Capitol Hill Update for October 4, 2024
A weekly review of what local legislators are doing on the Hill and in Richmond that affect our region.
By Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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United States Senate
Tim Kaine
Sen. Tim Kaine this past week:
joined with Sen. Mark Warner and Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09) to welcome approval of Virginia’s request for an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in Southwest Virginia. The lawmakers wrote a letter urging President Biden to approve this request to surge federal resources to impacted areas and help Virginia more quickly respond to and recover from Hurricane Helene’s impacts.
met Virginians, first responders, and local officials in Damascus, Marion, and Galax to hear directly about the damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene and discuss the support needed to get impacted Virginians back on their feet. Kaine’s visits followed his work to successfully advocate for a federal Emergency Declaration for the Commonwealth of Virginia, which will provide federal resources to support debris removal and restore power to critical infrastructure, including drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities, hospitals, and emergency response centers.
Sen. Mark Warner
In addition to Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. Kaine commenting on the Expedited Major Disaster Declaration, Warner this week:
responded to the Iranian missile attack on Israel: “As Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I am closely monitoring Iran’s most recent missile attack against the state of Israel. America’s commitment to Israel’s security remains ironclad.”
joined with Thom Tillis (R-NC), Ted Budd (R-NC), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Tim Scott (R-SC), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) to send a letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), and Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) to address the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene and the urgent need to pass an appropriations package to support the millions of Americans affected by the storm.
wrote to Jen Easterly, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), to push CISA to do more to assist state and local governments in identifying, responding to, and mitigating the spread of misinformation and disinformation that could impact the 2024 election and afterwards.
U.S. Congress
Abigail Spanberger
This week, Rep. Spanberger joined the chorus to support those affected by Hurricane Helene by issuing the following statement:
“As communities across Southwest Virginia and across the Southeastern United States continue to grapple with the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, Congress must support those on the ground. FEMA federal disaster assistance will help communities rebuild — but Virginia’s families and businesses will need additional support as the full extent of the devastation becomes clear.
“Virginians have lost their lives, lost their homes, and lost their livelihoods. More than 160 Americans have been killed — entire communities destroyed. With continued power outages, a lack of cell service, and recovery efforts still underway across the Southeast, we are continuing to determine the magnitude of the devastation left in Hurricane Helene’s wake.
“To meet any unmet needs, Congress must pass an emergency appropriations package to provide necessary relief to the millions of Americans whose lives have been upended — and convene as soon as that unmet need becomes clear.”
Also in her office, Spanberger:
joined with Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) to introduce bipartisan legislation to increase military leave for federal employees who serve in the National Guard or reserve forces.
spoke out after Johnson & Johnson (J&J) suspended the company’s plan to transition two lifesaving drugs currently available at a direct discount under the 340B Drug Pricing Program to an unapproved rebate model.
Local Obituaries
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