In The News

The Register-Herald (Beckley, WV)

Rebuilding our state one project at a time

— Rep. Carol Miller, a Republican, represents the West Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House.

West Virginia has so many amazing things to offer, from the natural beauty of our hills, to the resource rich land which powers our nation and the Mountaineer spirit in each and every West Virginian is unrivaled. With this, we have a unique opportunity to move our state forward.

Since joining Congress, my goals have been clear. I am focused on diversifying our economy, creating jobs, protecting our energy industry, growing tourism and making sure that our state remains a place where every single person can continue to work, live and raise a family. One common factor which stands at the center of all of this is our infrastructure, and the need to improve it.

It’s no secret that we are a beautiful and geographically unique state, with mountains, rivers, gorges, and valleys blanketing landscape. We have one of the largest roadway systems in the country. We’ve suffered through natural disasters like flooding and mudslides, and we all know we need substantial improvement in our broadband, water, sewer and electricity systems. I’ve seen this firsthand as I’ve traveled through the district we live in, and I’ve heard the challenges from our neighbors in towns throughout southern West Virginia. Once I arrived in Washington, I was motivated to join the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in order to give West Virginia a voice on these important issues which effect all of us.

Although we may face challenges, I am highly optimistic about the direction we are heading. Over the last four months, since taking office, millions of dollars in grants have flowed into our community. We’ve secured funding to improve water and sewer systems in Matewan and White Sulphur Springs. We’ve received capital to revitalize neighborhoods and provide affordable housing throughout our district. We’ve allocated funding for disaster recovery efforts in Logan, Mason, Lincoln, and Wayne Counties. Ten million dollars was just secured last week to make safety improvements at the Huntington Tri-State Airport. Infrastructure development is booming in southern West Virginia, and I’ve fought for our priorities at every turn.

Although we’ve come far, we still have a long way to go. I’ve advocated for funding needed to finish the King Coal and Tolsia highways, improve Route 2, Route 10, I-64 and I-77, and better connect our state to grow the economy and create jobs. I’ve told stories in hearings about our roads and bridges to nowhere, and our need to finish these projects. I’m committed to repairing crumbling roads and bridges, and providing access to broadband for our rural communities. I am excited to explore opportunities for innovation in, and growth of, the aerospace industry to our state. I will work to build up our railways and riverways to transport goods from our state, and I want to make Huntington the largest inland port once again. A strong economy requires strong infrastructure, and the White House, Congress and our state leaders must work together to develop realistic proposals to invest in, improve and innovate our infrastructure now. These are my priorities, and this is what I’m fighting for.