WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement praising today’s passage of the Fiscal Year 2017 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act. The Senate approved the bill on 90-8 vote:

“As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I am proud that we were able to get this bill across the finish line and secure funding for key West Virginia priorities like fossil energy research, infrastructure maintenance and rural broadband expansion. The overwhelmingly bipartisan passage of this bill proves that the Senate is doing its job and delivering results for the American people.”

West Virginia priorities included in the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2017: 

  • $632 million for fossil energy research and development. This amount is $272 million above the president’s budget request. Funding will benefit the work being done at the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Lab in Morgantown.
  • $6 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This funding restores a $1.3 billion cut proposed by the president and increases funding over the current level. It includes continued construction funds for the Bluestone Dam in Hinton, which Senator Capito recently visited.
  • $151 million for the Appalachian Regional Commission’s efforts to expand broadband connectivity in rural America. This funding is an important component of the Capito Connect Plan and represents an increase of $5 million since last year.

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