Kaine calls out Allen on debt-limit issue
Congressional Republicans are promising gridlock over the debt limit, and U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine is taking aim at Republican rival George Allen on the topic.
“My chief opponent in this election is a prime example of backward Washington thinking on our budget. During his first term in the U.S. Senate, George Allen voted four times for debt ceiling increases, voted repeatedly against commonsense measures to control spending like PAYGO, and voted for massive deficit spending,” Kaine said. “After years of voting for increased spending without paying for it, Allen had an election-year conversion and decided to stand with the Tea Party in cheering on government shutdown. Virginia chambers of commerce, local governments, and our Republican governor all urged George Allen and his allies to set aside politics and work toward a deal, but they refused. Read more
Warner responds to DOD on F-22 issue
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) today held a media conference call following the Pentagon’s announcement on the F-22 Raptor.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta today instructed the Air Force to restrict F-22 flight activities, and to work with NASA and the Navy to find solutions to F-22 oxygen-deprivation issues. These actions were a direct result of Sen. Warner’s and Rep. Kinzinger’s continued pressure on the Secretary of the Air Force to take action. Read more
Webb: Burmese minister’s visit ‘appropriate time’ to lift sanctions
Sen. Jim Webb, whose historic trip to Burma in 2009 set the stage for a new direction in U.S. policy toward that country, today called the first official visit by the Burmese Foreign Minister to the United States an “appropriate time” for the Obama administration to lift economic sanctions on that country.
Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin is coming to Washington, D.C., this week to meet with senior leaders, including Sen. Webb.
“The President has the power to lift economic sanctions,” said Sen. Webb, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee. “It is time for him to act.” Read more
Kaine gets student PAC endorsement
Today, Students for a New American Politics, the nation’s largest student-run political action committee, endorsed former Gov. Tim Kaine in his campaign to become the next senator from the state of Virginia.
“For his entire life, Gov. Kaine has worked to create opportunities for our businesses and our families,” said SNAP PAC Executive Director Matthew Breuer. “We’re so excited by his candidacy because not only does he understand the needs of struggling Virginia families today, he also has a clear vision of how we can ensure our nation’s global economic competitiveness by building the world’s most talented workforce. Read more
VDOT surpasses on-time, on-budget goals
Gov. Bob McDonnell announced today that for the second consecutive quarter, the Virginia Department of Transportation surpassed its targets for completing all construction and maintenance projects both on time and on budget during the third quarter of the 2012 fiscal year – January through March 2012.
“VDOT is proving once again that it continues to closely watch how the agency uses taxpayers’ money as it brings in more major projects on time and within budget – for example, opening the new London Bridge ramps on Interstate 264 in Virginia Beach eight months ahead of schedule and below budget,” McDonnell said. “This latest report also notes that such projects are making significant contributions over time to the state’s economy with significant job expansion, especially for major construction projects.” Read more
Critics lambast House for rejection of judicial nominee
The Virginia House of Delegates is coming under intense criticism after the body refused to appoint Tracy Thorne-Begland as a Richmond General District Court judge because he is openly gay.
After receiving endorsements from the courts of justice committees in both the House of Delegates and the Senate, Thorne-Begland, who is currently chief deputy commonwealth’s attorney for the City of Richmond, appeared to have strong bipartisan support throughout the legislature.
According to news accounts, however, last-minute lobbying from the Family Foundation and Del. Robert G. Marshall, who expressed concerns that Thorne-Begland’s sexual orientation would influence his judicial decisions, turned the tide. Read more
McDonnell puts good spin on budget-amendment massacre
The Virginia General Assembly on Monday rejected 26 budget amendments made by Gov. Bob McDonnell, whose office tried to put a good spin on the development.
“While we were successful in seeing 72 percent of our amendments passed today, it is unfortunate that the General Assembly also rejected several important amendments that would have helped with our ongoing effort to control state spending and make state government more efficient and effective. We will continue to look for new ways to reform state government and make it work better for our citizens,” the governor was quoted in a statement in a press release from his office late Monday. Read more
