West Virginia’s delegation to the U.S. Senate will be sitting on several key committees when the new Congress takes its seats in January.
Incoming Senator Shelley Capito has been appointed to serve on the all-important Appropriations Committee, as well as the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
West Virginia’s Senior Senator Joe Manchin will sit on the Armed Services Committee, along with the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the Veteran Affairs Committee. He will also join Capito on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
Capito said the committees all have one thing in common — addressing West Virginia's most critical issues. She said being on the committees will help her be a powerful voice for coal, jobs and families.
“I look forward to working on the Senate Appropriations Committee to give West Virginia a seat at the table when our nation's spending priorities are determined. I will work to ensure West Virginia's priorities are our nation's priorities,” Capito said in a press release. “My 12 years of service on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has prepared me to hit the ground running on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, to pass a long-term highway bill and bring improvements to West Virginia's infrastructure and highways. I will also be in a position to fight EPA's job-killing regulations.
“On the Energy and Natural Resources Committee I will strongly advocate for policies that protect West Virginia's energy jobs, and ensure coal and natural gas are part of an affordable and reliable energy mix.
Senator Manchin was also upbeat about the new Congress and his assignments.
“It is a privilege to be assigned to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee as we enter into a new Congress,” Manchin said. “The breadth of issues that these two committees oversee will help me better represent the people of the Mountain State and our West Virginia values.
“As a member of these new committees, I will have a greater influence in making sure that we continue to promote economic development in a global marketplace, create good-paying jobs across America, support trade and small businesses, invest in advanced technology and communications infrastructure, provide much-needed highway and transportation funding, encourage tourism initiatives, and most importantly, honor our veterans and reduce veterans' unemployment.
“I look forward to continuing to work for the people of West Virginia in all four Senate committees and making sure Mountain State values are represented every day in Congress. As always, I will work hard to find common ground with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to tackle our nation's many challenges. By bringing a bit of West Virginia common sense to the table, I have the utmost confidence we can rekindle a spirit of bipartisanship and work more efficiently.”
The U.S. Senate will be led by incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
We will provide updates on House Committee assignments as they become available.