Letter from Shelley
Friends and Colleagues,
Congress stayed busy this week with a final legislative push before Thanksgiving. The House passed important legislation to address the troubling mortgage crisis and I announced my support for new legislation to combat illegal immigration. This week was also a sobering one. I honored the service and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans with students in Charleston, and now the entire state of West Virginia is mourning the loss of a two great men: Lawson Hamilton and Lyell Clay.
Veterans Day
On Tuesday I joined students from Pinch Elementary in a Take a Veteran to School Day ceremony to honor our nation’s service veterans. Pinch Elementary partnered with the History Channel to put on the program, which educates students about American war veterans.
As our nation celebrated Veterans Day, it was great to see students interacting with local veterans and learning about the selfless sacrifice of America’s service members, both past and present.
New Legislation to Curb Illegal Immigration
This week I also announced my support for new legislative efforts to curb illegal immigration. In a response to recent reports of some states issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, I’ve co-sponsored legislation with a number of my House colleagues that would ensure that all driver's license recipients are legal residents of the United States.
I’ve also co-sponsored bipartisan legislation that will expand resources for border patrol agents, promote an electronic system of employee verification and strengthen the enforcement capabilities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
Housing Bill Passes House
After many months of work, the House finally passed landmark legislation to address the mortgage crisis that is affecting many homeowners in West Virginia. The Mortgage Reform and Ant-Predatory Lending Act was the product of bipartisan discussions, and I joined a core group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in negotiations on the bill.
Though not perfect, it takes a comprehensive approach to a real problem that strikes a needed balance to create needed protections for consumers while avoiding over-regulation. The bill would create a national registry of lenders, place a strong emphasis on mortgage counseling and promote clarity for consumers.
Sincerely,
Member of Congress
|
Capito Celebrates Veterans Day with
Pinch Elementary School
ELKVIEW, WV, November 13, 2007 – Rep. Capito and students of Pinch Elementary School. In cooperation with the History Channel's Take a Veteran to School Day, Capito and local students celebrated Veterans Day to honor local service veterans. To read more about Rep. Capito's visit to Pinch Elementary click here.
___________________________________________
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
House OKs $500,000 for North Raleigh Street extension
Hagerstown Herald Mail
Matthew Umstead
November 16, 2007
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A $500,000 allocation for the North Raleigh Street extension in downtown Martinsburg is part of legislation that was approved this week by Congress, but a “big spending battle” between lawmakers and President Bush is shaping up, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito’s spokesman said.
Capito, R-W.Va., announced Thursday that the allocation for the project meant to relieve traffic congestion was kept in the Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill approved by House members this week.
“The Raleigh Street extension is a necessary improvement project that provides needed updates to local infrastructure,” Capito said in a press release. “I’m happy to see that this funding was included in the final conference agreement.”
Capito spokesman Jonathan Coffin said the House vote on Wednesday night fell short of being veto-proof “by a little bit.”
Martinsburg Mayor George Karos was happy to hear the bill had advanced, but didn’t want to celebrate just yet.
“We just have to wait and see ... It’s my understanding that nothing is going to be done until the budget is signed for the upcoming year,” Karos said of the federal spending bill.
To read the full text of this story, click here.
___________________________________________
Capito takes a long term look at long term care
West Virginia Record
Opinion Editorial by Jesse Samples and Bruce Yarwood
November 15, 2007
Many of the laws passed by the U.S. Congress offer a short-term solution to our nation's more systemic problems.
That is not true of the recently introduced, bipartisan Long Term Care Quality and Modernization Act of 2007 that is co-sponsored by Representatives Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) and Tom Allen (D-Maine).
Instead, this bill takes a look at the big picture, and as a result, has the potential to make a tremendous difference in the lives of frail, elderly, and disabled West Virginians and millions more Americans who need long term care.
The Long Term Care Quality and Modernization Act of 2007 takes an intelligent, rational approach toward ensuring West Virginians can continue to access high-quality care in nursing homes, assisted living residences, and other long term care settings. As our profession is responsible for the care and well being of our nation's oldest, most vulnerable seniors, we believe that Representative Capito's bill finally begins to resolve the structural and financial roadblocks now threatening our ongoing quality improvement efforts.
The federal government estimates that as many as 60 percent of Americans reaching 65 years of age will need long term care services at some point during their lives. Thousands of frail, elderly, and disabled West Virginians currently rely on the services provided by our state's long term care providers -- 2.5 million citizens do so nationally -- and this population will grow exponentially in the decades ahead as the leading edge of the boomer retirement wave enters a system in need of structural stability.
Specifically, the Long Term Care Quality and Modernization Act would enhance long term care quality by promoting investment in capital improvements, encouraging improved collaboration between providers and surveyors, assisting in the creation of a stable and well-trained workforce, and addressing care-access and financing concerns.
Samples is CEO of the West Virginia Health Care Association (WVHCA), and Yarwood is President and CEO of the American Health Care Association (AHCA) based in Washington, D.C.
To read the full text of this story, click here.
|
