Dear West Virginian,

Like many of you, I spent a good deal of time watching the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings where committee members and the American people had the chance to hear directly from President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

I found Judge Barrett to be extremely smart, levelheaded, and earnest. I appreciated that she stayed true to the Ginsburg standard – offering no hints or previews as to how she would rule on any given case. To do so would suggest a blatant disregard for the independent judiciary and individual parties in each case.

I spoke more about this with C-SPAN’s Bill Scanlan earlier this week. Click here or on the image below to watch.



I also talked about the hearings with Julie Mason on SiriusXM Radio. You can listen to that interview here.

Investing in Wastewater Infrastructure

On Thursday, I was in Ripley celebrating the renovation of the city’s wastewater system. Ripley has been granted substantial federal funding to help upgrade their system. Without this federal funding, small communities like Ripley could not afford the cost to renovate their water and wastewater systems.

Senator Capito joined Army Corps of Engineers Huntington District Commander Colonel Jason Evers, Ripley Mayor Carolyn Rader, community leaders, and others.

As chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s (EPW) Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, I work closely with the Army Corp of Engineers on West Virginia’s water and wastewater infrastructure projects. This has been and will continue to be a top priority.

Capito Connect Tour Continues with Stops in Nicholas and Jackson Counties

This week, I continued my Capito Connect tour with stops in Nicholas and Jackson counties focused on telehealth and broadband deployment.

On Tuesday, I visited Summersville Regional Medical Center where I witnessed a cardiovascular telemedicine demonstration. As part of West Virginia University (WVU) Medicine, Summersville Regional is offering telehealth appointments in five specialties—cardiology, dermatology, nephrology, pain management, and thoracic surgery. In June, I announced WVU Medicine would receive $780,000 from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to upgrade telehealth services. Tuesday’s visit also provided me the opportunity to learn more about how the hospital is working to provide access to providers and patients through their telehealth program and how federal funding such as the FCC grant supports services like these at the hospital.

Also on Tuesday, I met with members of the West Virginia Economic Development Administration (EDA) Region Four Planning and Development Council to discuss broadband expansion throughout the area.

On Thursday, I made another telehealth stop in Ravenswood where I visited Coplin Health Systems. During the visit, I witnessed another telehealth demonstration and met with staff to discuss the importance of their telemedicine program, especially during this pandemic. Learn more about the visit by clicking here.

I have also made stops in Cabell, Mason, and Hampshire counties as part of my Capito Connect tour.

Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Update

In order to improve connectivity in West Virginia, we need to make sure we have every single opportunity available to do so. One of those opportunities is the upcoming RDOF reverse auction. On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced the 386 applicants—including five local providers in West Virginia—that are qualified to bid in the upcoming auction. It’s great news that several local providers in West Virginia were part of this group. This next step brings each of these providers closer to the possibility of receiving financial support from the FCC that will assist in broadband deployment, helping us better connect West Virginia.

Last month, I hosted a rural broadband summit where I spoke with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai about the status of the RDOF auction and the progress of applicants moving toward the completed application state. Following this update, I held a series of discussions with leaders from various broadband provider companies petitioning to bid in the upcoming RDOF reverse auction administered by the FCC. During these provider discussions, I received feedback on the status of their applications.

Learn more about the FCC’s announcement here.

Be Vigilant for Scammers!

Unfortunately, there are bad actors that are using this health crisis to take advantage of unsuspecting residents, especially our senior citizens. Please note the IRS WILL NOT call you and ask for your bank account information to deposit your individual relief check.

Check out my coronavirus webpage for more information about scams and what I’m doing to try and mitigate them.

Additional COVID-19 Resources

I created a page on my website with information and resources to keep you up-to-date on the coronavirus situation as it continues to evolve. Check out that page here, and please share with friends so they can keep up with the latest.

In addition to my webpage, I also want to make sure you know where to get the latest updates from the medical experts at CDC.gov and West Virginia DHHR.



I will continue doing my best to keep you up to speed on what we are doing here at the federal level to help and other resources that can be useful back at home. I will be posting regular updates on my Facebook and Twitter accounts, so be sure to follow me there.

Important Information If You’re Visiting DC

Because of coronavirus concerns, all Capitol and White House tours have been suspended indefinitely. Please contact our Washington office to reschedule. Additionally, requests for flags flown over the Capitol may be delayed, and access to the Capitol and House and Senate office buildings is being restricted. Feel free to contact our office at (202) 224-6472 with any questions. We apologize for any inconvenience.

How Can We Help?

Whether you need help with a casework issue or have a question about scheduling a meeting at one of my offices, my staff and I are ready to assist you. Learn more about the services we offer at www.capito.senate.gov.

You can also submit your feedback and share your stories with me by visiting my “Share Your Stories” webpage here: www.capito.senate.gov/ShareYourStories.

Social Media Recap

Join me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for regular updates and photos.

Sincerely,

Shelley Moore Capito

United States Senator