The August recess for Congress allows its members time to spend with family, opportunities to meet with their constitute, and time to catch up on their summer reading.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., hit the road during the second week of his recess beginning a five-day economic tour of Virginia with a focused on economic development and job creation. Last Tuesday, Kaine’s economic tour came to his hometown of Richmond, where he met with African-American business leaders to discuss challenges facing their businesses, including issues involving access to capital and workforce preparation.
Later in the day, Kaine visited the Amazon fulfillment center, one of the largest employers in the region, located in Chester’s Meadowville Technology Park. Touring the center with Kaine were Chesterfield County leaders Jay Stegmaier, county administrator; Garrett Hart, director of Chesterfield County Economic Development and Steve Elswick, chairman, Chesterfield Board of Supervisors.
This was the senator’s first visit to Amazon but he became familiar with the Chester location when he served as Virginia’s Governor and was working with the county on transportation funding for the I-295 interchange leading into the park.
Kaine was very impressed with the business model of Amazon and how it has actually created a new kind of business for the postal service, as well as how it has been good for the military.
“They [Amazon] do a lot with the military, with the intelligence community, so this is an employer that has a big footprint in Virginia,” he said. “The relationship with Fort Lee logistics personnel creates a good partnership with the military. They see how Amazon does their work and take it into their military logistics jobs.”
Kaine said he will do around 20 visits in a week and may take five or six ideas or concerns back to Washington with him. “I do come back with a few ideas,” he said and is always asking the businesses he visits, “What can we do in Congress to help you improve.”
Kaine continued his tour of Virginia on Wednesday and Thursday, visiting localities in southern Virginia, including: Emporia, South Hill, Boydton, South Boston, Danville, Martinsville, Galax, Pulaski, Hillsville, Radford, Roanoke and Lexington.
