Manchin and Capito Announce $16 Million in Economic Development Grants
Statement
U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) announced several grants through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and Appalachian Regional Commission totaling $16,492,174.
This funding aims to grow West Virginia's economy and will support a variety of projects and programs in Boone, Cabell, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mercer, Mingo, Monongalia, Raleigh, Randolph, Upshur and Wayne counties, with the potential to impact several more.
"West Virginia has been devastated by this Administration's harmful regulations and we must continue to fight to keep our coal jobs and to make sure every out-of-work coal miner has access to meaningful job opportunities," Senator Manchin said. "This funding is the first of many steps we need to take to revitalize the areas of our state which have been hard-hit by the downturn in the coal industry. This federal investment will support job creation and infrastructure improvements to keep our hard-working miners in West Virginia. I am glad to see this well-deserved funding head to our state."
"Years of onerous regulations that have targeted our state, have put many West Virginians out of work and hurt local communities. For more than a year, I have worked to ensure that economic development officials, including Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Jay Williams and the Economic Development Administration, clearly understand the needs of West Virginia," said Senator Capito. "The funding announced today can help us as we continue to strengthen our workforce and create new job opportunities. Most importantly, it's my hope that any investment like this will grow West Virginia's economy over the long-term, and I will continue to work with the public and private sectors on solutions that boost economic development like high-speed internet and promoting small businesses."
In May 2015, Senator Capito invited Assistant Secretary Williams to visit West Virginia and see the state's challenges firsthand. This May, Senator Capito hosted a meeting with the West Virginia delegation and Assistant Secretary Williams about the need for investments made by EDA to bolster the state's most distressed communities and get West Virginians back to work.
Source