Friends —

All of us on Team Warner hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy. Our team is committed to sending weekly updates to keep folks around the Commonwealth up to date with what Mark Warner is working on in the Senate. He’s committed to making sure that every Virginian is cared for through this challenging time.

Here’s just some of what Mark is working on this week:

• On Wednesday, Mark and Rep. Suzan DelBene introduced a bicameral bill to modernize unemployment benefits, establishing an emergency portable benefit fund for states. Mark has been sounding the alarm about gig economy workers, independent contractors, and folks who are self-employed falling through the cracks in our social safety net for years, and this bill would increase access to critical benefits for these workers and help our employment system catch up to the rapidly shifting nature of work.


• This week, Mark and 15 of his Senate colleagues called on the Department of Justice to make a plan for decisive federal action to address the rise in discrimination and hate crimes against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) individuals during the coronavirus pandemic.


• Mark called on the Department of Veterans Affairs to participate in a nationwide coronavirus response plan by ramping up COVID-19 testing at facilities across the country.


• Mark joined 14 of his Senate colleagues to call for expanded access to accurate information about the coronavirus pandemic for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and disabled communities. It’s critical that vital federal relief programs are accessible to everyone who needs them.


• Mark and 8 of his colleagues in the Senate urged President Trump to expand use of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to dramatically increase production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and coronavirus testing materials to address shortages nationwide.


• Mark and Sen. Tim Kaine both called for funding for state and local government budgets so states like Virginia can avoid laying off essential workers and emergency personnel.

As our country continues to grapple with this pandemic, Mark will keep fighting to get the best deal for Virginians and all Americans. We can all do our part by observing physical distancing guidelines from public health officials and staying home if possible.

Thank you for your support.

— Team Warner