Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) sent a letter to the FAA Administrator regarding the agency’s efforts to design effective regulations for unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
Virginia is part of a multistate consortium that is one of six FAA regional test sites for studying the safe integration of unmanned aerial vehicles into the existing airspace.
In his letter, Sen. Warner argues against requiring a pilot’s license for the operation of these vehicles, and urges the FAA to make development of a UAS regulatory framework a top priority in the new year.
More than 40 students from Ms. Rachelle Hawkins-Wesson’s government class at Brunswick High School visited Capitol Hill on Wednesday. The students had the opportunity to complement what they’re learning in the classroom by getting a firsthand look at how Congress works.
Before visiting with Senator Warner, the students got to see the legislative process in action, viewing a session of Congress from the House Gallery.
The students enjoyed the opportunity to ask Senator Warner questions that aren’t necessarily answered in a textbook. One student asked what Senator Warner is doing to break gridlock in Congress. Senator Warner said he has and will continue to encourage his colleagues in Congress to put party labels aside and demonstrate a real commitment to compromise for the good of the country.
Last year, Senator Warner met with Ms. Hawkins-Wesson’s class and discussed a variety of topics ranging from student loans to the economy to the nation’s burgeoning debt.
As the visit ended, Senator Warner thanked the students for being interested and engaged in public policy.
Today Senator Warner spoke at the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Hearing to discuss the need to effectively implement the DATA Act and opportunities to improve the way government works.
“The DATA Act has tremendous promise to hold the government more accountable. It can provide critical information to policymakers to make more informed budget decisions,” Senator Warner said.
While passage of the DATA Act was a huge victory for those pushing to increase government performance, Senator Warner commented that the fight is far from over. “Over the next few years, it is important that we keep working together to make sure our bill is implemented fully and our shared vision is carried out,” Senator Warner said.
The implementation process faces many challenges and obstacles that must be addressed. Senator Warner believes Congress must provide the tools and resources needed to support DATA act reporting so we can all reap the benefits of a more fiscally responsible government down the road.
In closing, Senator Warner applauded the move towards full implementation as a major step toward a more efficient and effective government, but commented that there is more work to be done.
Senator Warner looks forward to working with Democrats and Republicans in both Chambers to continue to streamline our government and deliver better service for taxpayers.WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine released the following joint statement praising the confirmation of Nani Coloretti to be the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Deputy Secretary, making her the fourth female Deputy Secretary and one of the highest-ranking Filipino-Americans serving in the Administration:
“President Obama made an excellent choice in nominating Nani Coloretti to be the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary, the Chief Operating Officer of the agency. We are proud to have joined our Senate colleagues in confirming Ms. Coloretti, who is currently the Assistant Secretary for Management at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and has more than 20 years of experience in budget, finance, economic and program analysis. We are confident that Ms. Coloretti will focus her talent and experience on growing the housing sector and advocating for communities across the country in need of critical assistance.”
WASHINGTON – On Friday, December 5, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) will bring together a cross-section of Virginia’s leaders in science on Friday for the second annual Virginia Summit on Science, Engineering and Medicine, co-hosted by Sen. Warner, the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (VASEM) and Virginia Tech. This summit will provide an opportunity for VASEM members and their protégés to join with representatives from government, industry, and institutions of higher education in Virginia to discuss Big Data and its implications for science, technology, healthcare and industry.
“In an era of diminished federal support for research and development, it is more important than ever for Virginia’s leading thinkers across institutions and disciplines to increase collaboration,” Sen. Warner said. “Virginia is home to some of the nation’s top technology companies and leading education and research institutions. That means the Commonwealth can play an important role in the rapidly growing sector of Big Data. This second annual Summit provides an exciting venue for some of the best and brightest in Virginia to discuss the challenges and benefits of Big Data. I am eager to see what Friday’s program inspires.”
“Virginia has some of the nation’s leading universities, and I commend the Virginia Academy for addressing important ‘big data’ applications that will enable us to be on the forefront in solving some of the most complex societal and medical problems of our day,” said Virginia Tech President Timothy Sands.
“We have worked hard over the past year and a half to get VASEM off the ground. This is the second convergence of the group, and I’m looking forward to the further collaboration and conversations that this meeting stimulates,” said Joe Campbell, the Lucian Carr Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Virginia and President of VASEM.
Summit participants include representatives from some of Virginia’s top educational institutions; healthcare organizations including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Inova Health Systems and the Virginia BioScience Health Research Corporation; government agencies including NASA Langley, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Naval Research Laboratory and National Science Foundation; and private sector partners including Orbital Sciences, Amazon Web Services, and Metron. Each participant is also encouraged to bring a protégé to engage the next generation of the Commonwealth’s leaders in the sciences.
Senator Warner established VASEM in 2013 to bring together many of Virginia’s most prominent scientists to foster and promote a vibrant intellectual exchange and serve as a resource for the Commonwealth. The group is comprised of Virginia’s members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. Election to one of the three national academies is a lifetime designation, and represents one of the highest honors for scientists in the U.S.
On Tuesday, November 25, Senator Warner visited the Hampton V-A Medical Center for an update on efforts to improve scheduling and patient care services. It has been approx. 90 days since Sen. Warner’s Aug. 15th visit to the facility, after reports surfaced that wait times at the Hampton V-A facility were among the worst in the country.
“We’ve seen improvements in the wait times. Particularly for specialty care, but I think we still need movement for primary care,” Senator Warner said following his visit.
To help the Hampton VAMC implement changes to improve patient care, on December 1, Senator Warner urged the Department of Veteran’s Affairs to provide some flexibility in interpreting and implementing certain portions of the provisions in the Veterans’ Access, Choice, and Accountability Act.
The law allows for veterans living more than 40 miles away from the nearest VA medical facility to receive care from private providers outside the VA health system. However, this 40-mile “straight-line” guideline severely disadvantages certain populations, specifically in Southeast Virginia, which has one of the densest populations of veterans anywhere in the United States.
Senator Warner requested that the V-A take into consideration driving mileage, not just “as the crow flies” distance when determining which veterans can seek health care outside the V-A system.
In early August, Congress passed V-A reform legislation, which included Sen. Warner’s language requiring a free assessment by several leading private sector Virginia I-T firms on ways the V-A can improve its broken scheduling and patient support systems. The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) specifically studied V-A facilities in Hampton and Richmond in making its report, which was released on Oct. 30.
Senator Warner remains committed to working with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and Virginia’s medical centers to ensure that all veterans have access to the health care they have earned.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today passed the bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Accountability Act of 2014, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA-01), by unanimous consent. The legislation will bring increased accountability measures and a more collaborative management approach to Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts and spending. The 2013 legislation now returns to the House of Representatives for approval.
The Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act of 2014 requires the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to prepare a crosscut budget to better track the progress of Bay restoration efforts, comparing costs and the performance of restoration activities by the various federal agencies involved in the Bay preservation effort. The multi-state, multi-year initiative to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay involves at least 10 federal agencies, Virginia and five other states, the District of Columbia, and more than 1,000 local governments.
“The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure and a centerpiece of the culture and economy of many coastal communities in Virginia, and neighboring states. I commend the collaborative efforts of federal, state, and local partners across the watershed who are working tirelessly to preserve and restore the Bay,” Senator Warner said. “In order to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay during a time of limited federal funding, we must make sure that every dollar spent on restoration activities produces real results. I will continue to focus on ways to be a good steward of both the taxpayer’s dollar and the Commonwealth’s invaluable natural resources.”
“Today’s Senate passage of this Chesapeake Bay legislation is a tremendous step forward,” Wittman said. “After seeing my Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act pass the House with overwhelming bipartisan support numerous times, I am thrilled to see progress in the Senate. I appreciate Senator Warner’s steady cooperation and leadership in getting the bill passed through the Senate in its current form. Moving forward, I will push for swift House passage of this bill so that we can get it to the President’s desk.”
Sen. Warner first sponsored the Chesapeake Bay Accountability Act along with then-U.S. Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) in 2011. The 2013 Act was cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA). Rep. Wittman first introduced the bill in the House of Representatives in 2008. Versions of the bill have passed the House of Representatives alone or as part of broader packages in each of the last three sessions of Congress.
“This bill will display on one sheet which agencies are investing in Chesapeake Bay restoration and on what activities and where,” said Senator Kaine. “Having chaired the Chesapeake Executive Council as Governor of Virginia, I understand the importance of tracking restoration work among many stakeholders in a tangible, quantifiable way. This legislation is a good government measure that bolsters our efforts to clean up the Bay while improving the transparency of government spending, and I salute Senator Warner and Congressman Wittman for their bipartisan leadership on it.”
As Governor of Virginia from 2002-2006, Sen. Warner increased spending on natural resources by 34% and took a leadership role in protecting the Bay, including adoption of the most comprehensive nutrient reduction standards in the nation. Governor Warner’s final budget included $243 million for clean drinking water programs, and the Warner Administration funded the largest single investment in water quality in state history.
A PDF of the legislation is available here.
Bravo @MarkWarner for your leadership on the #ChesBay Accountability & Recovery Act of 2014! http://t.co/QOSaGUg48t
— Chesapeake Bay Found (@chesapeakebay) December 2, 2014
My Bay bill has passed House multiple times, but never Senate. Thanks to @MarkWarner for his cooperation and leadership on this issue.
— Rep. Rob Wittman (@RobWittman) December 2, 2014
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) announced today that Keyanna Conner will join his state staff as Director of Government and Community Affairs. Ms. Conner, who previously served as a senior advisor on Sen. Warner’s successful 2014 re-election campaign, will serve as a primary point of contact between the Senator’s office and representatives of state and local governments, public agencies and other constituency organizations. She will be based in Richmond.
“I am very pleased that Keyanna Conner will be joining our state staff as director of government and community affairs,” said Sen. Warner. “Effective communication and problem-solving for state and local governments, and the Virginians they serve, remains a key priority for our entire office.”
“I am thrilled and honored to join Senator Warner's staff, and I look forward to engaging and empowering state and local leaders in communities across Virginia,” Conner said.
Conner graduated from Hampton University in 2006 and currently is completing a doctoral degree in organic chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. She grew up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement in support of the nomination of Dr. Vivek Murthy to be Surgeon General of the United States.
"Dr. Murthy brings an entrepreneurial focus, and he is committed to using technology to expand our outreach on health and wellness in innovative ways. I believe he will make an excellent Surgeon General,” Senator Warner said.
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement on the passing of Dr. William C. Bosher, Jr.:
“I am so sorry to learn of the passing of Dr. Bill Bosher, a career public servant who started as a classroom teacher, served as public school chief for Henrico and Chesterfield counties, and also served as Virginia’s Superintendent of Public Instruction. Bill Bosher was a thoughtful policymaker and effective administrator. He demonstrated a lifelong commitment to the power of quality public schools to create opportunities for all of Virginia’s young people. I offer my condolences to his family, friends and many colleagues,” Senator Warner said.
