PARKERSBURG — American support for Ukraine in the war against Russia is vital for national security, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said Thursday.
Nations have their eyes on the United States and lessening aid to Ukraine could be interpreted as a sign of weakness by other nations, Capito, R-W.Va., said. China is among those and what the United States does can impact what the Chinese might do against Taiwan, a sovereign nation, she said.
Supporting Ukraine “is in our best national security interests,” Capito said. Senate leadership in both parties last week said they supported continued support for Ukraine.
Capito held a press conference Thursday by live stream from her office in Washington. Among questions asked were about the Hazelton Federal Prison in Preston County, her son Moore Capito’s endorsement of Gov. Jim Justice for the U.S. Senate and Sen. Mitt Romney’s, R-Utah, decision to not run for re-election.
Romney, who ran for president in 2012 when he said Russia was the greatest world political foe of the U.S., is critical of Donald Trump, the former president criminally charged in four indictments including trying to overthrow the 2020 election, hiding top-secret U.S. documents and for hush money payments to the adult film star Stormy Daniels. He was among the few Republican senators who voted to convict Trump during his two impeachment hearings while in office.
“He’s going to be missed,” Capito said of Romney.
The Senate will come up with an appropriation bill to avoid a government shutdown, she said, adding she’s unsure what the House will do.
“We can not have a government shutdown,” Capito said.
Capito with Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Dick Durbin of Illinois Wednesday released a letter sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and Federal Bureau of Prisons Director Colette Peters about investigating a whistleblower’s allegations of abusive treatment at Hazelton, a federal prison in Preston County in West Virginia.
The problems at the prison are extensive and residents of the area, employees and inmates deserve answers, she said.
Among claims cited in the letter were staff covering up an incident of a group of inmates escaping from the facility, falsification of documents, physical abuse of inmates, restrictive housing against inmates in violation of Bureau of Prisons policy, racial slurs against minorities toward staff members and inmates, urinating on prisoner property and forcing prisoners to urinate and defecate on themselves as a condition of being released from restrictive custody.
“What a deep problem we think this is,” Capito said.
She also said she didn’t consult with her son, Delegate Moore Capito of Kanawha County, an announced candidate for governor, who on Wednesday endorsed Justice for U.S. Senate. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-2nd, also said he is running for Senate.
“I’m not influencing him,” Capito said.
The senator endorsed Justice earlier this year. Sen. Joe Manchin has yet to announce his plans and Justice also hasn’t endorsed anyone for governor, but Wednesday cited Moore Capito’s abilities.