WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee, U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence, and U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services today introduced the Honest Ads Act to help prevent foreign interference in future elections and improve the transparency of online political advertisements.

 “Online political advertising represents an enormous marketplace, and today there is almost no transparency. The Russians realized this, and took advantage in 2016 to spread disinformation and misinformation in an organized effort to divide and distract us,” Senator Warner said. “Our bipartisan Honest Ads Act extends transparency and disclosure to political ads in the digital space. At the end of the day, it is not too much to ask that our most innovative digital companies work with us by exercising additional judgment and providing some transparency.” 

 “First and foremost this is an issue of national security – Russia attacked us and will continue to use different tactics to undermine our democracy and divide our country, including by purchasing disruptive online political ads. We have to secure our election systems and we have to do it now – the next election is only 383 days away,” Senator Klobuchar said. “This bipartisan legislation would help protect our democracy by updating our laws to ensure that political ads sold online are covered by the same rules as TV or radio stations – and make them public so Americans can see who is trying to influence them.”

 “In the wake of Russia’s attack on the 2016 election, it is more important than ever to strengthen our defenses against foreign interference in our elections,” said Senator McCain.“Unfortunately, U.S. laws requiring transparency in political campaigns have not kept pace with rapid advances in technology, allowing our adversaries to take advantage of these loopholes to influence millions of American voters with impunity. Our bipartisan legislation would address this serious challenge by expanding landmark campaign finance law to apply to internet and digital communications platforms that command a significant audience. I have long fought to increase transparency and end the corrupting influence of special interests in political campaigns, and I am confident this legislation will modernize existing law to safeguard the integrity of our election system.”

Russia attempted to influence the 2016 presidential election by buying and placing political ads on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google. The content and purchaser(s) of those online advertisements are a mystery to the public because of outdated laws that have failed to keep up with evolving technology. The Honest Ads Act would prevent foreign actors from influencing our elections by ensuring that political ads sold online are covered by the same rules as ads sold on TV, radio, and satellite.

The Honest Ads Act enhances the integrity of our democracy by improving disclosure requirements for online political advertisements by:

• Amending the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002’s definition of electioneering communication to include paid Internet and digital advertisements.
• Requiring digital platforms with at least 50,000,000 monthly viewers to maintain a public file of all electioneering communications purchased by a person or group who spends more than $500.00 total on ads published on their platform. The file would contain a digital copy of the advertisement, a description of the audience the advertisement targets, the number of views generated, the dates and times of publication, the rates charged, and the contact information of the purchaser.
• Requiring online platforms to make all reasonable efforts to ensure that foreign individuals and entities are not purchasing political advertisements in order to influence the American electorate. 

Companion legislation to the Honest Ads Act is being introduced today in the House of Representatives by Reps. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Mike Coffman (R-CO).

“The 2016 elections exposed glaring holes in our ability to police foreign intervention in US elections, and this bill is an appropriate, bipartisan disclosure remedy,” said Trevor Potter, president of Campaign Legal Center (CLC), and a former Republican Chairman of the Federal Election Commission. “Voters have a right to be fully informed about who is trying to influence their vote, particularly foreign powers whose motives are contrary to American interests. The Honest Ads Act gives voters, journalists, and law enforcement officers important tools to help root out illegal foreign activity. The transparency this bill aims to provide in the 2018 elections and beyond will protect and enhance the integrity of our elections, which are the most fundamental component of American self-governance.”

“Ensuring transparency and accountability remain encoded into our democracy in the 21st century has taken on new importance and relevance in the wake of the 2016 election. We hope this bill, which merits serious consideration, catalyzes an overdue public debate and substantive action in Congress and the Federal Election Commission to create platform parity for political ad disclosure across TV, radio, print and Internet companies. Opacity by design is not an acceptable status quo for the technology giants that shape public knowledge and discourse with limited accountability,” said Alexander B. Howard, Deputy Director of the Sunlight Foundation.

“The bipartisan introduction of the Honest Ads Act is an important step toward bringing American campaign finance law into the internet age, by ensuring that online political advertisements are subject to the same kind of disclosure rules that already exist for ads on television and radio,” said Lawrence Norden, Deputy Director of the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program. “At a time when hostile foreign powers are trying to exploit loopholes in our campaign laws to manipulate American elections, it is especially important for Congress to come together across partisan lines to strengthen our democracy.  The Brennan Center applauds Senators Klobuchar, Warner and McCain for reaching across partisan lines to introduce this significant bill.”

“Americans have a right to know who is using political advertising to influence their votes and their views. As technology changes and political advertising shifts to online platforms, our transparency laws should keep pace. The recent revelations of Kremlin-connected influence operations on Facebook and Twitter underscore how important it is for Congress to take meaningful action. The HONEST Act is a critical step forward in enhancing the transparency of online political advertising. Common Cause commends Senators Klobuchar, Warner and McCain for their strong bipartisan leadership in introducing this important bill to bolster the integrity of our democracy,” said Karen Hobert Flynn, President of Common Cause.

As Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight jurisdiction over federal elections, Klobuchar has introduced legislation to improve the security of U.S. election systems and make commonsense improvements to election administration. She and Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) introduced the bipartisan Stop Foreign Donations Affecting Our Elections Act to strengthen disclosure by requiring federal campaigns to use existing credit card verification protocols to help verify that online credit card donations come from U.S. sources. Klobuchar and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) also introduced bipartisan legislation to help states block cyber-attacks, secure voter registration logs and voter data, upgrade election auditing procedures, and create secure and useful information sharing about threats. In June, Klobuchar introduced the Helping State and Local Governments Prevent Cyber Attacks Act to help combat foreign interference by providing state and local governments with the information and resources they need to keep our elections secure and improve voter confidence. 

As vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Sen. Warner has been at the forefront of the Committee’s ongoing bipartisan counterintelligence investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Warner also is the co-founder of the Senate’s bipartisan Cybersecurity Caucus. In addition, Sen. Warner is working to finalize bipartisan legislation to create a comprehensive, nationwide and uniform data breach standard, requiring timelier consumer notification for breaches of financial data and other sensitive information, and setting national data-protection standards for companies handling sensitive personal information.  

Senator McCain has been a champion of campaign finance reform for decades. As a lead author of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, he has long advocated of transparency in the American electoral process.  

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WASHINGTON – Senator Mark Warner joined with the entire Virginia Delegation to send a letter to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), Dr. David Shulkin, regarding the VA’s late payment to Veterans Choice Program (VCP) providers.

In August of 2014, Congress authorized veterans to access private health providers to assist the overwhelmed VA Health Care system. Congress continues to fund the program; however, the VA has repeatedly struggled to make prompt payments to outside health providers as required by the law. Throughout the Commonwealth, health providers such as Riverside Health, Carilion Clinic, Wellmont Health System, and many more have experienced late payments for their services to our veterans through the VA Choice Program. In many cases, the payments from the VA come as late 120 days, or longer, past the date services were provided.

“VA related claims have taken an average of 177 days to be paid, or 3.5 times longer than the average of all third party payers,” said Mark Duncan, Director of Government Relations at Riverside Health System. “In one of the most egregious examples, a veteran was discharged on October 16, 2014. Reimbursement for that patient’s services was received from the VA on June 12, 2017—961 days following discharge.”

Exacerbating the late payment problem is the fact that VA employees are making duplicate payments to certain providers, as highlighted by a recent memorandum released by the VA’s Inspector General (IG). The IG noted that some third-party administrators are receiving overpayments due to improper training and administration on the VA side, which results in the delayed payments to providers who are still waiting to be reimbursed.

“We want the Department of Veterans Affairs and VCP to succeed. We have done our part to continue to fund VCP, now we need you to properly administer the program,” the delegation wrote. “Our health providers who have stood up and answered the call to provide services to veterans and, most importantly, our veterans deserve a health care system that works. Do not jeopardize the care our veterans receive due to poor processes.”

The Members requested the VA fix this problem and immediately develop a long-term solution aimed at ensuring that payments are made within 30 days of receiving an invoice. They also request clarification on the future of third party administrators involved with the Veterans Choice Program.

Virginia Delegation members signing the letter include, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, and U.S. Reps. Rob Wittman (VA-1), Scott Taylor (VA-2), Bobby Scott (VA-3), A. Donald McEachin (VA-4), Tom Garrett, Jr. (VA-5), Bob Goodlatte (VA-6), Dave Brat (VA-7), Don Beyer (VA-8), H. Morgan Griffith (VA-9), Barbara Comstock (VA-10), and Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11).

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner, a member of the Senate Budget, Finance and Banking Committees, and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Budget andHealth, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committees, praised a new Senate Democratic proposal to invest $40 billion to build the broadband infrastructure necessary to connect over 34 million Americans, including 23 million rural Americans, to high-speed internet. The plan would bring broadband to rural communities across Virginia. 

“Access to high speed internet is critical for success in the 21^st century economy, but rural communities continue to be left behind.  This means less access to telemedicine, educational tools, and business opportunities. When students can’t do their homework because they lack access to broadband, something has to be done,” the Senators said.“We believe this Democratic proposal to invest in the broadband infrastructure necessary to connect rural communities to high-speed internet is crucial for economic growth, and it would empower Virginians with the tools to improve their livelihoods. We must make broadband a priority as we begin discussions on infrastructure and the budget.”

The proposal would connect communities that have been left behind by big internet service providers. The plan focuses on investing $40 billion in federal funding using four principles:

1. Provide federal support for a universal grant program to bring high-speed internet to areas in need of quality, affordable service.
2. Create accurate maps of areas that lack adequate internet access in order to determine how to best allocate resources and make improvements.
3. Empower rural communities by giving them access to high-speed internet so they can compete economically with other cities and ensure they have the tools to compete.
4. Provide grants to states and localities to upgrade their critical safety infrastructure, including modernizing aging 9-1-1 systems.

Warner and Kaine have both long pushed to expand broadband access in Virginia. In February, Warner & Kaine joined a bipartisan group of colleagues to urge President Trump to include broadband in any infrastructure initiative.

As Governor, Warner worked with federal, state, local and private-sector partners to leverage Virginia’s tobacco settlement dollars to invest in building out over 800 miles of fiber-optic broadband in Southwest and Southside, which helped to attract 2,200 jobs and $300 million of investment. In the Senate, he successfully amended the Farm Bill to provide new tools to extend high-speed Internet service to rural America, and he has pressed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enact policies that encourage expanded wireless broadband deployment in underserved and unserved areas of the country, increase quality and service, and improve cost competition in rural and urban areas alike.

As Governor, Kaine created the Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance, which expands broadband access and work opportunities on broadband projects in rural areas, thereby helping increase economic activity. Governor Kaine also signed legislation establishing the Broadband Advisory Council, which recommends policy and funding priorities to expand broadband access in the Commonwealth. As a Senator, Kaine has advocated for federal investments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help expand broadband access in Southwest Virginia.   

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WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced the Protecting Access to Diabetes Supplies Act of 2017 to strengthen patient protections included in the Medicare National Mail Order program for Diabetic Testing Supplies (DTS). The legislation reinforces existing protections that ensure Medicare beneficiaries are able to continue accessing familiar diabetes supplies and test systems through DTS.

The legislation directs the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish new surveillance programs and requirements for mail order suppliers to better guard consumer access.

“We want to ensure seniors can access the life-saving supplies and technologies that work best for them,” said Sen. Warner. “This bill will allow Medicare to continue employing innovative, cost-saving payment models while also guaranteeing patients’ access to necessary medical supplies. This legislation builds on existing consumer protections and aims to strengthen these safeguards in a pointed and data-driven manner.” 

“About a quarter of all Medicare beneficiaries suffer from diabetes, and we should be finding ways to ensure they are able to use medical supplies that provide life-saving results,” said Sen. Scott. “I am glad to work with my colleague Senator Warner on this bipartisan, no-cost legislation to help make sure Medicare beneficiaries living with diabetes have the ability to access state-of-the-art diabetes testing supplies.”

Under the Medicare Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) for Durable Medical Equipment and Supplies, suppliers are paid the same amount by Medicare for DTS regardless of what they supply to a beneficiary. To ensure that beneficiaries continue to have access to familiar test systems, Congress enacted the 50 Percent Rule, which required that mail order suppliers make available at least 50 percent of all types of diabetes test supplies on the market before implementation of the CBP.  However, feedback data has indicated these protections may not be adequate.

This legislation seeks to strengthen the 50 Percent Rule protection by establishing a surveillance program and additional safeguards to ensure suppliers are compliant. CMS also established the Anti-Switching Rule to protect beneficiary and physician choice of glucose meters. This rule requires suppliers to furnish the test system requested by the beneficiary, and prohibits suppliers from influencing beneficiaries to switch their current glucose monitor and testing supplies brand to another brand. Recent reports show this rule may not be adequately protecting beneficiaries. This legislation would strengthen the Anti-Switching Rule by both codifying the rule and requiring suppliers to provide beneficiaries with an explanation of the beneficiary’s rights. 

The Protecting Access to Diabetes Supplies Act of 2017 has been endorsed by The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American Association of Diabetes Educators. 

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WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced the bipartisan Commonsense Reporting Act of 2017 to streamline and modernize employer reporting requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). This legislation would strike a balance between ensuring the Treasury Department has the necessary data to determine availability of affordable coverage, while cutting down on unnecessary paperwork and administrative costs for businesses.

The ACA requires employers and insurers to report information about health insurance coverage to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at the end of the tax year. The legislation directs the Treasury Department to implement an alternative, prospective reporting system that is more workable and less burdensome for employers than current regulations.

“This legislation couples important data collection with the flexibility and efficiency employers need to continue implementing the law,” said Sen. Warner. “It’s time to find common ground with serious legislative efforts that provide more affordable, accessible, and quality health care to all Americans, regardless of where they purchase their coverage. Americans deserve better – hopefully this is the first step of many bipartisan solutions.” 

“I have heard from hundreds of employers in Ohio that have spent hundreds of administrative hours attempting to comply with the reporting requirements in the Affordable Care Act. This added time and resources has not improved the quality of health insurance employers offered but only further discouraged employers from offering health insurance and hiring more workers. This bipartisan bill will help streamline the reporting process by allowing employers to report information to the IRS prospectively, easing the burden for employers and employees,” said Sen. Portman.

The Commonsense Reporting Act streamlines this process by establishing a voluntarily system which would allow employers to report pertinent information before open enrollment begins, to minimize the administrative burden at the back-end, and limit the collection of unneeded information.

The Commonsense Reporting Act has been endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, America’s Health Insurance Plans, Retail Industry Leaders Association, American Hotel and Lodging Association, American Rental Association, American Staffing Association, National Association of Convenience Stores, National Association of Health Underwriters, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, National Business Group on Health, National Federation of Independent Business, National Grocers Association, National Restaurant Association, National Retail Federation, NATSO for America’s Truck and Travel Stops.

A summary of this legislation can be found here. The full text is also available here. 

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The Startup Act, S.1877, would accelerate the commercialization of university research that can lead to new ventures, review and improve the regulatory processes at the federal, state and local levels, and modernize a critical Economic Development Administration (EDA) program to promote innovation and spur economic growth. The legislation also creates both Entrepreneur and STEM visas for highly-educated individuals so they can remain in the United States legally to promote new ideas, fuel economic growth and create good-paying American jobs.

“For years, we have pushed in Congress for commonsense legislation to encourage entrepreneurship and help startup companies grow and thrive,” said Sen. Warner. “This bipartisan bill seeks to attract and retain the talented innovators and entrepreneurs that will help our country and Virginia promote capital investment and achieve economic growth.”

“New business formation and the rate of entrepreneurship have reached historic lows,” said Sen. Moran. “Simply put, America is falling behind and losing talent and jobs to countries overseas. Congress must work to reverse these trends and support policies that allow better opportunities for someone to take an idea, bring it to market, and in the process of pursuing that success, create jobs for other Americans. I am proud to introduce the latest version of the Startup Act and help make certain America remains the land of opportunity for innovators and job creators. This bipartisan legislation would reduce barriers to growth, encourage investment in new businesses, improve the regulatory process, keep talent here in the United States and accelerate the commercialization of university research that can lead to new ventures and the creation of good-paying jobs in Kansas and nationwide. With a new administration and a renewed focus on achieving American economic competitiveness, I urge my colleagues to support the Startup Act so that it can be debated and considered in the Senate.”

Many of the principles included in the Startup Act are based on the research and analysis by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. According to the 2017 Kauffman Foundation Startup Activity Index, the rate of new entrepreneurs in the U.S. decreased in 2016 to 0.31 percent (from 0.33 percent), or 310 out of every 100,000 adults starting new businesses each month. 

Kauffman research shows that immigrants to the United States are nearly twice as likely as native-born Americans to start businesses, and first-generation immigrants now make up nearly 30 percent of all new U.S. entrepreneurs.

Data also shows that international students studying in the U.S. on temporary visas accounted for nearly two-fifths of all Ph.D.s in STEM fields – that number has doubled over the past three decades. Further, international doctoral students were significantly more likely than domestic students to major and earn degrees in STEM disciplines in the U.S. 

“Too many have been left out of our economy. There’s a connection between the long-term decline in entrepreneurship and the effect on productivity, growth and wages,” said Jason Wiens, director of policy, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. “Put simply, fewer startups means a lower quality of life for all Americans. We need more startups, fast. Based on research, we know that skilled immigrants are more likely than native-born to start new business that hire Americans. Job creation, innovation and overall quality of life for all Americans would receive a boost by increasing the numbers of entrepreneurs in our nation, whether American or foreign-born.”

The provisions in the Startup Act have been endorsed by Information Technology Industry Council, National Venture Capital Association, CCIA, Center for American Entrepreneurship, Sprint, SSTI, Engine, CTA, Kansas State University’s Institute for Commercialization, Internet Association, Enterprise Center of Johnson County, and Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

Summary of the Startup Act:

• Uses existing federal R&D funding to support university initiatives designed to bring cutting-edge research to the marketplace more quickly where it can propel economic growth;

• Requires all government agencies to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of all proposed “significant rules” with an economic impact of $100 million or more. This new requirement will help determine the efficacy of regulations and their potential impact on the formation and growth of new businesses; 

• Directs the U.S. Department of Commerce to assess state and local policies that aid in the development of new businesses. Through the publication of reports on new business formation and the entrepreneurial environment, lawmakers will be better equipped to encourage entrepreneurship with the most successful policies; 

• Accelerates commercialization of taxpayer-funded research to bolster regional commercialization strategies in converting research into new products and services; and 

• Expands and refines the EDA’s Regional Innovation (RI) program, including restoration to its originally authorized $100 million level under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980. The proposed funding increase would support more innovation systems throughout the country and make awards to pilot a wider variety of outcome-based approaches toward addressing regional innovation needs. 

• Establishes a limited entrepreneurial visa for 75,000 legal immigrants, so they can remain in the United States, launch businesses and create jobs;

• Creates a new limited STEM visa so 50,000 U.S.-educated foreign students, who graduate with a master’s or Ph.D. in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, can receive a green card and stay in this country where their talent and ideas can fuel growth and create American jobs;

• Eliminates the per-country caps for employment-based immigrant visas, which hinder U.S. employers from recruiting the top-tier talent they need to grow.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the below statement following the announcement by Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) that he will not seek re-election in 2018:

“When I joined the Senate in 2009, Bob Corker was one of the first people I sought out because of his experience in business and local government. Since then, he has become a dear friend, and we have worked closely together on a number of budget and banking-related issues, particularly housing finance reform. No matter the challenge, you can always count on Senator Corker to bring a reasoned, thoughtful approach, and to make decisions based not on partisanship but on what he believes is in the best interests of the American people. I am sorry to hear of his decision not to run for another term in the Senate, but I appreciate his many contributions to the people of Chattanooga, where he served as mayor; to the State of Tennessee, where he served as Commissioner of Finance and Administration; and to our country. I salute his service, value his friendship, and wish him nothing but the best in the future.

“I also hope this is a wake-up call to all of us in the Senate that we need to recommit ourselves to creating an environment where reasonable, thoughtful people of both parties can come together to solve problems.” 

Sen. Warner and Sen. Corker have worked across the aisle on a number of policy initiatives and reforms to the country’s financial system. In 2010, they partnered on bipartisan financial reforms that were included in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. In 2013, they partnered on bipartisan effort to reform the broken housing finance system, an effort that remains ongoing. That year, the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress awarded Warner and Corker with its prestigious Publius Award for their bipartisan leadership in Congress.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a member of the Senate Finance and Budget Committees, released the following statement today on Senate Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act:

“This evening, the CBO released a score concluding millions of Americans would lose healthcare under this latest partisan repeal plan. Just hours before, S&P released a report finding that the Graham-Cassidy bill would cost our country about 580,000 jobs and $240 billion in lost economic activity over the next decade. There’s a reason why this bill is opposed by non-partisan groups from every sector of the health industry, including the American Medical Association, health insurers, hospitals, patients, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association. With even the center-right think tank AEI panning both this bill and the process under which it is being rammed through Congress, it is time for the Senate to put this bill aside and recognize that we must work in a bipartisan way to stabilize the health insurance markets and put in place permanent fixes to lower costs and expand health care options for Americans. I stand ready and willing to work with any Senator, Republican or Democrat, who seriously shares that goal.”

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WASHINGTON - Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) and Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) today made the following announcement on the testimony of Michael Cohen:

“We were disappointed that Mr. Cohen decided to pre-empt today’s interview by releasing a public statement prior to his engagement with Committee staff, in spite of the Committee’s requests that he refrain from public comment. As a result, we declined to move forward with today’s interview and will reschedule Mr. Cohen’s appearance before the Committee in open session at a date in the near future. The Committee expects witnesses in this investigation to work in good faith with the Senate.” 

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and a group of Senators in calling on President Trump to fill the vacancies for U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs. These key positions have gone unfilled in the over eight months of the Trump presidency. In the wake of North Korea’s actions, Senate-confirmed nominees for these positions would provide stable leadership and coordinate State and Defense Department efforts as our country works with our allies and partners to reach a diplomatic solution.

 “As North Korea continues its illegal nuclear weapons program, commits blatant violations of international law, and makes threats to our country and allies, the confirmation of a U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea must be prioritized to send a concrete signal to reassure not only our ROK allies but also the American people,” the Senators wrote. “Just as our diplomatic mission to the ROK deserves leadership of an ambassador to represent our nation’s interests, our country’s diplomatic and military efforts in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region deserve permanent Assistant Secretaries of State and Defense to coordinate our diplomatic efforts on North Korea, other regional challenges as well as opportunities to advance U.S. interests.”

In addition to Sens. Warner and Hirono, the following Senators also signed the letter: Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Edward Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

 Text of the letter is below and can also be found here. 

Dear Mr. President:

We write to you today to express our deep concern that a nominee to fill the vacancy of the U.S. ambassadorship to the Republic of Korea (ROK) in light of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula has yet to be announced eight months into your presidency. Given the importance of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region to U.S. national security interests, we urge you to swiftly send a nominee to the Senate for advice and consent along with your nominees to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs which play key roles in coordinating U.S. diplomacy and defense policy on North Korea in addition to the wider region. We urge you to select highly qualified and competent nominees with extensive experience in the region including on North Korea issues.

As North Korea continues its illegal nuclear weapons program, commits blatant violations of international law, and makes threats to our country and allies, the confirmation of a U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea must be prioritized to send a concrete signal to reassure not only our ROK allies but also the American people, that one of our most important diplomatic relationships will be appropriately represented at the ambassadorial level. The United States has diplomatic relations with over 190 nations but none are as extensive and instrumental to our national security as those with our treaty allies such as the ROK. The U.S.-ROK alliance was strengthened by the bonds forged between U.S. and ROK troops during the Korean War and it continues to be strengthened by the Korean-American community, our economic ties and our mutual defense treaty commitments. We look forward to hearing your nominee’s testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on your administration’s North Korea strategy and how the U.S.-ROK alliance can be further strengthened to meet the challenges and opportunities in our bilateral relationship.

 Just as our diplomatic mission to the ROK deserves leadership of an ambassador to represent our nation’s interests, our country’s diplomatic and military efforts in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region deserve permanent Assistant Secretaries of State and Defense to coordinate our diplomatic efforts on North Korea, other regional challenges as well as opportunities to advance U.S. interests. As head of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs within the State Department, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs manages our diplomatic activities and serves as a key advisor to the Secretary of State and the Under Secretary for Political Affairs on regional matters. Its Defense Department counterpart serves a similar role for oversight of security cooperation not only with our five treaty allies in the region but a growing number of partners key to our national security interests. The recent enactment of additional sanctions on North Korea from Congress and the United Nations Security Council warrant these posts to be filled on a non-acting basis to lead efforts to ensure close coordination with our allies and partners as implementation proceeds and dialogue continues on our response to North Korea’s continued provocations. 

 To date, the Senate has confirmed 20 ambassadorial nominees including six to close allied nations. It is critical now for our government to affirmatively convey to our ROK allies that our relationship is valued in the same manner as these nations, and as senators we stand ready to consider your nominees for U.S. ambassador to the ROK as well as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs. Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced $1,081,958 in federal Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) funding for the Floyd County Economic Development Authority to construct a new access road for the Floyd Regional Commerce Center. The funding, which leverages $30 million in private investment—will fund approximately 0.21 miles of access road, an industrial cul-de-sac, as well as pedestrian and bike path to facilitate Floyd County’s development of the Floyd Regional Commerce Center. The Floyd County Economic Development Authority estimates that completion of the Commerce Center would promote economic development with the potential to support more than 100 new jobs in the region. 

“The Appalachian Regional Commission has supported communities in Appalachia since its formation and we are proud to advocate for the program in the Senate and announce funding for projects like this that expand economic development and opportunity in the region,” the Senators said. “This funding will allow Floyd County to improve its access to the Regional Commerce Center and spur further opportunities for growth in the area. We hope that projects like this, and the impact they have in Southwest Virginia, will encourage President Trump and House Republicans to rethink their choice to end ARC in their 2018 budget proposals. ”

Since its inception in 1965, ARC has generated over 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 budget proposes eliminating the program entirely.

In June, Warner and Kaine joined a group of six other U.S. Senators urging Senate appropriators to fully fund the Appalachian Regional Commission in 2018 at $152 million and reject the Trump Administration’s proposal to end the state-federal partnership.

The project will be administered through the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

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