VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) -- Virginia's general election is just a few months away, and Senator Tim Kaine is busy on the campaign trail.
"I'm doing a session later today with the Virginia Beach restaurant, and tourism community, and environmental leaders to discuss offshore drilling. It's a bad bet," Senator Kaine told 13News Now.
Senator Kaine is gearing up to go head-to-head with GOP challenger Corey Stewart this November.
"My opponent has a history of very divisive language," said Senator Kaine. "Saying that he wants to run a 'ruthless' and 'vicious' campaign against me, and against the organizations that he doesn't like."
In an announcement Monday, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorsed Senator Kaine's candidacy.
"My opponent wants to completely eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood, just as he wants to eliminate the Affordable Care Act and repeal Medicaid," said Senator Kaine. "I think there are huge attacks on the healthcare safety net, and I want to support the providers in the healthcare safety net."
Senator Kaine spoke with 13News Now about the top matters he plans to address with President Trump's nominee to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy: women's health care, repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, and constitutional limits on presidential power.
"I'm gonna read every opinion that the individual has written if they're a sitting judge. I'm gonna read every bit of academic writing that they've done if they're a scholar," said Senator Kaine. "And then, I wanna sit down and express concerns."
Senator Kaine also shared his main concern ahead of President Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month.
"The thing I'm most worried about in... the President's meeting with Vladimir Putin is that [President Trump] would do things to back away from our commitments to our European allies," sais Kaine. "[Russia is] an adversary. They're not a friend. Vladimir Putin's not a great guy or a good leader. He's a thug, and we shouldn't be making commitments to him at the expense of allies that have been with us for decades."
Back here at home, employers anticipate the impact of President Trump's steep tariffs on metals imported from the country's closest allies. Senator Kaine addressed his issues with the potential effect of those tariffs.
"When you put a tariff on imported aluminum and steel, you do help American workers who make aluminum and steel. You help them, "Senator Kaine said. "But you hurt American workers who make things out of aluminum and steel."
Senator Kaine has a history with Virginia as a former governor and lieutenant governor. He hopes to continue his relationship with the commonwealth as U.S. Senator following November's general elections.
"I believe in a Virginia that works for all. I love those two words at the end of the Pledge of Allegiance. It's gotta be about 'for everybody'", said Senator Kaine. "I think we need to pull together as a commonwealth, not be divisive."
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