Shelley Moore Capito facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shelley Moore Capito
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Official portrait, 2015
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| Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 |
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| Leader | John Thune |
| Preceded by | Joni Ernst |
| Chair of the Senate Environment Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Tom Carper |
| Vice Chair of the Senate Republican Conference | |
| In office January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025 |
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| Leader | Mitch McConnell |
| Preceded by | Joni Ernst |
| Succeeded by | James Lankford |
| Ranking Member of the Senate Environment Committee | |
| In office February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Tom Carper |
| Succeeded by | Sheldon Whitehouse |
| United States Senator from West Virginia |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2015 Serving with Jim Justice
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| Preceded by | Jay Rockefeller |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia's 2nd district |
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| In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Wise |
| Succeeded by | Alex Mooney |
| Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from the 30th district |
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| In office December 1, 1996 – December 1, 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Multi-member district |
| Succeeded by | Multi-member district |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Shelley Wellons Moore
November 26, 1953 Glen Dale, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Charles Capito
(m. 1974) |
| Children | 3, including Moore |
| Relatives | Arch Moore (father) Shelley Moore (mother) Riley Moore (nephew) |
| Education | Duke University (BA) University of Virginia (MEd) |
Shelley Wellons Moore Capito (born November 26, 1953) is an American politician. She used to be an educator. She serves as a U.S. Senator for West Virginia, a role she has held since 2015. She is a member of the Republican Party. Before becoming a senator, Capito was a U.S. Representative for West Virginia's 2nd district from 2001 to 2015. She served seven terms in the House.
Shelley Moore Capito is the daughter of Arch Alfred Moore Jr., who was West Virginia's governor for three terms. She has been in Congress since 2001, making her the most experienced member of West Virginia's congressional group. She was the only Republican in West Virginia's congressional group until 2011. She was also the first Republican woman elected to Congress from West Virginia. She was the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from West Virginia. She was also the first Republican to win a full Senate term from West Virginia since 1942. She won reelection in 2020, becoming the first West Virginia Republican to be reelected to the Senate since 1907.
Since 2021, Capito has been the main Republican member on the Senate Environment Committee. She became West Virginia's senior senator when Joe Manchin retired from the Senate on January 3, 2025.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Shelley Wellons Moore Capito was born on November 26, 1953, in Glen Dale, West Virginia. Her parents were Shelley (née Riley) and Arch Alfred Moore Jr.. Her father served as the governor of West Virginia for three terms.
Capito grew up in Charleston. She attended the Holton-Arms School, a private school in Bethesda, Maryland. She then went to Duke University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in zoology. Later, she earned a master's degree from the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. She was also the 1972 Cherry Blossom Princess for West Virginia.
Early Career
After finishing her master's degree, Capito worked as a career counselor at West Virginia State University. She also directed the educational information center for the West Virginia Board of Regents.
In 1996, Capito was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates for Kanawha County. She served two terms there, from 1996 to 2000.
U.S. House of Representatives
A U.S. Representative works in the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. They represent a specific area, or "district," within their state. Their job is to make laws and speak for the people in their district.
Elections to the House
2000 Election
In 2000, U.S. Representative Bob Wise decided to run for governor. Shelley Moore Capito ran for his open seat in West Virginia's 2nd district as a Republican. She won against the Democratic candidate, Jim Humphreys, by a small margin. She was the first Republican to represent West Virginia in Congress since 1983. She was also the first woman elected to Congress from West Virginia who was not the widow of a former member.
Later Elections (2002-2012)
Capito was reelected several times. In 2002, she defeated Jim Humphreys again. In 2004, she won against Erik Wells. She was reelected in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012. She chose to run for reelection to the House instead of challenging Senator Robert Byrd in 2006 or Joe Manchin in 2010 for a Senate seat. In her last House election in 2012, she won with a large majority.
House Committee Assignments
While in the House, Capito served on important committees:
- Committee on Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit (she was chair of this one)
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
- Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
- Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
- Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
House Caucus Memberships
Capito was also part of several groups of lawmakers called caucuses:
- Former chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues
- Member of the Congressional Arts Caucus
- Member of the Afterschool Caucuses
- After a mining accident, the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster, Capito started the Congressional Coal Caucus.
U.S. Senate
A U.S. Senator works in the United States Senate in Washington, D.C. Each state has two senators, who represent the entire state. Their job is to make laws and speak for all the people in their state.
Elections to the Senate
2014 Election
On November 26, 2012, Capito announced she would run for the U.S. Senate in 2014. She planned to challenge the current Democratic Senator, Jay Rockefeller, who later decided to retire. Even though some groups thought her voting record was "too liberal," Capito won the Republican primary with 87% of the votes. She then defeated the Democratic candidate, Natalie Tennant, in the main election.
2020 Election
In 2020, Capito ran for reelection. She easily won the Republican primary. In the general election, she faced Democratic candidate Paula Jean Swearengin. Capito won with over 70% of the votes.
Senate Tenure
In 2016, Mitch McConnell, a leader in the Senate, appointed Capito as a special advisor to the majority leader.
Senate Committee Assignments
As a U.S. Senator, Capito serves on important committees:
- Committee on Appropriations (This committee decides how government money is spent)
- Subcommittees on Commerce, Justice, Science; Defense; Homeland Security (she is the main Republican on this one); Interior, Environment; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development.
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Subcommittees on Communications, Media, and Broadband; and Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security.
- Committee on Environment and Public Works (She is the main Republican on this committee)
- Committee on Rules and Administration
Senate Caucus Memberships
Capito is also a member of these Senate groups:
- Republican Main Street Partnership
- Senate Taiwan Caucus
Political Positions
Shelley Moore Capito often votes with her political party, the Republicans. However, she is seen as a moderate, meaning she sometimes works with members of other parties. Studies have shown she is one of the more moderate Republican senators. She has also been ranked as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress, meaning she works well with both parties.
Views on Donald Trump
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In 2016, Capito expressed concerns about Donald Trump's way of speaking during his election campaign. She later said she supported him for president. In 2020, she stated she would be fair during Trump's Senate trial after he was impeached by the House. She voted to clear him of the charges.
After the 2020 presidential election, Capito eventually recognized that Joe Biden would be the next president. She was one of a few Republican lawmakers to do so early on. In 2021, she voted against creating a special group to investigate the events of January 6. She also said she believed Trump was partly responsible for the events that day.
Social Policy
Capito supports the Gender Advancement in Pay (GAP) Act. This act aims to ensure that women and men receive equal pay for equal work. She also supports the Rural Access to Hospice Act. This act helps improve care for people in hospice facilities in rural areas. She opposes the Freedom to Vote Act, which would change voting rules, like making Election Day a public holiday.
LGBT Rights
Capito has had different views on LGBT issues over time. In 2004 and 2006, she voted for a change to the Constitution that would have banned same-sex marriage. However, in 2015, she said she thought marriage should be decided by each state. In 2007, she voted against a law that would protect people from job discrimination based on their sexual orientation.
In 2009, Capito voted for a bill that expanded the definition of a hate crime to include crimes against people because of their gender identity. In 2013, she voted to renew the Violence Against Women Act, which helps victims regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
In 2015, Capito voted for changes to a law that helps homeless youth, including LGBT youth. She also voted to give same-sex married couples access to Social Security and veterans' benefits. In 2017, she disagreed with President Trump's announcement to ban transgender people from serving in the military. She said that all Americans who serve should be thanked. In 2021, she stated she was against transgender girls participating in girls' sports teams. She introduced a bill to ban this.
In response to the Supreme Court's decision that allowed same-sex marriage nationwide, Capito said she would have preferred states to decide. However, she hoped all West Virginians would respect each other. In 2022, she voted to support a law called the Respect for Marriage Act. This law would protect same-sex marriage under federal law.
Stem-Cell Research
Capito supports embryonic stem cell research. In 2001, she voted for a bill to ban the cloning of human embryos. In 2005, she voted to remove limits on funding for embryonic stem-cell research. She also voted to try and overturn President Bush's veto of that bill in 2006. In 2007, she again voted for funding stem-cell research. However, in 2009, she voted for a budget bill that stopped the creation of human embryos for research.
Gun Rights
Capito is supported by groups that advocate for gun owners' rights. In 2016, she voted for laws that would alert police if someone suspected of terrorism tried to buy a gun. She also voted to improve the background check system for gun purchases. However, she voted against other gun control laws. In 2018, she disagreed with President Trump's idea of arming teachers in classrooms. In 2019, she supported a bill that would allow people with concealed carry permits in their home state to carry a concealed gun in other states that also allow it. She has also said she is open to supporting "red flag" laws, which allow temporary removal of guns from people who might be a danger.
Healthcare
As a representative, Capito was against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (often called Obamacare). Since then, she has voted many times to repeal it. In 2017, she was one of a few Republican senators who stopped a bill to repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan.
Capito has supported the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In 2009, she voted to expand CHIP to cover millions more children. In 2008, she voted for the new G.I. Bill, which expanded education benefits for military veterans. In 2017, she supported keeping Obamacare's Medicaid expansion in any new Republican healthcare bill.
In 2019, Capito supported a bill to continue federal funding for community health centers. In 2021, she supported increasing funding for virtual healthcare options. She also co-sponsored a bill to expand seniors' access to Telehealth, which allows "virtual healthcare visits." She supports extending Medicare to cover therapies that prevent diabetes.
Immigration
Capito does not support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. However, she voted against a 2004 bill that would have made hospitals report undocumented immigrants. She also voted for a 2001 bill that allowed some immigrants to stay in the country while seeking legal residency. In 2010, she voted against the DREAM Act. This act would have provided a path to legal status for young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.
In 2018, Capito voted to stop federal funding for "sanctuary cities." She also voted against proposals that would offer a path to citizenship without funding for a border wall. She supported Trump's proposal to offer a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants while reducing legal immigration and building a border wall. In 2018, she supported a bill that would give $1.6 billion for a border wall, less than what Trump wanted, to avoid a government shutdown.
Capito disagreed with Trump's "zero-tolerance" policy that separated children from their parents at the border. She said, "we need to keep the families together." In 2019, she supported laws to increase funding and aid for migrants at the U.S. southern border.
Environmental Policy
Capito has a record of voting against environmental protection measures. In 2018, she voted for a bill that would limit the government's power to regulate fracking. She has also voted to restrict the government's ability to regulate methane emissions.
In 2019, Capito asked the EPA to set clear drinking water standards for certain chemicals (PFOS and PFOA). In 2020, she supported a tax credit to encourage investment in carbon capture technology.
Foreign Policy
Capito has sponsored many bills about international trade and international finance. She has also sponsored bills on military and national security. In 2015, she signed an open letter to the Iranian government. This letter aimed to discourage Iran from making a nuclear agreement with President Barack Obama.
In 2017, Capito supported a bill that would make it a federal crime for Americans to encourage boycotts against Israel.
International Trade
In 2005, Capito voted against a major trade agreement called the Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). However, in other years, she voted to approve free trade agreements with countries like Chile, Singapore, Australia, and Peru. She supports putting tariffs (taxes) on goods from countries that unfairly manipulate their currency.
Interior Policy
Capito supports making the EPA a Cabinet-level department. This would give it more oversight.
Capito is against laws that aim to limit greenhouse gas emissions. In 2010, she asked the president to rethink policies that might limit greenhouse gases, calling them "job-killing."
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Capito supported Trump's decision to leave the Paris climate agreement. She said it was "the right decision for the American economy and workers." She supports regulations from the EPA that improve clean water standards.
In 2011, Capito supported a campaign to allow the last American veteran of World War I, Frank Buckles, to lie in state at the Capitol rotunda. This request was not successful, and he was honored at Arlington National Cemetery.
Fiscal Policy
In 2011, Capito voted for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In 2020, she said she was against cuts to government spending but also against increases.
In 2010, Capito voted to continue the Bush tax cuts. In 2002, she supported partly privatizing Social Security. In 2006, she voted with Democrats to increase the minimum wage. In 2013, she voted against cutting funding for food stamps. In 2017, she opposed President Trump's proposed budget, saying it would cut "too close to the bone." She also voted for Trump's tax cut bill. In 2019, she opposed budget cuts proposed by the Trump administration.
Capito supported paid family leave in 2019. In 2020, she opposed budget cuts because of the "spending needs" of states like West Virginia. In 2021, she voted for a temporary spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. She also voted to end a filibuster on raising the national debt ceiling, but then voted against the bill to raise it. In 2021, Capito was one of 19 Republican senators who voted with Democrats for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Judiciary
Capito opposed having a hearing for President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, in 2016. She said it was too close to the presidential election. In 2017, she voted to confirm President Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch.
In 2018, when Judge Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to the Supreme Court, Capito met with him. She said she found an accusation against him serious and asked for a delay in the vote to hear from the accuser.
In 2019, Capito supported a resolution to limit the Supreme Court to nine justices. This was in response to some Democratic candidates suggesting expanding the court. In 2020, she supported an immediate vote on Trump's nominee to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, even though it was close to the presidential election. This was a different position from her stance in 2016.
Vice Presidential Speculation
Shelley Moore Capito was considered as a possible choice for vice president with Donald Trump in the 2016 election. In May 2016, she met with Trump in Washington, D.C. However, Trump eventually chose Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate.
Personal Life
Capito is married to Charles L. Capito. They have three children: two sons, Charles and Moore, and a daughter named Shelley. Capito and her family are members of First Presbyterian Church in Charleston, West Virginia.
In 2015, Runner's World magazine featured Capito. She shared that she has been a distance runner for over 30 years.
Images for kids
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Capito checking on safe drinking water with a FEMA group and U.S. Air Force Col. Jerome Gouhin.
See also
In Spanish: Shelley Moore Capito para niños
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
- Women in the United States Senate
