Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an effort to curb overdose deaths related to opiate abuse, Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and six of their Senate colleagues called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to examine the use of methadone for pain, and to issue guidance to state Medicaid directors to remove methadone from preferred drug lists for pain management. “West Virginia has the nation’s highest rate of overdose deaths, and because... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), along with Representative Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.), spoke with United States Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Bob McDonald regarding the reopening of the Greenbrier Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). Reopening the facility would save thousands of West Virginia veterans from driving several hours to seek treatment. "[The Greenbrier CBOC] was shut down, and we have to reopen... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chair of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, yesterday voted in favor of the agriculture appropriations bill for FY2016, which provides funding for a number of West Virginia priorities, including rural broadband expansion and free and reduced-price school lunches. The FY2016 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill invests in food and... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) released the following statement regarding the Stream Protection rule announced by the Department of Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement today: “No one cares more about West Virginia’s streams and water quality than those living in the Mountain State. This far-reaching regulation fails to consider the benefits our state’s mining operations provide to West Virginia’s... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today voted in favor of the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015, a bill that returns decisions about elementary and secondary education to states, local officials, teachers and parents and will help West Virginia children succeed in school. The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support on an 81-17 vote. “Today’s overwhelming bipartisan vote reflects the broad consensus that it was time to fix our education... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today announced funding totaling more than $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s TRIO Student Support Services Program. The funds will be awarded to West Virginia University, Marshall University, West Virginia State University, Bluefield State College and West Virginia University Institute of Technology to provide academic support and counseling to low-income,... Read More

FLEMINGTON, W.Va. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito recently participated in a Skype conversation with students in the Energy Express program at Flemington Elementary School. Senator Capito read the children’s book, The Little Engine That Could, to roughly 25 students ranging from ages six to 10 and spoke about being West Virginia’s first female Senator. Energy Express is a summer reading and nutrition program sponsored by AmeriCorps that occurs at about... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) released the following statement regarding the announcement of a nuclear agreement with Iran: “The threat a nuclear-armed Iran poses to the United States and our allies is grave. Under the bipartisan Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, Congress and the American people will now have an opportunity to rigorously review this agreement and make an objective evaluation of its merits. Any agreement that risks the security... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) spoke on the Senate floor today in support of the bipartisan Every Child Achieves Act, which seeks to reform federal education policy by putting decisions about education back in the hands of those who know best: the students, parents, teachers and state and local officials. The bipartisan Every Child Achieves Act passed out of committee unanimously and is now being considered on the Senate floor. Senator... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) spoke on the Senate floor today in support of the bipartisan Every Child Achieves Act, which seeks to reform federal education policy by putting decisions about education back in the hands of those who know best: the students, parents, teachers and state and local officials. The bipartisan Every Child Achieves Act passed out of committee unanimously and is now being considered on the Senate floor. Senator... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced a $250,000 State Youth Treatment Planning Grant (SYT-P) for the West Virginia State Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) to improve mental health and substance abuse treatment for West Virginia adolescents. The aim of the program is to bring together stakeholders serving adolescents to develop a comprehensive, strategic plan that strengthens existing treatment and... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) co-sponsored two bipartisan amendments today to improve coordination between community school programs and local communities and to protect school children from sex offenders. Both amendments passed unanimously and were agreed to as part of debate on the bipartisan Every Child Achieves Act. “For the first time in more than a decade, the Senate began a debate about how to improve federal education policy this week.... Read More

“Today’s ruling further underscores the need for [the ARENA Act], which will provide affordable, reliable energy and protect the jobs our vital energy sector supports.” WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today issued the following statement regarding the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in West Virginia vs. EPA: “While I am disappointed with the court’s decision today, I remain... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that the Greater Pittsburgh Metals Manufacturing Community, which includes the northern region of West Virginia, has been designated as one of 12 communities to participate in the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP). The 20-county area, which spans from West Virginia to Pennsylvania, includes 1636 metal manufacturing establishments that employ over 63,000 people. The announcement comes after... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito’s (R-W.Va.) efforts in the Senate were praised in a recent editorial by theCharleston Daily Mail. The editorial emphasizes the dramatic progress that has occurred in the Republican-led Senate and Capito’s valuable contributions in just the first six months. View the editorial HERE and below. Editorial: US Senate returns as a deliberative bodyCharleston Daily MailJuly 8, 2015 It was known as the... Read More

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) hosted a roundtable discussion at the Tamarack Conference Center in Beckley with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials, including Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carolyn Clancy and representatives from four West Virginia VA clinics. Senator Capito led a discussion focused on enhancing veterans’ access to care and the specific challenges facing veterans in West... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) today introduced the Miners Protection Act. This legislation would ensure that the federal government and coal operators honor their obligation of lifetime pensions and health benefits to retired miners and their families who are facing uncertainty as a result of the financial crisis and corporate bankruptcies. “The coal mining community... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) penned an op-ed in Friday’s Charleston Daily Mail highlighting the need for improving access to digital learning resources for students. Senator Capito and Senator Angus King (I-Maine) recently teamed up to introduce the Digital Learning Equity Act of 2015, which aims to close the homework gap by improving student access to the Internet and other digital learning resources. Senator Capito’s op-ed... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today issued the following statement regarding the Fourth of July: “Today, as we celebrate the birth of our great nation with parades, fireworks and family, we must also pause to thank the veterans who have dutifully served our nation, and the men and women in uniform who are currently on active duty around the world. Our service members and their families have sacrificed so much so that we may enjoy the cherished... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) announced $17,179,733 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) for Head Start and Early Head Start programs across West Virginia. This funding will allow the programs to continue providing critical health, nutrition, education, and social services to West Virginia families and children. “In West Virginia, we’ve... Read More