Kaine & Sullivan Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Recognize “Blue Star Welcome Week”

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK), members of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), announced the introduction of a bipartisan resolution to designate September 21-29, 2024, as "Blue Star Welcome Week." Blue Star Welcome Week is a nationwide campaign to build a better sense of belonging and community for military families, many of whom face frequent moves and transfers.

"Many servicemembers and their families are stationed in Virginia, and I'm proud that the Commonwealth has welcomed them into our communities," said Kaine. "Blue Star Welcome Week is an opportunity to thank military families for their sacrifices, connect with our neighbors, and help military families feel at home in their new communities."

"Alaska's military members and their families sacrifice so much on behalf of our state and our country," said Sullivan. "Frequent moves can put strain on families trying to establish ties in the communities in which they serve. Blue Star Welcome Week is an opportunity to reach out and connect with our brave men and women in uniform and their loved ones who serve our country to make them feel welcomed and supported by their fellow Americans."

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the father of a Marine Reservist, Kaine has long championed policies to support military families. Kaine has introduced the bipartisan Military Spouse Hiring Actto incentivize businesses to hire military spouses, who consistently experience unemployment rates higher than the national rate. The provisions of Kaine's Military Spouse Employment Act that passed in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act expanded hiring and career opportunities for military spouses, improved access to continuing education programs, expanded transition and counseling resources, increased small business opportunities for military spouses, provided more opportunities for family wellness programs on military bases, and addressed the constant transfers and moves military families experience. Following reports of dangerous and unsafe conditions at privatized military housing in Virginia and across the country, Kaine successfully pushed to pass reforms in the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Actto improve housing conditions for military families.

Full text of the resolution is available here.

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