Warner Weekly Wrap-Up: Yet ANOTHER Infrastructure Week

Since the Senate was in recess last week, we’ll be catching you up on two weeks of action. Sen. Warner was once again traveling around the Commonwealth today, visiting a bridge that will be eligible for funding under the bipartisan infrastructure law he negotiated. He also met with constituents at a summit for women in business and a Black-owned restaurant’s lunch.

With the Senate back in session this week, Sen. Warner took on a lot: seeking accountability and improvements from federal agencies including the IRS; getting briefed on developing situations in Virginia, Ukraine, and Syria; voting on several nominations; and making statements on AHIs, threats against HBCUs, and more.

There’s a lot to talk about, so let’s get into it:

INTERNATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ABOUNDS

From Ukraine to Syria to AHI reports, it was a busy week for the intelligence community. Sen. Warner continues to get briefings on the situation in Ukraine and spoke on national TV twice this week about the developments.

In regards to Ukraine and also domestically, Sen. Warner continues to be vigilant about the possibility of cyberattacks and their potentially destructive impacts. He praised DHS for their rollout of the Safety Review Board this week, saying,

“It’s only a matter of when, not if, we face another widespread cyber breach that threatens our national security. I was glad to see this NTSB-like function included in the President’s May 2020 executive order on cybersecurity, and this is a good first step to establishing such a capability. I look forward to monitoring how this board develops over the coming months.”

In another positive development for the international community, Sen. Warner announced a big piece of exciting news this week. Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) concluded their efforts in Virginia and all Afghan refugees have been successfully resettled from the three military bases temporarily housing them! He tweeted a statement of gratitude for all the many individuals and organizations involved. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Sen. Warner volunteered alongside U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield and the President of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, two organizations that have been active in the resettlement efforts.

News also broke this week that the Biden administration authorized a raid in Syria to assassinate the leader of ISIS, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. Sen. Warner sent the following tweet addressing the incident:

Finally, he continues to monitor the intelligence surrounding AHIs. Since 2016 more than 1000 intelligence, diplomatic and military personnel have reported a constellation of troubling and mysterious health ailments, including brain injuries. As the leader of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Warner has been working to get to the bottom of these cases, known as AHIs or Havana syndrome, many of which have required significant medical treatment.

This week, a panel of experts convened by the Biden administration affirmed that radio waves or some other directed energy likely caused some cases of Havana syndrome. Sen. Warner, a co-sponsor on a bill to address this issue, released a statement this week reaffirming his commitment to listening to the expertise of those studying the issue and supporting the care of those that have been affected.

DOMESTIC THREATS

In addition to his work in the global intelligence community, Sen. Warner also remains laser-focused on monitoring threats domestically. This week he was briefed on two developing situations: first, the tragic murder of Officers Painter and Jefferson on the Bridgewater College campus. He offered condolences to the community and honored the lives of the men.

Additionally, he’s been monitoring and expressing grave concern over the bomb threats to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). He wrote,

“I am deeply disturbed by the bomb threats that have been made against more than a dozen historically Black colleges and universities. These acts of attempted terror, issued as we enter Black History Month, underscore the alarming reality that racially-motivated violence and extremism is on the rise across the country. Although at this time no explosive devices have been found, the FBI and their local law enforcement partners are taking these hate crimes extremely seriously. As Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I have requested and expect to receive a briefing at the appropriate time, and I remain committed to combatting extremism and hate violence in all of its forms.”

CUTTING RED TAPE

Sen. Warner knows if there’s one thing Virginians love, it’s federal bureaucracy. Just kidding. That’s why he has spent the last couple of weeks staying on top of issues with Amtrak, Social Security, and the IRS so Virginians can worry less about dealing with red tape and more about accessing their benefits and services.

A few weeks ago, he joined with Sen. Kaine to demand accountability after Amtrak left passengers stranded and without communication during the winter storms. As a result of that effort, he received a briefing from Amtrak this week where they admitted to critical mistakes. You can read more about their meeting here, but even with this development, Sen. Warner has pledged to continue monitoring their response during severe weather.

He’s also pressing hard on the IRS to deal with a backlog of tax returns, addressing the issue on a variety of fronts. On Jan. 24, he reached out to Treasury Secretary Yellen and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig. He redoubled his efforts by Jan. 31, joining a bipartisan, bicameral letter that pressures the IRS to provide penalty relief amid their own delays, and he also continues to give interviews on the topic. He wrote,

“Persistent delays harm taxpayers who are waiting for their returns to process – often those who need their refunds most – and the agency has an obligation to implement a clear plan that alleviates this backlog while avoiding major delays for the processing of filed returns during the 2021 tax filing season.”

Click here to see his interview with CBS 19 on IRS backlogs.

And it isn’t just Amtrak and the IRS – in the last two weeks, Sen. Warner has also joined in efforts to advocate for improvements to Social Security’s field offices and services and has pushed on the Department of Defense to make sure that they’re providing adequate housing for service members. He will keep advocating to make sure federal services are navigable, equitable, and accessible for all.

THE PICTURE OF HEALTH

Before and during the pandemic, Sen. Warner has always pushed for better health care services for ALL Virginians. That’s why he advocated for better access to telehealth services this week alongside a bipartisan group of representatives.

And last week, he joined an effort that has already produced results – after requesting that Medicare cover the expense of at-home tests, they announced the decision to do just that. This is good news for Virginians looking for more resources as we continue to fight COVID.

On a personal note, Sen. Warner shared reflections on some of his own interactions with the health care system this week on the anniversary of his mother’s birthday. He wrote about her battle with Alzheimer’s and how it’s continued to shape him as a lawmaker in his efforts to produce meaningful reform to the health care system.

RUN IT BACK: INFRASTRUCTURE EDITION

Take me home, country roads! Last week, Sen. Warner announced $20 million for the Appalachian Development Highway System, which will go towards helping connect Appalachia to larger interstates. WJHL produced a great segment on the ways that this money – combined with the money to expand broadband – is making huge strides in connecting all parts of the Commonwealth.

Sen. Warner has also shared graphics showing the extent of bridges in Virginia in poor condition.

GRAB BAG

HEAR YE HEAR YE: Sen. Warner participated in hearings for key Fed nominees Sarah Bloom Raskin, Lisa Cook, and Philip Jefferson and released a statement supporting their confirmation.

FINANCE FOR FLOYD: Sen. Warner announced Floyd County is getting another round of funding for the Floyd Regional Commerce Center – nearly $1 million to support a access road, an industrial cul-de-sac, and a pedestrian and bike path that will stimulate economic growth and support the creation of an estimated 130 new jobs in the region.

JUSTICE IS SERVED: After Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement, Sen. Warner offered congratulations and gratitude, and he pledged to carefully vet his successor.

BETTER COMPETITION THAN THE OLYMPICS: Sen. Warner weighed in on the House introduction of the America COMPETES Act, stressing the need for America to accelerate its ability to produce semiconductors.

WEEK AHEAD

Next week, the Senate will be in session and may take action on a Russian sanctions bill (of which Sen. Warner is a cosponsor). He is also planning on holding a remote media availability on Wednesday, Feb. 9, so stay tuned for more information on that!