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'Sorrow, thanks, and questions': Virginia leaders, including Warner and Kaine react to American Airlines crash

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ARLINGTON, Va. — Virginia leaders, including senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine addressed the aftermath of a deadly American Airlines midair collision, expressing condolences for the victims and gratitude towards first responders.

Virginia senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine address deadly American Airlines midair collision

Caucus co-chair Bill DeSteph said that in addition to offering their condolences, the Virginia legislature is waiting for the investigation surrounding the crash to play out before deciding how to offer support.

DeSteph added that members of caucus would be willing to do so at a moment's notice when the time comes.

"The NTSB, FAA, every body and their brother has involved. NASA has offered their safety team to assists. The first responders who have already been there working all night long in the water on the scene. Ou thoughts and prayers are also with them, but truly the best thing we can do at this point is prayer," DeSteph said.

Scroll down for a transcript of Kaine and Warner's remarks at a 7:30 a.m. briefing on Wednesday night's deadly midair collision:

Sen. Mark Warner (D - Virginia)

I want to join with everyone else and express my condolences for the victims. For folks who don't live in the DMV, we are made up of a lot of jurisdictions.

Reagan Airport is in Virginia, across the river, we have Maryland, obviously the District, but has been indicated by the chief, when tragedy happens, all those distinctions between the various jurisdictions and our federal partners all disappear.

I want to again thank all the first responders.

On a personal note, I'll just add that, literally, I now know I was coming back from the District, from a dinner to my home in Old Town, Alexandria, and while I did not see the collision, I wondered, I'd never seen this many red lights streaming towards the airport and across the river in Maryland.

About this time, my phone started blowing up, and I realized that this accident had taken place. There will be a time to figure out. I know NTSB will have a briefing later in the day, but to the victims, our condolences. To the first responders, our thanks.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D - Virginia)

Sorrow, thanks and questions.

Sorrow, as all have expressed to the crew, to the passengers, to the soldiers, to their families, to their friends, to their loved ones, to people who are still trying to get information and unsure whether their loved ones have been lost.

We offer our profound condolences to them and our sorrow for this tragedy.

Thanks.

I'll echo, Mayor what you began with, when you see a challenge like this, and you see people from so many different agencies, local, state, federal, with different uniforms, different badges, but working in such a coordinated way even in the midst of a tragedy, it does give you a sense of appreciation and pride in people's willingness to come to the danger and work together.

And I started to see that as a local official 30 years ago in Richmond, and definitely have seen it here.

And then finally, questions.

There's going to be a lot of questions, obviously a lot of questions, and that's what the NTSB's job is, is to be an independent investigator of incidents like this. And they are here. We were in dialog with them earlier today. They've been here since they got the alert, and they will be doing the work and playing lead in answering the many questions that we have.

And that's as it should be. It's not a time to speculate. It's a time to investigate and get answers to the questions we need, and I have confidence that will be done.

This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.

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