Virginia Democratic Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine criticize the Republican spending plan for including billion-dollar tax cuts for the wealthy and weakening gun safety rules by removing registration and ownership requirements for firearm silencers. The proposal would repeal the $200 tax on silencers, a regulation since 1934, potentially undermining public safety by making shooters harder to detect, as seen in the 2019 Virginia Beach mass shooting. The bill threatens working families by cutting health insurance, food aid, raising energy costs, and risking jobs, while increasing the deficit and benefiting the richest 0.1%. Warner and Kaine vow to oppose the bill in the Senate.
Warner, Kaine condemn GOP tax bill over gun silencer rollback
Virginia’s Democratic U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, D-Va., are slamming the Republican spending plan moving through Congress, warning that tucked among its billion-dollar tax cuts for the wealthy is a dangerous gift to the gun industry that rolls back long-standing safety rules for firearm silencers.
In a blistering joint statement Thursday, the senators said the proposal would weaken gun laws that have been in place since 1934 by eliminating registration and ownership requirements for silencers, also known as suppressors — devices that muffle the sound of gunfire and make it harder for law enforcement to respond to active shooter situations.
“The Republican tax plan being pushed through Congress not only cuts critical services Virginians rely on in order to give huge tax breaks to billionaires,” Warner and Kaine said, “but it also makes our communities less safe by weakening gun safety measures on silencers.”
Though the change occupies just 12 lines in the nearly 400-page bill, the senators say its implications are severe.
If passed, the bill would repeal the $200 tax on silencer purchases, wipe out federal registration requirements for the devices and deliver millions in savings to gun manufacturers. The suppressor tax, part of the National Firearms Act of 1934, has been a core part of federal gun law for nearly a century.
The two lawmakers pointed to the 2019 Virginia Beach mass shooting — where a gunman used a silencer to kill 12 people — as a grim example of what can happen when these devices are used.
“Part of the reason that these registration and ownership requirements exist is because silencers, like the one that was used in the Virginia Beach mass shooting, make it harder for law enforcement to locate and respond to an active shooter,” they said.
Silencers are designed to reduce the sound, flash and recoil of a firearm, but their public safety risks have made them a focal point of debate. Law enforcement groups have long supported keeping suppressors regulated, arguing that they undermine gunshot detection technology and make it far more difficult to locate shooters in an emergency.
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, 4.5 million suppressors were registered with the federal government by the end of 2024, including 113,046 in Virginia. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates repealing the tax would cost the federal government $1.4 billion over ten years.
But for gun rights groups, even this deregulation isn’t enough.
The American Firearms Association called the move “nothing more than a crumb dropped from the King’s table,” and its Vice President Patrick Parsons said Republicans should go further by eliminating regulations on short-barrel rifles, abolishing the ATF and repealing the National Firearms Act altogether.
Warner and Kaine argue the silencer provision is just one piece of a broader bill they say would do massive harm to working families while lavishing the ultra-rich.
They warn that the legislation would strip health insurance from more than 262,000 Virginians, cut food assistance to over 204,000 people, raise energy costs across the state, and threaten more than 20,000 Virginia jobs.
They also noted the bill would eliminate a program that allows Americans to file taxes for free, raise taxes on minimum-wage workers, and blow a $3.8 trillion hole in the federal deficit — all while handing the top 0.1% of earners an average tax cut of $188,000.
“Americans deserve to feel safe in their communities,” the senators said, vowing to push back against “this disastrous bill” when it reaches the Senate floor.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
SUPPORT
Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
This article predominantly presents the perspective of Democratic Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, who criticize a Republican-led spending bill for benefiting the wealthy and weakening gun safety regulations. The framing highlights potential negative impacts on public safety and working families, emphasizing concerns over tax cuts for the ultra-rich and cuts to social programs. While it reports statements and positions factually, the language and focus clearly align with a progressive critique of conservative policy, reflecting a Center-Left bias. The article does not extensively present counterarguments or Republican viewpoints beyond brief mentions, which reinforces this leaning.
www.youtube.com – 12 On Your Side – 2025-06-06 15:42:00
SUMMARY: Too much sun exposure can cause painful burns and increase the risk of skin damage and skin cancer. UV radiation accumulates over time, so sunburns from childhood to adulthood add up. Those working outside daily, like landscapers and lifeguards, face higher risks. Basal cell skin cancer is common, slow-growing, and treatable. Melanoma is the most dangerous type, identified by the ABCDE criteria: Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color variation, Diameter larger than 6 millimeters, and Evolving spots. Regular self-checks and dermatologist visits are essential. Use sunscreen (SPF 30+), reapply frequently, wear protective clothing, and a wide-brimmed hat for sun safety.
Meteorologist Ros Runner examines how to protect your skin while having fun in the sun.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Jon Styf | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-06-06 11:21:00
A marketing report by Conventions, Sports and Leisure (CSL) claims the proposed Washington Commanders stadium and development will generate $24.2 billion in economic output over 33 years, with an $8 billion total cost—$3.2 billion for a new stadium at the former RFK site and $4.8 billion for a mixed-use district featuring housing, offices, retail, hotels, and infrastructure. Despite claims the team would primarily finance it, over $2.5 billion in taxpayer subsidies are planned. Economists widely discredit CSL’s reports as misleading, citing flawed assumptions and omitted economic factors. CSL, linked to major sports franchises, is criticized for inflating benefits to justify public funding.
(The Center Square) – A new marketing report on the Washington Commanders proposed stadium and development says the project will lead to $24.2 billion in total economic output over 33 years.
The group that produced the report, however, is regularly discredited by economists who study the impact of sports stadiums
The report from marketing firm Conventions, Sports and Leisure estimates the project will cost $8 billion, with $3.2 billion a new stadium on the site of the former RFK Stadium over a three-year construction period and $4.8 billion for the surrounding mixed-use district over a seven-year span.
The mixed-use portion of the project is planned to include 8.1 million square feet of development. Also, it will have approximately 6,477 multi-family housing units, 519,200 square feet of office space, 376,300 square feet of restaurant and retail space, 800 hotel rooms, 8,200 parking spaces, a sportsplex, supporting infrastructure and green space.
The economic impact report says the project will lead to $5.1 billion in taxes, including $1.6 billion in property taxes from the mixed-use district, $2.3 billion in sales and ticket taxes, $735.1 million in income taxes and $452.8 million in hotel taxes.
Economists who have extensively studied the impact of sports stadiums have long said that CSL’s reports are inaccurate and misinformation.
The firm has been referred to as the “Wile E. Coyote of the sports stadium racket” by publicly financed stadium blog “Field of Schemes,” written by Neil DeMause. CSL is owned by Legends Marketing, a joint venture involving the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys.
“Viewing what ‘economic impact’ consultants do to be economics is like considering horoscopes to be astronomy,” economist J.C. Bradbury of Georgia’s Kennesaw State University wrote. “Newspapers are smart enough to put horoscopes next to the comics and Dear Abby, while economic impact ‘studies’ get banner headlines on the front page.”
The reports are often criticized because they do not include crowding out of other visitors on event days, diverted spending from other events and fail to use basic economic principles such as the broken window fallacy, which states that money spent to repair broken items is not a net benefit.
Bradbury previously told The Center Square that CSL is hired by a group looking to push public funding for a project and those numbers are used to tell constituents about how good a project is for a community, even though the actual economic numbers do not show that.
“It’s resulted in a larger cottage industry for giving out tax incentives in general,” Bradbury said. “These are totally fake and they mean nothing but they are required to provide some sort of guidance, even though they don’t.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The article primarily reports on the economic impact analysis of the Washington Commanders stadium project and includes critical perspectives of the marketing firm producing the report. While it presents factual details about the proposed project and taxpayer subsidies, the framing leans toward skepticism of public funding for sports stadiums, highlighting economists’ criticisms of the economic impact claims and labeling the firm’s work as misleading. The tone is somewhat critical of public subsidies and economic “impact” studies, aligning with a center-right, fiscally cautious viewpoint skeptical of government spending on large sports developments. However, it remains largely factual and does not overtly promote a partisan agenda.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-06-05 14:34:00
Since January 2022, Virginia has secured over $100 billion in corporate investments, surpassing the combined totals of the previous two administrations. Governor Glenn Youngkin announced this milestone at the future site of the Kalahari Resorts in Spotsylvania County. The investments are projected to create more than 265,000 jobs and 15,000 new businesses statewide. Youngkin signed Executive Order 49, making permanent the Made in Virginia Investment Accelerator, a program streamlining development for projects investing over $250 million or creating 250+ jobs. Focused on six sectors, the initiative unites state agencies to boost economic growth, supported by tax relief and regulatory reforms.
(The Center Square) – Virginia has securedmore than$100 billion in corporate investment commitments since January 2022.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced it during a press event at the futuresite ofKalahari Resorts & Conventions in Spotsylvania County.According to thegovernor’soffice, that investment total exceeds the combined amount secured under the past two administrations. It includes more than 265,000 new jobsandover 15,000newbusiness starts across the commonwealth.
That’s about the cost of 1,200 F-35 fighter jets.
Youngkin signedExecutive Order 49at the event, makingpermanentthe Made in Virginia Investment Accelerator, a state-led program designed to streamline site development, permitting, infrastructure planning and workforce coordination for major business projects.
The program supports companies planning to invest more than $250 million or create at least 250 new jobs in Virginia. It focuses on six key sectors: energy, data centers, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, supply chain management, and commercial aerospace and defense.
“Virginiaisn’tjust competing to win. Virginia is winning,”Youngkin said in astatement.He pointed to $9 billion in tax relief, regulatory reforms, and expanded infrastructure investments as key factors behind the surge in corporate interest.
Thegovernor’soffice said the investment accelerator brings together state agencies responsible for permitting, transportation, workforce training, economic development and energy planning.It is led by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Secretary of Commerce and Trade Juan Pablo Segura.
“We are setting business investment records because of theGovernor’sleadership and his signal to the market that Virginia wants to partner with the business community,wants toinnovate with private industry, andwants tosupport private investment as much as possible,”Segura said.
Partner agencies include Virginia Housing, Virginia Energy, the Virginia Department of Health, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and the Virginia Department of Transportation.
The Kalahari project, which hosted the executive order signing, is expected to become the largest indoor water park on the East Coast and is one of thestate’smajor tourism and hospitality investments.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
This article primarily reports on Governor Glenn Youngkin’s announcement of significant corporate investment in Virginia under his administration, highlighting economic achievements and policy initiatives such as tax relief and regulatory reform. The tone is generally positive toward Youngkin’s leadership and economic agenda, using language that underscores business success and governmental efficiency without critical analysis or opposing viewpoints. While it does not explicitly advocate a partisan position, the framing aligns with a pro-business, market-friendly perspective typical of center-right reporting. The piece focuses on conveying the administration’s accomplishments without broader ideological commentary, maintaining a mostly factual, though favorable, presentation.
