Rep. Capito: President's Agenda Hurts West Virginians

Press Release

U.S. Representative Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) issued the following statement this evening in response to President Obama's State of the Union address:

"West Virginians want to work, and they expect Washington to implement policies that will create jobs and grow our economy. Instead of working to unite our country, to revitalize our economy, and to restore confidence, the president has focused on promoting what divides us.

"We know that an energy economy is a jobs economy. I am disappointed in our president's administration for limiting West Virginia's abundant possibilities for using our energy resources to create good-paying jobs here at home, but I applaud his support for fueling vehicles with natural gas. Coal and natural gas are secure, domestic, reliable sources of energy that heat our homes, power our economy and employ tens of thousands of West Virginians.

"Coal should be part of an all-of-the-above energy strategy, and I am disappointed in the president for lobbying once again for his new, burdensome greenhouse gas regulations. Our coal is good enough for Japan, good enough for the Netherlands, good enough to export all around the world. Our country needs dependable domestic energy, and I will work to ensure West Virginia's energy is being used to power America and fuel our economy.

"As Americans face higher energy prices, they're also facing higher health insurance bills or are losing their existing insurance plans entirely. The president said if you like your plan you can keep it, and we're seeing that that's clearly not the case. We must ensure that Americans have access to healthcare plans that fit their needs -- not a plan that the administration feels they should have.

"Obamacare is bad for Americans, bad for West Virginia's families and bad for West Virginia's economy. As I heard across the state last week, Obamacare's new regulations have created uncertainty among small businesses, leading them to delay hiring new employees or making capital investments in their communities. While we will continue to push to repeal and replace, I will also continue to work with my colleagues on legislation to open up health insurance across state lines, to ensure that families can choose plans that work for them, and to provide certainty to businesses so they can hire more employees.

"I have supported previous efforts in Congress to raise the minimum wage, and I believe Congress should debate whether the minimum wage should be raised again. This is a discussion and a debate that should be taken up in the halls of Congress, not pushed into effect via an executive order. I welcome this debate in Congress and look forward to studying any legislation that is brought to the House floor for consideration.

"I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to create jobs, to fulfill our promises to our veterans, to reform our tax code, and to promote domestic energy."

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