Why It Matters

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) spent the week sounding off on issues that cut close to home for Virginians, from reproductive rights and veterans' care to a Senate vote on Russia sanctions and the ninth anniversary of the Charlottesville attack.

Virginia is home to one of the country's largest active-duty and veteran populations, and the state remains the only one in the South without a ban or heavy restriction on abortion since the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision in 2022. Both issues were front and center in Kaine's public statements this week, alongside a bipartisan push to shore up Social Security and a Senate vote on sanctions against Russia.

What They're Talking About

Reproductive rights. After reports surfaced of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche pledging on a White House Faith Office call to make the Dobbs decision "permanent in every single state," Kaine pushed back directly: "Not in Virginia. We protect women's reproductive freedom here — and anyone who thinks they'll ram this through has another thing coming."

Veterans' care. Kaine marked the fourth anniversary of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (PACT Act), the 2022 law expanding health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. "Virginia is home to one of the nation's largest veteran communities, and I'll always fight for them," he wrote.

Russia sanctions. Kaine also cosponsored the Russia sanctions bill that passed the Senate 86–11 on Aug. 7. In a statement following the vote, he said: "I was in Ukraine last month for the second time since Putin's brutal full-scale invasion, and it was clear that the Ukrainian people's resilience and patriotism are unwavering... Now is the perfect time for the United States to bring down the full force of comprehensive sanctions on Russia." The bill still requires passage by the House.

Anniversary of Charlottesville attack. On the anniversary of the 2017 Unite the Right rally, Kaine marked nine years since the Charlottesville attack: "It's been nine years since white supremacist violence in Charlottesville tragically took the lives of Heather Heyer, Lt. Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke Bates. We can and must honor Heather, Jay, and Berke's legacies by continuing to stand against violence and hate."

Social Security. Kaine tied the program's 91st anniversary to his support for the Protecting Retirement Opportunities and Maintaining Income Security for Everyone Act (PROMISE Act), a bipartisan bill that would require the Social Security Advisory Board to transmit a base bill to Congress ensuring the Trust Fund is funded for at least 50 years. "I'm committed to pushing for bipartisan solutions like the PROMISE Act to ensure Congress protects benefits for generations to come," he said.

Health. Kaine also took aim at the Department of Health and Human Services amid active outbreaks of cyclospora, Ebola, measles, and screwworm. "HHS should be led by science and guided by the doctors and researchers who've spent their careers keeping Americans safe," he wrote. "Instead it's run by a man chasing conspiracy theories."

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