In The News

LOGAN, W.Va. — Broadband expansion projects in Logan and Mingo counties are now full steam ahead or as recent funding will allow projects to be — full fiber ahead.$19.7 million is coming from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to expand broadband services in those two counties. The funding will support Logan and Mingo counties’ Fiber to the Premises project, which enables last-mile... Read More

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s U.S. senators are not committed to passing President Joe Biden’s agenda as presented during last week’s State of the Union address, but Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., recognize possible areas for congressional action.   Biden used the 62-minute speech to reinforce the United States’ opposition to Russia’s actions against Ukraine as well as push his domestic policy agenda,... Read More

U.S. senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito were among those who spoke today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who continues to ask for a range of help as his country remains under a Russian siege.“WV continues to support the free people of Ukraine,” Capito wrote on Twitter.West Virginia’s two senators participated on a teleconference call with almost 300 members of Congress and Zelensky.“It was an honor to hear directly from President Zelensky... Read More

E&E DAILY | Top lawmakers on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee are ramping up their focus on recycling and composting with two new bipartisan pieces of legislation.EPW Chair Tom Carper (D-Del.) and ranking member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) joined with another member, John Boozman (R-Ark.), to introduce the two bills yesterday.Both the "Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act" and the "Recycling and Composting Accountability Act" seek to bolster waste... Read More

Regardless of how horrific the bombardment of Ukraine is or how many innocent civilians are slaughtered, it remains unlikely the U.S. or any NATO country will use military force to intervene.Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said during a virtual press conference from her Washington office Thursday she sees no chance of military action.“It is horrifying to watch innocent people in a free country being overrun,” she said. “It’s like I am watching a movie from the 1940s.... Read More

Senators Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., joined other colleagues in introducing a bipartisan bill on Thursday to end any oil imports from Russia coming into the United States.The Ban Russian Energy Imports Act would prohibit the importation of Russian crude oil, petroleum, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal.But even with the support of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the White House once again on Thursday stuck to its guns on not imposing the... Read More

Pres. Joe Biden wants more pandemic relief money, but Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., has joined other GOP colleagues in asking how the first $6 trillion was spent.Biden is seeking another $30 billion for COVID-19 relief but senators are weary of the need, especially considering the lack of accountability for the trillions allocated during the past two years.The bulk of that money was given to states for various pandemic services and Capito said during a virtual press conference from her... Read More

WASHINGTON – More than 600,000 barrels of Russian oil are bought in America every day, and some lawmakers are pushing to Biden administration to make that stop.“We should stop buying over 600,000 barrels [of Russian oil] a day in America,” Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said earlier this week. “Can you believe that? No one knew that. No one paid attention to it. And that has to stop.”According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the number actually is about... Read More

A machine grooms a coal pile at Appalachian Power's Mountaineer Plant in Mason County, West Virginia.As Russia wages war on Ukraine, there are increasing calls to block imports of Russian energy. West Virginia could play a role, but there are challenges.U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito says the state’s energy producers need a way to get coal and natural gas to coastal export terminals.Right now, she says, coal producers are coming up short on railcars to move coal for export. West Virginia... Read More

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday appeared before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to discuss the implementation of the federal infrastructure law.The hearing also provided an opportunity for Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., to press Buttigieg about a memorandum about projects and using funds.President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November. Capito led early negotiations between the White... Read More

DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday said flatly that states are still able to spend their federal infrastructure dollars on highway expansions, despite a Federal Highway Administration memo saying states should prioritize fixing existing assets first.Buttigieg's answer came during a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing where Republican senators repeatedly pressed him about the memo, including suggesting it was an attempt to circumvent the will of Congress when it enacted... Read More

Republican lawmakers sounded the alarm on Wednesday over the White House attempts to strong-arm state and local governments into spending infrastructure money on progressive pet initiatives.They accused Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg of crafting new byzantine rules and regulations governing how money from President Biden’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package can be spent. The directives reflect Mr. Biden’s political interests, instead of those laid out... Read More

The landmark Clean Air Act case argued before the Supreme Court yesterday could reverberate around Capitol Hill at a critical time for environmentalists and climate advocates.West Virginia v. EPA threatens to rip out regulatory authority Democrats and activists long viewed as a backstop to lagging congressional action on climate change.During arguments yesterday, the justices appeared open to limiting EPA’s authority to require stricter power plant emissions controls — which... Read More

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) announced that $19.7 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will be put towards the expansion of broadband services in West Virginia.“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of reliable, affordable broadband access for all West Virginians and Americans. We know that at least 258,000 West Virginians have no... Read More

CHARLESTON — Economic development officials and congressional leaders believe West Virginia would be a prime candidate for a massive project to demonstrate the use of hydrogen in manufacturing.The West Virginia Hydrogen Hub Working Group held its first organizational meeting Friday. Last week, Gov. Jim Justice and three members of the state’s congressional delegation announced the creation of the working group. The working group includes U.S. Senators Joe Manchin, Shelley Moore... Read More

NEW MARTINSVILLE — Members of the Bel-O-Mar Regional Council were encouraged to apply for funding related to their infrastructure projects by two federal legislators on Thursday.U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and U.S. Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., attended the council’s quarterly meeting held at Quinet’s Court Restaurant in New Martinsville.Afterward, they traveled just a few miles south to Paden City to tour the Paul Wissmach Glass Co. factory.Both Capito and... Read More

CHARLESTON — Members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation responded to the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine Thursday morning.According to the Associated Press, Russian armed forces entered its western neighbor in the early hours of Thursday morning, attacking from three sides. Many residents awakened to the sounds of missiles and bombs and the rumbling of military vehicles.Russian President Vladimir Putin justified his invasion in an address, saying it was needed... Read More

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Both of West Virginia’s U.S. senators issued neutral statements about President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court pick following the president’s announcement Friday.Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., did not indicate their feelings regarding the selection of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, with each senator saying they look forward to meeting with Jackson and evaluating her judicial qualifications.Biden named Jackson to replace... Read More

As Russian forces moved further into Ukraine on Thursday, members of United States Congress from both West Virginia and Ohio decried the day’s events.Russian armed forces entered its western neighbor in the early hours of Thursday morning, attacking from three sides. Many residents awakened to the sounds of missiles and bombs and the rumbling of military vehicles.During a visit to New Martinsville on Thursday, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., made... Read More

CHARLESTON — Economic development officials and congressional leaders believe that West Virginia would be a prime candidate for a massive project to demonstrate the use of hydrogen for use in manufacturing.The West Virginia Hydrogen Hub Working Group held its first organizational meeting Friday. Last week, Gov. Jim Justice and three members of the state’s congressional delegation announced the creation of the working group. The working group includes U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and... Read More