This is a Moms Clean Air Force exclusive interview with Senator Tim Kaine from Virginia:
What is unique about protecting Virginia’s resources?
From the Chesapeake Bay to the Cumberland Gap, Virginia is blessed with an array of natural treasures, each of which is uniquely rich in history and beauty. I believe we have a responsibility to protect natural resources in Virginia and throughout our nation for future generations to enjoy. As a U.S. Senator, I’ve worked with my colleagues to carry out this important obligation. For instance, I was proud to lead a successful bipartisan effort to extend a National Park Service program to preserve Civil War and Revolutionary War battlefields around the country.
As a parent are you worried about the effects of climate change on your children and the children of Virginia?
While I’m certainly concerned about the effects of climate change on younger generations, we are already seeing these effects right now in Virginia. In the Hampton Roads area, which is the nation’s second-most vulnerable population center at risk from sea-level rise, we have already begun to see major flooding challenges for homeowners, businesses, and the military. Our agriculture and fishing sectors are also threatened by changing weather conditions and ocean acidification, among other factors influenced by climate change. We can, and should, discuss climate change in future terms because its impacts will grow more severe, but the reality is that climate change is already impacting Virginians in significant ways.
Why is a bipartisan effort so important and how can these efforts be achieved in our politically polarizing culture?
Practically speaking, bipartisanship is essential to passing legislation because of the Senate filibuster; neither party has enough Senators to reach the 60-vote threshold required to pass most bills without bipartisan support. But more importantly, Virginians have grown tired of gridlock in Congress and expect their leaders to put aside their differences and find common ground on important issues. In tackling a large-scale issue like climate change, we need political consensus on the problem in order to find the best available solutions for our nation.
Previously, Senators from both sides worked together to combat climate change. In 2007, Virginia Senator John Warner sponsored the Senate’s first cap-and-trade bill with Independent Senator Joe Lieberman. Today, I believe it is possible to find bipartisan solutions to this issue because I reject the notion that cleaning up the planet and growing the economy are incompatible. We have an obligation to reduce carbon pollution in a way that makes economic sense, and Virginia is well prepared to craft innovative solutions that will reduce pollution and create jobs at the same time.
I’ve worked with colleagues across the aisle to address the adaptation challenges we are already facing in Virginia. On June 30, 2014, I led a bipartisan conference on sea-level rise in Norfolk, where flooding and land subsidence are legitimate threats. Federal, state and local leaders from both parties were able to discuss actionable policy solutions to these challenges that I hope we will be able to develop further and implement for the betterment of Virginians.
Is there anything you’d like to share that is important for Moms Clean Air Force members to know?
I commend your advocacy on these important issues. Fifty years ago, grassroots advocacy ignited an environmental movement that resulted in the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, the Endangered Species Act, and the creation of Earth Day – all approved under a Republican president, with bipartisan support from Congress. I encourage your organization and others to ask of your policymakers, regardless of party, that they find common ground on the air and water quality challenges that affect us all.
Tim Kaine has served people throughout his life as a missionary, civil rights lawyer, teacher and elected official. He is one of 20 people in American history to have served as a Mayor, Governor and United States Senator. Tim was first elected to office in 1994, serving as a city council member and then mayor of Richmond. He became lieutenant governor of Virginia in 2002 and was inaugurated as Virginia’s 70th governor in 2006. As Governor, Kaine established the Commonwealth’s first ever Climate Change Commission to evaluate expected impacts of climate change on Virginia’s natural resources, public health and economy. In the Senate, he serves on the Armed Services, Budget, Foreign Relations and Aging committees. Since taking office, Tim has focused closely on climate change and its effects on Virginia, especially sea level rise and flooding. In 2014, he co-hosted a bipartisan conference that brought together policymakers, experts and regional stakeholders to discuss strategies to combat the threat that these challenges pose to Virginia.
Tim is married to Anne Holton, who currently serves as Virginia Secretary of Education. Tim and Anne 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. Tim loves reading, being outdoors and playing harmonica with bluegrass bands throughout Virginia.