WHEELING — U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito paid tribute to her good friend, the departing U.S. Rep. David B. McKinley, with a speech Wednesday on the Senate floor in Washington. 

Capito lauded McKinley, her fellow West Virginia Republican, for his tenacity, decisiveness and passion for serving constituents in the Mountain State. 

“Mr. President, I rise to honor a seventh-generation West Virginian, a lifelong Wheeling native, a devoted husband, father, grandfather and public servant – my very good friend Congressman David McKinley,” Capito began. 

She said she and McKinley have known each other “for a very long time.” 

“He and his wife Mary have extended steadfast love and friendship to my entire family – in particular to my parents during some good times and bad,” Capito continued. “And those friendships extended for many years and never wavered.” 

McKinley was defeated by U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., in this year’s general election, and won’t return to Washington for the next term of Congress. 

Capito noted McKinley’s service in the House of Delegates, and his time as chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party before being elected to the U.S. House in 2010. She commended him for gaining a spot on the House Energy and Commerce Committee during his first year in Washington. 

“I had already been there 10 years (in the U.S. House) and still hadn’t made it to the Energy and Commerce Committee, so I was a little jealous of David then,” she chided. “But wow, did he do tremendous work on that committee.” 

Capito added that over time, McKinley’s “passion for West Virginia has never wavered, and his pragmatic service has never changed.” 

McKinley’s background and thought processes as an engineer have helped the state and his constituents over the years, she told Senate members. She acknowledged he has helped her to “to understand some complex issues.” 

And he has always been willing to share information and speak with the public, Capito continued. 

“I think there aren’t many members who have held town hall meetings on the Megabus to D.C. as David has to meet with constituents,” she said. “But David never misses an opportunity for a good conversation.” 

She mentioned McKinley’s efforts to advance infrastructure improvement efforts, and secure pension benefits for miners. 

“David is and always will be a problem solver, and he brought thoughtful solutions to the needs of West Virginians every single day with unrelenting passion,” she said. 

That passion continues through his support of miners, the West Virginia Mountaineers football team, and his hometown of Wheeling, according to Capito. 

Capito also saluted McKinley’s wife, Mary McKinley. Mary McKinley worked many years as a nurse at the former Ohio Valley Medical Center, and served as the national president of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. 

“Mary has truly been a partner to David and his work to make West Virginia stronger and healthier,” she said. “She epitomizes West Virginia’s warmth and friendliness, and we thank her for her service to our state, as well.” 

Capito said that as McKinley prepares to leave the U.S. House, she suspects it won’t be the last the public hears from him. 

“I admire tenacity and decisiveness,” she continued. “You never really have to wonder what David McKinley thinks on a certain topic. I like that.”