Budget

Tim supports a smart and balanced approach to budgeting that funds our national defense, children’s health care, education, substance abuse prevention, and other key programs. He has become a leader in helping Congress come to bipartisan, multi-year spending agreements that fund these critical domestic priorities and the military.

Tim is a supporter of two-year budgeting, a process he used as Governor of Virginia, to help businesses and agencies plan ahead and save money. Since taking office, Tim has raised concerns about the negative effects crisis-to-crisis budgeting has on the nation’s economy. Senator Kaine has introduced legislation to end the threat of future government shutdowns and the senseless pain they inflict on federal employees. In 2019, Senator Kaine secured passage of legislation to guarantee back pay as soon as possible for federal workers who go without a paycheck during government shutdowns. Tim believes fiscal policy should not be determined by political brinksmanship, and he opposes across-the-board cuts that hurt key priorities like education and health care, hampering our economic growth. Tim will continue to fight back against any efforts to slash funding for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security — programs that offer a critical lifeline for seniors, people with disabilities, and the most vulnerable Americans. Tim is committed to finding common ground on budget reforms that strengthen the economy and improve our nation’s fiscal outlook over the long run. Tim supports reforms to the tax code that put middle-class families and small businesses first. He is pushing for legislation to close loopholes that allow large corporations and millionaires and billionaires to pay lower tax rates than working families.