Across the Aisle
SAMANTHA CART
West Virginia is known on the national stage for the affable relationship and bipartisan teamwork of its U . S . senators . For years , Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin have been working together to help West Virginia overcome economic and social challenges by supporting strategic federal legislation .
Commonsense , bipartisan solutions to the problems facing our nation . It sounds simple .
However , if you turn on the television , open a social media app on your smartphone or pick up a newspaper , oftentimes what you will see from our nation ’ s leaders instead is argumentative , hateful rhetoric ; name calling ; and an adamant refusal to compromise .
In a political world rife with discord , U . S . Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin stand out for their ability to reach across the aisle and work together to promote , support and defend legislation that benefits their home state of West Virginia . Both have dedicated much of their lives to public service and have a meaningful track record of fighting for the rights and needs of their fellow Mountaineers .
Senator Shelley Moore Capito
Capito was motivated to run for office from a young age as she watched her father , Arch Moore Jr ., serve as a state legislator and governor of West Virginia .
“ I saw firsthand what a difference just one person can make ,” she recalls . “ From infrastructure to education improvements championed by my father , to the educa tional and heritage preservation initia tives led by my mother , I grew up seeing the many lives they were able to positively influence . I wanted to do the same for my fellow West Virginians .”
Capito served in the West Virginia House of Delegates from 1997-2001 before running for Congress . In 2001 , she became the first Republican woman elected to Congress from the state of West Virginia . She served in the U . S . House of Representatives for 14 years before becoming West Virginia ’ s first female senator in 2014 . After years of service , Capito continues to find joy in bringing real change to the lives of West Virginians and seeing the tangible impact of her work .
“ Whether it is grant dollars for rural hospitals , increased broadband connec -
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