SHENANDOAH JUNCTION — Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. told students at Wildwood Middle School Monday the importance of leadership and getting involved in the community, her journey to the Senate and important items currently facing the Senate.
When asked why she decided to get into politics, she said the decision stemmed from her childhood.
“I was raised in politics, and I grew up going to parades, listening to political talks and going around the table with my family talking about current events and things like that,” Capito said. “I got to do some pretty cool things when I was younger. Years later, I decided to throw my hat in the ring and run for the United States House of Representatives for West Virginia. I was a representative for the next 14 years and that was a really good learning experience for me. I have been a senator since 2015, and I am very proud to be the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate (in West Virginia). I think it’s a great thing for young girls to see that this is a position where you can really make a difference.”
Capito added that she believes civic education is important to teach in schools.
“I think there is so much information coming to students every day through social media that they need to see their public officials talk about why they are committed to certain issues,” Capito said. “I also think that for students to have the ability to ask me questions is good. You can see they are curious. I just feel like having these discussions, it fills out their education, and I think it’s a big part of my job.”
Capito also discussed a new bill, “The Change Act,” which takes a multi-faceted approach to Alzheimer’s. She said it was created to help the millions of Americans who are battling or are affected by the disease.
“The Change Act for me is very personal,” Capito said. “Both of my parents had Alzheimer’s, and it was a very difficult journey for us as a family to figure out how to care for them and see what was the best way to meet their needs. As many as 16 million Americans are affected by this, so the bill is looking at finding an earlier diagnosis and help with finding a cure. Because dealing with this, it is emotionally, financially and physically exhausting.”
The availability of high-speed internet access in West Virginia is also an important issue, Capito said. She said broadband access should be extended to states where coverage in rural areas is a challenge.
“Rural broadband is one of main priorities right now,” Capito said. “When kids go home, do they have any connectivity at home and can they do their homework? So, connectivity is one of things I am working on right now.”
Capito also spoke of the benefits on the tax reform bill passed in December.
“I think the tax reform is already benefiting West Virginians,” Capito said. “You look and see people are already getting paychecks with more money at the end of the month and witholding is less because we have tax cuts for everybody. Businesses are raising wages and giving bonuses and investing in 401k’s for their employees. There are different ways businesses are saying because of tax reform, we are able to invest in our workforce. Because of this, we have better wages and better opportunities. I think it’s a win-win, and it’s really, as the year goes on, it’s going to become more apparent to individuals. I am proud to have voted for it.”
Capito also encouraged students to take a tour of the United States Capitol.
“I know that sometimes you guys come to Washington with your families or classes, so please let me tour you around and show you the beautiful Capitol,” Capito said. “If you ever lose faith in our country, all you have to do is step into the United States Capitol and just get reinvigorated. The steps are made of marble and marble is pretty hard to wear down. When you start going up those steps, it should make you think of all those people that have been on those steps before you hundreds of years ago. All the trials and tribulations that they had and how successful we are now, is just great history.”