In The News

A group of U.S. Senators have introduced the Handle with Care Act to recognize and build on the successful program in West Virginia, which aids children impacted by the opioid epidemic. The Handle with Care program connects children who interact with law enforcement in domestic violence situations, drug raids, overdoses, and more, to school resources that are designed to provide the child with trauma-informed care.The legislation was introduced by U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.,... Read More

An act introduced in the U.S. Senate seeks to create a teacher residency grant program to address career and technical education teacher shortages in schools. U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, Tim Kaine, D-Va., Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., introduced the Creating Quality Technical Educators Act on Tuesday.The program seeks to create partnerships between elementary, middle or high schools and higher education institutions to offer one-year teacher residencies to train... Read More

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., are two of the most bipartisan members of Congress, according to rankings released on Tuesday.The Bipartisan Index of the Lugar Center and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy measures how often federal lawmakers co-sponsor legislation introduced by members of the opposite party, as well as how often one’s own bills are co-sponsored by legislators of different... Read More

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., spoke before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday in support of President Donald Trump’s nominee to preside over the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.Trump announced a slate of nominees on Feb. 12, including Thomas Kleeh, who is a partner at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC in Charleston. Kleeh has also been staff counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee in the West... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the economy also shows the effects of the opioid epidemic that continues to take a toll on communities across the United States, two local senators have introduced legislation designed to alleviate some of the issues faced in our region.The Beige Book, commentary on current economic conditions by the Federal Reserve district, surveyed the economic activity across the country in April, May and July of 2017 and all noted the inability of employers to find workers able to pass... Read More

The Senate Health Committee will vote on a bill next month addressing increasing maternal death rates in the U.S., ranking member Patty Murray said Tuesday. The bill, sponsored by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), would support state-level efforts to form review committees that specifically track and investigate pregnancy-related deaths, and then look for ways to prevent future deaths from occurring. "It is unacceptable that in the United States of... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senators from West Virginia and Virginia have introduced legislation that, if passed, would rename the federal Department of Agriculture.The bill would change the department to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. While not making any changes to the current practices of the department, the senators believe the new name will highlight one of the department's missions: Providing rural communities with access to critical resources.The department also... Read More

WASHINGTON (WTRF) - As the opioid epidemic continues to sweep the nation, new bi-partisan legislation has been introduced in the United States Senate that aims to get ahead of the problem. The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 is composed of 40 different proposals that help multiple agencies address the crisis and related issues. This Opioid Crisis Response Act is the result of several years of work by Senate members from both the Republican and Democratic parties after seeing a need... Read More

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded more than $230,000 to the West Virginia University Research Corporation. The funding, through the Preventive Medicine Residency Program, will support curriculum and programs for preventive medicine residents. Their mission is to improve access to quality preventive health care services for West Virginians.U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. are pushing legislation that would give tax breaks to help keep coal-fired power plants in operation.“As a West Virginian, I know that coal-fired power is the engine of our economy, powering industry and creating good-paying jobs in our state,” Manchin said. “During extreme weather, coal has literally saved lives. Time and time again, coal-fired power plants have kept the lights on when... Read More

A new piece of legislation aims to limit diversion, theft and abuse of opioids from at-home, end-of-life care.A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, including Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., introduced the Safe Disposal of Unused Medication Act of 2018 — a bill allowing for the safe disposal of unwanted drugs when patients are receiving hospice care at home.Under current federal regulations, hospice staff are not allowed to dispose of unused medications, even after the patient has... Read More

A new piece of legislation aims to address the workforce shortage created by the opioid epidemic.The Collectively Achieving Recovery and Employment (CARE) Act, introduced Wednesday by U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, would combine existing grant programs at the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create a six-year pilot project to combine job training and addiction recovery services.“For individuals on... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A former Elkins interim police chief has been nominated to serve as a United States marshal for the second time in his illustrious career. J.C. Raffety, who spent much of 2017 serving as both interim chief and special investigator for the city of Elkins, has been nominated to serve in the position for the Northern District of West Virginia, which includes court locations in Elkins, Clarksburg, Martinsburg and Wheeling.Raffety’s nomination will now go to the United... Read More

U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Angus King, I-Maine, released a report Monday from the National Center for Education Statistics highlighting the pervasive use of computers as a learning tool for schoolwork, and the disadvantage it can pose for students from rural or low-income parts of the country if they lack necessary broadband access.NCES, an entity within the U.S. Department of Education, addresses the importance of digital learning for students in the 21st century, and... Read More

The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works showed strong bipartisan support for the Utilizing Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies (USE IT) Act in a hearing on Wednesday. Senate Bill 2602 is intended to monetize previously captured carbon. The bill - sponsored by Senators John Barasso, R-Wyo.; Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.; Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; and Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D. - appeals to both sides of the aisle.“It’s a win-win.... Read More

WASHINGTON — Legislation was introduced into the U.S. Senate Wednesday that aims to address a workforce shortage that has been caused by the opioid epidemic.The bill, the Collectively Achieving Recovery and Employment Act, or CARE Act, was introduced to the senate by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.The bill would combine various grant programs of the Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services and create a... Read More

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — More than $28 million in federal funding to fix roads and bridges damaged by flooding is heading to West Virginia.U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito and Rep. Evan Jenkins announced the funding Tuesday from the U.S. Department of Transportation.The state Department of Transportation will receive $15.6 million for various projects, the U.S. Forest Service will receive $12.4 million for work in five counties, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will... Read More

CLARKSBURG — A familiar face soon could be back in charge of the U.S. Marshals Service in the Northern District of West Virginia.Former Northern West Virginia U.S. Marshal J.C. Raffety has been nominated to serve in the post again by President Donald Trump.Raffety was recommended by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.“There is no one more qualified to serve as U.S. Marshal in West Virginia’s Northern District than J.C,” Capito said. “Having already held the... Read More

Senators from opposite sides of the political and environmental spectrum will huddle with a host of top researchers this week to discuss legislation aimed at boosting carbon-capturing technologies.The Environment and Public Works Committee is holding a hearing Wednesday to discuss a bipartisan bill, S. 2602, the "Utilizing Significant Emissions With Innovative Technologies (USE IT) Act."EPW Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) introduced the bill last month to... Read More

WHITESVILLE, W.Va. - Eight years ago, an explosion triggered by a spark from a piece of mining equipment coupled with coal dust traveled through the Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, West Virginia, taking the lives of 29 miners and injuring two others.The recovery effort from multiple agencies in multiple counties and states endured for days after the tragedy at the Raleigh County site owned by Massey Energy.The accident was the worst in the United States since 1970, when 38 miners were killed... Read More