Jay Rockefeller has placed the economic progress of West Virginia's coal, steel, and chemical industries as one of the top priorities during his term in the Senate. He is dedicated to efforts that will attract new investors to West Virginia while, at the same time, preserving and expanding existing businesses and companies in the state.

He was apart of the founding and organization of the Discover the Real West Virginia Foundation (DRWV), a non-profit devoted to introducing innovative ideas and projects that will bring new jobs to the West Virginia economy. He was also a supportive voice behind the passing of the the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, which saw the minimum wage increase from $5.15 to $7.25.

Rockefeller believes that the economic playing field in West Virginia and the nation needs to be fair and families and small businesses have access to the same opportunities and investments as larger, richer enterprises. His support of middle-class tax cuts is a crucial component of his plan to bring a much-needed diversity to the market.

Jay Rockefeller (D) has expressed his confidence that Obama will carry the state of West Virginia despite the bitter partisan split in the state between Clinton supporters and Obama supporters in the Democratic Primary.

Rockefeller supports the more diplomatic angle to foreign policy aligned with the Obama/Biden ticket rather than the McCain approach, which he criticizes as being viewed "through Cold War glasses."

He feels he speaks for the voters of West Virginia when he states, in regards to the United States' handing of the war on terror and nuclear threats, ""We can not afford even one more day of ideological decision making, politicizing intelligence, bungling diplomacy, and obsolete thinking."

As a chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Rockefeller has a particular stake in international relations as his campaign progresses towards the general election against his Republican rival, Jay Wolfe.

Jay Wolfe is for making the Bush tax cuts permanent and for a cutting taxes and spending at "every opportunity"; thinks that market forces should be allowed to drive down healthcare and that "This can be accomplished with the purchase of high deductible health insurance and obtaining a Health Savings Account"; encourages more uses of coal--including liquidizing, drilling in ANWR, drilling on the coasts, drilling on federal land, and the building of new oil refineries; is against any sort of gay marriage or civil union and is staunchly pro-life; and finally in regards to the war in Iraq, his response is, "we win and they loose". For anyone who is thinks individuals have a right to choose who they love and what to do with their bodies, who cares about our environment, who wants more affordable healthcare that benefits all Americans and who wants a responsible end to the war in Iraq, Jay Wolf would be a disaster. Jay Rockefeller is the complete opposite and has a strong voting record to prove it.

Yesterday Sen. Jay Rockefeller released a statement on the recent federal decision announced by U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson that the mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will be placed "under conservatorship", which is similar to bankruptcy but oriented towards restructuring the organizations financially to help assist the crisis currently plaguing American homeowners.

He states, ""Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have a direct impact on the economic stability of West Virginia and we need them to remain strong. In the last decade, these two mortgage giants have helped tens of thousands of West Virginia families buy a home and hundreds more avoid foreclosure. Homeownership in our state is a lot higher than the national average thanks, in part, to the public mission of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That's a good thing and leads to strong communities and a better quality of life for hard-working families. I will fight to maintain that."

The statement may frustrate more fiscally conservative voters in the state of West Virginia but, to a Democratic and disillusioned Independent block, Rockefeller's position exhibits a dedication to the hard-pressed citizens of West Virginia who may be facing foreclosures.

This week, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D) joined Jeff and Amy Dunford at the Angel in Adoption gala in Washington D.C. to congratulate the couple on behalf of their sharing their home to six adopted children.

"The Dunfords just amaze me," the Senator said, "They are such remarkable people who are an example to us all. They have opened their homes and their hearts and shown nothing but love and determination within their family and community, and now six children have a permanent and loving home.”

Adoption is one of Kennedy's more passionate talking points as the Senator is an active member in the Congressional Coalition on Adoption. He took the opportunity at the gala to praise the efficiency of the Adoption and Safe Family Act of 1997 to increase the number of adoptions across the nation and announced his current work in implementing a bipartisan expansion of adoption incentive programs.

Rockefeller Supports Clean Coal

Sen. Jay Rockefeller attended a coal-to-liquids technology conference Aug. 15, 2007. His campaign website states that he supports the new, controversial technology in the name of energy independence. America does have a bountiful supply of coal, but critics have a host of critiques. First, coal is an unsustainable, nonrenewable resource. Second, coal-to-fuel technology is tremendously inefficient. Third, supporting this technology would exacerbate mountain top removal. This process is highly controversial, as the explosives and process used to excavate the coal causes severe pollution. The water cleanliness and health concerns are significant issues.

Rockefeller Wants to Overhaul the FCC

In the video below, Sen. Rockefeller criticizes the FCC. The FCC has come under scrutiny over the past few years while President Bush has been in office. Critics note that the FCC has become a more partisan, ineffective agency.

Rockefeller states, “I’m becoming increasing concerned that the FCC appears to be more concerned about making sure that the policies they advocate serves the needs of the companies that they regulate and their bottom lines, rather than the public interest. We cannot allow that to happen.”

Rockefeller want to develop a FCC reauthorization bill that would address

(1) the structure of the agency

(2) its mission

(3) the terms of commissioners

(4) how to make the agency a better regulator that advocates for consumers

Rockefeller Voted for FISA

Rockefeller voted for the controversial FISA bill that retroactively grants telecommunication industry amnesty. The bill allows the government and telecom companies to screen calls directed abroad. Critics argue that this is an invasion of civil liberties and freedom.

In his closing remarks he states, “I really hope that this will pass. I think it’s landmark legislation… There may be disagreements on immunity, but there can be no disagreement on the national security of the United States.”

Major AT&T;offices are in Wheeling, West Virginia.

Rockefeller Claims to Have Nurtured Large Corporations and Industry in West Virginia

Rockefeller takes credit for netting major corporations into West Virginia. Toyota, AT&T;, and Amazon are a few companies that the senator claims to have attracted to the state. His support of the FISA amendment notably curries favor with the telecommunications industry within the state. Appealing to the working class vote, Rockefeller also claims to have made lives easier by working with steel mills and coal producers and refiners across the state. Despite being the son of the founder of Standard Oil, Rockefeller's support of these industries should get the working family vote. Rockefeller seems to have covered all of his economic bases high and low.

Rockefeller Supports Health Care for Everyone

The senator supports seniors. He helped lower prescription drug costs by allowing Canadian drugs into the country and by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices down from pharmaceutical companies. Rockefeller supports those living in rural areas. He introduced a $8.4 million grant to provide “telemedicine services” to these areas. The incumbent supports workers. If workers lose their jobs due to outsourcing, the will receive a Trade Adjustment Assistance tax credit to cover health care costs. The Clean Coal Act further supports industrial workers, contends Rockefeller. The bill would help the coal industry in West Virginia by stimulating growth. He supports children. Rockefeller co-authored the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Rockefeller Supports Working Families With Technology and Tax Credits

Rockefeller created the E-Rate program, which provisions grants for computer and internet equipment to schools and libraries in rural areas. 90% of schools and public libraries are wired due to the program.

Many believe that everyone in America should exercise personal responsibility. Rockefeller’s support of the Earned Income Tax Credit is a way to get the poor off of welfare and transition them into work. He claims that the tax credit has lifted 4 million Americans out of poverty. The credit allows to poor to pay for food, rent, and education. As the measure is essentially a tax break, Republicans and Democrats alike should support it.

Rockefeller Supports Veterans’ Health

The senator supports the Keeping Our Promise to America’s Veterans Act, which guarantees veterans with health care access. Rockefeller also supported increasing funding for treating veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and those with traumatic brain injuries. Through the Standing with Our Troops Act, he seeks to create a bill of rights for National Guard and Reserve members that would limit their deployment and give similar benefits to those who serve in the Army.

Rockefeller Says Bush Mislead Americans into War

As the Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Sen. Rockefeller focused on the bad intelligence that led to the Iraq war. In the Phase II report on prewar intelligence, Rockefeller states that the President misled the American people into war with the apocryphal intelligence. Worse, Rockefeller claims “the Bush Administration was fixated on Iraq, and used the 9/11 attacks by al Qaeda as justification for overthrowing Saddam Hussein. To accomplish this, top Administration officials made repeated statements that falsely linked Iraq and al Qaeda as a single threat and insinuated that Iraq played a role in 9/11. Sadly, the Bush Administration led the nation into war under false pretenses.”

Wolfe's conservative views on federal spending include dismembering the entire Department of Education and dispersing it's power back to state governments in order to save the government $68 billion a year.

Although one could see how making such a drastic cut in federal programming would present a surplus of funds for Congress to dedicate to other projects, e.g. green energy and children's health care, Wolfe's interest in promoting either of those options seems limited. He supports Bush's permanent tax cuts which many argue would do nothing to fix problems within the current health care and educational systems, but rather just inspire Americans to shop. Wolfe also says that the government shouldn't help with health care, and that rather people, with the help of a Health Insurance Savings Account, should be "empowered with the ownership of their health. The way to do this is to encourage people to purchase health insurance that pays catastrophic health expenses only and puts the first dollar responsibilities in the hands of people who are the end users of the product." Essentially, Wolfe says that the reason why people suffer under medical costs is because they cannot choose which insurance plan is right for them.

So, by eliminating federal funding and programming for public education and telling people that they have high medical bills because they don't know the difference between insurance plans, Wolfe thinks that the federal budget can be stabilized. But does that really solve problems, or just cut program funding to aid middle class Americans who need it most?

Rockefeller Votes for Bailout

Arguing that passage of the bailout legislation would protect Americans from further economic damage, Rockefeller said yes to the bill. He has called the current crisis "the most serious financial crisis of our lifetime." After his vote he stated,

“Nothing matters more to me than helping West Virginia families hold on to their life savings, their jobs, their homes, their retirement, and their hopes for the future.

“I joined with my colleagues to pass a rescue plan that aims to shore up the economy and prevent West Virginians from becoming the next victims of the Wall Street fallout.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller released a statement this past Tuesday to back his support of the bailout package signed by President Bush last week hoping to woo West Virginia voters to keep his seat in the Senate in November.

Rockefeller's statement focuses on the benefits to the coal mining industry (which marks a major economic and voting contingent in West Virginia). Rockefeller promises the bailout plan "will help protect our coal miners by encouraging increased investment in mine rescue teams and state-of-the-art safety technology, while also keeping the Black Lung Trust Fund solvent."

Rockefeller's press secretary, Steven Broderick, elaborated on the statement noting that the tax incentives included in the more than $700 billion bailout include "billions of dollars in investments in clean coal technology and clean coal uses."

He continues: "Senator Rockefeller has fought hard to expand the use of clean West Virginia coal and help keep our coal miners safe. This legislation was the absolute right vehicle to keep investments in coal headed in the right direction."

An article in the Wall Street Journal details the coal mining initiatives included in the bailout:

- an expansion and extension of tax credits for clean coal technological advancement.

- introduce and establish "a carbon capture tax credit of $20 per ton for carbon dioxide stored in geologic formations and $10 per ton for carbon dioxide use to enhance oil well production."

- an extension of the alternative fuels credit.

- offer a 50 cent a gallon tax credit to jet fuel made from liquefied coal.

- maintain $10,000 tax credit for train mine rescue teams.

- extending the deductions targeted at mine safety equipment.

- improving the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund.