On Memorial Day, Capito Asks West Virginians to Remember and Honor Our Veterans

Op-Ed

On Memorial Day, Capito Asks West Virginians to Remember and Honor Our Veterans

Rep. Capito speaks to reporters about the need for a truly comprehensive energy policy, after a meeting of the House Energy Action Team.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

While the nation prepared to celebrate Memorial Day, veterans took center stage in Congress last week as the House passed legislation to authorize all programs funded by the Department of Defense. Energy costs also remained a top priority as record prices continue to demonstrate the need for new energy resources that limit our nation's reliance on foreign sources of energy.

Memorial Day

In West Virginia, we live by the motto - Mountaineers Are Always Free - and we have our military men and women to thank for those freedoms. In turn, we have a duty to remember and honor the service of our veterans and active duty service members.

We can be proud of their service, and we must never forget their sacrifice. I hope you are having a great Memorial Day, and - if you haven't already - I encourage you to take a few moments to honor and remember the West Virginia veterans to whom we are forever indebted.

Department of Defense Authorization

In sweeping bipartisan fashion, the House last week approved the National Defense Authorization Act to approve all federal programming under the direction of the Department of Defense. Included in the legislation is a 3.9 percent pay increase for military personnel and more than $2.6 billion for Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) and up-armored high mobility vehicles to protect our troops.

An amendment I offered to the bill was also included in the final legislative package and will allocate additional resources to each military service branch, enabling them to carry out funeral honors for retired veterans through the AP3 program. Under the program, all eligible veterans are entitled to military honors to signify America's gratitude for their service.

Local veterans generally present funeral honors, but the program has been under-funded in recent years. My amendment would correct this error to ensure that our veterans receive the proper recognition they deserve.

Gas Prices and Energy Solutions

As gas prices continue to rise, the need for a comprehensive energy policy becomes even more apparent. The worldwide demand for oil has sent prices soaring, and we must get serious about limiting our dependence on foreign sources of energy.

As a member of the House Energy Action Team, I intend to introduce legislation when Congress reconvenes that will make new domestic sources of energy a priority for our energy policy. Our nation is resource rich and we must take advantage of those resources, while also pursuing conservation efforts and renewable sources of energy. I will be sure to keep you updated as we work for lasting solutions to our nation's energy needs.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact my office if I can be of any assistance. It is an honor to serve you.

Sincerely,

Member of Congress

WASHINGTON - Rep. Capito meets with engineering students at West Virginia University who visited the US Capitol for the culmination of a nationwide contest for fuel efficiency in automobiles. The vehicle in the photo (engineered by the students) can operate largely on renewable sources of energy.

In Case You Missed It...

Capito urges Powell hearing
Martinsburg Journal
Edward Marshall
May 23, 2008

MARTINSBURG — More than a year and a half after the death of U.S. District Court Judge W. Craig Broadwater and nearly a year to the day after President Bush nominated his replacement, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has yet to hold a hearing or a vote on the matter.

In a letter dated Tuesday and addressed to Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick J. Leahy, U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., urged the committee to finally take action regarding Martinsburg resident William J. Powell's nomination.

"It has now been almost a full year since President Bush nominated him to fill the sudden vacancy created by Judge Broadwater's passing," Capito said in the letter. "I urge your committee to fulfill its constitutional role and promptly give Mr. Powell's nomination a hearing and a swift up-or-down vote."

The congresswoman said she believes the issue should be above politics.

Capito press secretary Jonathan Coffin said in a phone interview Thursday that the congresswoman has been working behind the scenes for some time to speed up the process, but without results. The letter, he said, was a way for the congresswoman to take more of a public stand on the issue.

"She has made a behind-the-scenes push on this for awhile but it was time, from her position, to make this a little bit more public and say, 'you know what, lets gets rolling here,'" Coffin said. "It shouldn't take a year and a half, especially if you have a nominee that seems to agree is well qualified and will do a great job."

Coffin said, as far he knew, the congresswoman's office had not yet recieved a response to the letter.

Broadwater, who was appointed to the bench by President Bill Clinton, died of cancer on December 18, 2006 at the age of 56. He sat on the bench in Martinsburg and served the Northern District of West Virginia. Capito called Broadwater a revered member of the legal community in the Eastern Panhandle.

"His passing left an enormous void in the area, both in terms of his impeccable character and of his professionalism. We in West Virginia sorely miss him," Capito said in the letter.

On May 24, 2007. President Bush nominated Powell to serve as Boradwater's replacement. Since 1992, Powell has served as the managing member of the Jackson and Kelly law firm's Martinsburg office. He has been a part of the firm since 1985, and served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the state's Southern District from 1990 to 1992. He has represented clients in investigations conducted by government agencies such as the Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

"The Eastern Panhandle is the fastest growing region of my state, and I know that West Virginia would be well-served to have another outstanding jurist hailing from this dynamic area," Capito said in the letter. "I know Mr. Powell will be a patriot with a strong professional background. As a long-time resident of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, he has earned the trust and admiration of the people who know him best."

Coffin said he is unsure if the Democratic-led Judiciary Committee is holding up the decision for political reasons.

"I don't know if it's been made political. I think too often than not these sorts of things can be political," Coffin said of the process. "The congresswoman's perspective is that it's really a local issue and we have an opportunity to nominate someone who his well respected. From a larger big picture there seems to be ... political unwillingness to move on a nominee like Bill Powell. She's concerned it's gotten lost in some national political debate with the Judiciary Committee."

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