Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) to help address the prescription opioid and heroin abuse epidemic in America. The Co-prescribing Saves Lives Act encourages physicians to co-prescribe the life-saving drug Naloxone alongside opioid prescriptions and make naloxone more widely available in federal health settings. The bill can now... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced a $1,331,985 Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention Grant for the West Virginia State Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) to prevent prescription drug overdoses in West Virginia. The aim of the program is to support states as they enact and evaluate prevention strategies to end prescription drug abuse and overdoses. “With the number of overdose deaths skyrocketing in... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U. S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) issued the following statement regarding the naming of a Supreme Court nominee today: “Before a Supreme Court justice is confirmed to a lifetime position on the bench, West Virginians and the American people should have the ability to weigh in at the ballot box this November. My position does not change with the naming of a nominee today. “Anyone confirmed to the Supreme Court will play a key role in decisions... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) welcomed today’s release of new recommendations for prescribing opioid medications for chronic pain from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain will help primary care providers ensure the safest and most effective treatment for their patients. In November 2015, Senator Capito joined with a bipartisan group of Senators on a letter to CDC Director... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today cosponsored the Veterans Choice Improvement Act of 2016. This legislation makes the Veterans Choice Program permanent, which was created in 2014 to allow veterans to get needed health care outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system. It will also make needed changes and reforms to address continued bureaucratic delays and confusion that veterans have experienced in attempting to get health care. Senator... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today announced that five community health centers across West Virginia will receive more than $1.7 million to improve and expand substance abuse services. This U.S. Department of Health and Human Services funding will help health centers better address the substance abuse treatment needs in their communities, with a focus on treating opioid use disorders. The five community health centers receiving... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) met with Arka Gupta of Charleston and Adrien Inman of Martinsburg this week during their visit to Washington as part of the United States Senate Youth Program’s (USSYP) 54th annual Washington Week. Gupta and Inman were recently selected as West Virginia’s USSYP student delegates for 2016. “Arka and Adrien are excellent representatives of West Virginia’s bright and... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) applauded the Senate’s passage of the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), which aims to help communities combat the growing drug epidemic. The bill passed on a 94-1 vote. “Passage of the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act is a good first step in the national response to the drug epidemic that is harming communities and families across the nation. By focusing on... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) introduced the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016, or RPM Act, which will prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from cracking down on amateur race car mechanics and hobbyists.The EPA is seeking to regulate vehicles used solely for competition through the Clean Air Act. This rule runs counter to existing law and... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today announced that housing facilities across West Virginia will receive a total of $5,938,355 under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) Program for projects with the goal of ending homelessness. “As West Virginians, we have a history of coming together to help our friends and neighbors in need. This grant funding will help those in our... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Citing the mounting cost and health burdens on federal health programs, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) today urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement a program to support family caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease. The bipartisan letter follows remarks by Secretary Sylvia Burwell about Alzheimer’s caregivers at an appropriations hearing last week. “Today, more than 15... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an op-ed today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) describes her efforts to create a drug-free West Virginia and highlights bipartisan legislation being considered by the Senate this week. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act expands prevention and education efforts, and promotes resources for treatment and recovery. Senator Capito has offered several amendments to the bill that would strengthen efforts to combat the epidemic in West... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, chaired the Subcommittee’s first fiscal year 2017 budget hearing on Tuesday. U.S. Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine and Senate Sergeant at Arms Frank Larkin spoke as witnesses at the hearing, which focused on reviewing the two agencies’ fiscal year 2017 budget requests.“As chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, determining our... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today cosponsored bipartisan, bicameral legislation introduced by Senator Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), to establish an independent National Commission on Security and Technology Challenges.The digital security Commission will bring together all stakeholders, including tech leaders, law enforcement,... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) urged her Senate colleagues to support the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which aims to help communities combat the growing drug epidemic. Video of Senator Capito’s speech and her remarks as prepared for delivery are included below. Click here or the image above for video of Senator Capito’s speech. Remarks as prepared for delivery:“Thank you, Madame... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today announced a total of $800,000 to West Virginia University from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support research and education programs in the environmental engineering and health chemistry fields. These grants will allow the University to continue making advancements in science and engineering and developing the knowledge and cutting edge technologies necessary to grow the state’s... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joined Representatives Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) to introduce the Reducing Unused Medications Act. The bill would allow prescriptions for opioid medications to be partially filled by pharmacists at the request of patients or doctors, reducing the number of unused painkillers. More than 70 percent of adults who misuse prescription opioids get them from friends or... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) filed an amicus brief today in the case of State of West Virginia, et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency, et al. The effort led by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate EPW Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), House Energy and Commerce Committee... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) today introduced the Preventing Overprescribing for Pain Act, bipartisan legislation that would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue guidelines for the safe prescribing of opioids for the treatment of acute pain. The CDC is currently only focused on guidelines for opioids prescribed to treat chronic pain. However, many individuals become addicted to opioids after... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today issued the following statement regarding the president’s plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and transfer terrorists to the United States:“After visiting the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in October, I strongly believe that these dangerous terrorists must remain at Guantanamo and should not under any circumstances be transferred to American soil. With my support, Congress voted to prohibit... Read More