Mark R. Warner
U.S. Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia
Senator Warner was elected in part to bring a business-like approach to government, just like he did as Governor of Virginia. As a member of the Budget Committee, Senator Warner is focused on reducing the growing budget deficit and reducing waste through reforms in government programs and spending. He devoted his maiden floor speech on fiscal responsibility, and has spent much of his time on the Budget Committee working to increase performance measurements to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. In October 2009, he was tapped to chair the Budget Committee's Task Force on Government Performance, which will examine the federal government’s management framework and identify opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of federal programs and services.
Senator Warner's Progress:
- In his first speech on the Senate floor, Senator Warner discussed the need for greater transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility throughout the federal budget process.
- Senator Warner was selected to chair the Budget Committee's Bipartisan Task Force on Government Performance in October 2009. Click here to learn more about the task force.
- Senator Warner co-sponsored legislation to create a bipartisan fiscal task force to tackle federal budget spending and deficits in January 2010. In an op-ed published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, he wrote that he supported the creation of the commission because "legislative deal-making too often allows parochial and political considerations to trump the national interest."
- Since 2010, Senator Warner and Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) have been hosting bipartisan meetings to educate themselves and other members of Congress about deficit reduction and tax reform. On December 20, 2010 the Senators announced they will introduce a bill early next year based on the report from the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, in order to "get the ball rolling" on tackling the debt.You can read more about their work here.
Recent News on Fiscal Responsibility
Here is what Senator Warner has been doing recently regarding fiscal responsibility:
December 2014
- 12/03/14 -Senator Warner Discusses Opportunities to Improve Government EfficiencyWhile passage of the DATA Act was a huge victory for those pushing to increase government performance, Senator Warner commented that the fight is far from over. “Over the next few years, it is important that we keep working together to make sure our bill is implemented fully and our shared vision is carried out,” Senator Warner said.
November 2014
- 11/21/14 -Sens. Warner and Ayotte Discuss Moneyball for Government on CNNSenator’s Warner and Ayotte, co-chairs of the Government Performance Task Force on the Budget Committee, are leading the charge in the Senate towards bipartisan solutions to increase government efficiency and reducing waste.
July 2014
- 07/03/14 -Senator Warner talks government accountability with the Va Coalition for Open GovernmentYesterday VCOG had the pleasure of hosting Sen. Mark Warner (D) for a discussion about open government. Warner, speaking to VCOG’s board and guests at the Library of Virginia, reviewed the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA), which he co-sponsored with Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Rep. Elijjah Cummings (D-Maryland) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California).
June 2014
- 06/25/14 -Senate Committee Endorses Sen. Warner's Effort to Reduce Unnecessary Gov't ReportsA key Senate committee today endorsed Sen. Mark Warner’s bipartisan initiative to eliminate or modify more than 60 unnecessary, outdated and redundant reports produced by federal agencies.
May 2014
- 05/12/14 -Tracking every dollarThere is one thing in Washington that everyone should be able to agree on, and that is we must improve how our government works. I’m happy to report the President has signed our bipartisan Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, or DATA Act into law.
April 2014
- 04/21/14 -On the Road: Fredericksburg, Richmond and NorfolkSenator Warner traveled across Virginia last week for events in Fredericksburg, Richmond, and Norfolk.
- 04/14/14 -Winchester Star: Senate bill would allow taxpayers to track fundsA bipartisan bill sponsored by Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, unanimously passed the Senate on Thursday. The Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA) would call for all money spent by federal agencies to be traceable on a common website.
- 04/01/14 -Sen. Warner Statement on Vote Against Medicare "Doc Fix"Sen. Warner joined six Democrats in voting against the 12-month patch to what is known as the Medicare “doc fix,” the annual adjustment to reimbursement formulas for health providers serving Medicare recipients. Sen. Warner voted against the “patch” because it is a short-sighted solution to the long-term problem of the current Medicare payment system.
January 2014
- 01/08/14 -Warner talks bipartisanship with WTOPSenator Mark Warner joined WTOP morning show hosts Mike Moss and Bruce Alan today to talk about the year ahead including possible areas where legislators can find bipartisan solutions
December 2013
- 12/11/13 -Statement of Senator Warner on budget agreement announced by Sen. Murray and Rep. RyanMy hope is this compromise allows us to step away from the irrational harm of sequestration, which hits Virginia harder than any other state. This is a productive step forward that avoids another shutdown and allows the government to operate with more predictability over the short term.
