Warner, Kaine React to President Obama's Budget Proposal

Press Release

U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both members of the Senate Budget Committee, released the following statements on President Obama's budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2017 (FY 2017):

Senator Warner said: "The President's budget contains funding proposals to grow our economy and strengthen our national security against 21st century threats such as cyberattacks. As we saw with the OPM hack that exposed the personal information of millions of people, our federal IT and cybersecurity infrastructure is badly in need of the investments President Obama laid out in his budget proposal today. The budget also recognizes the important contributions of our federal civilian and military workforce with a modest but meaningful pay raise, and provides predictability for the defense industry by maintaining strong support for shipbuilding and repair. Today's budget proposal was made possible by the bipartisan, two-year spending deal reached last year. In the year ahead, I hope Congress can move forward in the same spirit of bipartisanship and fiscal responsibility to address the important issues that face our country. That ought to start with full and fair hearings in the Budget Committee."

Senator Kaine said: "The President's Fiscal Year 2017 budget builds on the significant progress of the past eight years. From support for key defense and national security priorities, to investments in education and workforce training, to critical funding to combat the impacts of climate change from coast to coast, to keeping an eye on the deficit--which has fallen nearly three-quarters since 2009--this is a serious budget proposal. I am pleased by the inclusion of some extremely important programs for Virginia, including funding for programs around the Chesapeake Bay area -- long needed dredging at Craney Island, flood control at Norfolk, construction at Deep Creek Bridge -- along with shipbuilding wins for Newport News, a new cybersecurity initiative, and a proposal to provide significant funding to address the epidemic of opioid abuse, an issue that has placed a heavy burden on communities across Virginia. I also applaud the President for acting quickly with his request for $1.8 billion in emergency funding to help prevent the spread of the Zika virus at home and abroad. My hope now is that the Senate Budget Committee will reconsider its decision to not hold a hearing on the President's budget, as it has for every year in the history of the committee. It's my hope we find more ways to work together, not push each other away."

Warner and Kaine joined Democratic colleagues and called for a reversal of the Republicans' decision to forego holding a hearing on the President's Budget submission for the first time in history.

Source