Legislative Update from Senator Mark Warner

This week the Senate considered a series of executive branch nominations and began preparations for a vote next week on the annual defense bill, known as NDAA.

Here’s your Warner Weekly Wrap-up:

VIRGINIA BEACH STRONG

After the tragic shooting on May 31 that took the lives of twelve people in Virginia Beach and injured four more, people across the Commonwealth stepped up to provide financial relief for victims and their families through the Virginia Beach Tragedy Fund.

Unfortunately, due to a technicality in the way the fund was set up, those donations aren’t considered tax-deductible by the IRS. To fix this issue, Sen. Warner, along with Sen. Tim Kaine and Rep. Elaine Luria, introduced the Virginia Beach Strong Act. This week, both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed the legislation, sending it to the President’s desk for his signature.

Sens. Warner and Kaine, along with Rep. Luria, have been fierce advocates for the victims and families affected by this mass shooting. In June, Sens. Warner and Kaine wrote to the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to verify that victims and families were not being taxed on the contributions they were receiving. In August, the President signed into law legislation the Senators introduced to rename a Virginia Beach post office after Ryan “Keith” Cox, a longtime public utilities employee who, alongside other victims, sacrificed his own life to save others during the shooting. Additionally, the Senators secured unanimous passage earlier this year of a Senate resolution honoring the 12 victims of the Virginia Beach shooting.

SERVE WITH COURAGE

This past weekend, Sen. Warner was in Newport News, where he spoke at the christening of the USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier at the Newport News Shipyard. In his remarks, Sen. Warner celebrated the work of nearly 5,000 Virginia shipbuilders who worked on the carrier, as well as the sailors who will serve aboard the Kennedy and the legacy of the ship’s namesake.

You can watch Sen. Warner’s full remarks here and highlights from the event below.

The christening of the USS John F. Kennedy comes just days after the Navy signed a contract to “block-buy” nine Virginia-class submarines, five of which are expected to be launched from Newport News. Sens. Warner and Kaine have been strong supporters of the stability and savings to the taxpayer generated by the block-buy process.

On Monday, Sens. Warner and Kaine welcomed veterans from across the Commonwealth to the Capitol for their annual Veterans Commonwealth Coffee. During the event, Sen. Warner participated in a ceremony awarding the Legion of Merit to Woodbridge, VA resident Major General Phillip Churn, Commanding General of the Army Reserve’s 200th military Police Command.

Due to administrative errors and a delay in processing, Major General Churn’s Legion of Merit award was not issued within the two-year window from the date of recommendation in May 2014. As a result, Major General Churn contacted Sen. Warner’s office for assistance in receiving his rightfully earned recognition. After Sen. Warner intervened on his behalf, Sen. Warner was able to present Major General Churn’s rightfully earned award two months after resubmitting his award package in October 2019.

The Legion of Merit is one of the U.S. military’s most prestigious awards, given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The Legion of Merit ranks just below the Silver Star and ahead of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

This week, Sen. Warner welcomed students from Richmond’s Peter Paul Development Center to his office for the annual Warner Christmas tree trimming party.

HIDDEN FIGURES

Sens. Warner and Kaine spoke at U.S. Capitol reception this week celebrating passage of bipartisan legislation to award Congressional Gold Medals to pioneering ‘Hidden Figures’ Dr. Christine Darden, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson for their work at NASA Langley during the Space Race.

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award in the U.S. It is awarded to those who have performed an achievement that has had an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized in the recipient’s field for years to come. The Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act, cosponsored by both Senators, was signed into law by President Trump on November 8, 2019.

Participants in the celebration included Dr. Darden (pictured above); Margot Lee Shetterly, author of Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race; and Donna Gigliotti, producer on the 2016 film based on the book, which was nominated for ‘Best Picture’ at the 2017 Academy Awards.

GRAB BAG

• VIRGINIA CHAMBER: Sen. Warner addressed the annual luncheon of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce at the Capitol on Thursday.
• STOP STUPIDITY: With the end-year-funding deadline looming, Sen. Warner spoke with the Christian Broadcasting Network about his legislation to abolish government shutdowns, known as the Stop STUPIDITY Act.
• NOVA Chamber: On Monday, Sens. Warner and Kaine spoke at the annual Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce Senatorial Forum.

WEEK AHEAD

On Monday, Sen. Warner will be in Hampton, where he’ll visit the Hampton VA and meet with the facility’s new director and get a report on progress to reduce the facility’s wait times. The Senate will be in session next week and is expected spend much of the week considering end-of-year funding legislation, as well as the annual defense bill known as NDAA.