WASHINGTON – Today, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) to address the $12 billion maintenance backlog at the National Park Service (NPS) cleared a major legislative hurdle. The Restore Our Parks Act, which is cosponsored by Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Angus King (I-ME), and Lamar Alexander (R-TN), passed the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on a bipartisan 19-4 vote. The consensus proposal is the product of bipartisan discussions among the senators who had previously introduced bills to address the Park Service’s deferred maintenance backlog. The bipartisan bill, which will now be referred to the full Senate, is supported by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, the National Parks Conservation Association, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Outdoor Industry Association, and dozens of additional conservation and recreation organizations. 

“For over a year, I’ve led bipartisan efforts in the Senate to address the state of disrepair of critical infrastructure in the National Park System. It’s alarming the rate at which the maintenance backlog at the Park Service continues to grow, with Virginia adding $250 million in the last year, surpassing a billion dollars and ranking third among all states in total deferred maintenance,” said Sen. Warner. “We can no longer wait to fix the $12 billion maintenance backlog at our national parks and ignore the long-term effects of allowing these national treasures to simply crumble. I’m very pleased that the bipartisan, consensus bill we introduced earlier this year has now cleared this important hurdle and look forward to working with my colleagues from across the aisle and the Administration to make sure it becomes law.” 

“Today’s committee approval is good news and an important step forward in our efforts to address the long-delayed maintenance projects at our national parks,” Sen. Portman said.  “For more than a century, the National Park Service has been inspiring Americans to explore the natural beauty of our country.  But in order to keep that work going, we need to ensure that they have sufficient resources to maintain our national parks. This bipartisan legislation will help tackle the more than $100 million maintenance backlog at Ohio’s eight national park sites. I’d like to thank Senators Warner, Alexander, and King as well as the cosponsors of this legislation for their leadership on this issue and urge my colleagues to support it when it comes to the floor.”

“Rebuilding National Parks infrastructure has been at the top of my priority list since before I was even sworn in to office. I'm happy to see the Restore our Parks Act pass with such strong bipartisan support. We have 417 national parks across the country, unfortunately we also have a $12 billion backlog in maintenance needs spanning everything from roads and bridges to visitors centers and restrooms. Thanks to Senators Portman, Warner, Alexander, and King national parks are one step closer to getting the vital funding they need to rebuild the aging infrastructure,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke.

The importance of preserving our history, culture and public lands is something we can all agree on,” said Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for National Parks Conservation Association. “Tackling the deferred maintenance in our national parks is not a political issue but an American one, and all who are supporting this important legislation recognize that. We commend the dedication and leadership of Senators Portman, Warner, Alexander and King for working to push this important bill through congress, and making a strong investment in our national parks.”

"Key committees in the Senate and House of Representatives have given their bipartisan stamp of approval to legislation to fix our aging and deteriorating national parks,” said Marcia Argust, who directs The Pew Charitable Trusts’ campaign to restore America’s parks. “With strong bipartisan support for our parks not only on Capitol Hill but in communities across the nation, Congress should act now to get the legislation over the finish line this year.”

“OIA applauds this bipartisan effort to solve the National Park Service backlog issue and appreciates the dedication of Senators Portman, Warner, Alexander and King to this effort,” said Amy Roberts, Executive Director of the Outdoor Industry Association. “The backlog impacts the recreation economy and Americans’ ability to explore and enjoy their public lands. As we know, and passage of bills like the Restore Our Parks Act out of committee shows, the health and vitality of America’s public lands system is a bipartisan issue that unites us. We look forward to continued progress and appreciate the Senate bill Sponsors’ focus on the critical infrastructure that supports the growing $887 billion outdoor recreation economy.”

“Our nation’s parks can be key economic engines for many gateway counties across the country,” said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase. “With National Park Service infrastructure in need of repair, the visitor experience is diminished, and surrounding communities see declines in tourism. We thank Senators Portman, Warner, Alexander and King for sponsoring the Restore Our Parks Act. Counties urge action on this legislation to strengthen our national parks, support conservation and cultivate outdoor experiences that are second to none.” 

Due to years of chronic underfunding, NPS has deferred maintenance for a year or more on visitor centers, rest stops, trails and campgrounds in Virginia, as well as transportation infrastructure operated by NPS such as Blue Ridge and George Washington Memorial Parkways. In the last year, the maintenance backlog at Park Service sites in Virginia grew by $250 million, to over a billion dollars and the Commonwealth now ranks third among all states in total deferred maintenance, trailing only California and the District of Columbia. That figure includes roughly $80 million of overdue maintenance at Shenandoah National Park, one of the crown jewels of our nation’s park system.  

Over the past decade, Congressional financial support for park maintenance has decreased by 40 percent, and the last time Congress directly addressed the infrastructure needs of the park system was in 1956. The Restore Our Parks Act would establish the “National Park Service Legacy Restoration Fund” to reduce the maintenance backlog by allocating existing revenues the government receives from on and offshore energy development. This funding would come from 50 percent of all revenues that are not otherwise allocated and deposited into the General Treasury, providing up to $6.5 billion over the next five years specifically to address deferred maintenance needs of the National Park Service. 

Virginia contains 22 national parks and affiliated areas that are spread throughout the Commonwealth. In addition, the Park Service maintains over 120 National Historic Landmarks throughout Virginia, including Mount Vernon, Montpelier, Monticello, and the State Capitol Building. In 2017, over 24 million individuals from around the world visited national parks in Virginia, spending over $1 billion. National parks in Virginia helped support more than 15,000 jobs and contributed over $1.4 billion to the Commonwealth’s economy.  

A list of Virginia organizations supportive of addressing the NPS backlog can be found here. 

Full text of the bill can be found here.

VA National Park Deferred Maintenance as of 2017*

*Due to the continuously changing nature of facilities data, only final, year-end data is reported by the National Park Service. The last year for which data is available is FY 2017.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced a total of $1,413,108 in federal funding for drug courts with the Northern Neck Regional Jail and in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties.  The dollars are awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice’s FY 18 Adult Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program. Fairfax and Loudoun County will each receive $500,000 and Northern Neck Regional Jail will receive $413,108 to support drug courts that integrate evidence-based substance abuse treatment, mandatory drug testing, sanctions and incentives, and transitional services in a court setting to address opioid abuse reduction. 

“Tackling the substance abuse crisis requires a comprehensive strategy that addresses it from all angles including prevention, treatment, and recovery. This funding is crucial to supporting drug courts that mandate treatment services, enhance public safety, reduce crime and give those suffering from addiction a better chance at recovery,” the Senators said.  

In September, Warner and Kaine voted in support of legislation to dedicate $5.7 billion to combat substance abuse and played a critical role in the passage of a comprehensive opioid and substance abuse bill.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and co-chair of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, released the following statement on the announcement by Facebook that it discovered a security issue affecting almost 50 million accounts: 

“The news that at least 50 million Facebook users had their accounts compromised is deeply concerning. A full investigation should be swiftly conducted and made public so that we can understand more about what happened.  

“Today’s disclosure is a reminder about the dangers posed when a small number of companies like Facebook or the credit bureau Equifax are able to accumulate so much personal data about individual Americans without adequate security measures. 

“This is another sobering indicator that Congress needs to step up and take action to protect the privacy and security of social media users. As I’ve said before – the era of the Wild West in social media is over.”  

To kick start the debate around social media legislation, Sen. Warner in July released a white paper containing a suite of potential policy proposals for the regulation of social media.

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WASHINGTON – Today U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has approved $500,000 in grant funding for the Blue Ridge Discovery Center (BRDC), a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring, discovering, and sharing the natural history of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The ARC funding will go towards renovating the former Luther Konnarock Training School that will serve as a location for educational programs centered on the biodiversity of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Within three years of the project’s completion, BRDC expects to host 95 programs that will serve nearly 4,000 participants and receive more than 2,500 visitors annually.

“Southwest Virginia is known for its biodiversity and abundance of natural resources,” said the Senators. “We are pleased to announce these federal dollars that will increase local tourism and continue to spur economic opportunity.”

ARC project grants are awarded to local and state government entities and non-profits. The ARC funds are then matched by local funding sources. In addition to the ARC funds, local sources will provide $1,750,000, bringing the total project funding to $2,250,000. 

Since its inception in 1965, ARC has generated more than 300,000 jobs and $10 billion for the 25 million Americans living in Appalachia. ARC has provided funding and support for job-creating community projects across the 13 Appalachian states, producing an average of $204 million in annual earnings for a region often challenged by economic underdevelopment. President Trump’s 2018 budget proposed eliminating the program entirely. Sens. Warner and Kaine have continued to advocate for a fully funded ARC so that it can continue to increase employment and economic opportunities for those living in Appalachia.  

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today met in Washington, D.C. with Dr. David Ellena, Principal of Tomahawk Creek Middle School in Midlothian, Va., and the 2018 Virginia Principal of the Year. The recognition is given by the National Association of Secondary School Principals to outstanding middle and high school principals who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession.  

Dr. Ellena earned the recognition as 2018 Virginia Principal of the Year for his innovative intervention program for struggling students. The system involves administrators creating a biweekly report of students with Ds and Fs, meeting with each student individually, and then establishing a study and organization plan moving forward. The program has helped reduce the number of failures at Tomahawk Creek Middle School and assisted in severely limiting the number of retentions in each grade level. Dr. Ellena also spearheaded the development of a makerspace at Tomahawk Creek Middle, where students have designed and 3D-printed everything from prosthetic hands to drones. His commitment to project-based and service learning enhances students’ critical thinking and problem solving skills, and further enriches their educational experience. 

“Guiding our students and ensuring they are equipped with all the tools to succeed is no small task. Educators who go above and beyond to help all students achieve academic excellence – like Dr. Ellena – deserve not only our gratitude, but our full support,” said Sen. Warner. “I was glad to have the opportunity to hear directly from such an outstanding administrator about the ways the federal government can make sure teachers everywhere have the resources they need to help students thrive inside and outside of the classroom. Congratulations to Dr. Ellena for earning this well-deserved recognition.”

Dr. Ellena has been in public education for more than 30 years. He started as a physical education teacher in 1985 and has served as principal of Tomahawk Creek Middle for five years. He is active in the Virginia Association of Secondary Schools Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals, having served on the board of directors for both organizations. 

“It’s wonderful to be able to speak with legislators like Sen. Warner to make sure we’ve got the resources we need and that our kids need, especially the kids who need it the most,” Principal Ellena said. “We’ve got 12 middle schools in Chesterfield, and it’s so important that we have federal support for special education, teacher recruitment and training, and well-rounded education that includes arts, social sciences, and STEM education.”

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), along with Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Bill Nelson (D-FL), introduced bipartisan legislation to establish new quality measures that would improve treatment for Americans battling opioid and substance addiction. Quality measures help establish national standards of care, used by health care professionals, when treating illnesses, diseases, cancer or other national health epidemics.  

In order to break the cycle of addiction, patients seeking treatment must have access to quality care that is proven to be safe and effective. However, a lack of standard quality measures for opioid and abuse treatment has led to gaps in care for patients suffering from addiction. In order to address this problem, the Addiction Treatment Quality Improvement Act would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to work with a coalition of healthcare providers to identify treatment gaps. Most importantly, the legislation will require CMS to develop a plan to eliminate the identified treatment gaps to ensure the best course of treatment for patients to overcome their addiction. 

“The national opioid crisis has affected every corner of our nation. In order to address this national health epidemic that has claimed too many lives, we need to make sure that Americans seeking help have access to safe and effective treatment,” said Sen. Warner.

“One of the most effective ways to reverse the tide of the opioid epidemic is to make sure those battling addiction receive quality care. Addiction exists everywhere. So should the battle to end it. This bipartisan legislation directs federal agencies to develop nationwide quality measures to prevent gaps in care and ensure a level of consistency in care for patients across the country,” said Sen. Grassley. 

“The opioid crisis is wreaking havoc on communities in Florida and nationwide,” said Sen. Nelson. “This bill aims to help those addicted get the best course of treatment.”

“APTA supports this important legislation that will gather meaningful data related to the opioid crisis, and support measure development, implementation, and alignment,” said Justin Elliott, Vice President of Government Affairs at American Physical Therapy Association.

“Patients need to know their care is safe and effective and this bill will identify opportunities to best assess and improve quality.  I applaud Senators Warner and Grassley for their leadership and continued commitment to drive quality improvement for the millions Americans and their loved ones affected by this tragic epidemic,” said Dr. Shantanu Agrawal, President and CEO, National Quality Forum. 

“In addressing the nation’s opioid crisis, the actions we take must be effective and evidence-based.  The Addiction Treatment Quality Improvement Act is an essential step in ensuring that the resources devoted to opioid and substance use disorders are making a difference.  Senators Warner and Grassley are making an important contribution toward solving this public health challenge.  We applaud their efforts and support this legislation,” said Mary R. Grealy, President, Healthcare Leadership Council.  

In the Senate, Sen. Warner has been working on ways to combat the opioid crisis that has had a devastating effect for communities in Virginia. Last week, the Senate passed a funding bill that includes $5.7 billion to respond to the opioid crisis. In addition, the Senate passed a comprehensive opioid package that includes four of Sen. Warner’s proposals to expand the use of telehealth services for substance abuse treatment and improve data sharing on substance use disorders.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

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WASHINGTON— Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced that Virginia will receive $6,349,505 in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to combat the opioid epidemic. The funds will help Virginia communities combat this crisis by expanding access to quality substance use disorder and mental health services, including in rural populations. 

 “Communities across the Commonwealth have been devastated by the epidemic of opioid abuse that continues to spread across the country,” said the Senators. “These funds will help Virginia stem the alarming rise in overdose deaths and increase prevention and treatment efforts that will help save lives.”

The opioid epidemic has devastated many communities across Virginia. In 2017, the Virginia Department of Health estimated that 1,445 people died in Virginia as a result of a fentanyl, heroin, or prescription opioid overdose. Fatal drug overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental death in Virginia, surpassing car accidents and gun violence.

Last week, the Senators voted in support of a funding bill that provides approximately $5.7 billion to respond to the opioid crisis by developing non-opioid pain medication, and behavioral health workforce training. Sens. Warner and Kaine also celebrated the passage of a comprehensive opioid substance abuse bill that included their own previously introduced legislation.

The full list of grant awardees is below:

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WASHINGTON— Thanks to bipartisan legislation authored and passed into law by U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Virginia consumers will be able to freeze and unfreeze their credit files for free, beginning today. 

The free credit freezes – which experts say are one of the best tools available to protect against identity theft – are the result of a provision included in a bipartisan bill Sen. Warner wrote and introduced to boost economic growth and protect Virginia consumers. After five years of bipartisan negotiations that Sen. Warner helped lead, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act was signed into law by President Trump in May. Following a series of high-profile data breaches that have exposed consumers’ personal and financial information, the bill includes a provision requiring all three major credit agencies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – to allow consumers to freeze their credit for no fee.

 “Credit freezes are one of the best ways that consumers can protect themselves against identity theft that could hurt their credit scores,” said Sen. Warner. “Good credit is essential if you want to buy a house, get a small business loan, or simply apply for a new credit card. Free credit freezes give consumers a new tool to protect themselves against criminals seeking to steal their identity.”

A security freeze makes it harder for criminals to use stolen information to open fraudulent accounts or borrow money using a stolen identity. Previously, credit bureaus charged as much as $10 per bureau to place a freeze on a consumer’s credit file. A similar fee would also be charged to temporarily remove the freeze if a consumer wanted to apply for new credit.  As a result, one study by the AARP found that fewer than 15 percent of American adults have ordered a security freeze on their credit more than a year after an enormous data breach at Equifax exposed the personal information, including Social Security numbers, birth dates, driver’s license numbers and other sensitive details, of about 148 million Americans, or nearly half the U.S. population.

With the provision in the law going into effect today, the three nationwide credit agencies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – must each set up a webpage for requesting fraud alerts and credit freezes. To place a credit freeze on their accounts, consumers will need to contact all three credit bureaus. The Federal Trade Commission has also posted links to those webpages on IdentityTheft.gov. Freezing prevents activity that could impact a consumer’s credit score – such as fraudulent loans taken out by someone who has stolen your identity. 

Under the new law, parents can also freeze their children’s credit report. Because children generally have a clean credit slate, they are especially valuable for identity thieves; according to research, more than 1 million children were victims of identity theft last year, and two-thirds of them were age 7 or younger. Experian has estimated that one in four minors will be a victim of identity theft before reaching adulthood. 

In addition to providing free credit freezes and unfreezes, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act included provisions to: 

• Protect consumers’ credit by extending the duration of a fraud alert on a consumer’s credit report from 90 days to one year. A fraud alert requires businesses that check a consumer’s credit to get the consumer’s approval before opening a new account.
• Provide free credit monitoring for all active-duty service members.
• Protect the credit ratings of veterans wrongly penalized by medical bill payment delays by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
• Protect seniors by extending immunity from liability to certain people who disclose suspected exploitation of seniors.
• Protect consumers from cyber security threats by requiring the Treasury Department to submit a report to Congress on the risks of cyber threats to financial institutions and the U.S. capital markets.

Sen. Warner’s bill is also providing needed relief for community banks and credit unions so they can support consumers in small and rural Virginia communities, where regulations designed for big banks have made it harder for small lenders to provide mortgages or loans to expand small businesses and family farms.                                                                                                                   

Sen. Warner has also written legislation that would hold large credit reporting agencies like Equifax accountable for data breaches involving consumer data. The Data Breach Prevention and Compensation Act, which Sen. Warner introduced along with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) back in January, would give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) more authority to enforce data security and assess financial penalties on credit bureaus if they fail to adequately protect consumer data against theft. The bill has been referred to the Senate Banking Committee, of which Sen. Warner is a member.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine praised new federal funding for Loudoun County Fire and Rescue awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, totaling $1,486,000. The fire department will use the funding to support fitness assessment and counseling for firefighters. 

“We’re pleased Loudoun County Fire and Rescue will receive federal dollars to support staff training and ensure the firefighters are prepared to serve the community,” the Senators said.

The primary goal of FEMA’s AFG program is to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters by providing direct financial assistance to eligible fire departments, nonaffiliated Emergency Medical Services organizations, and State Fire Training Academies for critically-needed resources.

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine celebrated final Senate passage of a bill to fund the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Education, and Labor for Fiscal Year 2019, which begins on October 1, and to fund the rest of the government through December 7 as negotiations continue. If the legislation is signed into law, it will avoid a government shutdown at the end of September—something Warner and Kaine have long called for—and offer the Department of Defense and other agencies some clarity on 2019 spending levels in regular budget order, helping to keep the country safer. President Trump has threatened to veto any spending bills that do not fund a border wall.  

“Despite the President’s continued attempts to cut vital federal programs, this bipartisan agreement upholds many defense, education, and workforce priorities that are important for Virginians,” said Warner. “As we continue to tackle the opioid crisis and combat the resurgence of black lung disease, this bill upholds our promise to save more lives. I’m also pleased to report that this bipartisan legislation provides the necessary resources to protect our men and women in uniform and supports Virginia’s critical national security footprint. While the Senate did its part to fund these programs, it’s now up to the House and the President to move swiftly and keep the government open.” 

“I’m proud that we were able to pass this legislation to avoid a shutdown and fund so many of the programs that Virginians care about,” Kaine said. “Health care, defense, education, and worker protections are all huge priorities as we ensure Virginians have access to the resources they need and that we are investing in the right ways to keep our country safe. I’m glad we were able to swiftly pass these bills, and I hope that President Trump will drop his threats to shut the government down over funding for his wall and quickly sign them into law.”

Warner and Kaine pushed for many priorities through the appropriations process that were included in this final bill:

Health Care:

• Funds childhood disease research: The bill provides $12.6 million for the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program to conduct pediatric cancer and disease research. Warner and Kaine worked to enact the legislation authorizing this program, named for 10-year-old Gabriella Miller of Loudoun County, who passed away from cancer in October of 2013.
• Early detection of black lung disease: The bill also includes a provision Warner and Kaine advanced to improve the participation rate of coal miners in federal health surveillance programs that detect and treat black lung. Warner and Kaine have been strong advocates for coal miners and their families, supporting legislation that ensures they retain the health and retirement benefits they deserve. 
• Protects the ACA, Medicare, and Medicaid: The Senators ensured that the bill did not include proposed language that would have restricted HHS’s authority to administer or enforce the ACA.  The bill keeps funding and program authorities consistent with 2018, thereby protecting Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ ability to administer Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA. 
• Provides $5.7 billion to combat substance abuse:  The bill provides $5.7 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which is $584 million more than Fiscal Year 2018. This includes $1.5 billion for State Opioid Response Grants, an increase of $50 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, and $105 million for the National Health Service Corps. It also expands loan repayment eligibility requirements to include substance use disorder counselors, which will support recruitment and retention of health professionals needed in underserved and rural areas.
• Increases funding for Alzheimer’s and brain research: The bill provides $39.1 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an increase of $2 billion from last year’s level and $4.5 billion above the President’s suggested budget. The increase includes an additional $425 million for Alzheimer’s research for a total of $2.34 billion and an increase of $29 million for the BRAIN Initiative.

Defense:

• Funds a 2.6 percent pay raise for servicemembers: Funds the pay raise that was authorized in the annual defense bill Kaine worked on with his colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Warner and Kaine strongly supported the pay increase.
• Supports Virginia’s shipbuilding industry: Provides over $24 billion in Shipbuilding Accounts, with more than $12 billion going towards programs that will benefit Virginia like the Columbia & Virginia Class Submarines, Ford Class Carrier construction, and Nimitz Class overhaul. It also supports the Navy's goal of attaining a 355-ship fleet, which Warner and Kaine have both strongly endorsed.
• Supports block-buy of Ford-class aircraft carriers:  The legislation preserves the Navy’s ability to pursue a block-buy of aircraft carriers once it completes an independent cost analysis and certifies that the strategy will save taxpayer dollars, as required by the 2019 Defense Bill.  
• Offers budget certainty to our troops and military leaders: This legislation appropriates a full year of funds for the Department of Defense, addressing Warner and Kaine’s concerns, shared by military leaders, that Congress’ failure to return to regular budget order has interfered with DoD’s ability to plan ahead and that continuing resolutions have been painful to the country’s national security initiatives.
• Addresses lead poisoning in military housing: Following reports of lead poisoning in military housing units, the legislation requires the Government Accountability Office in consultation with the Department of Defense to conduct an investigation and provide a report to Congress on toxic lead levels in all military housing. In August, Kaine and Warner sent a letter to the Secretary of the Army asking for a briefing after a report surfaced about lead poisonings and dangerous lead levels in housing on U.S. Army installations.
• Improving cyber resiliency: This legislation provides $306 million in additional funding to expand and accelerate cyber research across the Department of Defense. Warner has been a strong advocate for cyber resiliency and stronger cyber tools at the DoD.
• Defense Cyber Scholarship Program: The legislation includes Warner’s amendment to make available $7 million in funding for the DoD Cyber Defense Scholarship Program, bringing it in-line with the funding level from the House-passed appropriations package.  Warner successfully included a provision to boost the cyber scholarship program’s recruitment efforts in the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act. This amendment builds on the expansion of the program that Senator Kaine championed last year through his DoD Cyber Scholarship Program Act in the FY18 NDAA.

Education:

• Provides funding to help teachers, social workers, military personnel, and other public servants cancel their student loan debt: For a second year includes $350 million for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program that mirrors Kaine’s bill to fix a technical glitch that will allow borrowers who were in the wrong repayment program to be eligible for PSLF. 
• Includes language to help HBCUs access funds to make infrastructure improvements: Includes language from Kaine’s bill to require the HBCU Capital Financing Advisory Board, which provides financial guidance to the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), to provide Congress with a report on the loans granted under the program along with recommendations to address issues related to construction financing for HBCUs. 
• Provides additional funding for the HBCU Capital Financing Program: Includes an additional $10 million to ensure that all eligible institutions—including Virginia Union University—are able to access the program’s deferment authority. Warner and Kaine both called for this supplementary funding to provide additional flexibility for eligible HBCUs to meet their infrastructure needs.
• Increases access to Pell Grants: Increases the maximum Pell Grant award to $6,195, a $100 increase from FY18, and also includes support for year-round Pell Grant funding. 
• Increases funding for Student Support and Academic Enrichment block grants: Includes $1.17 billion, a $70 million increase from FY18, for K-12 public schools to create a well-rounded education, ensure safe and healthy students and support the use of technology in the classroom.
• Increases funding for career and technical education: Increases funding for the recently reauthorized Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act to $1.26 billion, a $70 million increase from FY18.

Workers:

• Funds black lung health clinics: Authorizes black lung health clinics at $11 million, $1 million above its full authorization level.
• Provides $30 million to train rural and Appalachian workers: Includes $30 million to provide workforce training to dislocated workers in rural areas with a specific priority for Appalachian communities.
• Provides $160 million to support apprenticeships: Includes $160 million for registered apprenticeship programs.
• Requires better tracking of career and technical occupations to help prepare the future workforce: Directs the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) to track and report on improvements they are making to the Current Population Survey (CPS) to collect data about career and technical occupations. With this data, the country will have more information to track where improvements are needed and ensure that the workforce is trained with the skills needed for jobs available in today’s economy.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine celebrated Senate passage of the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018, a comprehensive substance abuse treatment bill to address the national addiction crisis. The bipartisan bill passed 99-1 after months of work in several Senate committees. The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 includes four proposals from Warner that initially passed out of the Senate Finance Committee as part of the Helping to End Addiction and Lessen (HEAL) Substance Use Disorders Act of 2018. This comprehensive package also includes three Kaine proposals that passed the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee as part of an earlier version of The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018.

“The opioid epidemic has devastated communities across Virginia. In order to save lives, we need a comprehensive strategy that tackles the opioid epidemic at all fronts, and this bipartisan legislation offers a much-needed roadmap to combat this national crisis. This bill addresses many of the challenges our health professionals and law enforcement face when confronting the opioid addiction epidemic. It also recognizes that addiction and recovery doesn’t look the same for everyone everywhere. From establishing telehealth services to better equip underserved communities with substance abuse treatment to providing specialized care for infants suffering from opioid withdrawal, this bill makes significant steps to fight the opioid epidemic,” said Warner.

“The opioid epidemic has taken lives and hurt families in Virginia and across the country. We’re past due for comprehensive legislation that can address the public health and law enforcement challenges that our communities are facing. This bipartisan, comprehensive package puts forth concrete changes that can help us begin to break the harmful cycle of addiction and address the drug overdoses that are plaguing our communities. We must tackle this crisis from all angles, including prevention, treatment, and recovery,” Kaine said.

Warner and Kaine have worked to drive forward legislation to combat the substance abuse epidemic, which in 2017 accounted for more than 72,000 deaths nationwide.

Warner, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, voted to advance the Helping to End Addiction and Lessen (HEAL) Substance Use Disorders Act of 2018 out of the Senate Finance Committee in June. The bill passed out of committee on a bipartisan 27-0 vote and included provisions from four Warner bills to:

• Expand telehealth services for substance abuse treatment.
• Make clear how Medicaid funds can be used for substance use disorder treatment through telehealth.
• Help ensure children suffering from substance use disorders receive the assistance they need through telehealth services.
• Improve data collection on substance use disorders among Medicaid recipients.

Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, voted to pass the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 out of the Senate HELP Committee in April. The bill was the result of seven bipartisan hearings and included proposals from three Kaine bills to:

• Give states the resources and guidelines to ensure recovery homes are effectively helping residents sustain recovery from opioid and substance use disorders.
• Incorporate job training into drug addiction recovery programs.
• Afford schools the opportunity to apply for grants to directly offer trauma support services to students impacted by the opioid epidemic.

In March, Sens. Warner and Kaine voted for the omnibus bill that increased funding to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support programs related to the opioid crisis, including an additional $2.8 billion for treatment, prevention and research.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after President Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy against the United States and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, and agreed to cooperate with the Special Counsel’s investigation:

“Today’s admission of criminal guilt by Paul Manafort clearly demonstrates that the President’s 2016 campaign manager conducted illegal activity in conspiracy with Russian-backed entities and was beholden to Kremlin-linked officials. The guilty plea also underscores the seriousness of this investigation. The Special Counsel must be permitted to follow the facts wherever and however high they might lead, because in the United States of America no one is above the law. Any attempt by the President to pardon Mr. Manafort or otherwise interfere in this investigation would be a gross abuse of power and require immediate action by Congress.”