Dear friend,
Traveling our Commonwealth and meeting Virginians has always been my favorite part of my job, and I’m grateful for the opportunities to travel throughout Virginia that this year has offered me so far. This spring, I had many insightful meetings, including a visit with dentists and patients at the Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Clinic in Abingdon and a meeting with Roanoke County and Appalachian Trail stakeholders to discuss funding I’m working to secure for McAfee Knob. As Congress enters a busy work period ahead, I’m reflecting on the great travels I had in August to meet with more Virginians, celebrate investments we’re making across the Commonwealth, and learn more about how I can support our communities.
I kicked my travels off in Henrico to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act becoming law. The Inflation Reduction Act, which I voted for, passed the Senate by one vote. Last month, the Biden-Harris Administration announced lower prices for the first ten drugs that were selected for Medicare price negotiation; these prices will go into effect starting January 1, 2026. This will save older Americans $1.5 billion and the federal budget $6 billion in the first year of implementation alone. It was great to hear from Virginians about how the law has benefited them and made it easier for them to get the health care they need.
Then, I traveled to Winchester where I toured Blue Ridge Independence at Home to learn more about how $561,000 in federal funding I secured is going to expand access to high-quality care for seniors under a new Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly that opened this month.
I also visited Carmeuse Winchester Operations to learn more about their work and discuss how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which I helped pass, is accelerating their operations as a major supplier of vital materials used to build roads, bridges, tunnels, rail, and other public works.
Later in the month, I traveled to Hampton Roads where I toured the Virginia Beach Emergency Operations Center to learn more about how they’re using over $1.4 million in federal funds I secured for technology upgrades that will help keep Virginians safe.
Then, I visited Neighborhood in Chesapeake with Congressman Bobby Scott and participated in a roundtable discussion with Neighborhood’s leadership and program graduates to talk about how they are equipping individuals with the necessary skills to be successful and get good-paying jobs. I secured $275,000 in federal funding to expand Neighborhood’s Career & Community Development Program.
From there, I headed to Phlow Corp. in Petersburg with Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan and Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell. Together, we toured the pharmaceutical manufacturing plant and received an update on Phlow’s work to manufacture critical medicines and boost the supply chain. Phlow is part of the Virginia Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Cluster, and 10 years ago, its site was an empty field. But because of investments we’ve made in Congress and federal funding I’ve secured, Petersburg is now the hub of pharmaceutical innovation. I’ve worked to build central Virginia as a biotech hub since I was Mayor of Richmond, so it’s particularly exciting to see our region taking the lead in producing affordable lifesaving medicines.
I also visited Richard Bland College in South Prince George to learn more about the college’s Guided Pathways for Success program, which I secured federal funding for, to support students. It was so great to meet with these young leaders, and I’m confident the future is bright with great students entering our workforce!
Next up, I held a roundtable at Healthy Generations Area Agency on Aging in Fredericksburg to talk about how the Inflation Reduction Act will benefit our nation’s seniors, including by capping the costs of insulin at $35 per month for Americans on Medicare. I was also able to share how the Inflation Reduction Act will cap out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs at $2,000 per year for Americans on Medicare starting in 2026.
My next stop was a visit to the Child Development Center (CDC) South at Marine Corps Base Quantico to meet with CDC staff and parents to discuss child care needs and staffing shortages. Access to child care is critical to military readiness, and we need to do more to ensure servicemembers have access to the care they need. I will continue to advocate for federal funding, including $8.2 million in congressionally directed spending as part of the Senate's draft Fiscal Year 2025 government funding bills, to support a new CDC on base. I’ll also keep working to address workforce shortages and pass my bipartisan bill to make child care more affordable.
To wrap up the month, I traveled north to visit Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) in Manassas to hear from students about how the college is using federal funding I secured to train them for jobs in the chips and technology industries. Legislation we passed in Congress, including the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, is creating new jobs, and we need to make sure we have the workforce to fill these positions. Workforce programs like this one at NOVA are going to be critical to doing that.
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Lastly, I met with Korean Americans in Centreville. Many families were tragically torn apart during the Korean War, and they have been unable to reunite with their loved ones in over seventy years. I’m grateful to the Korean Americans who shared their stories about these heartbreaking separations, and I will keep pushing to pass my bipartisan Divided Families National Registry Act to help these families reunite after many decades.
Traveling our beautiful Commonwealth and meeting Virginians is my favorite part of this job, and I’m so grateful for the time and insights shared with me over the past month. I look forward to keeping in touch and hearing about the issues that matter most to you. 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, and Instagram.
Sincerely,
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