TRUMP TO CREATE TASK FORCE TO "ERADICATE ANTI- CHRISTIAN BIAS
Dear friend,
I’m deeply concerned by the Senate passage of the Republican-backed budget bill. Let me be clear: I voted no because the bill is horrible for Virginians and our economy.
This megabill slashes Medicaid, nutrition assistance, and other critical programs that Americans rely on in order to pay for massive tax breaks to the very rich. If the House passes this bill, at least 323,000 Virginians will lose their health insurance, at least 204,000 Virginians—including children—will lose nutrition assistance, energy costs will rise, and 20,000 jobs in Virginia will be jeopardized. And for what? To pay for enormous tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.
Virginians deserve better than that.
That’s why I filed several amendments to try and improve the bill—focused on priorities like protecting health care access, safeguarding rural hospitals, protecting Americans from hunger, shielding veterans from mass layoffs, and many other important issues. Unfortunately, my colleagues across the aisle blocked them all.
Over the last several months, I’ve heard from many Virginians who have taken the time to share their concerns about this bill by calling my office or writing to me through my website. Your insights have been invaluable, and please know that I’m committed to doing everything I can to ensure all Virginians have the support they need in the wake of this disastrous legislation.
I look forward to keeping in touch and hearing about the issues that matter most to you. If you or a loved one needs help with a federal agency, please reach out to a member of my staff here. If you’d like to receive updates on my work in the U.S. Senate, sign up here to receive my newsletters and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky.
Sincerely,
Visit my website: kaine.senate.gov
Dear friend,
I’m sure you’ve heard a lot recently about the tax bill going through Congress. Unfortunately, if passed as is, the bill would be devastating for Virginia and our economy. Hundreds of thousands will lose their health care, children will go hungry, energy costs will rise, and taxes on the lowest earners will go up. Across the Commonwealth, everyday Virginians will suffer—all to give massive tax breaks to billionaires.
Here are a few examples of what’s wrong with this bill:
- Instead of focusing on giving tax breaks to middle-class Americans, this bill would provide massive, disproportionate tax breaks to billionaires at the expense of everyone else. The lowest earners—those making less than $15,000 a year—would face a 53.3 percent tax hike. Meanwhile, the top 0.1% would get a six-figure tax cut. The bottom 10 percent of Americans would see household resources reduced by 4 percent, while the top 10 percent would see resources increase by 2 percent.
- Massive tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy would add $3.8 trillion to the national deficit, meaning working Americans would foot the bill to line the pockets of billionaires.
- The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would lose more than 20 percent of its funding—resulting in at least 204,000 Virginians, including children, losing full or partial food assistance benefits.
- More than 262,000 Virginians would lose health insurance coverage due to cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
- The repeal of key Inflation Reduction Act provisions jeopardizes over 20,000 new Virginia jobs from clean energy investments and risks raising energy costs for Virginians. If left intact, the average Virginian household could save between $520 and $1,190 in energy cost savings per year through tax cuts for home and appliance upgrades under the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Americans would lose access to Direct File—a pilot program created by the Inflation Reduction Act that allows Americans to file their federal taxes for free without making extra payments to tax preparation services.
- Our communities would be less safe because this bill weakens gun safety measures on gun silencers, which make it harder for law enforcement to locate and respond to active shooters.
- Pell Grants, which help students from middle- and low-income families attend college, would be reduced or eliminated for about two-thirds of current recipients, including over 99,500 Virginians.
It’s simple: this bill is a bad deal. We must fight this.
Some of my colleagues across the aisle have already voiced their concerns because they’re hearing from their own constituents about how badly this will hurt them. I will continue to push each of my colleagues to join me in opposing this bill, and when the time comes, I will introduce amendments to mitigate the harmful impacts this bill would have for Virginians and Americans across the country.
I promise to continue fighting this bill in every way I can. If you have questions about this tax bill, please reach out to a member of my staff here. If you’d like to receive updates on my work in the U.S. Senate, sign up here to receive my newsletters and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky.
Sincerely,
Visit my website: kaine.senate.gov
Dear friend,
Virginians want costs to go down. They don’t want a national sales tax on everyday goods and groceries. That’s why I introduced legislation to undo President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, which amount to a 25 percent tax on imported goods from Canada. My legislation garnered support from across the aisle and from businesses and organized labor. I’m thrilled that the Senate passed it this week.
President Trump’s tariffs will be the largest tax hike in U.S. history, and his trade wars will raise costs for you and hurt businesses across our country. Estimates have shown that these tariffs could raise costs for the average American household by thousands of dollars per year, and many businesses are facing needless uncertainty. The worst part of this is that President Trump is doing this so that Republicans in Congress can use the funding from tariffs to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.
Watch my floor speech before the Senate vote>>>
Make no mistake: we have more work to do to stop President Trump’s disastrous economic policies and trade wars against some of our closest allies and top trading partners. But the Senate’s vote this week sends a strong message to President Trump: Congress and the American people will not stand idly by while the Trump Administration wreaks havoc on families and the economy. I will do all I can to urge the House of Representatives to take up this legislation.
I look forward to keeping in touch and hearing about the issues that matter most to you. If you or a loved one needs help with a federal agency, please reach out to a member of my staff here. If you’d like to receive updates on my work in the U.S. Senate, sign up here to receive my newsletters and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky.
Sincerely,
Visit my website: kaine.senate.gov
Dear friend,
I know a lot of hardworking folks’ wallets have been squeezed lately, and Trump’s new taxes threaten to make the problem worse.
Trump’s new taxes on goods from Canada—Virginia’s largest trading partner and one of the U.S.’ closest allies—would raise costs for families on everything from housing to groceries to cars. That’s ridiculous, and unaffordable for many families.
These new tariffs would also hurt Virginia businesses by disrupting supply chains and raising the cost of imported goods. That means some businesses may have to shut their doors or resort to layoffs to stay afloat, damaging our long-term economic growth.
I’m even more frustrated that these impending raised costs are all to help pay for Trump’s tax cuts for billionaires.
That’s why I’m forcing a vote on my legislation that would stop these new taxes and reverse Trump’s disastrous economic policies. Every single one of my colleagues in the Senate will have to go on the record and demonstrate if they are more interested in standing up for their constituents or in helping pave the way for Trump’s tax cuts for billionaires.
Read more about my legislation here >>>
I’m glad to have the support of many of my colleagues in the Senate, industry leaders, and Virginia small businesses that would also be hurt by Trump’s tariffs on Canada.
Virginians, I’m proud to stand up for you.
I look forward to keeping in touch and hearing about the issues that matter most to you. If you or a loved one needs help with a federal agency, please reach out to a member of my staff here. If you’d like to receive updates on my work in the U.S. Senate, sign up here to receive my newsletters and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky.
Sincerely,
Visit my website: kaine.senate.gov
Hello, I am Kimberly Blankenbeckler, and I am writing to express my thoughts regarding the executive order to create the "eradicate anti-christian bias task force"
I find this to extremely unconstitutional. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the freedom of religion, t guarantees that individuals can practice their religion without government interference and that the government cannot establish a national religion. The Trump administration is clearly violating this amendment. I am requesting that you contact multiple federal judges to put a freeze on the unconstitutional executive order.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my letter. I greatly appreciate your attention to this matter
Respectfully,
Kimberly Blankenbeckler
