Click here or on the image above to watch Senator Capito’s floor speech.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), vice chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, delivered remarks on the Senate floor highlighting concerns she heard from West Virginians during the August state work period and reviewed some of her travels across the state.
Senator Capito’s floor remarks, as prepared for delivery, are included below:
“Mr./Madame President,
“Today marks 23 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on our nation.
“Although we are now over two decades removed from one of the greatest tragedies in our nation’s history, the memories remain in our mind as if it happened yesterday.
“These horrific events in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania forever changed national security in the United States of America.
“Our nation banded together and we supported one another as we rebuilt and recovered.
“We will never forget.
“Many of us were here on that day, including myself. And I certainly will never forget that awful, tragic day.
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“Mr./Madame President,
“I rise today to talk about another topic, or a few topics, for that matter.
“And that is the many issues I heard from constituents back home during my visits across West Virginia, from Weirton to Morgantown, to Ranson to Huntington, and other points north and south.
“As you, and many of our colleagues, did, I spent the last five weeks traveling to all corners of my state, touring businesses, celebrating wins for our state, and meeting with local leaders, business owners, and constituents.
“But, most importantly, this was a time for me to hear about the issues that are directly impacting them, the solutions that work for them, and the challenges they face.
“I heard a lot, but the common themes I heard over and over again were inflation, the border crisis, crime across the country, the chaos we are witnessing abroad and our country’s weakness on the world stage, workforce shortages, the inadequacy of permitting, and concern in our agriculture communities.
“Many West Virginians I spoke with feel that the current administration’s agenda is not working for them, and I can see why.
“So, let’s take a look at some of these issues.
“We can start with what is top of mind for folks all across our country, and that is the rising cost of basic goods and services.
“Everyday men and women go to work, take their kids to school, expecting the predictability that filling up their car will cost a certain amount, that their trip to the grocery store will be in the same range, but what do they find?
“Thanks to inflation, fueled in part by excessive government spending to the tune of trillions of dollars, Americans are paying higher prices for many things they can’t do without.
“West Virginians are spending an average of $889 more a month on food, shelter, and energy prices than they were before the Biden-Harris administration.
“Over the past year, consumer prices have increased by three percent while they have increased over 20% between the time President Biden and Vice President Harris were elected in 2021 to now.
“So, if you’re saving up to buy a new or used car or truck: keep saving, because it costs more under President Biden.
“Headed out to the grocery store? Prepare to see a larger number at the bottom of your receipt thanks to the Biden-Harris administration.
“West Virginians are spending an average of $103 more on food each month.
“Making your monthly rent payment? If it seems to be higher than it was last year, that’s because it is.
“The national median rent is up nearly 22% since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office.
“To add to that, mortgage rates have skyrocketed. Overall, 30-year fixed rates are at average almost 6.5%.
“Small businesses are suffering.
“For example: the construction industry is busy in West Virginia. More companies and people want to come to West Virginia, but the cost of operating businesses, with already slim margins, is higher.
“Contractors working under constraints of already very slim margins are acutely feeling the Biden-Harris administration’s failed economic policies.
“The numbers don’t lie. I heard about it frequently during my travels that the savings they worked hard for, that they sacrificed to accumulate, are dwindling in front of their eyes due to the skyrocketing cost of living during these last three and a half years.
“Another issue I heard about was the workforce shortages. When I attended the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Business Summit, this topic came up with one of the manufacturers in my state.
“Specifically, this manufacturer has been trying to set up an apprenticeship program, but the Department of Labor, under the Biden-Harris administration, has thrown a wrench in these plans, and the bureaucracy the company has faced during the process hindered their ability to follow through with this apprenticeship program.
“The 21st century economy requires innovative approaches to workforce development and education, and apprenticeships are one way to do that.
“They can help advance job training and employment opportunities, and they are something I’ve been very supportive of.
“Our businesses shouldn’t be faced with bureaucratic hurdles like this.
“There are policies to employ and regulations to cut that would improve our economic standing, but instead, the economic policies of the Biden-Harris administration have severely jeopardized the American dream for millions of our citizens.
“The border crisis is another issue that came up repeatedly during my visits back home.
“You might ask yourself, ‘West Virginia isn’t a border state, so why do West Virginians care about the crisis at the southern border?’
“West Virginians care about this because the impacts can be directly felt well-beyond the traditional ‘border states.’
“Under the Biden-Harris administration, every state is a border state.
“Take the opioid crisis as one example. Deadly drugs have been, and continue to flow across our porous border, making their way into our communities.
“The overdose crisis has taken the lives of thousands of sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers.
“As someone representing a state hit hardest by the drug epidemic, I have begged the Biden-Harris administration to please do something different, or at least do something.
“The Biden administration has proven, from day one, that they have no genuine interest in closing our southern border, or any desire in enforcing the immigration laws that are already on the books.
“It’s no wonder immigration has surged to the top of mind for voters across the country.
“Crime was another topic that came up frequently during my travels.
“West Virginians see what’s happening across our nation, and it’s no wonder they are alarmed.
“Democrats have championed a soft-on-crime agenda that has contributed to soaring crime rates.
“According to the Major Cities Chiefs Association, when compared to mid-year 2019 pre-pandemic levels, homicides are up nearly 26% and aggravated assaults are up about 23% in the United States.
“This is not only unacceptable, but it’s terrifying.
“Repeated calls from Democrats to defund the police, for open borders, and reduced sentencing or bail requirements has led to a crime increase so overwhelming that Americans’ fear regarding crime in their communities is at a 50-year high.
“Though President Biden and Vice President Harris bear ultimate responsibility here, in many ways they are following the direction of their party when it comes to crime.
“We have seen a lack of leadership from the White House, an overly politicized Department of Justice, and district attorneys who refuse to prosecute crimes.
“The Biden administration has insisted on nominating radical, soft-on-crime advocates to federal judgeships.
“While this utter disregard to law and order is deeply concerning, it is also just another trend from the Biden-Harris administration.
“Then there is the chaos unfolding around the world.
“A constituent recently told me, ‘It is now obvious on the world stage, especially to our enemies, that we have an extremely weak commander-in-chief. For the first time in my life, and I am 74 years-old, I don’t go to bed feeling that I will be safe when I wake up in the morning.’
“The indecision and ill-advised policies of the Biden-Harris administration have signaled unreliability to our allies and weakness to those who would do us harm.
“We are living in a time where our nation faces the most dangerous global threats we’ve seen in decades, yet the Biden-Harris administration has proven to be an administration of weakness, wavering during some of the most tumultuous episodes of modern history.
“This display of weakness is best exemplified by the Biden-Harris administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“The Biden-Harris administration has slow walked virtually every major military capability that they eventually provided to Ukraine, and now has to be begged to allow Ukraine to hit Russia back.
“Iran is giving its militias weapons to attack U.S. troops in the Middle East, resulting in the deaths of three U.S. Army soldiers in Jordan and injuries to dozens more of our very best.
“The response? This administration is so afraid of ‘escalation,’ they have only authorized minimal responses to those attacks.
“And now, most recently, President Biden and Vice President Harris have thrown our commitments to Israel into question, acting as if Israel is the problem when it comes to the war in Gaza and the lack of a hostage deal.
“We have to be absolutely clear eyed that there is no moral equivalency between Hamas and Israel in this war, and it shouldn’t be hard to say that.
“There is no denying that the Biden-Harris weakness has created a world where our adversaries are emboldened and growing closer together.
“That is something we cannot allow to happen. Not now, not ever.
“Another issue I’ve heard about frequently, and most recently during my visits to the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, are concerns from our agriculture community when it comes to the stalling of the Farm Bill reauthorization.
“West Virginia farmers depend on the Farm Bill and the stability that comes with it being reauthorized every five years.
“We just did a one-year extension and now it looks like we’ll have to do another one-year extension due to Senate Democrats dragging their feet.
“When West Virginia farmers are forced to depend on one-year extensions of the Farm Bill, it leaves a lot in the air for them. They deserve better.
“Senator Boozman knows this because he’s been traveling all over the country hosting his Farm Bill discussions.
“We had a productive visit to West Virginia, and I thank him for coming to my state and hearing from those in the industry this bill will impact.
“I’ve talked here on the floor about the process regarding Congressionally Directed Spending in the context of our Appropriations bill.
“This August exemplified key parts of that process.
“For example, I met with Mayors in Charles Town and Harpers Ferry about some of their funding needs, I dedicated the new Heritage Center in Wheeling, and I received updates on a major water system project in Weirton.
“These are just a few examples of discussions I had about the needs folks have, the progress we are making, and happily, in many cases, the culmination of them as well.
“While there are certainly concerns on folks’ minds, exciting things are happening in West Virginia, and that spirit was powerfully felt at the West Virginia Business Summit, the largest in the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s history. And so, I was extra proud to welcome the Canadian Ambassador as my guest to the summit to highlight the partnership between our two countries.
“For West Virginians, we also know the importance of places like Corridor H and the Market Street Bridge in the Northern Panhandle.
“I was happy to cite major developments on each.
“Finally, I am extremely proud of the massive benefit to our nation that is occurring at Marshall University through their cyber security program.
“I was honored to welcome CISA Director Easterly to see the progress, the potential, and to meet the leaders and students who are on the cutting edge of this critical capability.
“Mr./Madame President, while I had productive visits across the state, my job is to advocate for the people of my state and work toward solutions that help address some of the challenges they face, challenges like the ones I mentioned earlier.
“I could talk at length about each of these issues individually, and for most of them, I have.
“But, regardless, the message is simple: Americans want action. They want us to do our jobs.
“Instead, we are wasting time on ‘show votes’ when we should be addressing issues like these that are having large impacts on every day Americans.
“It’s important to remind the American public that it doesn’t have to be this way.
“Americans shouldn’t be forced to choose between paying rent, putting food on the table, or filling up the gas tank.
“They shouldn’t turn on the TV and see our southern border in chaos and continually hear alarm from our nation’s counterterrorism experts.
“And they shouldn’t have to harbor such doubt about the international standing of our country, which has long stood as a pillar of strength and freedom around the globe.
“Enough is enough.
“With that, I yield the floor.”
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