Today, former governor and U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine continued his two-day swing across the Commonwealth with Senator Mark Warner with a tour and employee town hall in Ashburn at MVM, Inc., a security and logistics contractor for various branches of the military and government agencies. During the discussion with MVM employees, Kaine outlined his strategies to create Virginia jobs and his plan to avoid sequestration.
“I’ve laid out a plan that Congress could pick up today that would avoid the devastating impact of these sequestration cuts and that includes a middle of the road, common sense approach that can bring both sides together. First, we should find a middle ground on the Bush tax cuts. While Democrats want them to expire for income over $250,000 and Republicans want to make them permanent, I’ve offered a compromise at $500,000 that will raise $500 billion in new revenue, halving the proposed sequestration cuts,” said Kaine. “In addition, if we combine that revenue with revenue generated by ending the prohibition on prescription price negotiation in Medicare, which would yield up to $240 billion in revenue, and repealing subsidies for the big five oil companies, which would produce $24 billion in revenue, we would come a long way toward blunting the effects of sequestration. This isn't the time for partisan games and ideological demands. These cuts are too dangerous for a no-compromise attitude and we will only find a workable solution when both sides are willing to give a little.”
Throughout the tour, MVM employees demonstrated some of their security tactics and training procedures for Warner and Kaine, including live fire drills that simulate real world security situations. During the town hall with MVM employees, many of whom have military or law enforcement backgrounds, Kaine shared his strategies to better match skills gained in the military with civilian credentials and his approach to avoid the looming sequestration cuts. Throughout the tour, Warner praised Kaine's ability to bring both sides together to get things done for Virginia.
“If you are frustrated with Congress, as I am, you get a say in whether we get the dysfunction fixed or not,” said Warner. “I’m here hoping that you’ll hire Tim Kaine. I’ve known him for 32 years and the reason I’m so supportive of Tim for this position is we need people who will actually be willing to work together to get stuff done. Tim’s always been about results, not about laying blame.”
This was one of the many stops Governor Kaine has made across the Commonwealth to speak with members of the defense community about his plan to avoid sequestration and his balanced approach to deficit reduction that would protect small businesses and encourage job creation.
Kaine and Warner will continue their tour today near Vienna at the site of a Silver Line metro station that is currently under construction.
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