Op-Eds
Improving mental health care for W.Va. veterans | Logan Banner
by Joe Manchin
As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and as a proud defender of West Virginia's nearly 168,000 brave veterans, I am so pleased that this week Congress passed critical veteran health care legislation - The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act. Its passage takes a momentous stride toward making sure our veterans in West Virginia and across America receive the absolute best mental health care when they return home from war. As an original co-sponsor of the … Continue Reading
December 07, 2014
December 7 a Reminder of Who We Are as Americans | Wheeling Intelligencer
by By Joe Manchin
Seventy-three years later, America still remembers the "date which will live in infamy." It was the first phrase pronounced to the world by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the wake of one of America's greatest tragedies, which has since engraved itself in history forever. December 7, 1941 will always mark the date that 2,403 American lives were lost when Japan led a surprise attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor. It is a day that evoked fear and uncertainty across our nation and … Continue Reading
December 06, 2014
Say ‘thank you’ to a miner today | Bluefield Daily Telegraph
by By Joe Manchin
Today we celebrate National Miner's Day, an incredibly meaningful day of recognition not only for the state of West Virginia, but for our entire country. This nation was built on the backs of our coal miners, and today, miners continue to go to work every day to provide millions of Americans with the electricity that powers our lives. That is why it is so important that we take the time to thank them for all that they have done and continue to do for the sake of our livelihood. Over the … Continue Reading
December 02, 2014
Buck season a treasured tradition | Elkins Inter-Mountain
by By Joe Manchin
This time of year marks a long-standing and treasured tradition for the people of the Mountain State - buck firearms season. As the season continues, thousands of hunters of all ages - from every corner of our state and from beyond our borders - will gear up and trek into the West Virginia backwoods - all with the same anticipation of getting themselves the big buck. There is no doubt that West Virginia is one of the best places in America for deer hunting. With exceptional natural … Continue Reading
November 20, 2014
W.Va. National Guard stands ready | Charleston Daily Mail
by By Joe Manchin
Monday, the news broke that a second patient died from Ebola on U.S. soil. Dr. Martin Salia's tragic death is a sign that the Ebola epidemic is still a danger to the American public, and we should be ever vigilant to contain, control and combat this virus overseas. And while many physicians, medical personnel and aid workers now fear confronting the Ebola crisis, West Virginians need not look any farther than our own West Virginia National Guard since our Guardsmen advance to the front lines … Continue Reading
November 18, 2014
The Fed Needs Governors Who Aren’t Wall Street Insiders | Wall Street Journal
by By Elizabeth Warren and Joe Manchin
With two vacancies to fill, Obama should pick nominees who will look out for Main Street, not the big banks. We joined the Senate Banking Committee to try to make the banking system work better for American families. That's why we're concerned that the Federal Reserve-our first line of defense against another financial crisis-seems more worried about protecting Wall Street than protecting Main Street. Fortunately, this is one problem the Obama administration can start fixing today by … Continue Reading
November 18, 2014
We owe our Veterans our deepest gratitude 365 days of the year | Beckley Register Herald
by By Joe Manchin
Last week, I had the honor of joining many of our proud veterans, service members, military families and residents at the 95th annual Welch Veterans Day Parade in McDowell County, one of America's oldest Veterans Day traditions. It filled me with so much pride and inspiration to witness how Veterans Day uniquely brings our communities together. We celebrate Veterans Day every year as a reminder to us all that our veterans are our heroes; however, saying "thank you" to our veterans and their … Continue Reading
September 17, 2014
America needs a game plan for next president and Congress | CNN
by By Jon Huntsman and Joe Manchin
(CNN) -- In case you haven't heard, nothing worthwhile will happen in Washington until after the midterm elections. That's the conventional wisdom anyway, where the thinking is that a bitterly divided Congress will be lucky to name a post office, let alone deal with pressing issues like the budget or jobs. The conventional wisdom is wrong. On Wednesday, something important is happening in Washington. On that day, a bipartisan group featuring dozens of members of Congress, state and local … Continue Reading
April 09, 2014
Protect our kids from predators | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
One-hundred thirty. That is the number of teachers across America who have been arrested for sexual misconduct since Jan. 1. That is more than one teacher for each day of the year so far. The stories are heartbreaking. A 13-year-old girl raped 30 times by her teacher, young boys lured in by teachers over Facebook or text messages, a special-needs kindergarten girl forced to go shirtless in class, and numerous teachers arrested for possessing child pornography. The list goes on and on. And … Continue Reading
March 26, 2014
How to Fix the Affordable Care Act | Politico Magazine
by By Sen. Joe Manchin, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, Sen. Mary Landrieu, Sen. Mark Begich, Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. Angus King
If you were trying to purchase health insurance in the individual and family market just four years ago, there was a 22 percent chance you would be denied. But today the percentage of Americans who can be refused coverage is zero. And the millions of Americans who already had coverage are now better protected. In fact, this week marks a milestone for the Affordable Care Act, as the end of the first marketplace open enrollment period draws to a close. Millions of Americans have accessed new … Continue Reading
March 05, 2014
EPA's Power Plant Gamble -- a Risk We Can't Afford
Among the many things Government can do in the broad public interest, and surely among the first things it should do, is to secure an affordable and reliable supply of electricity for its people and its industries. The blessings of liberty may be secured by laws and custom, but the blessings of modern civilization are unthinkable without electricity, a truly indispensable commodity in the 21st century. Our country has enjoyed the advantage of low-cost electricity for so long that we may be … Continue Reading
February 05, 2014
Let's Get Ambitious. But Let's Fix Our Finances First | Politico
President Barack Obama, in his State of the Union address last week, spoke to the American people about ways he feels we can address income inequality and his plans to bypass Congress by issuing executive orders aimed at expanding opportunity. As a former governor, I understand his frustrations with Capitol Hill, which does not produce the best results for America. But as a senator, I am discouraged by the efforts President Obama has made to reach common-sense solutions where Democrats and … Continue Reading
February 05, 2014
Committing to Our Water | The Charleston Gazette
On Tuesday, I testified before a Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee hearing to discuss legislation that I drafted with Chairman Barbara Boxer to address the chemical spill that left more than 300,000 West Virginians without water and shut down thousands of businesses. After three weeks of hearing more questions than answers, I am reassured that this dire crisis has finally received the national attention it deserves. A prompt congressional hearing is appreciated, but it is just … Continue Reading
January 14, 2014
Protecting West Virginia Homeowners Against Flood Insurance Rates
For too many homeowners in West Virginia, flood insurance rates are rising faster than floodwaters in a rainstorm. But with new legislation that I am cosponsoring, Congress can pull them to financial safety and save them thousands of dollars on their premiums. These new extreme flood insurance rates are the unintended consequences of changes that Congress made to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in 2012 after natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy left it … Continue Reading
November 26, 2013
Thanksgiving Uniquely Reflects American Character
One of the eight historical paintings in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol depicts the departure of the Pilgrims for the New World in 1620. In the painting, the Pilgrims are kneeling in prayer, some with heads bowed, others looking to the heavens, all asking for Divine protection through what they knew would be a perilous voyage. The painting depicts one of the defining moments in the history of America. And its placement in the very heart of our Capitol underscores the uniqueness of our … Continue Reading
November 11, 2013
America is Blessed With ‘Such Men And Women’
Every time I hear a veteran's story of service and sacrifice, I think of the question famed author James Michener posed in his war novel, The Bridges at Toko-Ri: "Where do we find such men?" The answer, of course, is that we find these great patriots in every city, village and crossroads of America - and especially in West Virginia, a state with one of the country's highest per capita rates of military service members and veterans. And today, it's not just "such men" that we find to stand … Continue Reading
June 20, 2013
Celebrating West Virginia's 150th Birthday
This week, the state of West Virginia will celebrate the sesquicentennial of its birth - a brave and daring declaration of statehood that is unprecedented in American history. Born out of the fiery turmoil of the Civil War 150 years ago, West Virginia was founded by patriots who were willing to risk their lives and fortunes in a united pursuit of justice and freedom for all. To West Virginians, the names of Pierpont, Willey and Boreman are nearly as familiar as Washington, Jefferson and … Continue Reading
