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.
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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 – WTVR CBS 6 – 2025-06-14 11:47:32
SUMMARY: A flood watch remains in effect through tonight for much of the area, with potential for torrential downpours, especially north and west of Richmond. Storms today may produce rainfall rates up to 2–3 inches per hour and gusts near 40 mph. Scattered storms are likely mid-to-late afternoon and into the evening. Sunday, Father’s Day, will be muggy with highs near 80 in Richmond, cooler to the north and east. A marginal risk of strong storms exists south of I-64. Rain chances ease midweek as temps rise to the 90s. A front Thursday brings brief relief before heat returns next weekend.
We’re tracking more scattered storms for Saturday. Showers and storms will increase from mid-afternoon into the evening. Due to the muggy air, torrential downpours will occur, and localized flooding is possible. Some spots could pick up multiple inches of rainfall. A few storms could have some gusts in excess of 40 mph.
www.youtube.com – 13News Now – 2025-06-13 19:23:36
SUMMARY: Several area high schools competed in state semifinals across baseball, softball, and soccer. In Class 5 baseball, Cox edged Independence 2-1 with MJ Lemke closing the game, advancing to face Ocean Lakes in an all Beach District final. In softball, Great Bridge fell 1-0 to Mills Godwin despite strong pitching by Bailey Blevin. Gloucester, York, and Western Branch advanced to the finals. In boys’ Class 5 soccer, Hickory lost 2-0 to Lightridge, while Kellam beat Riverside to reach the finals. Northampton Boys and Kellam Girls won, but West Point Boys and Lafayette Girls were eliminated from title contention.
Several area high schools punched their ticket to the championship game that included the Cox Falcons baseball team.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Morgan Sweeney | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-06-13 18:44:00
Washington, D.C., is preparing for a military parade on Flag Day and President Trump’s birthday, costing $25-$45 million. In response, the ‘No Kings’ Day of Defiance movement, backed by over 100 organizations, is organizing protests in more than 2,000 U.S. cities, including dozens near D.C., opposing Trump’s “authoritarian overreach” and defending democracy. While no protests are planned in D.C. itself, heightened security has been enforced, with the parade designated a National Special Security Event. President Trump warned that protests in the capital would face strong force. No Kings emphasizes nonviolence, aiming to de-escalate conflicts. The main event will be held in Philadelphia.
(The Center Square) – As Washington, D.C., gears up for an historic military parade coinciding with Flag Day and President Donald Trump’s birthday, with projected costs between $25 million and $45 million, thecapitalregion is also mobilizing a protest response.
There are dozens of locations in Northern Virginia and Maryland within an hour’s drive of Washington where protesters can gather as part of the official nationwide ‘No Kings’ Day of Defiance.
No Kings is a movement supported by more than 100 partner organizations opposing Trump’s “authoritarian overreach” and gathering in “[defense] of democracy.”
There are over 2,000 cities and towns hosting No Kings events Saturday, where in some cases local or state leaders will speak, and “millions” that have RSVP’d, according to event communications.
Some events in thecapital regionwere at capacity as of Friday evening. One event in Kingstowne, Va., was expecting 250 people, according to an email from an organizer.
The group is not holding a protest in the district itself, however.
“Real power isn’t staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else,” its website reads. “Instead of allowing this birthday parade to be the center of gravity, we will make action everywhere else the story of America that day.”
However, the district is also in a state of heightened security, as the parade has been designated a National Special Security Event by the Department of Homeland Security. Extra security measures were installed throughout the week leading up to the event and some will be in place through the days immediately following the event, as well. The president also told reporters that any protests in D.C. during the parade would be met with “very big force.”
No Kings says it is committed to nonviolence.
“A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events,” its website says.
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: Centrist
This article presents information on both the planned military parade and the associated protests without adopting an overt ideological stance. It accurately reports the logistical and security aspects of the parade and describes the protest movement’s messaging and scale. While the article references phrases like “authoritarian overreach” and “defense of democracy,” these are clearly attributed to the protest organizers rather than the article itself. The tone remains factual and avoids emotionally charged or opinionated language. The article provides balanced coverage of actions from both the Trump administration and its critics, maintaining journalistic neutrality throughout.
