In The News
Senator Capito working to pass legislation to benefit coal miners
West Virginia U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito is working hard to pass legislation this week that will protect healthcare and pension benefits for retired coal miners. Congress is working on a temporary government spending bill this week as lawmakers wrap up work for the year. The Coal Miners Protection Act is included in that discussion. It would prevent any lapse in important benefits for thousands of retired miners and their families that are scheduled to expire at the end of the month.Sen… Continue Reading
12.08.16
Eating disorder advocates find hope in historic passage
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Landmark legislation passed in Congress on Thursday, making it easier for those suffering from eating disorders to get help. "I know, had Anna had that level of care, she would be standing next to me today," Kitty Westin said. Kitty Westin lost her daughter, Anna, to an eating disorder when she was just 21 years old. Since then, she's dedicated her time to ensuring others don't have to suffer the same fate. This week, her work paid off.Congress passed the 21st Century Cu… Continue Reading
12.07.16
McElhinny: 20 years of upward trajectory for Capito and friends
It looked like so much symbolism when U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito and her fellow Republican officeholders gathered together at the state Capitol earlier this week. In the moment, maybe we tend to brush off symbolism: not news. But given time to reflect - like, 20 years to reflect - symbolism carries significance.Back in 1996, when Capito was first elected to a state House of Delegates seat, one word would have described the inkling that she would one day stand and promote a unified agend… Continue Reading
12.05.16
West Virginia lawmakers vow to fight environmental rules
CHARLESTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia's Republican congressional and state leaders vowed Monday to work with the incoming Trump administration to push back federal environmental regulations they say limit and threaten their state's energy industry and jobs. U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said the Obama administration has overstepped its authority in the energy, financial and other sectors and they expect president-elect Donald Trump to undo many of those regulations with support from lawmaker… Continue Reading
12.05.16
Capito and GOP Leaders say ‘It’s Time to Govern’
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Republicans now dominate West Virginia's elected offices, and several of the GOP's top representatives in West Virginia gathered Monday to say they know it's time to deliver. "We have such a great opportunity here," said U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, ticking off a list of the offices that Republicans will now hold, including president, both houses of Congress including herself and all three of West Virginia's representatives, the majority of the state Board of Public Wo… Continue Reading
12.02.16
Editorial: Promised Pensions
Time is of the essence when it comes to congressional action to protect the hard-earned pensions and benefits of thousands of retired coal miners. Legislation is still pending in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives that would protect the health care and benefits of retired coal miners now in jeopardy. Without a change to current law, 12,500 of the country's retired coal miners will lose their health care beginning on Dec. 31 of this year. Another 6,500 retired miners coul… Continue Reading
12.01.16
Senator Capito Honor Four Bridgeport High School Students
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - Senator Shelley Moore Capito has nominated 32 high school seniors for admission into U.S. service academies, four of whom attend Bridgeport High School. Cole Amos described the moment he found out he was nominated for the U.S. Military Academy as surreal. "There weren't any tears, but me and my dad hugged for a while," Amos recalled, sporting a beaming smile. "There were a lot of smiles. I couldn't stop smiling while we were eating."He and three of his classmates were… Continue Reading
12.01.16
Capito Seeks Economic Stimulus for Coal-Mining States
CHARLESTON - West Virginia has relied on coal production for years to support communities, but regulations and increased competition have dented that prospect as thousands of jobs have been omitted. However, legislation proposed by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., aims to revive rural economies. Called Creating Opportunities for Rural Economies (CORE) Act, this legislation would leverage available tax credits to support new investment and business development in distressed communities … Continue Reading
12.01.16
Times West Virginian: Miners Protection Act would keep promise, provide $3.1 billion bonus
How do you put a price on a promise? Well, a savings worth $3.1 billion over the next 10 years isn't too shabby. That's how much the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the nation will save by protecting health care and pension benefits for about 120,000 retired coal miners. As efforts ramp up to pass the Miners Protection Act (MPA), which will prevent thousands of families from losing benefits, the CBO says the bill would increase spending on health care and pension benefits for unio… Continue Reading
12.01.16
Tomblin, Manchin, and Capito support Miners Protection Act
CLARKSBURG - U.S. Sens. Shelly Moore Capito and Joe Manchin, as well as Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, are supporting passage of Senate Bill 3470, or the Miners Protection Act. The act is intended to protect the health benefits of retired coal miners and their families. According to Manchin's office, retired miners face an uncertain future because the United Mine Workers of America 1974 Pension Plan is extremely low on funding. Unlike other public and private pension plans, the 1974 Pension Plan was f… Continue Reading
11.30.16
Senator Capito is hopeful of passing Miners Protection Act
West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito spoke with us today and shared her thoughts on the Miners Protection Act and a bill that effects health care providers in rural areas. The Senator stressed that she is hopeful the Miners Protection Act will be passed. "The Miners Protection Act is exceedingly important to me as tens of thousands of miners are set to lose their healthcare benefits and pension benefits, but their healthcare at the end of the year, Capito said. "We're pushing hard, bipar… Continue Reading
11.30.16
Students from Monongalia and Harrison counties nominated to U.S. military academies
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Of the 32 young men and women selected to attend a U.S. service academy, 3 are from Monongalia County. U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito's office announced the lawmaker's selections made up of high school seniors in 15 West Virginia counties. Capito nominated Robert Munroe Warner to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy. Aaron Carl Flowers was chosen to attend the U.S. Military Academy. Alia Nicole Stutzman will attend the US Naval Academy.According to Capito, military academy … Continue Reading
11.25.16
Capito co-sponsors bill to get WV seniors better access to shingles vaccine
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is co-sponsor of a bipartisan bill intended to help give more senior citizens access to shingles vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that all seniors over 60 receive the shingles vaccine. But Capito spokeswoman Ashley Berrang said only about a quarter of seniors get vaccinated because of high out-of-pocket Medicare costs. But the Protecting Seniors through Immunization Act, sponsored by Capito and U.S. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, pr… Continue Reading
11.22.16
Preston one of 32 counties eligible for Capito’s CORE Act legislation
New legislation by U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., could potentially have a big economic impact here in Preston County and in 31 other counties across the state. According to the legislation, the Creating Opportunities for Rural Economies (CORE) Act would leverage the power of something called the New Market Tax Credits dedicating a portion of the credit to low-income communities suffering from job loss in the coal industry. Sen. Capito's press secretary Ashley Berrang said the CORE… Continue Reading
11.21.16
Editorial: Capito Bill Vital to Coal Country
Here in West Virginia and East Ohio, we need no statistics to bring the impact of the current White House's war on coal and affordable electricity home to us. The victims are all around us. Laid-off miners and even more other unemployed men and women whose jobs once depended on the good paychecks handed out by the coal industry tell us all we need to know. And here in West Virginia, the collapsed state budget is another casualty. Still, the numbers are eye-openers: Between 2011 and the first qua… Continue Reading
11.20.16
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito Introducing An Economics Plan
WHEELING - Amid President-elect Donald Trump's promises to help get out-of-work miners back on the job, coal will likely reclaim its position as the fuel generating the most electricity wattage in December, U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates show. Along with the rejuvenated optimism for the coal industry, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is introducing the Creating Opportunities for Rural Economies Act, which she believes will spur an economic renaissance in some of the most di… Continue Reading
11.18.16
Editorial: Tax credit proposal could help economic development
Attracting new industry to any part of our region is hard work. The state has had only a handful of job announcements over the past few years, and the employment losses in the energy sector have left the state with little to no job growth at all. In fact, the Joint Economic Committee for Congress reports that jobs in West Virginia are down 2 percent, or 12,000 positions, since the start of the Great Recession in 2007. But attracting new employers to the most rural parts of the state - especial… Continue Reading
11.18.16
Op Ed: Sen. Shelley Moore Capito: CORE Act targets underserved communities (Daily Mail)
It's no secret that West Virginia is undergoing an economic transition. Our coal communities have lost thousands of jobs due to increased competition and over regulation. Yet, coal is and must remain a part of our energy mix to meet the demands of powering the nation. While we continue to fight for critical energy jobs, we must also look for opportunities to diversify and grow the state's economy.Doing so will get more West Virginians back to work, attract talented new professionals and busine… Continue Reading
11.17.16
Capito introduces bill to help struggling coalfield communities
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito planed to introduce legislation to set aside $525 million in federal tax credits for investments in coalfield communities struggling with the downturn of that industry. The Republican's legislation, the Creating Opportunities for Rural Economies, would set aside 5 percent of the federal New Market Tax Credit for coal counties in West Virginia and 11 other states which have experienced significant job loss resulting from the industry's financial struggles. Several count… Continue Reading
11.16.16
Capito Introduces Coalfield Bailout Bill
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., has introduced legislation aimed at helping communities in West Virginia and other states facing hardship due to coalfield job losses. The bill, called the Creating Opportunities for Rural Economies, or CORE Act, has not yet been assigned a bill number, but was introduced by Capito on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016. Capito hopes the bill will be taken up when Congress reconvenes following the general election. The legislation would set aside a percentage of f… Continue Reading
