Click here or the image above to watch Senator Capito’s questions.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS), questioned U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer during a hearing to consider the president’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request.
HIGHLIGHTS:
ON WEST VIRGINIA HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS:
SENATOR CAPITO: “Madam Secretary, we’ve talked about this issue, but it’s about the West Virginia Department of Transportation and the Davis-Bacon wage determinations for highway construction. They're just unworkable…The Biden wage determinations left out key job classifications that are commonly used on highway projects. It’s been very frustrating. The absence of these classifications has required West Virginia DOT to go through a complicated administrative process with DOL to determine proper wages…We’re missing the construction season here…there has been significant delays in not only advertising, but also in awarding construction projects…So will you commit to continue working with me to resolve this issue, to ensure that West Virginia's highway construction projects can begin without undue burden?”
ON WEST VIRGINIA’S MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION OFFICES:
SENATOR CAPITO: “Let’s talk about MSHA. I mentioned it in my opening statements, obviously it’s important to a state like West Virginia, the health and safety of our nation’s miners. I'm really concerned because I'm hearing from my constituents that MSHA offices in West Virginia are closing. I'm worried that will reduce the number of mine inspections, which are essential to ensuring that the coal that powers our nation is mined safely and the workers return home to their families. West Virginia's know far too well the importance of keeping our miners safe on the job.”
SECRETARY CHAVEZ-DEREMER: “My goal as the agency head is to make sure every worker is protected. As far as it relates to the MSHA offices, we're working with GSA, that is under GSA’s purview, I'm working with them and advocating for those leases to stay open.”
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT:
SENATOR CAPITO: “What has worked in some instances in West Virginia has been a public-private partnership with workforce programs. Where students who are maybe a junior or senior, maybe they’re career and technical, maybe they’re in regular high school, or are unsure as to what direction they want to go. I'll use Toyota as an example. They work with the local community college to do a blended work study program that at the end, really can result in a full-time job, a life job at with a great company, Toyota.”
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