By Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s U.S. senators had signaled support, as of press time Monday, for legislation widely projected to result in significantly fewer jobs and less power supply just when the country needs more than ever.
“If enacted, this stands to be the biggest job-killing bill in the history of this country,” North America’s Building Trades Unions president Sean McGarvey said in a statement Saturday.
Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice, both R-W.Va., had indicated support for the Senate version of far-reaching budget reconciliation bill that surprised pundits by including deeper cuts to renewable energy incentives that have driven a rise in energy manufacturing and deployment than the House of Representatives’ version of the bill passed last month.
Backed by President Donald Trump, the bill is designed to extend tax cuts first created under Trump in 2017 that benefit the wealthy, aided by savings expected from proposals poised to sever access to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for thousands of West Virginians.
