Op-Eds
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
July 01, 2015
Export-Import Bank Lapse Hurts W.Va. Businesses | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Today is the first day in over 80 years that West Virginia businesses will not have the backing and resources of their government to support them in exporting their products overseas. They will not have a bank that will guarantee loans for them; they will not have the legal backing and financial expertise that is available to their competitors in over 60 countries around the world. During these difficult economic times, and as our economy becomes more and more global each day, it is shameful … Continue Reading
June 20, 2015
Today We Celebrate the Values We All Share as West Virginians | Beckley Register-Herald
by Sen. Joe Manchin
Every June 20, friends, families and neighbors gather together to celebrate West Virginia Day - a holiday dedicated to our statehood. On this special anniversary, we recognize our exceptional history, unique culture and strong traditions. But most importantly, today we are distinctly unified in the profound pride that comes with being a West Virginian. As our beautiful state turns 152, may we all come together today to say, "I'm proud to be a West Virginian." Our state has a one-of-a-kind … Continue Reading
June 17, 2015
Flag Day has Special Significance to West Virginia | Times West Virginian
by Sen. Joe Manchin
Every day, Americans all across this great land pledge their allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. We salute it; we fight for it; we cherish it; we honor it. But one day a year, we pay special tribute to our flag. We set aside every June 14 as Flag Day, commemorating the date in 1777 when the Continental Congress officially made the Stars and Stripes the symbol of America. Flag Day has a special significance to West Virginia. Our state was born out of the bloody conflict of … Continue Reading
June 07, 2015
Manchin remebers D-Day | Logan Banner
by Sen. Joe Manchin
Each year, June 6th marks the anniversary of D-Day, the 1944Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. This important event, notablythe largest seaborne invasion in world history, took an entire year tocoordinate and was a decisive turning point in the war that heralded the comingend of Adolf Hitler's regime and a turning point for the war in Europe. Thisday, we pay tribute to the heroes who - with unequivocal patriotism, braveryand valor - stormed those terrifying shores to change the … Continue Reading
June 06, 2015
North Bend Rail Trail worth celebrating | Parkersburg News and Sentinel
by By Sen. Joe Manchin
Today marks American Hiking Society's Annual National Trails Day. Each year, hundreds of thousands of outdoor-loving Americans and West Virginians participate in hikes and other activities on our beautiful trail system. Today, we celebrate our 200,000 miles of trails and we honor the work of thousands of the volunteers and non-profit organizations that play a role in the development and upkeep that creates such wonderful recreation opportunities. Our state has a rich history in the culture … Continue Reading
April 12, 2015
We have the passion, wisdom to stop drug deaths | Sunday Gazette-Mail
by By Sen. Joe Manchin
A long time ago, I learned an important lesson from my grandparents Mama Kay and Papa Joe. They taught me that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. That has never resonated louder than this past week when I traveled to Atlanta to participate in the 2015 National Prescription Drug Abuse Summit. Professionals from local, state and federal agencies, state and national leaders, clinicians, treatment providers, counselors, educators and advocates gathered for one … Continue Reading
February 25, 2015
DHS shutdown far too risky | Martinsburg Journal
by By Sen. Joe Manchin
At a time when our country faces many threats, both at home and abroad, making sure that our Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is operating at full capacity is crucial. This week, funding for DHS will expire and many of the agency's critical operations will potentially come to a standstill if Congress cannot agree on a bill to ensure its full funding. There is no doubt - a DHS shutdown would impact our entire nation, including individuals in West Virginia and in the Eastern Panhandle. … Continue Reading
February 12, 2015
Let’s protect our children in schools | Charleston Daily Mail
In today's partisan world of politics, many might think that we now live in a divided America. That's simply not true. Americans form their priorities based on their values - and making sure our kids remain safe in every single school across the country has always been at the top of that list. It is important to acknowledge that the vast majority our teachers, principals, and school employees are dedicated professionals and strong role models, but we must take action against that small … Continue Reading
February 04, 2015
Improving mental health care for W.Va. veterans | Logan Banner
by Joe Manchin
As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and as a proud defender of West Virginia's nearly 168,000 brave veterans, I am so pleased that this week Congress passed critical veteran health care legislation - The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act. Its passage takes a momentous stride toward making sure our veterans in West Virginia and across America receive the absolute best mental health care when they return home from war. As an original co-sponsor of the … Continue Reading
December 07, 2014
December 7 a Reminder of Who We Are as Americans | Wheeling Intelligencer
by By Joe Manchin
Seventy-three years later, America still remembers the "date which will live in infamy." It was the first phrase pronounced to the world by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the wake of one of America's greatest tragedies, which has since engraved itself in history forever. December 7, 1941 will always mark the date that 2,403 American lives were lost when Japan led a surprise attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor. It is a day that evoked fear and uncertainty across our nation and … Continue Reading
December 06, 2014
Say ‘thank you’ to a miner today | Bluefield Daily Telegraph
by By Joe Manchin
Today we celebrate National Miner's Day, an incredibly meaningful day of recognition not only for the state of West Virginia, but for our entire country. This nation was built on the backs of our coal miners, and today, miners continue to go to work every day to provide millions of Americans with the electricity that powers our lives. That is why it is so important that we take the time to thank them for all that they have done and continue to do for the sake of our livelihood. Over the … Continue Reading
December 02, 2014
Buck season a treasured tradition | Elkins Inter-Mountain
by By Joe Manchin
This time of year marks a long-standing and treasured tradition for the people of the Mountain State - buck firearms season. As the season continues, thousands of hunters of all ages - from every corner of our state and from beyond our borders - will gear up and trek into the West Virginia backwoods - all with the same anticipation of getting themselves the big buck. There is no doubt that West Virginia is one of the best places in America for deer hunting. With exceptional natural … Continue Reading
November 20, 2014
W.Va. National Guard stands ready | Charleston Daily Mail
by By Joe Manchin
Monday, the news broke that a second patient died from Ebola on U.S. soil. Dr. Martin Salia's tragic death is a sign that the Ebola epidemic is still a danger to the American public, and we should be ever vigilant to contain, control and combat this virus overseas. And while many physicians, medical personnel and aid workers now fear confronting the Ebola crisis, West Virginians need not look any farther than our own West Virginia National Guard since our Guardsmen advance to the front lines … Continue Reading
November 18, 2014
The Fed Needs Governors Who Aren’t Wall Street Insiders | Wall Street Journal
by By Elizabeth Warren and Joe Manchin
With two vacancies to fill, Obama should pick nominees who will look out for Main Street, not the big banks. We joined the Senate Banking Committee to try to make the banking system work better for American families. That's why we're concerned that the Federal Reserve-our first line of defense against another financial crisis-seems more worried about protecting Wall Street than protecting Main Street. Fortunately, this is one problem the Obama administration can start fixing today by … Continue Reading
November 18, 2014
We owe our Veterans our deepest gratitude 365 days of the year | Beckley Register Herald
by By Joe Manchin
Last week, I had the honor of joining many of our proud veterans, service members, military families and residents at the 95th annual Welch Veterans Day Parade in McDowell County, one of America's oldest Veterans Day traditions. It filled me with so much pride and inspiration to witness how Veterans Day uniquely brings our communities together. We celebrate Veterans Day every year as a reminder to us all that our veterans are our heroes; however, saying "thank you" to our veterans and their … Continue Reading
September 17, 2014
America needs a game plan for next president and Congress | CNN
by By Jon Huntsman and Joe Manchin
(CNN) -- In case you haven't heard, nothing worthwhile will happen in Washington until after the midterm elections. That's the conventional wisdom anyway, where the thinking is that a bitterly divided Congress will be lucky to name a post office, let alone deal with pressing issues like the budget or jobs. The conventional wisdom is wrong. On Wednesday, something important is happening in Washington. On that day, a bipartisan group featuring dozens of members of Congress, state and local … Continue Reading
April 09, 2014
Protect our kids from predators | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
One-hundred thirty. That is the number of teachers across America who have been arrested for sexual misconduct since Jan. 1. That is more than one teacher for each day of the year so far. The stories are heartbreaking. A 13-year-old girl raped 30 times by her teacher, young boys lured in by teachers over Facebook or text messages, a special-needs kindergarten girl forced to go shirtless in class, and numerous teachers arrested for possessing child pornography. The list goes on and on. And … Continue Reading
March 26, 2014
How to Fix the Affordable Care Act | Politico Magazine
by By Sen. Joe Manchin, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, Sen. Mary Landrieu, Sen. Mark Begich, Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. Angus King
If you were trying to purchase health insurance in the individual and family market just four years ago, there was a 22 percent chance you would be denied. But today the percentage of Americans who can be refused coverage is zero. And the millions of Americans who already had coverage are now better protected. In fact, this week marks a milestone for the Affordable Care Act, as the end of the first marketplace open enrollment period draws to a close. Millions of Americans have accessed new … Continue Reading
