In The News

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

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS — President Donald J. Trump made his fourth West Virginia appearance since becoming president Thursday at the White Sulphur Springs Civic Center.Sitting in front of an American flag and a backdrop that read "USA Open For Business," Trump, along with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Gov. Jim Justice and two of the state's Republican Senate hopefuls, Rep. Evan Jenkins and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, spoke on tax cuts signed into law in December.Trump used... Read More

BETHANY — Bethany College announced Tuesday it has received $39.6 million in loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to be used in several campus, facility and program improvements at the college.The loans are part of the USDA’s Rural Development program.“These federal loans will have significant benefits to our entire campus community for many years to come,” said Bethany College President Tamara Nichols Rodenberg. “They will enable Bethany to realize... Read More

Rainelle Medical Center has been awarded $343,941 from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to continue providing primary care services, particularly to high-need and uninsured residents.Announcements of the grant award were made by U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins, R-W.Va., all three of whom vowed to continue fighting for funding for clinics and health centers all across the state.“Health centers like Rainelle... Read More

KINGWOOD — Camp Dawson and IBM teamed up for a second public/private collaboration to certify veterans on the QRadar security software on March 23.A dozen veterans from up and down the East Coast took the free, week-long training and certification course incorporating the security software. “We are dedicated to training and hiring our veteran community and would like to thank you for participating in the training this week,” said Timi Hadra of IBM and West Virginia Senior State... Read More

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — The Eastern Panhandle Transit Authority's project to build a new transit operations center recently was awarded $4.5 million in federal funding, U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Monday.The funding will allow the transit authority to acquire land for the new operations center and proceed with design work and site preparation for the facility, authority Director Doug Pixler and Deputy Director Elaine Bartoldson said.The agency... Read More