Congressman Tim Kaine, U.S. Senate
Senator Tim Kaine was elected to the Senate in 2012 and serves on the Armed Services; Budget;
Foreign Relations; and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committees.
Tim has made boosting job opportunities for everyone a top priority. As co-chair of the
bipartisan Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, Tim focuses on expanding access to
job-training programs to ensure that students of all ages are prepared with the skills they need for
the jobs of the modern economy. Tim has also led successful efforts in the Senate to reduce
unemployment for military families and veterans.
As a Senator from one of the states most closely connected to the military and the father of a
Marine, Tim is focused on crafting smart defense strategy and reducing the risk of unnecessary
war. He works to ensure that the military has the resources it needs to keep the country safe and
that servicemembers and veterans receive the benefits and care they have earned. He has also
been the leading voice against Presidents starting wars without a vote by Congress.
Tim believes that health care is a right, not something reserved just for those who can afford it,
and has consistently pushed for reforms to expand access to quality care. This includes
legislation to give Americans more options for affordable health insurance and to combat the
opioid abuse epidemic.
Tim grew up working in his father’s ironworking shop in Kansas City. His parents taught him
the value of hard work and showed him how small businesses and technical skills strengthen this
country every day. After graduating from the University of Missouri, he started his public service
career by running a technical school founded by Jesuit missionaries in Honduras. He trained
teenagers to become carpenters and welders, equipping them with skills to lift up themselves and
their communities.
He was first elected to office in 1994, serving as a city councilmember and then Mayor of
Richmond. He became Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in 2002 and was inaugurated as
Virginia’s 70th Governor in 2006. He is married to Anne Holton, who served as Virginia
Secretary of Education from 2014 until 2016 and currently serves as the Interim President of
George Mason University. They both revel in the adventures of their three grown children and
live in the same Northside Richmond neighborhood where they moved as newlyweds more than
30 years ago.
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