WV Executive

West Virginia’s Third Congressional Representative

West Virginians know you as our congressman, but tell us a little bit about yourself from a personal angle, were there any telling signs or indicators as you grew up that pointed towards becoming a congressman?

I was always deeply interested in community and civic events in my hometown, Beckley where I was born and raised and where my parents were born and raised. In high school I was president of the Key Club and active in American Legion Oratory events and that got me interested in politics and public events. It grew further in college, especially during my summers interning for Senator Robert Byrd.

I guess I always felt sooner or later I would dabble in politics and the opportunity presented itself much sooner than I ever expected when my predecessor dropped out and I ran, won and have been involved in it in full time, serious way ever since.

Has Senator Byrd been a strong influence in your life?

Without a doubt, he’s like a father to me at this point. I’ve observed him day in and day out, not only in my time as a member of congress, but before that. I’ve seen how hard he works and how meticulous he is—he pays attention to details. That is a trait that is very hard to emulate but very easy to observe. I hope to live up to that.

It seems that most often those who succeed have a true passion for their work. So it may seem this next question is a bit of a no-brainer, however, it is very important. Do you like your job?

Yes, I like it. It’s challenging. There are frustrations as in any job, as with any person, in any city. There are times when you spend years and years working on a project and think you’re about there—and boom! All of a sudden you are back at square one. There are other times when you’re able to help someone with a problem with the federal government, and you know they are especially deserving, but they’ve hit a road block, and we’re able to cut through the red tape for them. It’s wonderful to see the joy on their faces and relief.

With this job sometimes comes difficult events such as the recent mine tragedies. How do you help your constituents deal with such losses?

West Virginians have seen much more than their share of heartache in recent weeks. My thoughts and prayers are with our mining communities in Logan County, Upshur County and our entire state. I join in the conviction that these 14 miners will not have not died in vain. Along with Governor Manchin, I and the entire West Virginia delegation have already begun renewed efforts ensure better protection for our brave miners. We are, and will remain, wholeheartedly committed to this cause.

This issue of West Virginia Executive is all about thinking outside-the-box and coming up with new and better ways to do things. What are some of your out-of-the-box ideas?

I would have to start with what I call the ‘Three Ts’: transportation, technology and tourism. One example of applying this would come from emerging technologies, that perhaps we didn’t see 10 years ago such as smart construction. It means that whenever possible when we go out and build a highway today, we incorporate the technology infrastructure at the same time we’re doing the concrete and asphalt so that we don’t have to go back later and dig everything up to install the fiber optic cables and so forth. So that’s one way we can use limited federal dollars more wisely, merge them with other dollars and think more creatively.

What prompted you to make technology one of your three Ts?

As the United States continues to slip in the world rankings with regards to broadband technology, we remain the only industrialized country without a national policy for promoting broadband. The administration has committed money towards expanding broadband, but we are not committing nearly as much as we need to keep pace and surpass countries like Japan in broadband technology. Without expanding funding for research and focusing on developing a national broadband policy we are endangering our standing in the world.

Therefore I have called on this administration and my colleagues in the congress to move quickly to help stop our decline in broadband usage and research in the global arena. We must create a national policy for promoting technology and broadband usage that will recapture our rightful place as the global technology leader. This will help strengthen our national economy and maintain our competitive edge.

One successful project, due in large part to your support of technology, is that of the Southern West Virginia Technology Center at Concord College. Tell us why you felt that project was important?

Concord College is on the cutting edge of high tech development that will benefit college students, workers and industry alike. Due in large part to our terrain in Southern West Virginia, it is often difficult to travel, but this center will enable students and the community to hook up and connect and be a part of technologies that are developing today just as quickly and easily as anybody in a big city university atmosphere. I have provided $1.9 million in federal funding and hope to do more in the future. It is truly a worthwhile project.

Just two years ago, you used the system at Concord to hold a Southern West Virginia town hall meeting linking up several areas of the state. What was it like for you to witness this advance first hand?

It is a very important way for us to communicate and it was very exciting. It was great the way we could meet with various people from eight different locations throughout the state to participate in the E-town hall meeting. People could ask me questions directly and I could see their faces, see their concerns as well as hear them. It was a way for me to communicate as if we were all in the same room. We’re going to do it again.

Tell us a little about your ‘T’ that stands for transportation.

We have an aging infrastructure, often filled beyond capacity, straining for growth and progress. Our infrastructure is important for many reasons: it is our lifeline to the nation’s economic wealth, our first line of national defense, the front line of homeland security. Therefore transportation is extremely important nationally as well as in West Virginia, where I have several projects underway through the Nick J. Rahall, II Appalachian Transportation Institute (RTI). Interstate 73/74 is of particular interest in Southern West Virginia as it will open up the state to increased commerce and possibilities similar to those of the Interstate 77 Technology Corridor in the central part of the state.

Tourism is often hailed as West Virginia’s second most important industry. Explain why tourism completes your triad of ‘Ts.’

Our state has been blessed with extraordinary natural beauty; we have mountain views, shimmering lakes and wondrous geologic formations. It’s difficult to travel West Virginia without running into a state park. It’s easy to understand why 2.5 million out-of-state travelers visit our parks every year, and with them come more dollars. Our natural beauty not only provides us with a sound economic background it also gives us a sense of peace and solace. Who among us has not found a quiet spot to sit and think or find our inner strength in these hills?

Sometimes it is difficult for people to understand how what you’re doing in Washington DC affects us on a daily basis, and an even more difficult time understanding why we should care about what’s going on in the Mid-east. Why is that important?

What happens in the Mid-east, or any part of the world for that matter, does have a direct consequence and effect upon the people of West Virginia, especially in today’s global economy and with the technologies we’ve been discussing. We can hook up with any part of the world just as easily as we can Southern West Virginia. Because of that the world is a much smaller place. Our coal for example competes not against neighboring state’s coal, but against world coal and it has to be competitive in a world market. If we are going to sell it and employ our men and women we need to know what’s going on out there. The world is a much smaller place and what happens in the Mid-east affects what happens in West Virginia. America’s best interests, especially today with oil, the prices of gas and heating, we need to wean ourselves from that dependence and use all our energy from more domestic sources. That’s why we must be concerned about the Mid-east.

What are some of the goals we can look forward to in terms of rethinking West Virginia?

We’re moving in the right direction. Governor Manchin and the state legislature have made some courageous decisions that have put us on the right path. Our state image is improving everyday... the three Ts will move us to the next level…it’s very important that we not sacrifice education on the alter of budget cutting and we must continue to provide our young people with the tools they need to not only learn here, but find jobs and stay here.

Finally, like your mentor, you are becoming somewhat of a legend in your own time, what would you like the history books to say about you? What would you like school children sitting in classrooms all around this state to know most about you someday?

I want them to know that I am caring and accessible. I’m someone who truly wants to improve their home and will do everything in my power to give them a better place to live. I’m not just someone who talks but someone who has a proven record of excellence to stand behind my words.