Charleston Leader

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, representing West Virginia and serving as a leader on the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued a statement following her vote in favor of a short-term government funding bill. The measure aims to prevent a government shutdown and allocate necessary disaster recovery funds.

Senator Capito expressed relief that the decision helped avoid disruptions to essential services relied upon by Americans. However, she criticized the circumstances leading to this situation, stating: "While I am glad we took the responsible step to avoid a shutdown—which would have had a detrimental impact to essential services that Americans rely on—we should not have been in this predicament in the first place."

Capito attributed the scenario to what she described as "Leader Schumer’s inaction" regarding committee-passed bills, which led to reliance on continuing resolutions (CR). She conveyed optimism for future legislative processes under anticipated Republican majorities and with an incoming Trump administration: "I am hopeful that in the new Congress, under a Republican majority in both the Senate and House and a Trump administration, we will be able to work together to prevent these kinds of scenarios and provide more predictability for the American people."

The senator also highlighted provisions within the bill designed to assist those affected by recent natural disasters. Reflecting on personal observations made alongside Vice President-elect Vance in North Carolina, she noted: "Having seen firsthand the damage done in North Carolina with Vice President-elect Vance, this Congress did the right thing to provide relief for those families, especially at this time of year."