Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with Senator Tim Kaine at our event “Climate Change: Keeping Our Community Safe and Prosperous” as part of our Brock Climate Lecture Series. When he was governor of Virginia, Kaine convened the Commonwealth’s very first Commission on Climate Change. As senator, he has continued to secure significant federal funding to address coastal flooding and disaster recovery, as well as help pass legislation to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and address sea level rise in Hampton Roads. I have long had great respect for the senator, and the Bay is fortunate to have him as a champion.
In Virginia, you have places like Tangier Island—which is rapidly disappearing—and Naval Station Norfolk—one of the largest military installations in the world—that are being impacted by sea level rise and more intense weather events. What is the federal government’s role in addressing these challenges?
Climate change threatens the livelihood of Virginians, the safety of communities, military readiness, and our economy. The Hampton Roads region, the Eastern Shore, and Tangier Island are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and federal appropriations, I’ve played a leading role in securing funding for game-changing projects to reduce the region’s flood risk, such as the Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management and Ohio Creek Watershed National Disaster Resilience Projects, as well as steps to pave the way for similar projects in Virginia Beach and on the Peninsula.
I’ve also played a key role on the Armed Services Committee in steering Department of Defense resources to partnerships with defense communities. That includes securing funding to improve the stormwater management system on a main access road to Naval Station Norfolk and passing my EMBRACE Act that authorized the Department of Defense to carry out stormwater management projects at military installations—a key part of improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Finally, thanks to Congressionally Directed Spending, I was able to secure the first meaningful funds for a generational project to save Tangier Island from extinction, rebuilding the island to its historical dimensions and preserving its citizens’ way of life. I will keep working to support the region in addressing the threats posed by climate change.
Congress has a lot of big issues on its agenda this year, like reauthorizing the Farm Bill and funding the federal government. What are high priorities on your list that will impact the Chesapeake Bay region?
I’m very concerned about how massive budget cuts at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the mass reduction of its workforce would impact the Chesapeake Bay Program that has been critical to improving the health of the Bay. Large-scale cuts would threaten the progress we’ve made to clean up the Bay and have a big negative effect on tourism, local seafood industries and agricultural producers, and the local economies of Hampton Roads, the Peninsula, the Northern Neck, and the Eastern Shore. I’m also focused on ensuring funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other laws we’ve passed in Congress, such as the Chesapeake WILD Act, is being disbursed according to law and not illegally withheld. I am also laser-focused on getting our legislation to establish the Chesapeake National Recreation Area passed into law.
You are known for being able to reach across the aisle and work closely with Republicans to find common-sense policy solutions. Is bipartisanship still achievable? And if so, where do you expect to find common ground this Congress?
These are challenging times, but I believe in Virginia and the country and know that we will all get through this together.
I’ve always believed in the need for bipartisanship. The Chesapeake Bay is a great example of something that has always had bipartisan support—even when I was Governor. In recent years, we’ve passed in Congress several pieces of historic legislation that had bipartisan support—the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Safer Communities Act, PACT Act, and Respect for Marriage Act.
It may be tougher over the next few years to find bipartisanship, but I will always work across the aisle to get things done for Virginians. I believe we will still be able to find common ground on national security issues, and I look forward to working with my Senate Armed Services Committee colleagues on this year’s defense authorizing bill to support servicemembers and their families, Virginia’s defense community, and our national security.
One of the questions I get asked the most is how do you find hope to move forward in challenging moments? What motivates you to keep pushing forward for policy changes even when it is an uphill battle?
Samuel Beckett once wrote: “I must go on. I can’t go on. I’ll go on.” I repeat that to myself on bad days. I also remember that there’s something I can do every day to try to improve the lives of Virginians. I was a civil rights lawyer, and I’ve been in public office for over 30 years. It’s important to keep fighting for what you believe in. We must fight battles even when we lose because we never know when we might win and even a loss can position us to win the next battle. These are challenging times, but I believe in Virginia and the country and know that we will all get through this together.
Senator Tim Kaine plants oysters on a sanctuary reef at CBF's Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach.
CBF Staff
