After the American people made their voices heard in November, President Donald Trump is now back in the White House, with a Republican majority in both chambers of Congress.

In this new Congress, my role has expanded. For the first time, I will serve as the senior senator from West Virginia, chairwoman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee and, importantly, chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

The Environment and Public Works Committee, or the EPW Committee as it is typically called, is tasked with developing policies to address the infrastructure, economic development, energy and environment challenges our country faces. Those are matters that West Virginians know deeply, and my West Virginia roots will serve me well as I take on this role. I have served on the EPW Committee since I was first sworn into the U.S. Senate in 2015, and I understand what it takes to get things done through this panel.

Over the past four years as the EPW Committee’s ranking member, I worked hard to enact effective solutions for our state while in the minority, which was certainly a challenge. But, through these efforts, I was able to achieve important successes. Now, as chairwoman of the EPW Committee, I will continue to make certain that West Virginia always has a seat at the table. That has been a central motivation of mine since I first came to Congress.

For West Virginia, this means unleashing the restraints that have delayed our ability to manufacture, build and capitalize on economic development opportunities that create good-paying jobs. This means continuing to invest in our roads and bridges, improving the quality of our water infrastructure systems and moving closer to final completion of vital projects like Corridor H. This means restructuring the regulations that stopped necessary investments to develop pipelines and build out reliable energy and electric infrastructure.

West Virginia must continue to be an energy leader while still protecting the environment of the communities we live in.

One of my main priorities as chairwoman is to unshackle American energy, including West Virginia’s natural resources, like coal and natural gas. To do this, we must address unnecessary barriers under our environmental laws, which will also help us get back to building the manufacturing, farming, housing and other projects that will drive our economy forward while still protecting public health and the environment. I will also work with President Trump to address the broad regulations from the Biden administration that harmed our communities and stifled innovation. We must work in tandem with the Trump administration to halt the endless regulatory costs imposed on Main Street America.

Additionally, I will work to repair and modernize our transportation and water infrastructure. The authorization for federal roads and bridges programs and funding, as well as the authorization for drinking water and wastewater programs, expires in 2026. Reauthorizing these programs, which are critical to West Virginia and the rest of the nation, is a top priority for me as the chairwoman of the EPW Committee.

Finally, the EPW Committee has an important role in approving the Trump administration’s nominees for key positions at federal agencies and impacting the policies these agencies pursue. I will work to swiftly confirm high-quality nominees within the EPW Committee’s jurisdiction, so they can get to work undoing the regulatory damage against the American economy created by the Biden administration.

If you know me, you know that West Virginia is always in the front of my mind. I am a proud, lifelong native of the Mountain State, and it is the honor of my life to represent our people in the U.S. Senate. I look forward to addressing the challenges ahead with my brand of eternal optimism, and to delivering solutions on the issues that matter most to the people of our great state.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is the fourth-highest ranking Republican member of the U.S. Senate.