ANNOUNCING MY DECISION TO STAY IN THE SENATE

Anyone who knows me knows I am most proud of two things - my family and the State of West Virginia. Our state is patriotic, strong, and independent, which are characteristics I have always promoted during my time in public service.

When I first decided to run for elected office in 1982, it was after a conversation with my father. I told him I disagreed with the actions of an elected official. My father said, “If you do not agree with his approach, then get involved and change the dialogue.” I did this by serving in the House of Delegates and the State Senate before my election as Secretary of State and then Governor of West Virginia – the best job I have ever had. 

Those who know me know how much I loved being the Governor of West Virginia. I worked the daylights out of that job. I couldn’t wait to wake up in the Governor’s Mansion in the morning, and I didn’t want to go to bed at night, because there was always more that I could do for our state. And that is what it takes to be an effective Governor: relentless effort. Working together, all of us changed the culture of this state from CAN’T DO to DONE!  Attitudes changed, our financial outlook changed, and more importantly, we stood tall in what we accomplished: creating good-paying jobs, improving West Virginia’s finances, and making the state competitive again. Serving as the Governor of this state was the greatest honor of my life.  Nothing made my heart swell with pride more than bragging about the wonderful state I represented.

However, in 2010, we lost West Virginia’s beloved U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, a legacy to West Virginia and a legacy to the U.S. Senate.  Again, people from both sides of the aisle reached out to me to step up to the Senate, to carry the torch Senator Byrd had lit so long ago.  That decision changed my life in ways I never imagined, and I have been honored by West Virginians to be elected as their Senator in 2010, 2012, and most recently in 2018.

The Senate, as envisioned by our Founders, is the greatest deliberative body in the world, and, when it is at its best, Senators can transform the lives of people across America for the better. Whether that means protecting those with pre-existing conditions, ensuring healthcare and pensions for our miners, or building the roads, bridges, and broadband infrastructure that make our country competitive, we can make a difference here.

I have always said, “public service is not self-service.” So, when considering whether to run for Governor, I couldn’t focus just on which job I enjoyed the most, but on where I could be the most effective for the Mountain State.

Ultimately, I believe my role as U.S. Senator allows me to position our state for success for the rest of this century. As the top Democrat and Ranking Member on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I am going to push the Senate to take up and pass energy technology bills that invest in all-of-the-above energy that will keep our country as the world economic leader. From advanced nuclear to renewables to carbon capture utilization and storage, we are going to build an energy base that protects jobs, keeps prices low, and recognizes the reality of climate change. Not only that, I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that those advanced technologies are manufactured and deployed in West Virginia.

Beyond energy, we will vote on crucial issues, such as protecting health care for hundreds of thousands of West Virginians, finding a tough but fair pathway forward on immigration, protecting the pensions of our hardworking miners, getting our financial house in order and many other pressing issues. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will make sure that West Virginia gets its fair share of federal resources. On the Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committee, I will keep our military strong and honor all of those who serve. I am not beholden to the far left or the far right, and I will use my vote and my voice to bring commonsense, West Virginia values to these debates. As I have done since coming to Washington, I will work with the President to accomplish what best serves our state and our country and I will speak truth to power when I don’t agree with the path the President has chosen to take —that is what West Virginians elected me to do.

Our state is blessed with the resources and people to accomplish anything, and I am going to use every day I have left in the Senate to make sure West Virginians have that chance.  I am grateful to be a public servant from West Virginia, and I can’t wait to continue fighting to make a difference as their United States Senator.

ON THE ROAD

I had a great time hearing from working West Virginians at the Mannington Labor Day Picnic. I hope everyone had a happy Labor Day!

It was an honor to speak at the West Virginia Chamber Business Summit last week and hear from so many business leaders in our state. I was also honored to receive the Chamber's Spirit of Enterprise Award for supporting West Virginia businesses in the Senate.

Click here to watch Senator Manchin's speech at the WV Chamber Business Summit.

I held a medal replacement ceremony for the family of the late Thurston Arnold Engle, of Amma, who was a Prisoner of War in Germany during World War II. His Purple Heart was lost in the 2016 flood, and it was an honor to replace his military awards for his family.

HOW MAY WE HELP YOU?

To request assistance from my case team, click here.

As your U.S. Senator, I am proud to be your voice with government agencies during your time of need. My goal is for me and my staff to provide the best possible customer service for every West Virginian who contacts me needing assistance. While I have no direct jurisdiction in legal or administrative matters of any federal, state, or local agency, I welcome the opportunity to assist you in any way possible and to assure that full consideration is given to your case. See one of our recent success stories below:

John Edmonds of Princeton sought help from the Senator with his VA appeal. He had requested a higher level review but had not received any communication in some time. John contacted Senator Manchin in May for assistance with this matter.  As a result of Caseworker Angie Walsh's inquiry, John not only received a status update, but was awarded benefits as well as back pay.

IN YOUR COMMUNITY

To inform our office of community events we can showcase, click here.

Social Security Phone Scam - Learn How to Protect Yourself

Social Security employees do occasionally contact people--generally those who have ongoing business with the agency--by telephone for business purposes. However, Social Security employees will never threaten a person or promise a Social Security benefit approval, or increase, in exchange for information. In those cases, the call is fraudulent and people should not engage with the caller. If a person receives these calls, he or she should report the information to the OIG Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271 or online at https://oig.ssa.gov/report.

To watch a PSA about the scam, click here or visit www.ssa.gov for more information.

Social Security has recently worked with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission to create a new fraud prevention placemat to help you avoid Social Security scams. You can order free copies of the placemat to use at dining venues, or to share with friends and family. The placemat is in English on one side and Spanish on the other side.

To learn more, call my office Toll Free at (855) 275-5737, email me, or find me on social media: