Press Releases
Senators Manchin, Rockefeller & Rep. Rahall Continue Efforts to Maintain Facility’s Future Operations
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va) today spoke with the head of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to stress just how crucial the Green Bank Observatory is to research and innovation around the world while underscoring its importance to West Virginia and the local economy. Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, has used his leadership position to weigh in on Green Bank as a state and … Continue Reading
October 02, 2012
Manchin, Rockefeller & Rahall Announce Grant for Marshall University’s Diabetes Outreach
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Jay Rockefeller, Chairman of the Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, and Senator Joe Manchin, along with Congressman Nick Rahall, today announced $257,000 in funding for Marshall University's Appalachian Diabetes Control and Translation Project (ADCTP), which provides diabetes education, prevention, and monitoring. "Diabetes is a national epidemic and particularly serious problem in West Virginia, affecting more than 1 in 10 adults in the state," said … Continue Reading
September 28, 2012
Manchin Welcomes Veterans to Charleston for USS West Virginia Reunion
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today proudly welcomed 11 World War II veterans who served on the USS West Virginia for their annual reunion. They plan to gather in West Virginia this year to share stories of their time in the armed services, visit the Culture Center to view artifacts from the USS West Virginia and attend a banquet in Beckley where a 20-foot scale model of the ship has been built. "It is such an honor for our great state to host the USS West Virginia … Continue Reading
September 28, 2012
Manchin, Inhofe Announce Senate Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Caucus
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a senior member on Senate Armed Services Committee, announced today the formation of the Senate Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Caucus. The mission of the bipartisan caucus will be to educate Senators and staff on the capabilities and concerns of UAS and to work closely together to best shape the UAS policymaking process. "The caucus will serve to provide … Continue Reading
September 27, 2012
Manchin, Rahall, Rockefeller Announce Federal Contract Award for Bluestone Dam Safety and Stabilization Project
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), along with Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin (both D-W.Va.), Thursday announced a nearly $55 million Federal contract for a local West Virginia business to continue stabilization and safety improvements at Bluestone Dam in Hinton. "By any measure, Bluestone Dam is a gigantic dynamo for our economy," said Rahall, top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee which has jurisdiction over U.S. Army Corps of … Continue Reading
September 27, 2012
Manchin Helps to Raise Awareness of Veterans’ Mental Health Services
Washington, D.C. - With military suicide rates at record highs, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today added his voice to major suicide prevention efforts from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Today, the Army held a global, service-wide "stand-down" to combat the alarmingly high suicide rate among our nation's servicemembers and veterans. September is Suicide Prevention Month, and throughout the month, the departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense have been focusing on … Continue Reading
September 27, 2012
Manchin Encourages West Virginians to Participate In 5th National Drug Take Back Day
Washington, D.C. - With a prescription drug epidemic raging in the country, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) encouraged West Virginians to participate on Saturday in the fifth National Drug Take Back Day, an opportunity to dispose of any expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administration has scheduled the fifth National Drug Take Back Day on September 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cleaning out medicine cabinets can reduce the risk of prescription drug abuse, … Continue Reading
September 26, 2012
Manchin, Rockefeller, Rahall & Tomblin Announce Significant Grant for Mine Safety Research at Marshall University
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin, along with Congressman Nick Rahall, today announced $96,306 in federal funding for Marshall University to develop a computer program to aid ventilation planning and simulate mine ventilation systems. This grant is part of the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants that were established by the MINER Act, which Rockefeller co-authored and Congress passed in 2006. "We need to do everything in our power to make mining safer, and the … Continue Reading
September 26, 2012
Manchin, Rockefeller, Rahall & Tomblin Announce Significant Grant To Coordinate Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Jay Rockefeller, Chairman of the Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, and Senator Joe Manchin, along with Congressman Nick Rahall and Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, today announced $450,000 in federal funding to support West Virginia's prescription drug monitoring project. The funding would enable the integration of the project into electronic health records and pharmacy systems. These efforts will help make sure prescribers are aware of patients who have histories of … Continue Reading
September 21, 2012
Manchin: It’s Wrong for Congress to Leave Town Without a Budget Deal
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) underscored his frustration with Congress leaving Washington without finishing the people's business on Friday night. The Senate is expected to vote late today or early Saturday on a short-term spending measure that will be the 13th temporary extension since November 2010, when Senator Manchin took office. "There are more than six weeks left until the election - there's no reason to throw in the towel today," Senator Manchin said. "The … Continue Reading
September 21, 2012
Manchin, Rockefeller & Rahall Fight to Protect Green Bank Observatory
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin, along with Congressman Nick Rahall, announced today that they are taking new steps to keep open the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank. Rockefeller, Manchin and Rahall this week sent a letter to NSF Director Dr. Subra Suresh seeking more details about the NSF's Astronomy Portfolio Review, which recommended the Foundation divest itself of its operations in Green Bank "It's important that the NSF understands the … Continue Reading
September 20, 2012
Manchin Statement On Reconnecting McDowell
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) issued the following statement about Reconnecting McDowell and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan's visit today to West Virginia. "As West Virginia's governor and now as a U.S. Senator, education has always been a top priority for me. I first reached out to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan in 2009 to share ideas and to work with him to make education in West Virginia as comprehensive and beneficial to our children as possible. … Continue Reading
September 20, 2012
Manchin: Congress Should Not Leave Until Budget Problems Are Fixed
Manchin: 'Enough is enough, it's time we cancel our flights home, roll up our sleeves and get down to the people's business' After vote today, Senate is expected to adjourn until the election Washington, D.C. - In an impassioned floor speech today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) urged his colleagues to stay in Washington until the nation's fiscal problems are solved, rather than spend the next seven weeks focused on campaigning and politics. "It's clear to me that betting on … Continue Reading
September 20, 2012
Manchin, Toomey Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Rein in EPA Overreach Under Clean Water Act
Washington, D.C. - After three consecutive federal court decisions against the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) introduced bipartisan legislation this week to reinforce efforts to rein in the EPA's repeated overreach under the Clean Water Act. The Senate legislation is the companion bill to a bipartisan House measure - the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act (H.R. 2018) - sponsored by Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) and John Mica … Continue Reading
September 19, 2012
Manchin Statement on Constellium Contract Vote
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) issued the following statement about the United Steelworkers' vote on the Constellium contract. "So many people put in so much hard work to get Constellium's workers back on the job for a fair wage, and I congratulate them on reaching this agreement today," Senator Manchin said. "Over the course of these challenging negotiations, my priority has been to bring the parties together, treat everyone with respect and fairness and do our best to … Continue Reading
September 19, 2012
Manchin, Rockefeller Announce Grants for Training Programs at New River Community and Technical College & Bridgemont Community and Technical College
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin today announced that two West Virginia community colleges -- New River Community and Technical College and Bridgemont Community and Technical College -- will receive federal funding to develop and expand training programs for students and for American workers who lose their jobs because of outsourcing to foreign countries. "This money will provide our community colleges with the support needed to increase their training programs in … Continue Reading
September 19, 2012
Manchin, Rockefeller & Rahall Thank FEMA for Granting Individual Assistance for West Virginians
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin, along with Congressman Nick Rahall, today thanked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for re-considering its decision to deny Individual Assistance to West Virginia property owners affected by a severe "derecho" storm earlier this summer. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin last month appealed FEMA's August 8 decision to deny Individual Assistance to four West Virginia counties. They include Fayette, Kanawha, Nicholas and Raleigh … Continue Reading
September 18, 2012
Manchin Statement on Alpha Layoffs
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) issued the following statement about layoffs announced today at Alpha Natural Resources mines in West Virginia and other states. "First, my heart goes out to the miners who lost their jobs and the families that depended on those jobs, and to all the Americans who will pay higher energy prices because this country lacks an energy policy that fully uses all of our domestic resources to benefit our great country. "Companies like Alpha … Continue Reading
September 18, 2012
For Constitution Day, Manchin Honors Work at Shepherd University’s Byrd Center
***High-resolution photo attached*** Shepherdstown, W.Va. - In honor of the Constitution Day celebrations this week, Senator Manchin toured the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies at Shepherd University today and recognized the center's ongoing work to keep the Constitution at the center of the American conversation. Senator Manchin honored the center's work in an official statement for the Congressional Record, and presented a framed copy of his statement to the center's … Continue Reading
September 18, 2012
Manchin, Rahall, Rockefeller Announce Funding for Regional Development Councils
BECKLEY, W.Va. - U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), along with Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin (both D-W.Va.), Tuesday announced Federal funding to help communities in southern West Virginia map out a strategy for attracting private-sector investments and fostering job creation and economic growth. "This may not be the largest grant in terms of dollars, but in terms of impact, it's huge in helping our local planning councils assist town, cities and counties," said Rahall, who is the … Continue Reading
