Tuesday, April 30, 2013
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine's (D-VA) Troop Talent Act of 2013 would help transition between military and civilian employment.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine’s (D-Va) bill to help veterans find employment and other resources more easily once entering civilian life was introduced Monday to the U.S. House of Representatives. The Troop Talent Act of 2013 is designed to help veterans effectively translate their military skills and credentials into civilian employment, Kaine said. As of March 2013, the unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans was 9.2 percent. That’s down slightly from 9.4 percent in February 2013 but still higher than the national average of 7.1 percent. U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) called that number "unacceptable" as she introduced the Troop Talent Act to the House of Represetatives on Monday. “The unemployment rate for Veterans who have served in the …
Friday, February 8, 2013
Virginia Senators Warner and Kaine speak in Reston and warn about sequestration's effects on the economy and national security.
If sequestration goes into effect in March, it will be "worse than you can imagine," Virginia Sen. Mark Warner (D) told a group of mostly government contractors a Reston breakfast event Friday organized by the Northern Virginia Technology Council. Warner, along with junior Sen. Tim Kaine (D), spoke about the short-term and long-term impact of the potential $1 trillion federal budget cuts happen March 1 if Congress doesn't reach a compromise. Half of that would affect the defense industry, which some estimates say could cost Virginia more than 207,000 jobs. Sequestration could have a large impact in Reston, where hundreds of firms depend on government contracting, and thousands of workers are employed by various agencies and companies that …
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Kaine takes oath of office Thursday afternoon at U.S. Capitol.
On the first day of the 113th Congress Thursday, Tim Kaine took the oath of office, officially taking the title of Sen. Tim Kaine. Kaine and his family participated in a re-enactment Thursday afternoon at the U.S. Capitol's Old Senate Chamber with Vice President Joe Biden officiating. Kaine's wife, Ann Holton, held a bible. The vice president swears in new Senators and re-elected Senators at the start of each Congress. The official swearing-in took place earlier on the Senate floor. Kaine, a Democrat, was elected Nov. 6 to the U.S. Senate representing Virginia, and will serve alongside Sen. Mark Warner (D). Both Kaine and Warner are former governors of Virginia. Kaine, 54, was Virginia's governor from 2006 to 2010. Prior to that, he was …
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Congressman says measure puts Northern Virginia 'on the chopping block.'
The U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday night passed HR 8, the Tax Relief Extension Act, a permanent extension of many Bush-era tax cuts by a vote of 257 to 167. The late-night vote was taken at 10:57 p.m. The legislation keeps the Bush era tax cuts for individuals making less than $400,000 and couples making less that $450,000. It also makes permanent the fixes for the Alternative Minimum Tax and delays government spending cuts for two months. Here's the breakdown of Northern Virginia's votes Tuesday on the so-called "fiscal cliff" legislation, which the Senate passed early Tuesday morning: The legislation came to a vote in the House Tuesday night after it was passed by the Senate in the early hours Tuesday morning. Webb and Warner …
Thursday, December 27, 2012
If lawmakers fail to reach compromise, sequestration would hit Northern Virginia especially hard.
While the potential loss of thousands of jobs and a devastating economic blow loom over the region thanks to sequestration, Virginia's senators can only wait and hope a workable compromise is reached before the new year. If such a compromise is not reached by Tuesday, a series of tax increases and spending reductions kick in automatically — taking the country over the so-called fiscal cliff. Some economists and politicians are concerned the combined effect will send the United States back into a recession. U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, told CBS News this week that at this point any deal that could be made would be relatively small. “I think there’s unfortunately only going to be a small deal,” Warner said. “… We have to …
Monday, December 24, 2012
Soon-to-be Senator will serve on three committees important to Northern Virginia.
Senator-elect Tim Kaine, who will be sworn into office Jan. 3, will serve on three Senate committees important to Northern Virginia. His office announced he will serve on the following committees: Kaine had asked to join Armed Services, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Foreign Relations and Small Business and Entrepreneurship — in that order, according to a recent blog post on The Washington Post Web site. "I am excited to tackle these meaningful committee assignments," Kaine said in a news release. "Because of Virginia's deep connections to the military, through active duty personnel, veterans, military families and the private sector, Virginia needs a strong voice on the Armed Services committee as Congress makes decisions …
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Warner says he wants to continue his work in the U.S. Senate.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., announced Tuesday that he will not run for governor in 2013, saying that he wants to continue the work he was sent to do in Washington. Warner, in a statement issued shortly after 3 p.m., said Virginians of all political stripes have approached him over the past year to make the bid — which he said he would consider and then make a decision after the November election. "I’ve talked to a lot of Virginians I respect, and I’ve talked about it with my family," Warner said in a statement. "But when I asked Virginians to hire me as their Senator, I made a promise to come to Washington to try to be a problem solver. I have to admit, it’s been tougher than I expected. But I’ve tried to keep at it." Warner's decision…
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Senator tells Associated Press he'll announce decision before Thanksgiving.
Sen. Mark Warner plans to announce before Thanksgiving whether he'll run for governor again, according to the Associated Press. The former governor, a Democrat, served as the Commonwealth's chief executive from 2002 to 2006. Virginia is the only state in the country where a governor cannot succeed himself. Former DNC chair Terry McAuliffe has already thrown his hat in the ring and will face Republicans Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. If Warner walks away from another run for governor, he'll be teaming up in the Senate with the state's soon to be junior senator, Senator-elect Tim Kaine, who served as Warner's lieutenant governor and is himself a former governor of Virginia. In a poll conducted Nov. 8-12 by …
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Longtime politico from Mount Vernon says it's time to get out of politics following his Nov. 6 election loss to Tim Kaine.
A fixture in Virginia politics is hanging up his hat. George Allen, the former governor and U.S. senator who makes his home with his family in Mount Vernon, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch he has "no intention of running for office again." He and wife Susan “put our heart and soul into this campaign,” he told the newspaper. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said Tuesday he is "disappointed" to hear that Allen has taken himself out of the political arena after losing his Senate race last week to Tim Kaine. It was the second Senate race Allen lost, after losing his seat to Jim Webb in 2006. "Two big losses in a row make it tough for George Allen to try yet again to make a comeback," said Mark Rozell, professor of Public Policy at George Mason …
Friday, November 9, 2012
New Virginia senator says first order of business is to work on good solutions to nation's debt.
Tim Kaine (D), Virginia's newly-elected U.S. Senator, says his first order of business will be to lobby for longterm solutions for the country's fiscal situation. Kaine held a press conference in Richmond on Wednesday, one day after he defeated former Virginia governor and senator George Allen (R) in the general election. Kaine, governor of the state from 2006-10, earned 52 percent of the vote to Allen's 48 on Tuesday. Kaine takes over the seat vacated by Sen. Jim Webb (D), who is retiring after one term. Webb defeated Allen in a similarly close Senate race in 2006. “The key for us in public office is to read the message from the electorate,” Kaine told reporters. “They want cooperative government. They are telling us over and over and …
JoeB90
10:42 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
"getting rid of the idea and replacing it with a balance of some additional cuts and revenue and start of a more comprehensive approach." We already raised taxes now is the time to cut spending. That means entitlements, defense & domestic spending. Next congress can overhaul the tax system - particularly the corporate tax to take out loopholes and outmoded tax deductions. more ›