Op-Eds
US Senator committed to WV jobs in wake of flooding | The State Journal
In Washington, I constantly hear talk of an economic recovery. The national unemployment rate has decreased, and median national incomes have increased at the fastest annual rate since we began keeping record. But while this is welcome news, far too many West Virginians have been left out of this recovery. West Virginia in particular has been hit hard by the dramatic decrease in output from the coal industry, which has decreased by more than one-third since 2008. On top of this, on June 23, … Continue Reading
September 21, 2016
Sen. Joe Manchin: Time to protect miners is now | Charleston Gazette Mail
In June, after months of negotiations and urging, the Senate Finance Committee chairman Sen. Orrin Hatch personally promised me the Miners Protection Act would receive a vote in the Finance Committee. Today is the day that this important legislation will be marked up in committee, bringing it one step closer to passage into law. This is long overdue and I will not stop working to fulfill the commitment that we made to our miners 70 years ago. My grandfather came from Italy in 1900 and … Continue Reading
September 18, 2016
Ensuring W.Va. jobs is top priority | The Journal
I constantly hear people in Washington and across the country talking about an economic recovery. Just this week, the Census Bureau announced that the average median household incomes have increased by 5.2 percent, the largest single-year increase since we began keeping record. And while that may be true, in West Virginia we can't help but feel like we have been left out of that recovery. This issue is not a Democratic or Republican issue. This is an issue impacting West Virginians across … Continue Reading
August 15, 2016
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin: Mined Minds teaches miners a new vocation | Charleston Gazette Mail
I have always said that our coal miners are the hardest-working people in America. They have dedicated their lives to powering our nation so we can remain the strongest in the world. Like many miners in West Virginia, Marvin Laucher feared the decline of the coal mining industry may lead to the loss of his job. His fear inspired his sister Amanda Laucher and her husband Jonathan Graham to use their technology background to create an opportunity for laid-off miners and unemployed individuals … Continue Reading
July 17, 2016
Get this done: Senate action urged on Miners Protection Act | Register-Herald
Who knows what the Miners Protection Act is? Given its name, you would probably be forgiven for thinking it has something to do with mine safety, but no, it's something entirely different. United Mine Workers of America retirees need another type of protection now, and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and a bipartisan group of his colleagues have banded together to make sure they get it. First, we have to turn the clock back 70 years to 1946, when the U.S. was in the midst of a post-World War II … Continue Reading
July 15, 2016
Sen. Joe Manchin: Passage of drug-abuse law an important step | Huntington Herald-Dispatch
The nationwide opioid abuse epidemic has hit West Virginia harder than it has any other state in our country, and has hit Cabell County harder than any other county in our state. Drug overdose deaths in the Mountain State have soared by 700 percent since 1999. In 2015 alone, we lost 600 West Virginians to opioid abuse, 68 of those from Cabell County. But West Virginia and Cabell County are not alone in their suffering; prescription drug abuse continues to tear apart families and … Continue Reading
July 11, 2016
We are closer to saving miner's health, pension benefits | Charleston Gazette
by Senator Joe Manchin
In May 1946, the United States was in the midst of a robust post-World War II economic recovery. The United Mine Workers of America were actively negotiating their contracts and a strike was pending in the coal mines. President Truman recognized the vital role the coal industry played in the economic recovery efforts and, fearing a prolonged strike, issued an Executive Order directing the Secretary of Interior to take possession of the bituminous coal mines in the United States and negotiate … Continue Reading
May 05, 2016
Convention Center is the place to be Friday | Logan Banner
by Senator Joe Manchin
I constantly hear people in Washington and across the country talking about an economic recovery. I hear them talk about how high the stock market is and how corporate profits and GDP are growing. And while that may be true, southern West Virginia has been left out of that recovery. As a result, the Main Streets across southern West Virginia continue to suffer, as Wall Street continues to amass excessive profits. This issue is not a Democratic or Republican issue. This is a West Virginia … Continue Reading
April 28, 2016
Remember Jessie with law to prevent another prescribed overdose | Charleston Gazette Mail
by Senator Joe Manchin
One of the most moving experiences I have had as a U.S. Senator was at Oceana Middle School in Southern West Virginia. I visited the school in 2011 expecting to talk with students about the importance of receiving a good education and working hard to gain the necessary skills to be successful in their careers. Instead, we talked about drug abuse and addiction, and I heard personal stories from some students about the ways that the drug epidemic had devastated their families and their … Continue Reading
April 06, 2016
I remain committed to bringing jobs to the region | Beckely Register Herald
by Senator Joe Manchin
My grandparents, Papa Joe and Mama Kay, owned a small store in my hometown of Farmington, and they taught me how valuable a day's work for a day's pay can be to an individual, a family and a community. Our town wasn't rich with material goods; in fact, most people outside of our town would have described us as poor. But we described ourselves as hardworking, proud and patriotic. We mined the coal that powered our state and our country through wars and recession, but also to peace and … Continue Reading
March 22, 2016
Time for Senate to fulfill its duties | Charleston Gazette-Mail
by Senator Joe Manchin
The Constitution states "[The President] shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint ... Judges of the Supreme Court." Last week the President fulfilled his Constitutional obligation and nominated Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. The Constitutional obligation now lies with the Senate. I know we are able to debate, advise and consent on nominations, because we just did it. On Sept. 15, 2015, President Obama nominated Dr. Robert Califf to be the … Continue Reading
March 03, 2016
New act is first step toward US opioid abuse recovery | Charleston Gazette Mail
by Senator Joe Manchin
The nationwide opioid abuse epidemic has hit West Virginia harder than it has any other state in our country. Drug overdose deaths in the Mountain State have soared by 700 percent since 1999. In 2015 alone, we lost 600 West Virginians to opioid abuse. But West Virginia is not the only state suffering; prescription drug abuse continues to tear apart families and communities across the country. Fifty-one Americans die every day from opioid abuse, totaling a loss of nearly 200,000 of our loved … Continue Reading
February 04, 2016
Stories like Haley's inspire me to keep fighting drug abuse problem | Beckley Register-Herald
In southern West Virginia, a young girl by the name of Haley was excited for her 12th birthday party. Eager to spend the day celebrating with her friends, she was deeply hurt and embarrassed, though not entirely surprised, when the day took an unfortunate turn. Her mother, a longtime addict of prescription pills, failed to appear for much of the party, leaving Haley's 16-year-old sister to pay for the event. Haley's mom eventually showed at her daughter's party, but by that time, her eyes were … Continue Reading
November 13, 2015
President Obama's EPA 'overreaching' water rules will jeopardize state economy | Preston County News and Journal
It's no secret here in West Virginia that regulations being imposed by the Obama Administration are slamming our state's coal industry and our coal mining jobs. But now, it is not just the mining jobs that the EPA is attacking. The agency is overreaching with a new water rule that will jeopardize virtually every sector and the local economies across the Mountain State. Thankfully, the Senate voted to roll back these dangerous regulations. Each and every West Virginian wants to drink clean … Continue Reading
November 11, 2015
On this day, consider sacrifices of our men, women in uniform | Beckley Register-Herald
Every year on Veterans Day, we gather as a nation to express our deepest gratitude to the men and women who have fought to safeguard our beloved nation and secure our freedoms. No matter the war, no matter the rank, no matter the duty, every one of our veterans has answered America's call. They have served us well and we must do the same for them. One of the ways we can show our gratitude to our veterans is by providing them with the best possible care when they return home. Earlier this … Continue Reading
November 04, 2015
Confirmation of Feinberg a good move | Montgomery Herald
by Senator Joe Manchin
Last week, the Senate confirmed West Virginia native Sarah Feinberg as Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). As a West Virginian, I truly believe she has the same pragmatic approach to problem-solving that we see in our state every day. I have the utmost confidence in her ability to bring customer service and West Virginia common sense to Washington, in large part, because of her effective and efficient response to the train derailment in Fayette County and other … Continue Reading
November 02, 2015
Energy agenda crushing state | Charleston Daily Mail
On Oct. 23, the Obama administration published its job-killing energy plan that intends to shut down our coal industry. It is time for Congress to step up and step in. I have always fought for West Virginia, which is why I introduced a resolution with Sen. Mitch McConnell this week to stop these regulations that are hurting our state. This is another battle I am proud to lead against the administration's demonization of coal. Never before in our history have we seen something as unreasonable … Continue Reading
October 30, 2015
Prescription drug abuse epidemic and its impact | Logan Banner
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with students and community members at Oceana Middle School about West Virginia's prescription drug abuse epidemic and its impact on the lives of our students and their loved ones. As always, I was struck by the devastating impact this crisis has had on so many in our state. I was especially moved by the stories of two Oceana Middle students. Fourteen year-old Kerry's parents are separating because of the effect of opioid abuse on his family, and twelve … Continue Reading
September 30, 2015
Congress, don't kill Social Security Disability Insurance, fix it and save it | Fox News
by Senators Joe Manchin and Tom Cotton
Nearly 11 million Americans rely on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), a program intended to provide a safety net to workers who develop a serious, long-term disability. Most American workers pay into SSDI through their payroll taxes, but payments to beneficiaries have exceeded these taxes in recent years. Indeed, since 2009, SSDI has paid out $155 billion more than it has taken in. According to the 2015 annual report from the Social Security system's trustees, the SSDI trust fund … Continue Reading
September 30, 2015
Make Washington Work | Roll Call
by Senators Joe Manchin and Mark Kirk
Congress' current approval rating is at a dismal 14 percent, and it's no wonder why - governing by crisis and subjecting our constituents to partisan bickering is not what we were elected to do. Instead of offering viable solutions to the issues our nation faces, many members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have merely dug in their heels and refused to budge. When the government shut down in 2013, Standard & Poor's estimated it cost our economy $24 billion. Across the country … Continue Reading
