HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) — U.S. Senator Tim Kaine visited the Shenandoah Valley on Tuesday to highlight federal investments supporting higher education, workforce development, and affordable housing.

Kaine began the day at Eastern Mennonite University, where he celebrated $1.3 million in Fiscal Year 2026 Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) that he secured to expand the university’s STEM and nursing education programs. The funding is intended to strengthen educational opportunities and prepare students for careers in high-demand fields.

Throughout his time in the Senate, Kaine has advocated for expanding access to higher education and workforce training. He introduced the bipartisan Digital Skills for Today’s Workforce Act to increase access to digital skills training and helped lead the bipartisan Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act, which allows students to use federal Pell Grants for short-term job training programs. Key provisions of the JOBS Act were signed into law last year.

Kaine also participated in a conversation hosted by the United Way of Central Shenandoah Valley focused on workforce development and the challenges facing working families. The discussion examined how rising costs, childcare shortages, and transportation barriers affect employment across the region.

The senator has also prioritized efforts to make childcare more affordable and accessible. He recently introduced the After Hours Child Care Act, which would expand existing childcare programs and establish new facilities to support parents working nontraditional hours. He has also introduced the Child Care for Working Families Act to help families afford high-quality childcare, along with bipartisan legislation to strengthen tax credits that reduce childcare costs and increase the number of providers. Several provisions from that legislation became law last year.

Kaine’s final stop was in Staunton, where he highlighted $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2026 Congressionally Directed Spending secured for the Staunton Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The funding will support the construction of new affordable housing units.

Kaine has consistently supported initiatives aimed at increasing affordable housing opportunities. He backs the bipartisan 21st Century Road to Housing Act, legislation designed to increase housing supply, reduce costs, and expand access to affordable housing. The bill includes provisions from several measures Kaine has introduced, including efforts to improve transparency in mortgage lending for veterans, establish a pilot grant program for housing and community development, create a down payment assistance fund for first-time homebuyers, and eliminate tax breaks for large institutional investors purchasing single-family homes. The legislation passed the Senate last month.