lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Becoming an Informed Voter
Barbara A. Fuller
Liberty University
GOVT220 American Government
Professor Terranova
February 20, 2023
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Introduction
To become an informed voter today is not only easy, but also important to know your
candidates before you ever walk into a voting booth. Deuteronomy tells us “Choose some wise,
understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you."
(Deuteronomy 1:13 New International Version (NIV)
Voters need to pick the right representative to serve their needs but also their districts,
State’s, and Country’s needs. Voting is a right that the US Constitution has granted to every one
of us and should not be taken lightly. Researching what a candidate votes for and what bills are
introduced will give valuable insight into what is important to the candidate. Research is not the
only option to becoming informed.
When we moved to West Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican
Executive Committee. Even after being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours
working on various campaigns. I was able to get to know the different candidates on a personal
level instead of what was just on paper or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother
Lala is a friend whom I have grown to adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately
believe in its motto, “Montani Semper Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I
will do my part to ensure it remains that way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I had a
grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized that I
was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and websites
should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that when we
are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like the one we
have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;
when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV)
When we moved to West Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican
Executive Committee. Even after being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours
working on various campaigns. I was able to get to know the different candidates on a personal
level instead of what was just on paper or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother
Lala is a friend whom I have grown to adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately
believe in its motto, “Montani Semper Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I
will do my part to ensure it remains that way.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I
had a grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized
that I was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
websites should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that
when we are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like
the one we have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people
rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV) When we moved to West
Virginia in 2007, I became involved with the local Republican Executive Committee. Even after
being elected to the committee, I volunteered many hours working on various campaigns. I was
able to get to know the different candidates on a personal level instead of what was just on paper
or a screen. To this day Congressman Mooney's mother Lala is a friend whom I have grown to
adore. While I am still new to the state I passionately believe in its motto, “Montani Semper
Liberi” “Mountaineers are Always Free” in Latin and I will do my part to ensure it remains that
way.
West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
While currently only having two congressional districts, West Virginia once had six, from
1917 through 1963. (Ballotpedia 2023). As of the last redistricting, Alex Mooney holds the
second Congressional District, which comprises about 27 different counties and over 621,000
people (about half the state's population). Cathy Miller won the Southern half of the state.
Mooney was able to edge out his competitor David McKinley by 14,000 votes. The last democrat
to serve as a Congressman in West Virginia was Alan Mollohan, and he was defeated by his rival
Mike Oliverio in 2010. Mike Oliverio changed parties in 2018 and ran for State
Senate as a Republican, he won his race. We will see who represents us in the next few years.
Officially Riley Moore, the current West Virginia State Treasurer and fellow Jefferson County
Executive member has declared his candidacy.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Representative Alex X. Mooney (R)
Alex Mooney was first elected to Serve West Virginians in Congress in 2014. Alex who is
51 was born in Washington DC to a Cuban Refuge and an Irish immigrant family. He and his
wife are devout Catholics, they have 3 children. Mooney’s love of politics spans back farther
than his time in West Virginia. While at Dartmouth College, Mooney ran for the New Hampshire
House of Representatives, garnering only 8% of the votes and finishing dead last. After
graduation Alex was an aide to Representative Roscoe Bartlett. At 27 Mooney won a seat in the
Maryland state Senate. When he lost that seat in 2010 it was time to reevaluate not only what but
where he was going to serve the people best. (Cohen,2021)
After Mooney crossed the state line, he entered a seven-way race to fill the vacated
position of Shelley Moore Capito. He won with 36% of the vote, but as he was nearing the
general election he adorned the name of Carpetbagger by his opponent Nick Casey, the former
Democratic State Chairman. I remember it so well when making calls to constituents, our catch
phrase was “Alex Mooney was West Virginia by Choice.”
Congressman Mooney has been a committed Republican, serving on the House Freedom
Caucus and supporting other Republicans while he has been in Congress. (Cohen,2021)
Congressman Mooney has introduced 60 pieces of legislation since 2015 of those legislations
five are from this current year, but not one has been made a bill so far. Of the hundreds of bills,
he has co-sponsored 32 have become bills. While we presume all bills are noteworthy, there were
only a few bills that appeared important that had passed. Congressman Mooney is a cosponsor
on the two bills I will spotlight.
The first bill is H.R.3537 - passed during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) Accelerating
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. This Bill was Sponsored by: Quigley, Mike [Rep.-DIL-
5] (Introduced 05/25/2021) Cosponsors: (331). This bill established grants for further research
and the development of drugs to improve the lives that suffer with ALS. As a family member
who lost a loved one to ALS this bill brings hope to many.
The second bill that is notable to me is H.R.1448 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) PAWS
for Veterans Therapy Act, with the Sponsor: Stivers, Steve [Rep.-R-OH-15] (Introduced
03/01/2021) Cosponsors: (317). This bill implements a program and a policy related to service
dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health
program. Once the program is completed the service members have the ability to adopt the dog
they have trained if it meets their needs. (Mooney,2023) As the wife of a retired Airforce
Veteran who was active in the War on Terror, we have many friends who suffer from Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One close friend has a service dog through k9’s for Warriors, I see
every day how these animals help our soldiers, matter of fact it is quite amazing to see these dogs
in action. I would say both bills follow a Biblical Worldview, as they both preserve life or at least
make it better.
It is important to note that the sixty bills introduced by Congressman Mooney are not
horrible bills. Congressman Mooney stands true to his conservative values by introducing such
bills as, Life at Conception Act (introduced every year since 2015), he also has introduced a
Second Amendment Protection Act (introduced 2023-2024 and 2019-2020). The Life at
conception act certainly follows a Biblical Worldview. I was pleased and saddened to find quite a
few fiscally conservative bills dealing with transparency that were obviously overlooked.
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
(Mooney,2023) It is no surprise that Congressman Mooney received great ratings from
conservative organizations and rather poor ones from Liberal leaning organizations.
Congressman Mooney is rated as follows: (Just Facts, 2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 96% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 0%
Conservative Review 90% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 33%
Family Research Council (FRC) 96% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
West Virginia’s Political History
The transformation of West Virginia over the last century has been quite interesting from
1900 until 1932 the state was primarily republican. From the years of 1932 to 1996 West Virginia
was primarily Democrat with a few republican races thrown in there, in stark contrast since 2000
West Virginia has been a red state garnering each county or district being republican.
Even though the state of West Virginia is republican now, it was not always that way. The
Almanac of American Politics claims, “Few states have shifted more quickly, and more
completely, from Democratic to Republican than West Virginia. Democratic presidential
candidates haven’t won the state since 1996, and none has won even a single county since 2008.”
(Cohen, 2021) one reason for this shift can be explained by coal and culture. The Democrats
threatened the coal production in West Virginia, so they lost favor. One of the phrases I heard
over and over when we relocated to West Virginia was,” We love our God, we love our family,
and we love our guns” that statement emulates everything that the Democrats are not.
Senator Joe Manchin (D).
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat, but really, he is just a moderate Democrat. His
voting style is more in tune with the Republicans than he is with his own Democrats. But who is
Joe Manchin, he was born and raised in Farmington WV. His grandparents were immigrants from
Italy, his grandfather owned a grocery store in Farmington. After attending Farmington high
school, Manchin received a football scholarship to attend West Virginia University where he
majored in business administration. Prior to becoming involved in politics he worked at different
family-run businesses. In 1982 Manchin won his first political seat, a seat in the House of
delegates, four years later he was elected to the state Senate where he served 10 years. From
2000 until 2004 Manchin served as the Secretary of state for West Virginia. He was Governor
from 2005 until 2010 when he ran for United States Senate and won. (Just Facts, 2021) Senator
Manchin has been married for over 50 years to Gayle. They have three children and are the proud
grandparents of 10.
We have all heard of the abuses that have occurred at various VA Medical Centers, our
service members deserve the best care possible. S.3147 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving
Safety and Security for Veterans Act of 2019, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D -WV]
(Introduced 12/19/2019) Cosponsors: (1), Latest Action: 12/04/2020 Became Public Law No:
116-212. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on the policies and
procedures relating to patient safety and quality of care and the steps the VA has taken to
improve such care at VA medical centers. (Joe,2023)
Any bill that eases the trials of childhood cancer deserves a mention. S.4120 - 117th
Congress (2021-2022) Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act, Sponsor: Reed, Jack [Sen.-
D-RI] (Introduced 04/28/2022) Cosponsors: (38) Latest Action: 01/05/2023 Became Public Law
No: 117-350. This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to
support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care. (Joe,2023)
This bill was introduced but never went anywhere. S.1434 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)
Protecting Americans from Dangerous Opioids Act, Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]
(Introduced 04/28/2021) Cosponsors: (0). This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to revoke approval for an opioid drug for every new opioid drug approved. (Opioids are
drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.) In determining the drug
for which to revoke approval, the FDA must prioritize revoking approval for drugs that are not
abuse deterrent and consider the public health impact of drugs on the market.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was looking at past legislation that Joe Manchin had
either sponsored or co-sponsored, I have faound many pieces of legislation for our military
veterans. Senator Manchin appears to stand by his values. He is a Roman Catholic and is very
prolife. It is no wonder he is saying it is hard for him to remain a Democrat. His Ratings are as
follows:(Just Facts,2021)
American Conservative Union (ACU) 26% Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) 55%
Conservative Review 16% American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 100%
Family Research Council (FRC) 38% Planned Parenthood Action Fund 0%
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 80%
Conclusion
Knowing that I have had my hand in politics for the past eight years, I thought I had a
grasp on what was going on in my little state. After doing this research report I realized that I
was only grasping the very beginning. What I was able to learn from the lessons and websites
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
should enable me to make wise choices in the future. It is important to remember that when we
are choosing candidates that we try to choose someone who has a moral compass like the one we
have ourselves. These words resound in me, “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;
when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NIV)
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
References
Cohen, R., & Cook, C. (2021). The almanac of american politics. Columbia Books Incorporated,
Publishers.
Ballptopia (2023). United States. [Web Archive] Retrieved from,
Https://ballotpedia.org/Nick_Rahall
Ballptopia (2023). United States. [Web Archive] Retrieved from
https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_congressional_delegations_from_West_Virginia
Ballptopia (2023). United States. [Web Archive] Retrieved from
https://ballotpedia.org/Shelley_Moore_Capito
Ballptopia (2023). United States. [Web Archive] Retrieved from
https://ballotpedia.org/Evan_Jenkins
Ballptopia (2023). United States. [Web Archive] Retrieved from
https://ballotpedia.org/David_McKinley
Ballptopia (2023). United States. [Web Archive] Retrieved from
https://ballotpedia.org/Alexander_Mooney
Ballptopia (2023). United States. [Web Archive] Retrieved from
https://ballotpedia.org/Carol_Miller_(West_Virginia)
Ballptopia (2023). United States. [Web Archive] Retrieved from
https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_voting_trends_in_West_Virginia
Just Facts. (2021). (V. Smart, Producer) Retrieved February 10,2023, from Vote Smart
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/7547/joe-manchin-iii
Just Facts. (2021). (V. Smart, Producer) Retrieved February 10,2023, from Vote Smart,
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/145943/alex-mooney
lOMoARcPSD|61774779
GOVT220- BECOMING AN INFORMED VOTER
Witham, S. (n.d.). Becoming an Informed Voter. Lynchburg,VA, Retrieved Feb 11, 2023, from
https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/288219/pages/watch-becoming-an-informed-voter?
module_item_id=28482240
Alexander X. Mooney. (2023, February 18).
https://www.congress.gov/member/alexandermooney/M001195
Joe Manchin III. (2023, February 18).
https://www.congress.gov/member/joseph-manchin/M001183
Bible, Proverbs 29:2 NIV
Bible, Deuteronomy 1:13 New International Version (NIV
