12-10-2019 End of Year Floorspeech PLAY

Click here or the image above to watch the full floor speech. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), today spoke on the Senate floor to outline several important priorities Congress needs to address before the end of the year.

On Appropriations: “I am the chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations subcommittee, so I very much want to see us enact a bill that would provide critical resources to protect this country… So, I want to see us pass all 11 of these bills, as well to provide funding for our troops and our veterans, funding medical research, addressing the opioid epidemic, infrastructure, and many other priorities.”

On the Bipartisan American Miners Act: “Congress must act to save the health care of 13,000 retired miners and protect the pension benefits of about 92,000 people. More than 25,000 retired miners received benefits in West Virginia last year, and we have a bipartisan bill to address this critical issue for our mining families and for West Virginia communities. It is critical that we pass that bill before the year because this situation is getting more dire every single day.”

On the USMCA Trade agreement: “United States Mexico Canada Free Trade Agreement has been waiting for action all year as Senator Ernst said. I’m glad to see Speaker Pelosi finally moving on this. That agreement would grow our economy and includes robust protections for American workers. We’ve got to get it across the finish line.”

On the infrastructure: “We passed a five-year highway bill out of committee—we had a unanimous vote. It would help improve the roads, highways, bridges that Americans count on every day to travel safely whether they’re going to church, to a job, or a family trip. Reauthorizing the federal surface transportation program is a top priority for the coming year.”

For a video of Senator Capito’s remarks today, click here.

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