Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced today that he will represent West Virginians on the Senate Banking Committee, in addition to his current assignments on the Energy, Armed Services and Aging committees. 

“At a time when we our economy is still wounded and recovering ever so slowly, it is important that our community banks and local credit unions serve their customers and communities to the best of their ability,” Senator Manchin said. “We need to make sure that our community banks can provide a greater range of financial services and allow financial institutions to raise capital responsibly. Our banking system can become more transparent while ensuring banks and credit unions can provide responsible loans to businesses to create jobs and decrease the unemployment rate.

“As the 112^th Congress comes to an end and the 113^th Congress begins, I am excited to welcome my new colleagues from both sides of the aisle and work together with Democrats and Republicans to help fix our financial challenges. It is a critical time in our nation’s history where we need to put politics aside and look toward fixing today’s problems for our children and our children’s children.

“I am particularly pleased with the Energy Committee’s potential in the new Congress because the new chairman and ranking member – Ron Wyden and Lisa Murkowski, respectively – have visited our great state and seen a true all-of-the-above approach to energy independence. The Aging Committee continues to be an important voice for our state as our population ages, and I was proud to host a Congressional field hearing on the Older Americans Act in Charleston this year. Finally, as a member of the Armed Services Committee, I am determined to make sure that we end the war in Afghanistan so we can rebuild America, take care of our veterans and reduce our reliance on expensive contractors.

“I am so proud to serve the people of West Virginia on these critical issues, and I hope that the people of our great state continue to share their commonsense ideas, priorities and concerns with me.”  

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