In The News

President Trump officially has his CIA Director. On Thursday the Senate confirmed former Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe on a vote of 74 to 25. During his confirmation hearings, Ratcliffe vowed to operate an apolitical CIA. Rafcliffe is well known for his hard stance on China and the Chinese Communist Party. West Virginia Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito voted in favor of Ratcliffe, saying in part, “I have confidence that Mr. Ratcliffe will bring his valuable experience as Director of... Read More

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito announced significant broadband investment funding for projects in Hampshire, Hardy, and Nicholas counties. These grants, secured through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development ReConnect program, will support two high-speed broadband infrastructure projects to create or improve rural broadband for thousands of people. “Through my role on the Senate Appropriations Committee, I was able to help craft the ReConnect program because I knew how... Read More

We applaud new West Virginia Attorney General J.B. McCuskey, who has joined 22 other states in challenging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its controversial methane tax rule. The rule would impose charges on oil and natural gas facilities emitting more than 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Retroactive fees are set to begin at $900 per metric ton for 2024 emissions, increasing to $1,200 in 2025 and $1,500 in 2026 and beyond. Emerging from the Inflation Reduction Act of... Read More

The Congressional Energy Export Caucus, co-chaired by Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., is praising the decision to lift the pause on the permitting process for future liquefied natural gas exports. The U.S. Department of Energy, in a statement released Monday, said it would immediately begin the process of reserving the policy put in place by the Biden administration last January. "LNG is fundamental to the enrichment of U.S. energy production, and the decision to pause these exports has stifled our... Read More

One day after voting to approved one of the first cabinet nominees of President Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito introduced Trump’s nominee to represent the U.S. at the United Nations to the committee considering her nomination. Capito, R-W.Va., was one of two senators who provided an introduction to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday morning of U.S. Rep. Elisa Stefanik, R-N.Y., Trump’s nominee as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. “It is truly an honor to be here to... Read More

West Virginia officials and stakeholders in the state’s energy industries issued praise Tuesday for President Donald Trump’s opening moves. Gov. Patrick Morrisey, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and the West Virginia Coal Association all released statements of strong support for the newly inaugurated president’s initial actions on energy policy. A batch of executive orders signed by Trump on his first day in office will “grow West Virginia’s energy economy, produce good-paying jobs and help... Read More

Many of West Virginia’s state leaders congratulated President Trump on one executive order in particular Tuesday. Governor Patrick Morrisey, Senator Jim Justice and Senator Shelley Moore Capito all released statements after Trump signed the executive order to ‘Unleash American Energy.’ The order aims to, in part, unleash the country’s affordable and reliable energy and natural resources, as well as restore American prosperity and rebuild the nation’s economic and military security. Morrisey said... Read More

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., introduced President Donald Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to the United Nations to the members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Tuesday. Capito, the fourth-ranking member of the GOP Senate leadership, spoke warmly about her “good friend” Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and said she is well-suited for the role. “The job she has been selected to carry about for President is not an easy one,” Capito said. “But it is extremely important.” Capito,... Read More

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, issued the follow statement on President Trump’s executive orders unleashing American energy. “On Day One, President Trump took immediate and meaningful action to reassert American energy dominance. After four years of burdensome and costly regulations, I’m thankful that the White House is addressing Americans’ energy concerns by reducing bureaucratic red tape to build needed... Read More

A “golden age,” one in which the United States of America can aim even higher than the moon, was proclaimed Monday during President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration speech. And while Elon Musk may have thrown his hands in the air to cheer the goal to “pursue our manifest destiny into the stars,” and “plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars,” ordinary Americans were more likely to find a common reason to cheer in Trump’s promise to seek a broad government effort to reduce inflation and... Read More

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey and the state’s congressional delegation were in attendance Monday for the second inauguration of President Donald Trump after a four-year gap. Trump and Vice President JD Vance took the oath of office at noon Monday in an inaugural ceremony moved inside the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol Building due to the extreme temperatures. “The Golden Age of America begins right now,” Trump said. “From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all... Read More

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) issued the following statement after voting to confirm Marco Rubio as U.S. Secretary of State. Rubio was confirmed by a vote of 99 to 0.  “Having served with Senator Rubio here in the Senate, I have had the opportunity to work with him closely and see firsthand his profound understanding of foreign policy and commitment to advancing our nation’s interests on the global stage. His leadership on both the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence... Read More

West Virginia’s elected officials celebrated President Donald Trump’s return to the White House on Monday. In statements and messages, officials signaled their support for the new administration and anticipated the benefits of a cooperative relationship between the White House and the Mountain State. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., issued a statement congratulating “President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and the entire incoming administration.” “This Inauguration Day, we do not just... Read More

A recent decision from the U.S. EPA is a “game-changer” for West Virginia, according to the president of the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia (GO-WV). The federal agency recently granted West Virginia the authority to oversee and administer the Class VI well program in the state, which is more commonly known as Class VI “primacy.” These wells are designed to inject carbon dioxide into deep rock formations and serve as critical infrastructure for deploying carbon capture utilization and... Read More

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted West Virginia the authority to oversee and administer the Class VI well program in the state, which is more commonly known as Class VI “primacy.” These wells are designed to inject carbon dioxide (CO2) into deep rock formations and serve as critical infrastructure for deploying carbon capture, utilization, and... Read More

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and U.S. Sen. Jim Justice voted Monday in favor of a bill to place strict penalties on illegal immigrants who commit crimes in the U.S. and to approve President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State. S.5, the Laken Riley Act, passed the U.S. Senate in a 64-35 vote Monday evening, sending the bill back to the U.S. House of Representatives to concur with changes to the bill. The Laken Riley Act requires any undocumented immigrant to be held without bail in... Read More

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., plans to vote in favor of confirming Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon. Capito, who was previously undecided on her vote, said information that emerged during Hegseth’s hearing before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this week helped her make up her mind. “I will be voting for Pete Hegseth,” Capito said Thursday during her weekly press briefing. “I think his vision for the Department of Defense is very clear... Read More

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., will chair the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works with a piece of West Virginia history close at hand. At the start of a confirmation hearing Thursday, Capito was presented with a gavel crafted in 1956 by vocational students from wood sourced from the state’s first official Capitol Building in Wheeling. The gavel was a gift from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., the committee’s ranking member. “It was made in 1956 of wood from the old West... Read More

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said she “strongly supports” the Laken Riley Act currently before the U.S. Senate. The bill, named for a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by a Venezuelan man who had entered the United States illegally, would require immigration enforcement agents to detain illegal immigrants charged with or convicted of theft-related crimes. The legislation would also allow state attorneys general to bring legal action against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) released the following statement welcoming U.S. Senator Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) on the occasion of his swearing-in: “Senator Justice was an outstanding two-term Governor of West Virginia and I am thrilled to welcome him to his next chapter of public service here in the Senate. We had a great relationship while he was governor and accomplished a lot, especially in areas of economic development, and I am looking to continue that success through our... Read More