidance to prevent or mitigate counter-AI techniques, and promote secure AI adoption.

“IBM is proud to support the Secure AI Act that expands the current work of NIST, DHS, and NSA and addresses safety and security incidents in AI systems. We commend Senator Warner and Senator Tillis for building upon existing voluntary mechanisms to help harmonize efforts across the government. We urge Congress to ensure these mechanisms are adequately funded to track and manage today’s cyber vulnerabilities, including risks associated with AI,” said Christopher Padilla, Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs, IBM Corporation.

“Ensuring the safety and security of AI systems is paramount to facilitating public trust in the technology. ITI commends U.S. Senators Warner and Tillis for introducing the Secure Artificial Intelligence Act, which will advance AI security, encourage the use of voluntary standards to disclose vulnerabilities, and promote public-private collaboration on AI supply chain risk management. ITI also appreciates that this legislation establishes the National Security Agency’s AI Security Center and streamlines coordination with existing AI-focused entities,” said ITI President and CEO Jason Oxman.

“AI security is too big of a task for any one company to tackle alone,” said Jason Green-Lowe, Executive Director of the Center for AI Policy. “AI developers have much to learn from each other about how to keep their systems safe, and it's high time they started sharing that information. That's why the Center for AI Policy is pleased to see Congress coordinating a standard format and shared database for AI incident reporting. We firmly support Senator Warner and Tillis's new bill."

Full text of the legislation is available here. A one-page summary of the legislation is available here. 

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WASHINGTON— Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-MD) released the following statement blasting a provision in the negotiated text of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act, which was released in the middle of the night, that adds five incoming and five outgoing flights to an overburdened Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), risking passenger safety and causing flight delays:

“We are deeply frustrated that Committee leadership with jurisdiction over the FAA Reauthorization Act—none of whom represent the capital region—have decided to ignore the flashing red warning light of the recent near collision of two aircraft at DCA and jam even more flights onto the busiest runway in America. It should go without saying that the safety of the traveling public should be a higher priority than the convenience of a few lawmakers who want direct flights home from their preferred airport. We will continue to fight against this ridiculous and dangerous provision.”

DCA is operating at near peak capacity, and adding an additional five round trip flights would increase delays by 725 minutes per day, leading to a total of 12,734 minutes of overall daily delay at DCA according to FAA data. In April, two aircrafts narrowly avoided a crash, underscoring the urgent need to reject additional flights at DCA.

Also today, the senators wrote to all 96 of their Senate colleagues urging them to oppose the provision.

“While the bill contains many positive features, the Senate is poised to consider a provision that could impair safety and will significantly increase delay and inconvenience experienced by the nearly 25 million passengers who use Reagan National Airport (DCA) every year,” wrote the senators. “The provision will overburden the already congested main runway at DCA and, as shown by a recent near-collision at the airport, increase the risk of a serious accident there.”

“We understand the desire of senators to shorten their commutes home, but this proposal would benefit few while impacting many, first and foremost in safety but also in delays and in reducing the economic competitiveness of smaller destinations within the perimeter. The senators representing the region and the people who most use this airport stand uniform against a provision negotiated without us that will guarantee more unacceptable delay and compromise passenger safety,” the senators concluded.

The senators have repeatedly opposed changes to the slot and perimeter rules, which govern the number and distance of flights that can safely operate out of DCA. In April, Sens. Warner and Kaine spoke on the Senate floor regarding the near miss at DCA and the need to block additional flights at the airport. In March, they sent a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Senate Commerce Committee and the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee opposing any changes to the rules in the FAA reauthorization. They penned an op-ed last June urging their colleagues to oppose changes to the rules.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Colleagues:

When we return, we will take up the FAA reauthorization bill. It is an important bill necessary to improve air travel. While the bill contains many positive features, the Senate is poised to consider a provision that could impair safety and will significantly increase delay and inconvenience experienced by the nearly 25 million passengers who use Reagan National Airport (DCA) every year. The provision will overburden the already congested main runway at DCA and, as shown by a recent near-collision at the airport, increase the risk of a serious accident there.  

We have made our opposition to this provision known to Committee for a very long time. Our position, that Congress should not jam more flights onto an overburdened runway that is already the busiest in the United States, prevailed in the House. But the Senate Commerce Committee has insisted that 5 slots (a total of 10 flights) be added to the daily schedule. This is directly contrary to the advice from FAA and is opposed by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, established by Congress to operate DCA and Dulles. It was also agreed to with absolutely no consultation with the four Senators representing the two states with airports impacted by this.

DCA is an airport built on a small land footprint that cannot be expanded. There is one primary runway and two shorter runways designed for commuter aircraft. It was intended to be used by approximately 15 million passengers a year. Its current usage is nearly 25 million passengers a year. Because of advances in airline fleet configuration, most planes flying into DCA cannot now use the secondary runways. Nearly 90% of all flights must use the primary runway. This makes the main runway at DCA the busiest in the United States.

The passenger volume at DCA and the overuse of the main runway have made DCA one of the most congested airports in the country as measured by passenger delay. Over 20% of ingoing and outgoing flights experience delay. And the average delay experienced on those flights is already 67 minutes. DCA has functionally equivalent service, in some years more service, than Dulles International Airport even though DCA is 860 acres and Dulles is nearly 12,000 acres. DCA also ranks 3^rd for airborne holds, which is when air traffic control keeps an aircraft looping in a holding pattern while the aircraft waits for an opening to land. In 2022, the airport had the 3^rd worst cancellation rate among the nation’s busiest airports. And these delays not only affect DCA but cause missed connection flights and other inconveniences throughout the system.

The FAA has advised the Senate that any increase in the number of operations at DCA will increase the number and duration of delays. They have assessed that the delay attributable to adding 10 flights will affect 183 flights for a total of 751 minutes (or 12 hours) of additional delay per day. When added to the existing delay, DCA would experience 12,734 minutes of delay per day! The FAA also notes that this figure does not take into account any delay that might result from gate constraints caused by adding flights.

But the delay issue is not as important as passenger safety. On April 18, there was a near miss at DCA as two planes jockeyed for position—one on the primary runway and one on a secondary runway. The planes averted a collision by a mere 300 feet. The audio from the FAA air traffic controllers is chilling—with one heard frantically yelling “Stop! Stop!” The FAA is investigating the incident, but the likelihood of a serious accident is already high at this overburdened airport and adding 10 more flights will only raise the possibility of a tragic outcome. We believe that this near miss is a bright red warning light flashing before Congress.

There are alternatives to Congress jamming in 10 more flights. The Commerce Committee settled the pilot training hours debate by deferring to the Secretary to determine how many virtual training hours are safe. In this case, Commerce, says more slots are safe. The senators representing the region, in consultation with DOT, say they aren’t. Why not let the Secretary make the call?

We understand the desire of senators to shorten their commutes home, but this proposal would benefit few while impacting many, first and foremost in safety but also in delays and in reducing the economic competitiveness of smaller destinations within the perimeter. The senators representing the region and the people who most use this airport stand uniform against a provision negotiated without us that will guarantee more unacceptable delay and compromise passenger safety.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – Today, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement on Congressional passage of the supplemental foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and the Indo-Pacific:

“For the last two years, U.S. aid has been indispensable in helping Ukraine stave off Russia’s unlawful, brutal attacks. Without risking the life of a single American or NATO soldier, Ukraine has imposed enormous losses on Russia’s military, preserved democracy over autocracy, and thwarted Putin’s imperial ambitions. Today, the Senate has once again acted to stand with our NATO allies and keep our word to Ukrainians. It never should have taken this long, but I’m tremendously relieved that Congress has finally passed this critical aid and averted a potentially historic, catastrophic failure.

“At the same time, the bill takes square aim at several other pressing national security concerns. By including the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, it takes long overdue steps to curb the flow of fentanyl into our country. It delivers support to Israel and humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians in Gaza. To counter the rise of China, it secures aid for our partners in the Indo-Pacific and compels the divestiture of TikTok from its parent company, ByteDance, which is legally required to do the bidding of the Chinese Communist Party. Across Europe, the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific, and at home, this legislation makes critical investments in keeping Americans safe and protecting our trust and position on the global stage. I look forward to President Biden’s signature.”

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 WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $156,120,000 in federal funding to help low-income and disadvantaged communities in Virginia more easily access solar energy. The funding, awarded to the Virginia Department of Energy, will be used to eliminate barriers to solar development in the Commonwealth by reducing upfront costs, enabling broader access to leasing and power purchase agreements, increasing access to financing for low-income homeowners, and removing barriers to interconnection. The funding will lower energy costs for families and create good-quality jobs while advancing tackling the effects of climate change. 

“Solar energy is one of the keys to addressing the climate crisis, and has the added benefit of reducing energy costs for families,” said the senators. “Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, communities across the Commonwealth will benefit from these lower energy costs while gaining access to good-paying jobs and continuing to tackle to effects of climate change.”

The funding is awarded through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar for All program—made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), landmark legislation that both Sens. Warner and Kaine supported—that helps lower energy costs by making energy efficient appliances more affordable, invests in home energy repairs, and supports the costs of solar projects.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long supported efforts to expand and promote clean energy across the Commonwealth. In August, Sen. Warner broke ground on the largest-ever clean energy project at a U.S. airport alongside Dominion Energy, which will power 37,000 homes and businesses in Northern Virginia. Last year, Sen. Kaine hosted an event with the U.S. Department of Energy in Big Stone Gap to bring local leaders, state and federal government officials, and businesses together to strategize on how to take advantage of the IRA’s clean energy provisions and help create jobs and boost economic development in Virginia. Additionally, Sens. Warner and Kaine have advocated for and secured hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for initiatives that reduce utility costs for Virginians, including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

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WASHINGTON  – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement after a narrowly avoided crash between two aircraft at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA): 

“Today’s near crash at DCA is a horrifying example of why it’s crucial that we beat back efforts to undermine slot and perimeter rules for our capital region airports. DCA’s overburdened runway is already the busiest in the country—and we fear that adding more flights could put passenger safety at serious jeopardy. We are thankful there was no loss of life or injuries, but this close call is unacceptable and we must ensure even near misses never occur again. To state the obvious: passenger safety should be a higher priority than whether some lawmakers have a direct flight home from DCA.”

 A visualization of the near miss is available here. 

The near-miss underscores the urgent need to reject any changes to slot and perimeter rules, which govern the number of flights that can safely operate out of DCA and the distance of those flights. In February, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation voted to alter the current slot and perimeter rules to increase the number of flights in and out of DCA as part of the Senate version of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act. 

The senators have repeatedly opposed changes to the slot and perimeter rules. In March, they sent a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Senate Commerce and House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee opposing any changes to the rules in the FAA reauthorization. They also penned an op-ed last June urging their colleagues to oppose changes to the rules. 

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WASHINGTON — Today, on the 17^th anniversary of the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine introduced the Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act, legislation to federally enact a series of commonsense gun violence prevention measures adopted by Virginia since 2020. The bill includes provisions to mandate reporting of lost and stolen firearms, prevent children from accessing firearms, and implement a one-handgun-a-month policy.

“On the 17th anniversary of Virginia’s deadliest mass shooting, I’m joining my friend Sen. Kaine in introducing the Virginia Plan, legislation to bring the commonsense gun violence measures Virginia has enacted to the rest of the country,” said Sen. Warner. “Too many Americans, families, and communities have been touched by gun violence. This bill can save lives and make our country safer.”

“17 years ago, 32 people tragically lost their lives at Virginia Tech. I was Virginia’s governor at the time, and I remember that day like it was yesterday—grieving with families, friends, and the Hokie community. Sadly, far too many communities throughout the United States know the pain of horrific gun violence,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’m proud of the steps the Commonwealth has taken in recent years to help keep Virginians safe, which is why I’m introducing this bill to build on our progress by implementing those commonsense measures on the national level. We must do more to ensure everyone can go to school, work, their place of worship, a grocery store, or concert without the terror of gun violence.”     

The Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act of 2024 would build on Virginia’s commonsense framework to reduce gun violence from 2020 and Lucia’s Law, which takes effect in Virginia on July 1, 2024, through the following provisions:      

• One-Handgun-a-Month: Limits purchases of handguns to one per month to curtail the stockpiling and trafficking of firearms, promoting domestic and international security.
• Reporting of Lost or Stolen Firearms: Requires gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms to the appropriate state or local law enforcement agency within 48 hours. State and local law enforcement agencies would be directed to report data collected to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center.
• Preventing Firearm Access to Minors: Promotes responsible gun ownership and safe storage practices by holding individuals liable for leaving a loaded, unsecured gun in the presence of a minor. This will prevent the most common cause of accidental shooting deaths among children.
• Protection Order Prohibitions: Strengthens safeguards for victims of domestic violence by closing the “boyfriend loophole,” which currently allows abusive non-spousal partners to possess firearms, and expands firearm laws to prohibit persons convicted of stalking or subject to a domestic violence restraining order from possessing firearms.
• Extreme Risk Protection Orders: Establishes a federal extreme risk protection order process to temporarily remove firearms from individuals who pose a high risk of harming themselves or others and incentivizes states to implement their own extreme risk protection laws and court protocols.
• Lucia’s Law: Establishes criminal liability for a caregiver who gives a child in their care access to a firearm when they are aware that child poses a risk of violence to themselves or others.

Warner and Kaine have long-supported a comprehensive approach to curbing gun violence. In June 2022, Warner and Kaine helped pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, legislation that contains many provisions of the Virginia Plan, including improving background checks, strengthening safeguards for victims of domestic violence, and incentivizing states to implement their own Extreme Risk Protection Orders to remove firearms from individuals who pose a high risk of harming themselves or others. The Department of Justice issued a rule last week—which the senators applauded—to codify provisions outlined in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to close the gun show loophole, which permitted the sale of firearms online and at gun shows without background checks.

Full bill text is available here.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $3,040,000 in federal funding for the Town of Leesburg to install new power generator systems for the town’s potable water pumping station and pollution control center. This funding will help ensure reliable access to water and continued wastewater and pollution management services during emergencies, including natural disasters and widespread power outages. The funding was awarded through the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which provides financial support to communities across the nation facing natural disasters and crises.

“Access to safe, reliable water and dependable wastewater management is a necessity,” said the senators. “We’re glad this funding will help ensure the people of Leesburg can maintain access to clean water during emergencies.”

The Town of Leesburg is receiving two grants from FEMA:

• $2,850,000 to fund the installation of two new emergency backup power generator systems—one for the City’s Potable Water Pumping Station and another for its Environmental Pollution Control facility.
• $190,000 to cover personnel and administrative costs related to the installation of the two generators.   

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WASHINGTON —Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded the release of a new rule by the U.S. Department of Justice to codify changes outlined in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which the senators helped pass, to close the gun show loophole that has permitted the sale of firearms online and at gun shows without background checks. 

“When we passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, we secured long overdue, broadly popular provisions to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m glad to see this law take another concrete step forward and close a loophole that allowed some individuals to attain firearms without a background check. This is another key step forward to preventing needless violence and making our communities safer, and I look forward to continuing to watch this law enact commonsense provisions that promote public safety and passing additional laws that address the tragic and deadly gun violence epidemic.” 

“Virginia has a lot of scar tissue related to gun violence, and we have a responsibility to do all that we can to reduce the risk of future tragedies,” said Sen. Kaine. “Requiring background checks for purchasers of firearms is a commonsense step in the right direction, and I’m proud to have helped pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that made this progress possible. I will continue to do all that I can to build on this move to make our communities safer.”

Warner and Kaine have long supported a comprehensive approach to curbing gun violence. They have introduced the Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence—a bill based on commonsense measures adopted by Virginia, including the closure of the gun show loophole and other background check loopholes, better safeguards for victims of domestic violence, and incentives for states to implement Extreme Risk Protection Orders to remove firearms from individuals who pose a high risk of harming themselves or others. They are also cosponsors of legislation to ban assault weapons, and are consistent advocates for improved access to mental health services.

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $24,439,297 in federal funding for two resiliency projects in the Commonwealth. The funding, courtesy of the Department of Transportation Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation Program (PROTECT) Grant Program, was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law the senators passed and will go towards efforts to mitigate damage from severe weather and flooding in Virginia Beach and throughout the Tidewater region.

“As severe weather events become more common, we’re glad to see this funding further shore up resilience efforts to protect residents, assist with evacuations, and address the frustration of flooded roads,” the senators said.

The funding is broken down as follows:

• Virginia Beach will receive $19,012,917 in federal funding to address flooding issues on Pungo Ferry Road, a low-lying roadway that provides an east-west connection to several military installations, agricultural lands, and wildlife refuges. The project will raise a 1.5-mile of the roadway to make it passable during 100-year storm events, and will include paved, graded shoulders and bike paths.
• Virginia's Tidewater and Chesapeake region will receive $5,426,380 to install a weather and traffic monitoring system that will facilitate emergency evacuations due to extreme weather events through the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long-supported efforts to build coastal resilience and record flooding in Virginia’s coastal communities. Last year, the senators announced over $10 million in federal funding to combat the effects of severe flooding in coastal Virginia as well as $25 million to protect critical infrastructure from flooding in Virginia Beach. The senators also previously secured nearly $399 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management Project, which will reduce and manage flooding in Norfolk through a system of surge barriers, tidal gates, floodwalls, levees, pump stations, and non-structural measures.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Reps. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Bobby Scott (D-VA-3), Rob Wittman (R-VA-01), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), Bob Good (R-VA-05), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02) released the following statement regarding the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) Inspector General (IG) report on the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC) in Sandston. The USPS OIG audited the RPDC because the center is the first consolidated processing center in the country that was opened to centralize outgoing mail and package processing as part of USPS’s 10-year Delivering for America plan.

“It couldn’t be clearer that USPS has not been providing reliable service to Virginians, and we’ve been pressing for answers. This report pinpoints a number of issues, including a lack of coordination between USPS and staff at the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC). Going forward, USPS must provide more resources and clearer guidance to management and staff at RPDC, among other steps. We look forward to working with USPS to ensure that happens, the recommendations in the IG report are implemented, and mail delivery is timely for Virginians.”

The report highlights various issues on the local, regional, and national levels that have impacted service in Virginia and made 10 distinct recommendations to USPS for improvement. The issues range from egregious lack of attention to detail (pieces of mail falling off conveyor belts and being lost), to poor synchronizing between machines processing mail at the facility and the schedules of trucks transporting mail to and from the facility, to broader questions about whether the RPDC model is generating the cost savings and efficiency improvements this model has promised. Workforce shortages, including reducing the contracted drivers to operate delivery trucks when the in-house workforce was insufficient, have further strained USPS staff and increased overtime costs. Meanwhile, internal communication among headquarters, regional, and on-site local staff has been inadequate.

A full accounting of the problems that have impacted service and specific recommendations to address them are available here.

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 WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $1,000,000 for the City of Richmond in order to create a nature park at Broad Rock Creek. The funding, courtesy of the National Park Service’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership, was made possible through the Great American Outdoors Act, which was authored and championed by Sen. Warner and Sen. Kaine. 

Specifically, the funding will be used to renovate the area, repairing the Broad Rock Creek Park bridge, developing trails and building roads throughout the park, and adding park amenities including wayfinding, kiosks, benches, water fountains, restrooms, and trash cans.  

“Virginia is home to some of the most beautiful natural lands in the country, but for too long we didn’t had the funding to preserve and improve these parks for recreational use. As one of the authors of the Great American Outdoors Act, I am thrilled to see this law continue to pay off more than four years later. These federal dollars will help restore and maintain Broad Rock Creek Park for Virginians to enjoy for many years to come,” said Sen. Warner.

“I’m thrilled Richmond is receiving this federal funding thanks to the Great American Outdoors Act, which I was proud to support as an original cosponsor and help pass,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’ve been to Broad Rock Creek many times, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this federal funding will improve the park so visitors can keep enjoying its magic.”

The years-long efforts by Sens. Warner and Kaine to provide relief to Virginia’s national parks culminated in the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law in 2020. The legislation provided $9.5 billion over five years to the National Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Indian Education to address the deferred maintenance backlog at these agencies.

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