Kaine announces appointment to Senate HELP Committee

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine announced his appointment to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) during a discussion on health care access with health care providers and advocacy groups in Richmond.

“I’m excited to announce that I will be a member of the Senate HELP Committee in the next Congress and will have the chance to work on two long-time passions of mine, healthcare and education. This is a critical moment for healthcare in America and I’m motivated now more than ever to fight against harmful policy proposals that seek to reverse the progress we’ve made in increasing access to care for millions of Americans. In this new role, I will also look for ways to further address the opioid abuse epidemic that affects every corner of the Commonwealth.

“From my experience growing up and working in my dad’s ironworking shop and as the co-founder of the Senate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, I’m a strong believer that high-quality CTE programs are a proven pathway to success. Serving on the HELP Committee will allow me to continue my work in the Senate to advocate for CTE, ensure postsecondary education opportunities are affordable and high-quality early childhood education programs are accessible, and support job training initiatives to expand economic growth in the U.S. I look forward to working closely with Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray, and building relationships with other members on the HELP Committee, in order to advance commonsense legislation on issues that directly impact the Virginia economy and working families in the Commonwealth.”

Today at the Daily Planet, a Richmond community health center, Kaine toured new facilities available to patients and hosted a roundtable discussion on the importance of protecting the Affordable Care Act(ACA) and other health programs. This month on the Senate floor, Kaine discussed the importance of not repealing the ACA‎ and the critical role the law and other health programs play in ensuring access to health care for over 20 million Americans.‎ Committee assignments for the 115th Congress are still pending official ratification by the Democratic Caucus.