Op-eds

West Virginia is no stranger to a tough battle, a hard fight, or a difficult task. That’s the Mountaineer spirit that defines us, our culture and history, and most recently, the ongoing battle with substance abuse and addiction that is devastating this great state. In April 2015, I hosted an opioid summit in the Eastern Panhandle. At that time, we were just learning how bad the situation was and starting to devise strategies to address the problem. We’ve learned a lot since that summit,... Read More

The state of America’s electric grid is growing more perilous each day. Legacy power plants are rapidly retiring while power demand is projected to rise at historic rates, driven by artificial intelligence and data centers, manufacturing and President Biden’s efforts to force electrification of the economy, including the cars and trucks we drive. If we continue on our current course, energy demand in the U.S. will exceed supply in just a few years. Grid operators, including PJM, the nation’s... Read More

As the U.S. faces China’s unprecedented military buildup, conflicts involving our partners in two theaters, and resurgent terror threats, it is clear that the world today is more dangerous than most Americans have experienced in their lifetimes. Yet, as the U.S. Department of Defense pursues modernization programs to retain our competitive edge, we cannot afford to forget about vulnerabilities to the systems that the American people use every day. The cyber domain could make the difference... Read More

As the U.S. faces China’s unprecedented military buildup, conflicts involving our partners in two theaters, and resurgent terror threats, it is clear that the world today is more dangerous than most Americans have experienced in their lifetimes. Yet, as the U.S. Department of Defense pursues modernization programs to retain our competitive edge, we cannot afford to forget about vulnerabilities to the systems that the American people use every day. The cyber domain could make the difference... Read More

189,922 — that is the number of illegal crossings that occurred at our southern border in the month of February alone, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Not only is that number up 21% from last February, but it was also the highest February ever recorded in our history. February’s record number of illegal crossings marked the seventh consecutive month of the highest number of encounters those months had ever seen. On top of this, there have been 36 straight months with higher... Read More

10 years ago, many West Virginians had to leave the state to get treatment for certain diseases, illnesses, or other medical issues. That is not the case today thanks in part to research and advancements supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). If you are not familiar with NIH and the work it is supporting right here in West Virginia, the NIH is the largest biomedical research agency in the world, and it is funded by the federal government with the primary mission of improving... Read More

Like many of you, I am concerned about the effect that social media is having on America’s youth. I have eight grandchildren, and while I am glad that we are able to connect and stay in touch via social media, I am devastated to see the negative effects these platforms can have on children. It’s important that we do all we can to protect our children from online threats that pose a great risk to their development and their safety. These platforms must be responsible for the content provided to... Read More

Like many of you, I am concerned about the effect that social media is having on America’s youth. I have eight grandchildren, and while I am glad that we are able to connect and stay in touch via social media, I am devastated to see the negative effects these platforms can have on children. It’s important that we do all we can to protect our children from online threats that pose a great risk to their development and their safety. These platforms must be responsible for the content provided to... Read More

Like many of you, I am concerned about the effect that social media is having on America’s youth. I have eight grandchildren, and while I am glad that we are able to connect and stay in touch via social media, I am devastated to see the negative effects these platforms can have on children. It’s important that we do all we can to protect our children from online threats that pose a great risk to their development and their safety. These platforms must be responsible for the content provided to... Read More

Like many of you, I am concerned about the effect that social media is having on America’s youth. I have eight grandchildren, and while I am glad that we are able to connect and stay in touch via social media, I am devastated to see the negative effects these platforms can have on children. It’s important that we do all we can to protect our children from online threats that pose a great risk to their development and their safety. These platforms must be responsible for the content provided to... Read More

Like many of you, I am concerned about the effect that social media is having on America’s youth. I have eight grandchildren, and while I am glad that we are able to connect and stay in touch via social media, I am devastated to see the negative effects these platforms can have on children. It’s important that we do all we can to protect our children from online threats that pose a great risk to their development and their safety. These platforms must be responsible for the content provided to... Read More

Like many of you, I am concerned about the effect that social media is having on America’s youth. I have eight grandchildren, and while I am glad that we are able to connect and stay in touch via social media, I am devastated to see the negative effects these platforms can have on children. It’s important that we do all we can to protect our children from online threats that pose a great risk to their development and their safety. These platforms must be responsible for the content provided to... Read More

Like many of you, I am concerned about the effect that social media is having on America’s youth. I have eight grandchildren, and while I am glad that we are able to connect and stay in touch via social media, I am devastated to see the negative effects these platforms can have on children. It’s important that we do all we can to protect our children from online threats that pose a great risk to their development and their safety. These platforms must be responsible for the content provided to... Read More

Fifty years ago, the Endangered Species Act was signed into law by President Richard Nixon with the intention of establishing a clear process for recovering species on the verge of extinction. In the years that have passed since its enactment, this well-intended law has taken on a life of its own and has dramatically shifted from its original purpose to the point where it does far more harm than good. Since its passage, the ESA has become a weapon wielded by the Left to... Read More

One of the biggest challenges of our time is building an energy future that is secure, reliable and increasingly clean.  In recent years, we’ve seen what happens to countries that sacrifice their energy security. Even here in the United States, we face the threat of blackouts, rising energy prices, and growing dependence on adversarial countries like Russia and China. Recent geopolitical events, from wars in the Middle East and Ukraine to China’s nefarious energy supply chain dominance, make... Read More

This fall, Congress has an opportunity to address an issue that impacts the health and safety of many of our constituents. PFAS – commonly called “forever chemicals” since they do not degrade in the environment – have been found nationwide. We shouldn’t hesitate to deliver solutions that clean up and reduce risks posed by PFAS in a scientific, bipartisan, and responsible manner. I’ve championed efforts on PFAS cleanups for years as West Virginia has borne the weight, and been a leader among the... Read More

We just returned from a bipartisan and bicameral Congressional Delegation (CODEL) comprised of all-women members to the Indo-Pacific, with stops specifically in Australia and New Zealand.   The trip had a dual mission. The first: to discuss national and global security and energy in the Indo-Pacific region. The second: to explore issues related to the empowerment of women and girls, the status of women in sports and building on current momentum in that space. To do both in a week is certainly a... Read More

Reliable broadband connection is something that impacts nearly all aspects of our daily lives. Think about it. We rely on internet connectivity to communicate with our family and friends, to access emergency services, to obtain information, to bank, and to conduct business. Also, as we experienced first-hand during the pandemic, internet is an essential aspect of our participation in the workforce and the education of our children. Connectivity has been a challenge for West Virginia. Being the... Read More

WASHINGTON – In West Virginia, we’ve become all too familiar with the trials and tribulations of well-known projects like Corridor H, the Mountain Valley Pipeline and the new Nucor steel mill face as they navigate the burdensome federal review process and any litigation that follows. Businesses often clear a regulatory hurdle only to find themselves right back in permitting purgatory after an agency changes its mind on a permit or outside groups file a frivolous lawsuit. In... Read More

In West Virginia, we’ve become all too familiar with the trials and tribulations of well-known projects like Corridor H, the Mountain Valley Pipeline and the new Nucor steel mill face as they navigate the burdensome federal review process and any litigation that follows. Businesses often clear a regulatory hurdle only to find themselves right back in permitting purgatory after an agency changes its mind on a permit or outside groups file a frivolous lawsuit. In practical terms, these... Read More