Sen. Shelley Moore Capito joined an elite roster of global leaders on Oct. 27 when she spoke at the University of Louisville as the 67th guest in the McConnell Center’s Distinguished Speaker Series.
Since 1993, the series has hosted prominent guests including U.S. presidents, cabinet members, Supreme Court justices and congressional and international leaders.
Capito was first elected in 2014, becoming the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from West Virginia. She currently serves as the only female member of the Republican Party leadership as the Policy Committee Chair.
During the discussion held at Chao Auditorium and streamed live, moderators and McConnell Scholars Macy Waddle and Kara Beth Poe asked Capito questions about her path to politics, her approach to bipartisanship policy solutions and the ongoing government shutdown.
When asked why she chose to pursue leadership roles, Capito said she selected committees where she could make an impact and serve her state’s interests, such as the Environment and Public Works Committee. She cited the current permitting process as an example of working across the aisle for the greater good.
“You can’t build anything without enormous red tape,” Capito said. “This is a point at which we have great bipartisanship hope, what you end up with is a peak where you are both hungry for it. If we have permitting reform solidly written, this should solve everybody’s issues no matter who is in office.”
A point of pride for Capito is West Virginia Girls Rise Up, a program designed to inspire the next generation of female leaders. Ran out of her office, the initiative empowers middle schoolers by focusing on education, physical fitness and self-confidence. Capito hosts sessions on these topics, sometimes featuring special guests like NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson.
Capito draws motivation from her father, Arch Alfred Moore, Jr. who served in the U.S. Congress and as governor of West Virginia. She hopes to pass that legacy on to her three children.
In his remarks before Capito’s talk, Sen. Mitch McConnell praised Capito for “working with other people’s point of view” and her dedication to making a difference for communities.
“There has not been a better difference maker in the Senate in my years than Shelley,” McConnell said.
