By Amy Purpura | West Virginia Watchdog
On January 2, President Obama  signed off on the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 (NDAA) in addition to the fiscal cliff legislation. While the latter has received much more widespread coverage in the mainstream media, the NDAA bill of 2013 contains provisions that equally affect all Americans regardless [...]

By Terry Wallace | West Virginia Watchdog
We seldom have a direct vote or voice in setting our levels of taxation.  Federal taxes are imposed by an arrogant and uncaring United States Congress, and I mean both the House of Representatives and the Senate.  Despite record high levels of tax revenues, our debt load is speeding [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — Despite being fed up by the lack of cooperation in Congress, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin filed for his first full six-year term for the U.S. Senate.
Manchin was joined by his wife Gayle as he filed for reelection at the Secretary of State’s office today.
“Gayle and I [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — In his fourth bid for U.S. Senate, Republican Businessman John Raese will once again challenge Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Manchin in 2012.
Raese flew into Charleston this afternoon and filed his candidacy papers with the West Virginia Secretary of State‘s office. He was joined by his wife [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON —One week after two proposals were defeated, U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Jay Rockefeller still can’t agree on extending President Barack Obama’s payroll tax cuts.
Last Thursday, Republican and Democrat versions of the payroll tax cut were defeated, with Rockefeller voting in favor for the Democrat proposal and [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) joined with 16 Democrats and one independent to help Republicans block an amendment that would have removed a controversial provision allowing U.S. citizens to be detained by the military.
The provision is part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — West Virginia;s U.S. Senate delegation were split on supporting two payroll tax cut bills, with one voting against the Democrat and Republican versions.
U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) voted for his party’s version of the payroll tax cut extension, but Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) voted against both [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — An amendment that would give the National Guard a seat at the big table passed the Senate with praise from West Virginia’s Senate delegation.
An amendment to the Defense authorization bill, sponsored by Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), passed Monday evening by voice vote. [...]

EDITOR’S NOTE: With U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, a member of the Armed Services Committee, contemplating action on defense projects such as the F-35 jet aircraft – a project with an economic impact of $7 million on West Virginia – the following take on the radar-evading weapons system is worth considering.
By Loren B. Thompson
Aviation Week & [...]

By Steven Allen Adams | West Virginia Watchdog
CHARLESTON — A federal contractor under scrutiny for security lapses on a Transportation Security Administration program has a cozy relationship with West Virginia’s congressional delegation.
According to a story broke by Watchdog.org, Mantech International and the TSA failed to enforce the Alien Flight Student Program.
The security program does background [...]