WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) urged congressional leaders to quickly confirm President Joe Biden’s nominees to oversee the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), which has experienced unacceptable delays under the current Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy. Once Biden’s nominees to the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors are confirmed, they can provide strict oversight over DeJoy’s ten-year strategic plan for postal operations, which has not yet been publicly released, but is expected to call for higher postage rates and further slowing of mail deliveries, according to media reports and recent congressional testimony. 

“We write to express our support for President Joe Biden’s nominees to serve on the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service (USPS) and to call for their immediate consideration before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the full Senate. The President’s nominees – Mr. Ron Stroman, Mr. Anton Hajjar, and Ms. Amber McReynolds – represent experienced, thoughtful experts on the Postal Service who will help to guide USPS through its current financial and logistical challenges. Acting with all possible speed to expedite their confirmations is critical as the Board of Governors will soon review Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year strategic plan,” said the Senators in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Gary Peters (D-MI). “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have once again seen the critical role of USPS in connecting our communities, and yet unacceptable mail delays have occurred due in part to ineffective leadership. Whether it is manifest in the delivery of birthday and Christmas cards or stimulus checks and medications, service levels have fallen to unacceptable levels. It is crucial that the Senate quickly move to confirm President Biden’s nominees to bring renewed focus on the vital, public service that USPS provides and ensure that mail delivery improves to the standards Americans have come to expect for generations.” 

“Despite historic delays in recent months, the Postmaster General has indicated he plans to announce a new strategic plan in the coming weeks that would cut service standards and raise prices. From what we understand, Mr. DeJoy’s plan seems tailored towards codifying the very delays which have deeply frustrated so many Americans today,” the Senators added in today’s letter. 

The Senators noted that Virginia customers are already experiencing among the worst mail delays in the nation. In December 2020, first-class mail on-time delivery rates averaged just 52.4% in the Northern Virginia Postal District, 55.1% in the Richmond Postal District, and 67.0% in the Appalachian Postal District. In their letter, the Senators noted that they have heard from thousands of Virginians with complaints about mail delivery, and shared some of those complaints as they urged the Senate to move quickly to confirm Biden’s nominees:

“My parents (who are older, on fixed income, and aren’t comfortable with many online options) got fined by their mortgage company and car loan lender for lateness (they’d never been late prior) when their payments did not arrive on time but were mailed as normal. My dad, who as a Medicare enrollee, is now required to use a mail-order pharmacy for his life-sustaining blood thinning medication, is now having to ration his pills to make sure he doesn’t run out entirely because his three-month supply has not yet come…This is a life or death problem.” – Michelle, Fredericksburg, VA

“I use USPS to mail small packages for my business, 3-5 [times] per week. I always pay extra for USPS Priority Mail…because it is supposed to get to its destination in 2-3 days. Since November, only a few have arrived on time and the rest have taken between 7 and 18 days to arrive. In the final two weeks before Christmas, I had to shift to UPS which not only cost more but also came out of my own pocket because I provide free shipping as a service to my customers. Mine is a small business and I can’t afford the additional expense of alternate shipping methods. Even though my business is small, it puts food on the table for my family because my husband’s salary has been cut in half due to Covid. I cannot afford to anger or alienate my customers who expect prompt delivery. I would like to say that things have gotten better since Christmas, but they haven’t.” – Patricia, Charlottesville, VA

“I ordered and paid for 2-3 day priority mail on a shipment of medicine for my pet, rather than choosing the free shipping in standard mail that I could have received, because it said it could take 5-7 business days in standard mail; I needed the medicine within 7 business days but I didn’t want to take a chance on it being late. It was shipped from California on Feb 15th. As of this morning, February 24th, I still have not received it.” – Ben, Fairfax, VA

“Our neighborhood has not received mail at least one day a week (entire neighborhood). Bills are so late when I receive them they are past due. This has resulted in late fees on my accounts.” – Marcia, Norfolk, VA

Sens. Warner and Kaine have been vocal about reversing USPS operational changes that have affected the reliability of mail delivery. On Feb 1., the Senators sent a letter to DeJoy, calling on him to rescind policy changes that are delaying mail delivery including life-saving medicines, groceries, supplies, and more in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also last month, they joined 33 of their Democratic colleagues in pressing DeJoy on persistent mail delays and what action he is taking to restore on-time mail delivery. They earlier joined their colleagues in calling on DeJoy to testify before Congress and provide clear, transparent answers on service delays that have caused seniors and veterans to miss their prescription medications, small businesses to lose money and customers over delayed packages, and other serious disruptions that affect communities across the country who count on the Postal Service for timely delivery. Additionally, Sen. Warner previously raised concerns over the USPS operational changes and the heightened impact to servicemembers and their families and pushed to correct the changes that are needlessly delaying veterans’ access to life-saving prescriptions. 

A copy of the letter is available here and the full text appears below:

Dear Leader Schumer and Chairman Peters:

We write to express our support for President Joe Biden’s nominees to serve on the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service (USPS) and to call for their immediate consideration before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the full Senate. The President’s nominees - Mr. Ron Stroman, Mr. Anton Hajjar, and Ms. Amber McReynolds - represent experienced, thoughtful experts on the Postal Service who will help to guide USPS through its current financial and logistical challenges. Acting with all possible speed to expedite their confirmations is critical as the Board of Governors will soon review Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year strategic plan. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have once again seen the critical role of USPS in connecting our communities, and yet unacceptable mail delays have occurred due in part to ineffective leadership. Whether it is manifest in the delivery of birthday and Christmas cards or stimulus checks and medications, service levels have fallen to unacceptable levels. It is crucial that the Senate quickly move to confirm President Biden’s nominees to bring renewed focus on the vital, public service that USPS provides and ensure that mail delivery improves to the standards Americans have come to expect for generations.

Virginia customers have experienced among the worst delays in the nation. In December 2020, first-class mail on-time delivery rates averaged just 52.4% in the Northern Virginia Postal District, 55.1% in the Richmond Postal District, and 67.0% in the Appalachian Postal District. These rates represent drastic declines relative to baselines in on-time delivery from March 14, 2020 – July 11, 2020, the period between the onset of COVID-19-related impacts and the announcement of Postmaster General DeJoy’s operational changes. The on-time delivery rates of first-class mail in this time frame were 90.9% in the Northern Virginia Postal District, 90.3% in the Richmond Postal District, and 93.8% in the Appalachian Postal District.  But this service decline represents more than an abstract statistic, it represents real-world harm to thousands of our constituents. To that end, thousands of Virginians have shared their frustrations with us in recent weeks. Here are but a snapshot of our constituent’s stories to demonstrate the consequences of the failures of Postmaster General DeJoy:

“My parents (who are older, on fixed income, and aren’t comfortable with many online options) got fined by their mortgage company and car loan lender for lateness (they’d never been late prior) when their payments did not arrive on time but were mailed as normal. My dad, who as a Medicare enrollee, is now required to use a mail-order pharmacy for his life-sustaining blood thinning medication, is now having to ration his pills to make sure he doesn’t run out entirely because his three-month supply has not yet come…This is a life or death problem.” – Michelle, Fredericksburg, VA

“I use USPS to mail small packages for my business, 3-5 [times] per week. I always pay extra for USPS Priority Mail…because it is supposed to get to its destination in 2-3 days. Since November, only a few have arrived on time and the rest have taken between 7 and 18 days to arrive. In the final two weeks before Christmas, I had to shift to UPS which not only cost more but also came out of my own pocket because I provide free shipping as a service to my customers. Mine is a small business and I can’t afford the additional expense of alternate shipping methods. Even though my business is small, it puts food on the table for my family because my husband’s salary has been cut in half due to Covid. I cannot afford to anger or alienate my customers who expect prompt delivery. I would like to say that things have gotten better since Christmas, but they haven’t.” – Patricia, Charlottesville, VA

“I ordered and paid for 2-3 day priority mail on a shipment of medicine for my pet, rather than choosing the free shipping in standard mail that I could have received, because it said it could take 5-7 business days in standard mail; I needed the medicine within 7 business days but I didn’t want to take a chance on it being late. It was shipped from California on Feb 15th. As of this morning, February 24th, I still have not received it.” – Ben, Fairfax, VA

“Our neighborhood has not received mail at least one day a week (entire neighborhood). Bills are so late when I receive them they are past due. This has resulted in late fees on my accounts.” – Marcia, Norfolk, VA

Despite historic delays in recent months, the Postmaster General has indicated he plans to announce a new strategic plan in the coming weeks that would cut service standards and raise prices. From what we understand, Mr. DeJoy’s plan seems tailored towards codifying the very delays which have deeply frustrated so many Americans today. In his testimony before the House Oversight Committee, Mr. DeJoy said he was “evaluating all service standards” and public reporting indicates this includes eliminating two-day delivery for local, first-class mail and eliminating all mail transport for first-class mail.  The American people deserve a full Board to consider the proposed plans to ensure that the unacceptable delays in the delivery of bills, medicine, and letters do not persist. Of particular importance in consideration of the strategic plan is the input of postal workers and unions who would be well represented by Mr. Stroman, a former deputy postmaster general, and Mr. Hajjar, formerly general counsel for the American Postal Workers’ Union, if they are confirmed.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released a statement after the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a declassified Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) on Foreign Threats to the 2020 U.S. Elections. As part of the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY18, FY19, and FY20, ODNI was required to release the declassified report examining elections interference in 2020:

“This report highlights the ongoing and persistent efforts by our adversaries to influence our elections, which all Americans should be informed about. Russia, in particular, has expended real effort, not just in 2020, but also as we all recall in 2016, to influence election results. I believe that the intelligence community has gotten much better at detecting these efforts, and we have built better defenses against election interference. But the problem of foreign actors trying to influence the American electorate is not going away and, given the current partisan divides in this country, may find fertile ground in which to grow in the future.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today introduced legislation to ease the burden on the surviving families of miners who perish due to black lung disease. Too often, survivors of deceased miners face difficulties in securing the benefits to which they are entitled, due to bureaucratic proof requirements that are often too difficult to meet. The Relief for Survivors of Miners Act would ease these restrictions and make it easier for miners’ survivors to successfully claim these benefits.

“After losing a loved one to such a devastating disease, no family wants to worry about whether they’ll be able to put food on the table or a roof over their heads,” said Sen. Warner. “Unfortunately, this is too often the case for the families of deceased miners, who are forced to jump through bureaucratic hoops in order to get access to the benefits they deserve. This legislation will make proof requirements more reasonable and alleviate the burden for grieving families in Virginia’s mining communities.” 

“Our brave miners and their families have sacrificed so much to provide America with the energy we need to be the most powerful nation in the world. For those miners who lost their lives due to black lung disease, we must ensure their families are cared for by providing them with the benefits they deserve. I’m proud to introduce the Relief for Survivors of Miners Act, which will help cut through the bureaucratic red tape that can delay access to benefits, as well as improving access to legal representation for miners and the survivors of miners. I will continue to advocate for miners and their families in the Mountain State and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help us pass this commonsense legislation,” said Sen. Manchin.

“Miners helped build this Nation—they powered our factories and homes and fueled decades of prosperity by doing some of the most difficult work there is. We promised to take care of miners if their years of hard work took a toll on their health, and we must maintain that promise by ensuring the benefits they earned are made easily available to their surviving loved ones,” said Sen. Casey. “The Relief for Survivors of Miners Act would remove unfair barriers that make it hard for families, who have lost a loved one to black lung disease, to receive the earned benefits owed to them.”

“Virginia’s miners work so hard over the course of their career to power our Commonwealth, so the least we can do is make sure their surviving family members are able to access the hard-earned benefits they’re entitled to,” Sen. Kaine said. “We must pass this legislation to ensure grieving families aren’t forced to deal with the burden of unreasonable proof requirements and can access the resources they need to support themselves.”    

“Ohio miners have put their health at risk for years to power our country – and, unfortunately, too many of those miners succumb to complications from black lung disease, leaving loved ones to worry about how they’ll be able to make ends meet,” said Sen. Brown.“Congress must now do its part and pass the Relief for Survivors of Miners Act, so we can ensure these miners’ families don’t have to navigate an interminable claims process just to get the benefits they have earned.”

The 1972 Black Lung Benefits Act provides monthly benefits to the surviving family members of coal miners who die from black lung – a disease brought on by the long-term inhalation of coal dust. These benefits are paid for either by respective coal mining companies or the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. However, due to restrictions associated with the Black Lung Benefits Program, survivors must establish that black lung was a substantial contributing cause of death – a burden of proof that is often difficult to meet since autopsy reports may not specifically site black lung, and instead reference related conditions. 

The Relief for Survivors of Miners Act of 2021 would make it easier for miners’ survivors to apply for black lung benefits by: 

• Establishing a rebuttable presumption that a miner’s death was due to black lung if they were disabled due to pneumoconiosis at the time of death: Currently, survivors who are applying for black lung benefits but do not fall within the Department of Labor regulation §718.305, must identify all sources of medical information about the miner and prove to the Department of Labor that the miner’s death was due to or hastened by black lung. This bill would add to existing law by allowing survivors of miners to gain benefits by proving disability if they cannot prove the miner’s death was due to or hastened by black lung. 

• Improving access to legal representation for miners and survivors of miners: The current system for adjudicating black lung claims is often unbalanced, where miners and survivors of miners lack access to resources when filing for benefits. This legislation would direct the Secretary of Labor to establish a payment program to pay attorneys’ fees and other reasonable medical expenses incurred while establishing the claimant’s case. This change would help ensure that miners and survivors of miners are not at a disadvantage in securing benefits due to a lack of financial resources. 

This legislation has the support of a number of organizations, including United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center (ACLC), and Appalachian Voices.

“Too many families in the coalfields have to watch their loved ones suffer and die from black lung disease. The survivors of these coal miners are then confronted with a black lung benefits system that is often complex, lengthy and stressful. We support Senator Warner's efforts to make the claims process more accessible to survivors and to help ease their considerable burdens,” said Wes Addington, Executive Director of the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center. 

“Not only is black lung devastating to a miner's health, but it also deals a serious economic blow to families, and filing a claim for black lung benefits can be incredibly burdensome and drawn-out. These folks have been through enough. Accessing black lung benefits should be as simple and streamlined as possible. Appalachian Voices supports this bill, and we are appreciative of Senator Warner's efforts to advocate for coal mining families,” said Willie Dodson, Central Appalachian Field Coordinator of Appalachian Voices.

“These miners and widows need to know they're not alone. Senator Warner has come to Southwest Virginia and listened to us, and he's working hard to do the right thing for us. We have hope. We know we are not alone,” said Vonda Robinson, miner's wife and VP of National Black Lung Association, Scott County, VA. 

“We really appreciate Senator Warner fighting for this. Not too many politicians want to bring any of these issues up,” said Gary Hairston, coal miner and National Black Lung Association President, Fayette County, WV.

Bill text is available here. A summary of the bill is available here.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner (D-Va), Chris Van Hollen and Congressman John Sarbanes (both D-Md.) led a bicameral group of lawmakers and more than 30 regional organizations in forming a Working Group to explore the designation of a Chesapeake National Recreation Area managed by the National Park Service. 

Despite its ecological importance, iconic landscape, rich culture and history, and vast recreational benefits, the Chesapeake Bay region does not have a unified National Park System designation. Proponents agree that a unified designation provides an opportunity to help conserve the Bay, deliver additional federal resources to the region, and spur economic growth and prosperity across the Watershed. The Working Group, led by Senator Van Hollen and Congressman Sarbanes, will collaborate over the coming months to consider legislation that would designate a unified Chesapeake National Recreation Area. The proposed legislation would be released for public comment.

“The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure and a vital economic engine for the Commonwealth. I am proud to partner with my colleagues and an all-star cast of Bay-related organizations to further elevate the Chesapeake Bay as one our nation’s greatest natural and cultural assets,” said Senator Warner. “This effort will help advance Chesapeake Bay restoration, conserve critical natural and historic sites within the region, and increase recreational opportunities along the Bay.”

“Marylanders know the Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure. Designating a Chesapeake National Recreation Area will highlight that reality – and bring national recognition to the importance of the Bay and its natural, cultural, historical, and recreational significance. This is also a unique chance to bring new resources to protecting the Bay and to generate new opportunities to grow Maryland tourism and outdoor recreation. While this will be a challenging undertaking, I have confidence that this Working Group will unite behind these common goals,” said Senator Van Hollen.  

“Designating a national recreation area in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed could help protect the Bay for future generations and permanently enshrine the Bay as an American treasure,” said Congressman Sarbanes, who co-chairs the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force. “I look forward to working with communities and stakeholders throughout the region – who have worked tirelessly to conserve the Bay – as we explore this important initiative.”

Members of the working group are: the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, Chesapeake Conservancy, the Chesapeake Bay Commission, the National Parks Conservation Association, Choose Clean Water Coalition, the Conservation Fund, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Maryland League of Conservation Voters, Nature Conservancy, Potomac Conservancy, REI, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the American Sportfishing Association, the National Marine Manufacturing Association, the Watermen of Maryland, the Sport Fishing Commission, Historic Annapolis, Oyster Recovery Partnership, Blue Oyster Environmental LLC, Preservation Virginia, Shellfish Growers of Virginia, the James River Association, Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, the Maryland Marine Trade Association, the Audubon Naturalist Society, Living Classrooms, the Hispanic Access Foundation, Latino Outdoors, Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (SERCAP), Chispa Maryland, Baltimore Tree Trust, and Black Watermen of the Chesapeake. 

Also involved in this effort are Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Representatives Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Elaine Luria (D-Va.).

“Ensuring greater access to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, including through new federal parks, allows the public to reap the benefits of our resources firsthand, supporting our shared water quality goals,” said Senator Cardin. “Chesapeake Bay restoration has always been a grassroots effort from the ground-up, and I am confident this National Recreation Area pursuit will be no different.”

“It’s important that we work to expand access to recreational opportunities in the Bay area for all and protect Virginia’s beautiful landscapes for future generations,” Senator Kaine said. “I am looking forward to collaborating with this talented and diverse Working Group to achieve these goals.”

“A Chesapeake National Recreation Area would enhance visitors’ experiences in the region, help us to better tell the stories of special places, like Fort Monroe, and bring additional resources to our communities. The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure and I am pleased to participate in the working group to ensure that Virginians and visitors to the Commonwealth are able to enjoy it for generations to come,” said Congressman Bobby Scott.

“The Chesapeake Bay is a vital natural resource for Coastal Virginians and a critical economic engine for the region,” Congresswoman Luria said. “A National Recreation Area designation will protect the Chesapeake Bay for future generations while promoting economic growth and prosperity.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) will co-chair the bipartisan Senate Cybersecurity Caucus in the 117^th Congress. First launched in 2016 by Sen. Warner and then-Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus provides a platform for Senators and their staffs to stay informed on major policy issues and developments in cybersecurity. 

“Recent hacks involving SolarWinds and Microsoft only serve to underscore that cybersecurity is one of the biggest economic and national security challenges we face as a nation,” said Sen. Warner, Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. “The Senate Cybersecurity Caucus is a platform for Senators and their staffs to keep up to date on cyber policy and engage in discussions about cybersecurity that cross Committee jurisdictions. I’m pleased to welcome Sen. Tillis as a co-chair of this effort, and look forward to working with him to bring bipartisan attention to these critical issues.”

“The threat of cyberattacks by foreign adversaries such as China and Russia targeting American businesses, research institutions, hospitals, and federal agencies is one of the most pressing issues for Congress to address,” said Sen. Tillis. “These cyberattacks are a threat to national security and our innovation economy. Over the last year, we have seen numerous cyberattacks targeting American infrastructure and intellectual property—primarily related to testing and vaccines for COVID-19. Senator Warner is a thought leader on cybersecurity issues and has a proven track record of bipartisan policymaking. I am proud to join the Cybersecurity Caucus as co-chair, and I look forward to working with Senator Warner to provide productive information on cybersecurity issues for Senators and their staff.”

An early investor in the cellular telephone business, Sen. Warner spent 20 years in the technology industry before entering public office. In the Senate, Warner has been a longtime leader on issues relating to technology and cybersecurity. As Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Warner recently convened the first public hearing into the SolarWinds supply chain attack that enabled hackers to penetrate multiple federal agencies and corporations.   

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WASHINGTON – The Senate has approved bipartisan legislation introduced by Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Vice Chairman Marco Rubio (R-FL) to extend Section 3610 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act from its current expiration of March 31, 2021 to September 30, 2021. The provision allows a critical lifeline for federal agencies to maintain contractors, who would otherwise be at risk for layoff or furlough due to the pandemic and was approved as a bipartisan amendment offered by Sens. Warner and Rubio to H.R.1319, a bill to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S.Con.Res.5. (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021).  

“We are pleased that the Senate passed this bipartisan legislation to provide much-needed stability for personnel who serve a key role in protecting our national security missions and other vital programs,” said Chairman Warner and Vice Chairman Rubio.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Angus King (I-ME) today introduced legislation to stimulate the economy and allow borrowers to get a better handle on their student debt during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. This legislation comes as student debt in the U.S. surpasses $1.7 trillion – all while an increasing number of borrowers find themselves unable to pay back their loans due to job scarcity and other extraordinary financial circumstances caused by the COVID-19 health and economic crisis. 

“All over the country, we have young people who made a substantial decision to invest in their future, but now find themselves saddled by overwhelming student loan debt during a pandemic that has tanked the economy and shattered the job market,” said U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner. “The way to get our economy back on track is not by having an entire generation of people who are unwilling or unable to make future financial commitments because they are buried by the loans they took out in their late teens or early twenties. This legislation will give student borrowers a real shot at paying back their debt so that in the near future they are able to invest in a home, start up a business, or save for retirement.”

“Young folks across our country are facing unprecedented financial hardship simply because they made a choice to invest in their futures,” said Sen. Tester. “These are the current and future leaders of our communities and it’s critical that they have financial security so they can make investments and purchases to drive our economy forward and help America bounce back from this crisis. This bill will provide student borrowers with more opportunities to pay back their loans so that they are better able to participate in their local economies without the fear of drowning in debt.”

“The coronavirus pandemic has hit our economy hard – and that’s a major problem for the millions of Americans who took out student loans to invest in their future,” said Sen. King. “As the coronavirus pandemic’s economic fallout continues to unfold, Congress needs to take steps to help these young people have added flexibility and options to meet these obligations. Our legislation provides paths to help get this debt under control – if enacted, it can improve financial prospects for these borrowers while also supporting the overall health of the American economy.”

The Coronavirus Emergency Student Loan Refinancing Act of 2021 would ease the burden of the student debt crisis by:

• Allowing student loan borrowers to refinance their federal student loans as long as they are in good standing and meet eligibility requirements based on income or the debt-to-income ratio established by the Department of Education. Under the legislation, borrowers would be able to apply to refinance their Direct Loan or Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL).

• Giving borrowers the option to refinance their federal student loans at lower interest rates to the lowest yield of the 10-year Treasury note in the preceding six months, plus a fixed percentage rate established by the Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013. 
  • For undergraduate borrowers with Federal Direct Stafford, Unsubsidized, PLUS, and Consolidated loans, the interest rate would be equal to the lowest yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note in the preceding six months plus 2.05 percent;
  • For graduate borrowers with Federal Direct Stafford or Unsubsidized loans, the interest rate would be equal to the lowest yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note in the preceding six months plus 3.6 percent; and
  • For borrowers with PLUS loans, the new interest rate would be equal to the lowest yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note in the preceding six months plus 4.6 percent.

This legislation has the support of a number of organizations, including the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF), the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), the National Association of Realtors, and the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce:

“Loans keep people from going to college, loans force students to major in lucrative subjects rather than follow their true work interests and values, and loans force people to postpone making decisions like buying homes and forming families, which hurts all of us. We are fortunate that Senator Warner recognizes this and has stepped up to do something about it,” said Anthony P. Carnevale, Director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

“High student loan debt is deterring families and individuals from pursuing the American Dream of homeownership, and its impact has been particularly significant on minority and millennial households. In fact, a 2020 NAR report found that student loan costs have been the single biggest factor inhibiting Americans’ ability to save for a down payment over the past five years. Realtors® applaud Senator Warner for furthering the critical national conversation regarding the impact of student loan debt on the broader U.S. economy, and look forward to working with him to advance this legislation through Congress,” said Charlie Oppler, President of National Association of Realtors.

Bill text is available here. A one-page summary is available here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-MD) today urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to quickly make available the maximum number of Congressionally-authorized H-2B visas in order to ensure that seafood processors in Virginia and Maryland have the seasonal workforce they need ahead of the seasonal start date on April 1. 

“In the rural and remote coastal regions in our states, even in a time of high unemployment, seafood processors have struggled to find domestic workers,”wrote the Senators in a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. “Seafood processors are designated as part of the ‘essential, critical infrastructure’ during the pandemic and yet many have been unable to operate at full capacity due to lack of workers. Disruptions to the food supply chain will harm American consumers, the seafood industry, and the U.S. economy. Withholding H-2B visas for seasonal seafood processors will only exacerbate this matter.” 

“On February 24, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had received enough petitions to meet the H-2B cap for the second half of FY 2021,” they continued. “Unfortunately, many small, family-owned businesses in our states were unable to obtain H-2B visas before the cap was met last week. Without these additional visas, our states’ treasured seafood industries, which are crucial to the economies of the Northern Neck and Eastern Shore, will be forced to scale back operations, default on contracts, lay off full-time American workers or, in some cases, close operations completely.”

The H-2B Temporary Non-Agricultural Visa Program allows U.S. employers to hire seasonal, non-immigrant workers during peak seasons to supplement the existing American workforce. In order to be eligible for the program, employers are required to declare that there are not enough U.S. workers available to do the temporary work, as is the case with the seafood industry, which relies on H-2B workers for tough jobs such as shucking oysters and processing crabs.  

In their letter, the Senators also raised concern with reports that USCIS decided to use ‘receipt by’ instead of ‘mailed by’ dates to reject otherwise timely applications for nonimmigrant workers. Noting mail delays due to inclement weather on the East Coast, they asked the DHS Secretary to reconsider this decision and allow these applications to proceed.

Sen. Warner, Kaine, Cardin, and Van Hollen have long advocated for the seafood processing industry – a community largely made up of rural, family-owned operations. Last year, the Senators urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release additional H-2B visas needed to support local seafood businesses in Virginia and states like Alaska, Maryland, and North Carolina. 

A copy of the letter is available here and below.

The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas

Secretary

U.S. Department of Homeland Security                                             

Washington, DC 20528

Dear Secretary Mayorkas:

We are writing on behalf of Virginia and Maryland seafood processors who depend on H-2B temporary, seasonal workers to operate their businesses.  In the rural and remote coastal regions in our states, even in a time of high unemployment, seafood processors have struggled to find domestic workers.  Seafood processors are designated as part of the “essential, critical infrastructure” during the pandemic and yet many have been unable to operate at full capacity due to lack of workers. Disruptions to the food supply chain will harm American consumers, the seafood industry, and the U.S. economy. Withholding H-2B visas for seasonal seafood processors will only exacerbate this matter. 

The Fiscal Year 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act provides the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with the authority to lift the existing statutory cap of 66,000 annual H-2B visas.  We urge DHS to promptly make available the maximum number of additional Congressionally-authorized H-2B visas while balancing safety to meet the labor needs of seafood processors in our states.

On February 24, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had received enough petitions to meet the H-2B cap for the second half of FY 2021.  February 12, 2021 was the final receipt date for new cap-subject H-2B worker petitions requesting an employment start date before October 1, 2021. 

Unfortunately, many small, family-owned businesses in our states were unable to obtain H-2B visas before the cap was met last week.  Without these additional visas, our states’ treasured seafood industries, which are crucial to the economies of the Northern Neck and Eastern Shore, will be forced to scale back operations, default on contracts, lay off full-time American workers or, in some cases, close operations completely. 

Despite good faith efforts to find local seasonal workers, our seafood industries rely on H-2B workers for tough jobs such as shucking oysters and processing crabs.  Seafood processors have used the seasonal H-2B visa program to supplement their U.S. workforce for decades and have not grown significantly in the numerical requests for visas over time. The April 1 seasonal start date is just weeks away and the seafood processors in our will not be able to operate without their seasonal workforce.

Additionally, we have also received reports that USCIS has decided to use ‘receipt by’  instead of ‘mailed by’ dates to reject otherwise timely applications. A number of our constituents mailed their applications before the deadline but due to inclement weather on the East Coast their applications were delivered after the cap was met. For example, USCIS Forms I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Workers overnighted on February 11, 2021 were not delivered until several days later due to winter storms. Among the employers affected are several seafood companies on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and the Northern Neck of Virginia. Employers elsewhere in the country using the same shipping methods had their applications receipted before the cap simply due to their geographic location. We ask that you reconsider these decisions and allow these applications to proceed.

We thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this matter; the viability of many seasonal businesses in our states depend on the H-2B program.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today applauded an announcement by the U.S. Treasury Department opening the application process for the Emergency Capital Investment Program (ECIP), a new initiative designed to support access to capital in minority and low-income communities that have historically been excluded from the financial system and that have been the hardest-hit during the COVID-19 crisis. The funding is available as part of a record $12 billion investment to open up new credit opportunities for Black, Latino and low-income communities that Sen. Warner successfully fought to include in the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill Congress passed in December.  

“Even before the pandemic, low-income communities and communities of color faced significant barriers in accessing credit and economic opportunity,” said Sen. Warner. “The economic crisis caused by COVID-19 has only exacerbated those inequalities. Today’s announcement by the Treasury Department is a historic step in helping underserved communities recover and emerge from this unprecedented economic downturn with more opportunities than before.”

Today’s announcement by the Treasury Department opens up $9 billion in capital for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and minority depository institutions (MDIs) in order to expand the flow of credit into underserved, minority, and historically disadvantaged communities, helping small businesses stay afloat and expand operations while providing affordable access to credit for lower income borrowers. Surveys show that Black- and Latino-owned small businesses have been particularly hard-hit during the pandemic. Thousands of minority-owned small businesses have closed for good, in part due to difficulty securing bank loans and accessing assistance such as the Paycheck Protection Program. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that while overall small business ownership in the U.S. dropped 22 percent between February and April 2020, Black and Latino ownership dropped by 41 percent and 32 percent, respectively. Another recent survey revealed that almost 1 in 5 Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs expect to permanently close their doors within three months, compared to 14 percent of white small business owners. 

In order to combat the hemorrhaging of jobs and economic opportunities during the pandemic, Sen. Warner in July teamed up with then-Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and a bipartisan group of colleagues to introduce the Jobs and Neighborhood Investment Act in order to strengthen the financial institutions that serve communities of color and increase lending to minority-owned businesses and lower-income borrowers. The effort secured endorsements from the Black Economic Alliance, the NAACP, the National Bankers Association, the National Urban League, the Center for Responsible Lending and a host of other advocacy organizations and civil rights groups. Sen. Warner was later able to secure provisions from the bill in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, which was signed into law on December 27, 2020, providing an unprecedented $12 billion in funding for lenders that predominantly operate in underserved communities. 

In addition to the $9 billion in funding that is part of Emergency Capital Investment Program, the Treasury Department last week opened a $1.25 billion grant program for depository and non-depository CDFIs intended to support, prepare for, and respond to the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis. In addition, the Treasury Department is expected to release $1.75 billion in funding to expand lending, grant making, and investment activity in minority communities by this summer. Together, the three programs will help minority and low-income communities weather the COVID-19 crisis and promote an equitable economic recovery in communities that have traditionally been underserved by the financial sector.  

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WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine joined Senator Chris Murphy and their colleagues in reintroducing the Background Check Expansion Act to expand federal background checks to all gun sales. Under current federal law, unlicensed or private sellers are not required to conduct a background check prior to transferring a firearm. Research indicates that nearly a quarter of all gun sales in the United States may occur without a background check. U.S. Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA) introduced the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Virginia Tech, Charleston, and too many other tragedies have taught us the heartbreaking consequences that glitches in the background check system can have. Congress has the power to make reforms and yet, there’s been no significant action on the federal level,” said the Senators. “We’re proud of Virginia for adopting measures last year to strengthen our background check system and help prevent future tragedies. It’s time for Congress to follow the Commonwealth’s lead, and close these harmful loopholes.”

The Background Check Expansion Act will require background checks for the sale or transfer of all firearms. This requirement extends to all unlicensed sellers, whether they do business online, at gun shows, or out of their home. Exceptions to the Background Check Expansion Act include transfers between law enforcement officers, temporarily loaning firearms for hunting and sporting events, providing firearms as gifts to immediate family members, transferring a firearm as part of an inheritance, or temporarily transferring a firearm for immediate self-defense. 

Warner and Kaine have long-supported a sensible, comprehensive approach to curbing gun violence, including the expansion of mental health services, background record checks prior to gun purchases, and responsible limits on combat-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. Last year, the Senators introduced the Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act of 2020, to federally enact a series of commonsense gun violence prevention measures adopted by Virginia last year. Kaine also introduced legislation to close a current loophole that allows gun sales to proceed if a background check is not completed after 72 hours.  

The bill is also cosponsored by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Edward Markey (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tom Carper (D-DE), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Patty Murray (D-WA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Jack Reed (D-RI).

Full text of the bill can be found here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today announced that the nomination of Ambassador William Burns to serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency was favorably reported out of the Committee by voice vote.

“I’m pleased to report that the Senate Intelligence Committee voted today to report out the nomination of Ambassador William Burns for CIA Director. The overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in Ambassador Burns’ favor is a testament to the nominee’s unquestioned qualifications for the role, long experience in matters of national security, and laudable commitment to public service. With our country facing so many challenges all around the globe, the men and women of the CIA deserve a Senate-confirmed director in place as soon as possible, and it is my hope that the Senate will move to confirm Ambassador Burns without any unnecessary delay,” said Chairman Warner.

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