Op-eds

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has swept through our nation, and hit other countries around the world particularly hard.While West Virginia was the last state to report confirmed cases, we knew this day would come eventually, which is why Congress moved quickly to make sure states—including West Virginia—were prepared and equipped with the resources needed to meet this virus head-on.To date, Congress has responded to the coronavirus in three phases:  The Coronavirus... Read More

In West Virginia, communities and families have struggled with the drug epidemic far more than most other states. This is no secret.But, West Virginia has also made progress in addressing this crisis, developing real solutions on the ground that work, and ultimately serving as a model for others to follow as the nation grapples with this epidemic.Last week, we had the chance to see some of these solutions in action in Williamson. Not only are these innovative solutions working to help... Read More

When I came to the Senate, I promised West Virginians that I would take meaningful action on the issues that are important to our state.One way I’ve worked to deliver on this promise is through my position on the Appropriations Committee, where I’ve made sure West Virginia has a loud and strong voice when it comes to determining our nation’s spending priorities.At the end of last year, the Senate passed and President Trump signed into law several important Appropriations... Read More

When I’m home, West Virginians have made it clear to me time and time again that they would rather Congress focus on working on behalf of the American people on issues that really matter.I agree.Impeachment fatigue is looming on many of us.After months of circus-like hearings in the House of Representatives, the impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump is finally here in the Senate. Impeachment is a serious issue that deserves the Senate’s undivided attention, and my... Read More

2019 marked a year of significant economic growth for West Virginia and we have the numbers to show for this improvement. We are attracting new businesses, creating an environment for existing ones to expand, and, as a result, West Virginia’s unemployment rate is decreasing overall.But, the good news doesn’t end here.Proctor & Gamble’s facility in Tabler Station is now up to 1,100 employees, including two co-located suppliers.Toyota announced earlier this year that it would... Read More

One of my first efforts as a U.S. senator was launching my Capito Connect initiative — a roadmap for bringing affordable, reliable, high-speed internet access to homes, businesses, and classrooms in West Virginia.Each year, we’re making significant strides, and this past year, we’ve made even more progress.After asking Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing for his commitment to partner with West Virginia on rural fiber deployment,... Read More

As West Virginia looks to grow economically, a key partner will continue to be the Economic Development Administration, also known as the EDA.This federal agency makes targeted investments in local communities and partners with leaders on the ground.But, this was not always the case.Before I was elected to the United States Senate, the EDA did not play an active role in West Virginia, which is odd when you consider that West Virginia has no shortage of economic development and infrastructure... Read More

Huntington knows all too well that West Virginia has struggled with the opioid crisis longer than most states. While that reality has been tough, it has also helped us become a leader in fighting back.West Virginia has become ground zero for recovery efforts. We’ve tried a lot of innovative things. Some have worked, and others we need to improve on. It’s these lessons and insights that enabled me to help shape groundbreaking legislation Congress passed and President Trump signed into... Read More

Since passing the tax cuts legislation, West Virginians are really seeing the benefits. I’ve heard from so many individuals, families, and small businesses in communities all across our state about the ways they’ve benefited from tax reform.But when we passed that legislation, it wasn’t just about the benefits. It was also about creating opportunities.One of the provisions in the tax cuts bill—a provision I was very proud to co-sponsor—created something called... Read More

Health care is a subject that remains front and center in so many of our national conversations and debates. It’s a leading talking point among 2020 presidential candidates. It continues to poll as a top concern among the American public. And it’s something I hear about regularly from constituents back home in West Virginia. Much of the talk related to health care issues has to do with flashier or more controversial topics such as "Medicare for All" or prescription drug prices,... Read More

This week, the Senate had an opportunity to vote on the Green New Deal — an unrealistic and impractical wish list dressed up as environmental policy. And it’s a wish list that would have serious consequences for West Virginians and Americans across the country.For starters, it would be expensive. Very expensive. All together, the Green New Deal’s price tag is estimated at up to $93 trillion over its first 10 years. You could liquidate all of the wealth in the entire country and... Read More

2018 marked another year of accomplishment under Republican leadership. Most importantly, these accomplishments had a tremendous impact on our state. Our small businesses are feeling more optimistic, our economy has experienced positive growth, families have a renewed sense of hope, and West Virginia workers finally feel like good jobs are available.Whether it was delivering significant regulatory reforms, creating new economic opportunities, enacting the most comprehensive legislation to combat... Read More

Prior to 2017, West Virginia went through some tough times. Entire industries that were critical to our economy, and in many ways our identity, were under attack. Families were searching for jobs that didn’t exist. And West Virginians were questioning, “How do we move forward? What comes next?” Well, at the beginning of 2018—after a year of Republican leadership both in Congress and in the White House—there was a palpable change across our state. Our small... Read More

As I travel across West Virginia, it’s clear the economic climate is improving here, and there are many reasons to be optimistic about our state’s future.Reforming our outdated tax code and rolling back burdensome regulations, as well as other pro-growth measures, have proven to be a winning combination for workers, small businesses, and economic growth, and they have encouraged an environment that’s putting West Virginia on a path to a brighter future.That’s exactly the... Read More

As Eastern Panhandle residents know far too well, West Virginia has struggled with the opioid crisis longer and harder than most other states. While that reality has been tough on our state, it has also helped us become a leader when it comes to fighting back.West Virginians have learned a lot from our struggles with the opioid epidemic. We better understand some of the causes and how we can deal with them. We’ve seen what is working and what isn’t. And we’ve learned that the... Read More

From coal and natural gas production to the automotive, aerospace, biotech industries and beyond, when you think of West Virginia, you can’t help but think about the resources that power our country. However, one thing that might not necessarily be top of mind is one of our greatest, largely untapped resources — girls and their incredible potential. According to the 2017 annual report of the West Virginia Women’s Commission, among all 50 states and the District of... Read More

As West Virginians know far too well, our state has struggled with the opioid crisis longer and harder than most. That's not something we're proud of, but it's a reality that has shaped our ongoing response to this crisis. It's also one that helped inform groundbreaking legislation the Senate passed last week, the Opioid Crisis Response Act.In West Virginia, we better understand some of the causes of the crisis and how we can deal with them. We've discovered what is working; we've learned that... Read More

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it followed through on President Donald Trump’s executive order to review and repeal the Clean Power Plan (CPP).From its inception, the CPP was a total overreach of the federal bureaucracy. That’s why West Virginia led 24 states in fighting the rule in court, arguing that the Obama EPA overstepped its legal authorities under the Clean Air Act in proposing it. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed, and imposed a stay on... Read More

When we voted in support of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act last December, we did so to help millions of families across West Virginia and the nation. Four million Americans have received bonuses or wage and benefit increases since tax reform’s passage, and more than a million jobs have been created nationwide. The child tax credit and standard deduction were doubled, simplifying the tax process for many and putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking moms and dads. In fact, a... Read More

The U.S. Commerce Department recently announced the economy grew 4.1 percent during the second quarter of this year. More recently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that worker pay rates hit their highest level since 2008. And since President Trump took office, nearly 4 million people found jobs.These are only a few highlights, but they are proof that our economy is thriving under Republican leadership.It’s clear that the combination of tax reform and cutting burdensome regulations,... Read More