Joe Manchin, United States Senator, West Virginia

Manchin Votes to Protect U.S. Manufacturing Jobs

Tue, 15 May 2012 05:00:00 EST

Senator Manchin issued a statement after voting for a bipartisan measure to bolster the market for American-made goods in other countries and protect domestic manufacturing jobs.

Rockefeller, Manchin Announce Grants for Health Centers Serving Mercer, Monongalia, Preston, and Taylor Counties

Mon, 14 May 2012 05:00:00 EST

Funding Will Help Provide Access to Health Care Services for Underserved and Rural Areas...

Manchin Launches 4th ‘Commonsense Connections’ Week

Fri, 11 May 2012 02:00:00 EST

Representatives from Senator Manchin’s office will make more than 75 stops across W.Va. to meet with constituents and gather their feedback.

Manchin's Message from the Hill to the Mountains: Staying Connected to West Virginia

Fri, 11 May 2012 11:30:00 EST

As your U.S. Senator, I believe there is nothing more important than staying connected with the people and commonsense values of our great state. Since I joined the Senate, I have relied on your feedback, thoughts and ideas – and I’m always looking for more ways we can stay connected. You deserve the very best in service from those you’ve elected to represent you, and I always want to hear from you if you think there is something we could be doing better. So this week I am so proud to announce two very important ways that we can stay in touch with each other, even when I'm in Washington.

First off, my office has started a completely new event for West Virginians at the U.S. Capitol. Every Wednesday that the Senate is in session, I will host a coffee hour for any West Virginians who come to Washington.

We’re calling it “Wednesday Wake-Up with Joe,” and I want every West Virginian to know that they have an open invitation to join me in my Washington office.

I truly hope that when you and your family come to our nation’s capital – whether for work or for fun – you know that you have a place to come visit, say hello and tell me in person what’s on your mind.

I’ll be hosting “Wednesday Wake-up with Joe” each week that the Senate is in session. To find out if I’ll be hosting a coffee session during a week you’ll be in town, you can visit my website: manchin.senate.gov and click on “Contact Joe.” There, you’ll see plenty of information about our constituent coffee series. And, you can RSVP online. You can also call my office at (304) 342-5855 if you need any more information and to RSVP.

We'll start our coffee hour on May 16 at 10 a.m., and Gayle and I truly hope that you can join us.

Of course, the doors to all of my offices – in Washington, Charleston, Martinsburg and Morgantown – are always open to the people of our great state. But I also want my staff to be available to you in your community. That’s why at the end of the month, I’m sending my staff to you.

Starting May 21, my staff will be holding “Commonsense Connections” events all across the state. Representatives from my office will make more than 75 stops across West Virginia – traveling to all 55 counties – to meet with the people of our state and hear your commonsense priorities and concerns.

We launched our first-ever “Commonsense Connections” Week in February 2011, and because these events were so successful, we’ve carried on the tradition. This May will be our fourth series of “Commonsense Connections” events, and I hope West Virginians will use this opportunity to share what’s on their minds. To find out when a representative from my office will be in your area, please visit my website, manchin.senate.gov, where the dates and times for all of our “Commonsense Connections” events are listed. You can also call my office.

I want to thank each and every one of you for all that you do to make our state great. I hope that you’ll be able to join us for coffee in Washington, and that you’ll take the time to visit with my staff when they are in your county.

May God bless you, and my God bless the great state of West Virginia.

Manchin: Athletics Strengthen Our Communities and Inspire Our Youth

Thu, 10 May 2012 03:30:00 EST

Manchin introduces legislation creating commemorative coin to honor the Pro Football Hall of Fame and increase educational initiatives and community outreach ...

Manchin Statement on Postal Service Announcement

Wed, 09 May 2012 05:00:00 EST

Senator Manchin issued a statement about the U.S. Postal Service announcement that all 3,700 rural post offices slated for closure will remain open, with some reducing retail hours.

Manchin Invites West Virginians to Join Him for ‘Wednesday Wake-Up with Joe’

Wed, 09 May 2012 04:30:00 EST

Manchin Statement on Postal Service Announcement

Wed, 09 May 2012 03:30:00 EST

May 16: Manchin Invites West Virginians To Join Him For ‘Wednesday Wake-Up With Joe’

Wed, 09 May 2012 02:30:00 EST

Senator Manchin announced the launch of a new weekly coffee hour called “Wednesday Wake-Up with Joe.” All West Virginians are invited to attend these morning get-togethers.

Manchin to Vote to Keep Student Loan Interest Rate Affordable

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:00:00 EST

Senator Manchin votes to prevent student loan interest rates from doubling in the 2012-13 school year.

Manchin, Rockefeller Call On Postal Service to Continue Moratorium and Avoid Post Office Closures in WV

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin urged the U.S. Postal Service to reconsider closing 150 post offices and consolidating mail processing centers in West Virginia as these actions unfairly target jobs and postal services in West Virginia, as well as other rural states.

The Senators, in a joint letter, specifically asked the Postmaster General to extend the current moratorium on any post office closings and mail processing center consolidations in the state.

Last December, Rockefeller and Manchin worked to convince the Postmaster General to grant a five month delay to rural post office closings and mail processing center consolidations in West Virginia and elsewhere. The move has temporarily protected services for customers and tens of thousands of jobs nationwide, including more than 160 jobs in West Virginia.

Rockefeller and Manchin did not support the postal reform bill in the Senate because it does little to address the Postal Service’s financial problems over the long run and instead disproportionately hurts West Virginia citizens, businesses, postal workers, and retirees.

On March 20, Rockefeller, Manchin, and five other Senators sent a strongly worded letter to the Postmaster General pressing for details about how the Postal Service is spending its money and identified ways to save billions of dollars and raise new revenue before pushing ahead with drastic cuts to post offices and other facilities. Click here to view the letter.

Click here to view the letter that Rockefeller and Manchin sent on May 7 to U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe.

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Manchin, Rockefeller Announce Grants for Airports in Marion, Mason, Mercer Counties

Mon, 07 May 2012 11:30:00 EST

Funding Will Enable Local Airports to Make Needed Upgrades...

Manchin's Message from the Hill to the Mountains: The Next Step For Our Post Offices

Fri, 04 May 2012 01:30:00 EST

Just before leaving for a weeklong state work period in April, the Senate passed the 21^st Century Postal Service Act, a bill to address the massive deficit facing the United States Postal Service (USPS). I know the grave financial situation facing the USPS is of great concern to West Virginians since so many of our rural post offices are facing potential closure. I want West Virginians to know what they can expect when it comes to the future of our post offices.

While the postal reform bill has passed the Senate, action is still being awaited in the House. Until the House acts, I believe the Postal Service must extend the current moratorium on post office closures – which is scheduled to expire on May 15. Unless the moratorium is extended, post offices could be forced to close between May 15 and the time a postal reform bill is signed into law.

This week, I sent a letter with a bipartisan group of 43 Senators urging the U.S. Postal Service to extend its current moratorium on post office closures until after a postal reform bill becomes law. I am hopeful that the USPS will approve this request, giving our post offices some much-needed protection.

Around the country, 3,700 post offices could be forced to close as the Postal Service looks to cut costs – including 150 post offices in West Virginia. I have said loud and clear: I do not believe that the Postal Service should balance its books on the backs of rural communities. Instead, the Postal Service should consider other viable ways to cut costs that won’t affect services on the front lines, including eliminating excess rental space and reducing advertising expenditures on luxuries like sponsorship of a NASCAR team and a Tour de France team.

Before even one more post office is forced to close their doors, the Postal Service should reevaluate the way it compensates executives with bonuses. I don’t think anyone would believe that former Postmaster General John Potter earned $501,384 in 2010 – more than the President of the United States.

Closing these 3,700 post offices would only save the Postal Service $200 million. That is just 1 percent of the sum the Postal Service needs to straighten out its financial situation, and approximately the same amount of money we spend in one day in Afghanistan.

Because I truly believe the Postal Service can fix its finances without closing the post offices that are such an integral part of the fabric of our communities, I offered an amendment to the postal reform bill that would have prohibited any post office from closing for a period of two years, and would have protected 35,000 jobs at mail processing facilities that could also close. Unfortunately, my amendment failed 43-53, and because I did not feel the overall postal reform bill offered enough protection to our post offices, I voted against the legislation.

However, it is important to note that the postal reform bill includes a provision offered by Senators Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) that would prohibit rural post offices from closing for a period of one year. Though my amendment was stronger, since it gave post offices and postal facilities two years of guaranteed protection, I co-sponsored the McCaskill-Merkley amendment because I believe that some protection for our postal facilities is better than nothing.

Having grown up in the small town of Farmington, West Virginia, I truly understand the vital role our post offices play in rural communities. They are more than just a place to send and receive mail – they are the way we stay connected to the country as a whole. I want West Virginians to know that I am doing everything in my power to save our rural post offices.

Manchin Urges Postal Service to Extend Moratorium Preventing Post Office Closures

Thu, 03 May 2012 01:30:00 EST

Senator Joe Manchin joined a bipartisan group of 43 Senators in a letter urging the U.S. Postal Service to extend its current moratorium on post office closures until after a postal reform bill is signed into law.

Manchin, Rahall, Rockefeller: DOT Approves Airline Proposal for Raleigh County Air Service

Tue, 01 May 2012 01:30:00 EST

BECKLEY, W.Va. – U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, top Democrat on House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; Senator Jay Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and Senator Joe Manchin III (all D-W.Va.) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has selected air carrier Silver Airways to provide Essential Air Service (EAS) at Raleigh County Memorial Airport in Beckley for a two-year term of service, replacing Colgan Air, which plans to end its flight service at Beckley on July 31, 2012.

"This is truly a silver lining in our quest to prepare for the Boy Scouts Jamboree and their High Adventure camps, and it’s essential to business, government and leisure travelers," said Rahall. “I remain committed to fighting for federal investments to improve our roads and airports in southern West Virginia, particularly as we grow our economy to meet our growing population in Raleigh County and our region.”

“This is a great first step to make sure residents in Beckley maintain commercial air service. I’m encouraged by the interest that Beckley has received, and that Silver Airways is committed to serving West Virginia,” said Rockefeller, who has become the leading defender of EAS service in the Senate. “I’ve continued to say that rural air service in West Virginia is critical – it creates jobs and helps our economy grow. I fought to protect EAS funding for West Virginia’s airports, and this announcement for Beckley helps make certain the region is not left out.”

“I am so pleased that Silver Airways will replace Colgan Air, ensuring that safe and reliable transportation is available to residents and businesses in Beckley,” Manchin said. “In order for our state to remain competitive and attract new jobs and industries, we must offer businesses the type of transportation they require. Quality infrastructure is so important to our economy, and this announcement is good news for West Virginia.”

Tom Cochran, director at the airport, is pleased with Silver Airway’s proposal to provide 26 weekly frequencies contingent upon a code-share agreement with United. “We’re excited to have DOT’s approval, and certainly appreciate the help provided by Congressman Rahall to ensure air service continues in our area. Frankly, without the Essential Air Service our citizens would not have access to reliable air transportation.”

For Beckley, Silver Airways, previously known as Gulfstream International Airlines, proposes to operate 13 round trips per week (seven nonstops and six one-stops at an intermediate point to be determined at a later date) to Washington’s Dulles International Airport for an annual subsidy of $2,664,565. The service proposed is one round trip per week more than what the DOT requested for Beckley. Service would be operated with 34-passenger Saab 340B+ aircraft. The carrier is proposing to operate flights under its existing code-share with United Airlines, however, a definitive agreement extending that code-share had not been reached at the time of filing and, therefore, the proposal was contingent upon that agreement being finalized.

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Manchin and Rockefeller Announce Expected New Air Service in Morgantown, Clarksburg

Tue, 01 May 2012 01:30:00 EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Jay Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Senator Joe Manchin today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) selected Silver Airways to provide air service at Morgantown’s and Clarksburg’s airports. The service is currently provided by Colgan Air, but that company is ending service.

“This is an excellent first step to make sure residents around Morgantown and Clarksburg maintain commercial air service. I’m very encouraged by the interest in both airports and that Silver Airways is committed to serving West Virginia,” said Rockefeller, who has become the leading defender of Essential Air Service in the Senate. “I’ve continued to say that commercial air service in West Virginia is absolutely necessary – it creates jobs and helps our economy grow.

“I fought hard to protect EAS funding for Beckley, Clarksburg, Morgantown, and Parkersburg, and this announcement will make certain the funding in West Virginia is secure. I will always fight to preserve commercial air service for our state. And I strongly encourage residents and businesses to use this new air service when it starts so that we can make sure it stays in West Virginia.”

“I am so pleased that Silver Airways will replace Colgan Air, ensuring that safe and reliable transportation is available to residents and businesses in Morgantown and Clarksburg,” Manchin said. “In order for our state to remain competitive and attract new jobs and industries, we must offer businesses the type of transportation they require. Quality infrastructure is so important to our economy, and this announcement is good news for West Virginia.”

In March, Colgan Air, which operates as United Express, filed notice with DOT to cease Essential Air Service (EAS) operations at airports in Morgantown and Clarksburg. Silver Airways has been selected to take Colgan’s place and has proposed 18 roundtrip flights per week for a two year period.

The airport in Beckley also faces the same situation, and Silver Airways is soon expected to begin operating there as well and has proposed 26 weekly frequencies.

When Colgan Air announced its decision, Rockefeller immediately set to work to find a new airline to provide service to Morgantown Municipal Airport, North Central West Virginia Airport in Bridgeport, and Raleigh County Memorial Airport in Beckley. Rockefeller has continued to encourage DOT to maintain access to commercial air service across West Virginia.

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Manchin Encourages West Virginians to Participate in National Drug Take Back Day

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:00:00 EST

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will set up locations around the state to safely dispose of unwanted, unused prescription drugs...

Manchin's Message from the Hill to the Mountains: Protecting Women and Children From Violence

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 03:00:00 EST

This week I joined with my colleagues to pass the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which will help ensure that the women and children of this country are free from domestic abuse.

I proudly sponsored the Violence Against Women Act because it is unfathomable that any individual could oppose efforts to ensure women and children are free from violence.

Indeed, I have heard from the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence that this law is “the most critical piece of federal legislation affecting the safety of survivors of domestic violence and their children in every county of West Virginia.”

Since it first passed in 1994, the Violence Against Women Act has reduced domestic violence by more than 50 percent through the critical programs it funds. But still, violence against women and children is a terrifying reality in this country.

According to the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services – our state’s sexual assault coalition – one in six women in West Virginia will be a victim of attempted or completed rape.

And according to the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, on any given day, licensed domestic violence programs in West Virginia provide services to nearly 600 women, children and men. Every seven minutes, a call is made to a domestic violence hotline in West Virginia.

One-third of homicides in West Virginia are related to domestic violence.

In tough economic times – like those we are experiencing now – women are more likely to become victims of domestic violence.

According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, domestic violence is more than three times as likely to occur when couples are experiencing high levels of financial strain as when they are experiencing low levels of financial strain.

Women whose male partners experienced two or more periods of unemployment over a 5-year study were almost three times as likely to be victims of intimate violence as were women whose partners had stable jobs.

Seventy-three percent of shelters attributed the rise in abuse to “financial issues.” “Stress” and “job loss” were also frequently cited as causing the increase in the victims seeking shelter.

That is why it was so important to pass the Violence Against Women Act, which is a fight on behalf of the women whose stories are contained in those numbers – but whose lives are invaluable and more important than any statistic could ever hope to portray. The bill we passed reauthorized several essential grant programs that have made a tremendous difference in my state of West Virginia and across this nation.

These are programs like the Sexual Assault Services Program, which has allowed West Virginia to significantly expand services to victims of sexual assault; the Services-Training-Officers-Prosecutors (STOP) Grant Program, which is the primary grant program used to address crimes of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking by allowing states to allocate the funds to providers at their own discretion; Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV), a highly competitive program that seeks to make legal assistance available to victims of violence and sexual assault; and the ARREST Grant Program, which seeks to help state and local governments and agencies investigate and prosecute instances of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and treat them as serious crimes.

Other critical programs funded by VAWA include Rural Enforcement Assistance Grants, which were established to address unique challenges faced in rural jurisdictions, including resources for victims in remote and geographically isolated areas who face barriers to accessing services. The rural grant program has allowed the state to provide fulltime advocacy for sexual assault victims in seven rural counties in West Virginia.

These programs are just a few examples of the services being offered to victims because of the Violence Against Women Act. As we debated this bill, countless West Virginians reached out to me to share women’s stories, emphasize the proven successes of the Violence Against Women Act, and highlight the need to continue funding such an important law.

Truly, it is incomprehensible to me how anyone could make the decision to inflict physical pain on someone else – man, woman or child. Life is tough enough without involving violence.

Ensuring that women and children have adequate protection against violence just makes common sense. And to the people of West Virginia, I know this is a high priority.

If there was ever an issue that should bring us together, I would hope that we could find common ground when it comes to protecting our mothers and grandmothers, our wives, our sisters, our daughters and our grandchildren. There is nothing more common sense to me than taking care of the ones we love, and the ones who have cared for us. I know that as Democrats and Republicans, we can agree on that.

Manchin to Vote to Protect Women and Children Against Violence

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:00:00 EST

Senator Manchin emphasized the critical importance of reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act.

Protect Women and Children Against Violence

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 02:00:00 EST

Madame President—

I rise today with the surest conviction that this body united as a group of democrats and Republicans can and will rote vote to ensure the women and children of this country are free from domestic abuse. I believe that opposing the bill before us would defy every ounce of common sense that I have in my body.

I am a proud sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act, as most of my colleagues here in this body, because it is unfathomable that any individual could oppose efforts to ensure that women and children are free from violence. The bill we are currently considering would reauthorize several essential grant programs that have made a tremendous difference in my state great of West Virginia and across this nation.

Here is what I have heard from the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence Team Coordinators—Sue Julian and Tonya Thomas:

The Violence Against Women Act is the most critical piece of federal legislation affecting the safety of survivors of domestic violence and their children in every county of West Virginia. The law supports cost-effective responses to the pervasive and insidious crimes of domestic violence.

VAWA funds innovative, successful programs that are the core of our nation's response to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking. Action taken at the congressional level to end violence against women and children, and even men, echoes through the hills and hollows of most remote communities in my state. Without VAWA, the collaborative efforts of law enforcement, prosecution, victim advocates and judicial personnel would be fragmented, compartmentalized, and worse counterproductive to each other.

VAWA saves lives. It changes communities. It offers safeties and creates channels of hope.

Madame President, we know that since it first passed in 1994, the Violence Against Women's Act had reduced domestic violence by more than 50% throughout the critical programs it funds. Still, violence against women and children is a terrifying reality in this country.

Let me share with you some startling statistics that illustrate the scope of this problem. According to the West Virginia Foundation of Rape Information and Services, in our state's Sexual Assault Coalition, one in six women in West Virginia will be a victim of an attempted or completed rape. According to the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, on any given day, licensed domestic violence programs in West Virginia provide services to nearly 600 women and children and men. Every seven minutes a call is made to domestic violence hotline in West Virginia. One-third of homicides in West Virginia are related to domestic violence. More than two-thirds of women murdered in West Virginia are killed by a member of their family or a member of their household.

In 2010, there were 11,174 investigations into domestic violence allegations in West Virginia, which required 272,450 hours of law enforcement involvement.

This legislation is a fight on behalf of the women whose stories are contained in those numbers— but whose lives are invaluable and more important than any strategy could ever hope to portray. And no one can better speak to the importance of the Violence Against Women Act than the groups whose work each and every day is improved because of the programs supported by the law.

Madame Chairman, growing up in a small community in Farmington, West Virginia, and in a loving family, violence against women and children was unfathomable. I could not have even thought of it. The most beautiful people in my life were my mother, my grandmother, my sisters, my aunts, my cousins. They all were the most beautiful people I ever could have hoped to grow up with.

My grandmother, affectionately known as Mama Kay, always had been the glue to our family and kept it together. And really kept the community together. She was a symbol of strength, the woman who others would turn to for a place to stay or a hot meal in times of trouble.

And how I grew up, we celebrated and admired the women who raised us and those around us. We thanked them and we loved them and we showed them our appreciation and respect.

It is incomprehensible to me how anyone can make the decision to inflict physical pain on someone else—a woman, a child, or even a man. Truly, life is tough enough without involving violence.

Once again, Madame President, for each and every member of the Senate who will cast a vote on this bill, the question comes down to this: what is it that we truly value? What are our priorities?

Ensuring that women and children have adequate protection against violence just makes common sense. And to the people of West Virginia, I know this is at the highest priority.

Of course, these atrocities are not at all unique to my state. Nationally, domestic violence accounts for 22% of the violent crimes experienced by women and 3% of the violent crimes against men.

Approximately 37% of the women seeking injury-related treatment in hospital and emergency rooms, where they are there because of injuries inflicted by a current or a former spouse or partner.

In tough economic times, like those that we are experiencing now, women are more likely to become a victim of domestic violence.

Women whose male partners experience two or more periods of unemployment over a five-year study were almost three times as likely to be victims of intimate violence than were women whose partners had stable jobs.

73% of the shelters attributed the rise in abuse to financial issues, stress, and job loss were also frequently cited as causing increased victims seeking shelter.

It goes on and on and all we're asking for is to make this a nonpartisan issue. Come together as Americans, come together as senators, not worrying about our political differences. This is one bill that brings us all together for our common cause. It is the most decent cause and something that's needed in America.

I urge the support of all of my colleagues to please support this.