Capito: West Virginia Will Suffer Under Obama's Energy Plan

Statement

Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., expressed disappointment and frustration at the President's misguided economic and energy agendas laid out at tonight's State of the Union:

"President Obama has attacked West Virginia resources from Day One, and it is clear that his extreme energy agenda will only pick up steam in his second term. He said it himself, if Congress doesn't act on climate legislation--he will. He expressly said that he would pick winners and losers in the energy economy, and we all know coal will be in the losing column.

"The Administration's rules and regulations have already contributed to 2,000 layoffs throughout Appalachia, and one recent report found that West Virginia lost 1,200 mining jobs in the last quarter of 2012 alone.

"I will continue to do everything I can to protect West Virginia jobs and resources, which power our state, our country and even the world. We must achieve a balanced approach to meet our energy needs, one that takes into account both economic and environmental impacts. The President needs to hold himself accountable to the American people, not an environmental lobby.

"I am disappointed that the President is choosing to pursue his broken economic and energy agendas with even more fervor. West Virginians know that when twelve million of our neighbors want jobs but can't find them, when every child is born with $53,000 worth of debt on their shoulders, when the economy is actually shrinking for the first time in three years, we're not doing alright.

"It's time for a new direction and a new vision to get our economy back on track."

Source