Mark R. Warner

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced today that Mecklenburg-Brunswick Regional Airport will receive $3,337,172 in funds from the Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fund the rehabilitation of the airport’s existing runway. Today’s funding was made available through the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program.

“This funding will help the Mecklenburg-Brunswick Airport upgrade its infrastructure so that flyers are provided with the highest degree of safety during their travel,” said Sen. Warner. “As airports in Virginia face challenges in maintaining the quality of services and infrastructure at their facilities, this grant will assist the Mecklenburg-Brunswick region meet the needs of all of their travelers.”

The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) provides grants for the planning and development of public-use airports that are significant to national air transportation.

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded a $70,000 grant to the Southside Planning District Commission to help establish an economic development planning framework, process, and strategy that supports private capital investment and job creation in the region. The areas served by the Southside Planning District Commission comprise the counties of Brunswick, Mecklenburg, and Halifax.

“A key to economic success in Southside Virginia is this continued focus on building the long-term regional capacity of the area,” said Sen. Warner. “This funding will provide additional support to engage community leaders, leverage the involvement of the private sector, and strengthen the framework for ongoing collaboration.”

EDA’s Economic Development Planning Assistance program will help support the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) for the region served by the Southside Planning District Commission. The CEDS process is designed to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of a county’s economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.

Sens. Warner and Kaine are both authors of legislation to promote the economic development of sites like Berry Hill Park in Southside Virginia by reforming the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' permitting progress, which would help attract businesses and jobs to the region.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia), along with Senators Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) and Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-Virginia), recently introduced the Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act (H.R. 3434 and S. 1914) in both houses of Congress.  This bipartisan, bicameral legislation will address regulatory problems that have impeded prospective economic development sites like Berry Hill Mega Park in the Danville-Pittsylvania County area.

When local entities work to secure a site preparation permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to attract job-creating manufacturing firms, the Corps has often been reluctant to issue the permit if there is a lack of a company that has publicly committed to the site and prepared detailed blueprints.  A company will understandably not establish a facility at the site without an approved permit, but a permit cannot be approved without a company willing to locate at that site, creating an unfortunate stalemate situation.  The Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act specifies that the lack of a committed end-user company should not be a reason to deny a permit that meets all other legal requirements.

This Catch-22 scenario is playing out at Pittsylvania County’s Berry Hill Mega Park, which boasts 3,500 acres of publicly-owned land.  Berry Hill is the largest site of its kind in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the fifth largest on the East Coast, making it uniquely situated to generate economic activity, but this regulatory obstacle has stymied an economic development project with the potential for dynamic job creation.

“Generating economic activity, attracting new investment and creating new job opportunities in Southside Virginia and all across the Commonwealth remains my highest priority. The current regulatory process, which requires a committed end-user company, creates a regulatory Catch-22 that unnecessarily constrains economic growth,” said Senator Warner.  “Our bipartisan, bicameral legislation will alleviate this economic stalemate by preventing the lack of a committed user from being used as a reason to deny a permit. I’m proud to be working with Congressman Hurt, Senator Kaine and Congressman Griffith, as well as local economic development leaders, to make it easier for companies to create jobs for Virginians.” 

“Last April, we were pleased that the Corps issued a long-overdue permit to the Henry County Industrial Development Authority to proceed with development of the Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre.  But the bureaucratic red tape that prevented this economic development for far too long continues to restrict job creation at Berry Hill and similar economic development sites across the nation,” said Congressman Hurt.  “The Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act will allow exciting projects, like the one at Berry Hill, to move forward and create jobs while adhering to appropriate environmental protections.  An economic-development site that could attract new businesses should never be delayed or denied because of so-called ‘speculative development’ concerns, and I am pleased that we are making strides toward eliminating this regulatory interpretation.  I thank my colleagues, especially Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and Congressman Griffith, for their strong support of this bipartisan bill.  I look forward to working with them and state and local economic development leaders to make real progress toward job creation in Southside Virginia and across the country.”

“In Southern Virginia, several economic development sites have had difficulty securing necessary water permits without a company committed to the site, but prospective companies are reluctant to commit to a site until all permits are in hand.  This bill fixes that ‘chicken and egg’ issue,” said Senator Kaine.  “Projects like the Berry Hill Mega Park have strong job creation potential, and I’m proud of our bipartisan work on this bill to bring jobs to regions that need them, like Pittsylvania County, while maintaining robust environmental safeguards.”

“I was pleased the Army Corps ultimately issued a site preparation permit for Henry County’s Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre, but this misguided, arbitrary permitting process stalling growth in our communities must be stopped,” said Congressman Griffith.  “The Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act would put an end to this policy, helping to speed up development and encourage the creation of good-paying jobs.”

Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Arizona), Congressman Randy Forbes (R-Virginia), Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-Virginia), and Congressman Richard Hanna (R-New York) are also original cosponsors of the Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act, H.R. 3434.

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.

The key to economic development in Southside Virginia is a continuing focus on education and workforce training, according to U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and state Sen. Bill Stanley.

Warner said the work being done to provide workforce training at Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) and New College Institute (NCI) is a crucial component in area economic development.

Thursday’s groundbreaking at Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre is “just the first step,” Warner said. The next step is to “make sure we fill that park with quality jobs.”

Warner, who was unable to attend the groundbreaking due to a scheduling conflict, said in a phone interview that he was “heartbroken to miss it.”

“A lot of times in Washington it seems like nothing gets done. It’s good to see something get done,” he said.

Warner said that the nearly two-year stalemate on the groundbreaking caused by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ refusal to issue a grading permit was “one that makes people scratch their heads about government, that it took this long for a community that was trying to pick itself up.”

Kaine said he never doubted that the stalemate eventually would be resolved.

“I knew we would get to the right answer if the community stuck with it, and that was never in doubt,” he said.

In his experience, Kaine said, the best economic development tool a community can have is a well-trained workforce, and he echoed Warner’s praise of PHCC and NCI.

“The community colleges are the best place for identifying what is the local need and training to that need,” he said. “Let’s not have one-size-fits-all programs all over the state; let’s train to the need locally.”

Kaine praised NCI Executive Director William Wampler and PHCC President Angeline Godwin for their skills at understanding and addressing economic development issues.

Stanley also praised the colleges.

“Those high-paying advanced manufacturing jobs will come,” he said, “so long as the industries that bring them know that they’ve got a workforce that is easily trainable or ready to go. I think Patrick Henry and NCI and our schools are doing just that.”

Stanley confessed that he had doubted that the Army Corps would issue the permit for Commonwealth Crossing.

“I think the difference was the leadership of Danny Marshall and the members of the tobacco commission pushing through a large investment to show that we’re serious about developing this property,” Stanley said.

“I think the leadership of our congressmen and senators in Washington was very effective. It shows that you can get things done on opposite sides of the aisle. ... Turning over one spade of dirt today is turning a corner on the future of Southside Virginia. I think we’re poised to really have an economic upturn that will be a game-changer for all of us,” he added.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine along with U.S. Representatives Robert Hurt and Morgan Griffith applauded today’s announcement that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a permit to the Henry County Industrial Development Authority to proceed with development of the Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre. Warner, Kaine, Hurt, and Griffith have long-supported efforts by Martinsville and Henry County to secure a permit for site preparation and make Commonwealth Crossing a reality. In August, they introduced the Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act in both Houses of Congress to expedite approval of the site.

“I’m so pleased that we can finally move forward with the Commonwealth Crossing Business Center and help create jobs for Southside,” said Warner. “It shouldn’t have been this difficult but I’m proud Senator Kaine and Representatives Hurt and Griffith and I were able to work with state and local officials to get this done. This is a victory for Martinsville and Henry County.”

“This is welcome and long-overdue news for Southern Virginia,” said Kaine. “Martinsville and Henry County worked tirelessly and invested heavily to bring the Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre to fruition, persevering through frustrating delays and regulatory hurdles.  From the beginning, Senator Warner and I worked together with Congressmen Hurt and Griffith to move this process forward, raising this topic at the highest leadership levels of the Army Corps of Engineers and applying appropriate legislative pressure in Congress.  I’m proud of this bipartisan effort and excited for the development and employment prospects it creates in Southern Virginia.”

“I was pleased to hear this excellent news for Henry County, and thank our local officials in Martinsville and Henry County who have worked diligently to bring jobs to Southside Virginia despite the bureaucratic red tape that continually stalled their progress,” said Hurt. “I look forward to Commonwealth Crossing’s development and the jobs it will bring to area residents. It is my hope that the Corps will now turn its attention to approving the permit for Pittsylvania County’s Berry Hill Mega Park, which is currently at a standstill because of the same unnecessary red tape that stalled Commonwealth Crossing.  To remedy these problems permanently, I will continue working with my Virginia colleagues to pass the Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act, which will ensure that future economic development projects do not face the same regulatory hurdles as Commonwealth Crossing and Berry Hill and instead can focus on creating jobs for Virginians.”

“Congratulations to Martinsville and Henry County on the approval of the Commonwealth Crossing permit,” Griffith said.  “I applaud local officials, the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation, and others in this community for their dedication to overcoming regulatory roadblocks, advancing this important project, and creating jobs in Southern Virginia.  It was very good working as a team with our United States Senators and Congressman Hurt on this project.  While this is very good news, our work continues on advancing a legislative solution to the underlying issue in an effort to see that projects like this one are no longer held up because of ‘speculative development’ issues.”

“As Governor and now as Senator, I have just loved being a part of Southside reinventing itself,” Senator Warner said. “This community just doesn’t know the meaning of giving up.”

Senator Warner was at the Dyers Store Fire Department in Martinsville to announce a grant for the Martinsville/Henry County Fire and EMS Department. The grant will allow the Department to hire 13 more emergency responders to help protect the public. Volunteer firefighters, whom the Senator thanked for their service, also help to staff Dyers Store.

“We’ve got 48,000 volunteer fire personnel and rescue personnel around the Commonwealth,” Senator Warner said. “We couldn’t provide the level of service that is necessary without your willingness to give back to your community.”

The Senator also held a roundtable at Smart Beginnings in Danville, for which Senator Warner helped secure funding as governor. Before participating in a roundtable focused on early childhood education, Senator Warner stopped into the 4-year-old classroom to read a short book to the kids.

“It’s not enough just to keep funding and restoring cuts and putting more kids through the system,” Smart Beginnings Executive Director Ann Stratton said during the later event, which focused the potential economic impact of education on the region. “It’s about keeping that accountability and keeping those standards high, to make sure these children are as prepared as possible when they get to school.”

Senator Warner stopped in South Boston and Richmond later on Thursday before heading to Hampton Roads for Friday.

WASHINGTON  -- U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) today applauded passage of the Fiscal Year 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which provides discretionary funding for the federal government through the end of the fiscal year.  

“It is good to see Congress return to an orderly process,” Sen. Warner said. “This two-year agreement should help Virginia families, employers and community leaders move forward with more predictability and confidence. While I’m pleased that, at least in the near term, we will not be lurching from crisis to crisis, we still need to have an adult conversation about our nation’s spending and debt.”

“With passage of this appropriations bill, I’m so pleased that a majority of my colleagues agree that a return to normal budget order is far better for our country than shutdown politics and crisis-budgeting,” said Senator Kaine. “This bill offsets the worst effects of sequestration while funding so many critical priorities for Virginia communities. I will also continue to pursue every path – both legislatively, as well as through my role on the Armed Services Committee – to reverse the provision in the budget agreement that makes a reduction to the cost of living increase (COLA) for certain military retirees."

The following list includes many of the provisions Warner and Kaine advocated for on behalf of Virginia that were included in the Appropriations bill: 

Defense: Includes $486.9 billion in defense spending to fund priorities including ship repair, aircraft carrier maintenance, Virginia class submarine fleet construction, military construction, and programs that provide support for our troops and their families. The legislation exempts medically retired personnel from the 1% reduction in cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) included in the Bipartisan Budget Act, which Warner and Kaine continue to work to replace. A comprehensive list of defense provisions in the bill that benefit Virginia can be found here.

Early Childhood Education: Includes a $1.025 billion increase for Head Start, which will support comprehensive early childhood services for approximately 90,000 additional children and their families and restore cuts from sequestration. It also includes $500 million in funding to expand Early Head Start for children and families from before birth through age three, including the establishment of new Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships. The bill allows $250 million to be used for grants to help states develop, enhance or expand high quality preschool programs for children ages 4 and over and from low and moderate income families.

Career and Technical Education: Funds career and technical education state grants at $1.12 billion, a $53 million increase from FY13.

Pell Grants: Maintains funding for the Pell Grant program. Combined with mandatory funding, the total maximum award is estimated to rise by $85 to $5,730 and the number of recipients is estimated to increase by 186,000.

Funds American Battlefield Protection Program: Restores $9 million in funding to the American Battlefield Protection Program. In May, Kaine introduced the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act to reauthorize this critical program for five years. In November, Warner and Kaine introduced the Petersburg National Battlefield Boundary Modification Act to expand Petersburg National Battlefield.

Clean Coal:  Funds Fossil Energy Research and Development at $562 million, supporting clean coal projects. 

Food and Nutrition Programs: Fully funds the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which provides food and nutrition education to low-income mothers-to-be, new mothers, and infants and children up to age five who are at nutritional risk.

FBI Central Records Complex in Winchester: Appropriates $97.8 million for new construction of the FBI Central Records Complex in Winchester.

Benefits Radford Army Arsenal: The bill supports the ongoing efforts of the Department of the Army to develop the Army Organic Industrial Base Strategy and adds $150,000,000 to the Army Defense Working Capital Fund for the Industrial Mobilization Capacity Account to improve capacity, cost efficiency and technical competence in peacetime, while preserving the ability to provide an effective and timely response to mobilizations, national defense contingency situations, and other emergent requirements.

Heating Assistance: Increases funding for the the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) by $130 million.

National Park Service: Restores $28 million in funding to the National Park Service.

Energy and Water: Funds an $800,000 study for deepening Norfolk Harbor and channels, the next step toward dredging the Port of Virginia to the needed post-Panamax depths. The bill includes $110 million in funding for Small Modular Reactors, an innovative new nuclear energy technology being designed by Babcock and Wilcox and supporting 200 jobs in Lynchburg.

Conservation: maintains $826 million in funding for USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service which helps farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners conserve and protect their land.

Metro Capital Funding:  Includes $150 Million for WMATA to make critical safety repairs and replace out-of-date track and equipment.  This marks the fifth installment of a 10 year, $1.5 billion plan to help rebuild Metro’s infrastructure. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced today that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development and the New College Foundation a $500,000 grant to expand the New College Institute (NCI) in Martinsville.

The NCI’s proposed workforce training facility will train students in the high-demand fields of advanced manufacturing, technology and health care. NCI will use the ARC funding, matched by $1,483,236 from the state, to construct a 7,600 square foot lecture hall that will be used for conferences and seminars. Approximately 275 students are expected to be served with job training opportunities through this project.
 
"As Virginia governor, I was proud to work with local and regional leaders to identify the need and prepare the launch of the New College Institute," Sen.  Warner said. “I congratulate the NCI leadership for pursuing this grant as part of NCI’s growth. NCI  is a key component of Martinsville and Henry County’s economic development strategy, and I am eager to do everything I can to continue to move this project forward.”

“The New College Institute does critical work to train the next generation of Virginia workers and increase educational opportunities in Southside,” said Sen. Kaine. “I was proud to help make NCI a reality as governor and I’m proud to continue supporting its growth today as it provides students with the skills they need to compete for jobs in a global economy.”

Construction of the first stand-alone building for NCI began in May and is expected to be completed by next spring. The nearly 50,000 square foot facility will host new programs on entrepreneurism, advanced manufacturing and health care.

“During both their terms as governor, Governors Warner and Kaine were supportive of the development and establishment of NCI.  Their long-standing commitment to NCI has been important and reinforces their belief that higher education and economic development go hand in hand. I am pleased to receive this ARC grant as an investment in rebuilding our community through education and job creation,” said Sen. William C. Wampler, Jr., Executive Director of New College Institute.