The Public Record
John Davison Rockefeller IV, commonly known as Jay Rockefeller, is a prominent American politician and member of the Democratic Party. Born on June 18, 1937, in New York City, he served as the Governor of West Virginia from 1977 to 1985 and later represented the state in the U.S. Senate from 1985 until his retirement in 2015. During his time in the Senate, Rockefeller was known for his work on healthcare, education, and technology issues, advocating for the expansion of access to healthcare and the improvement of education systems in West Virginia and across the nation.
We live in a time in which we can never feel completely safe. There are terrorists throughout the world and here at home who have sworn to kill Americans. That is what they are trained to do. That is what they want to do. That is what they…
I rise today to honor all West Virginians who have served our country in the military, especially those currently overseas. Former Senator Daniel Webster once said, ``God grants liberty only to those who love it and are always ready to…
the continuing economic crisis facing the U.S. airline industry also imperils the future of hundreds of small and rural communities across our country as air carriers drastically reduce service to small and rural communities. While small…
today I am introducing two key education initiatives designed to promote quality education across our country and respond to the compelling needs in our schools. When I meet with teachers and parents, and even business leaders in West…
last night, an extraordinary event happened in Iraq: The extraction and rescue of PFC Jessica Lynch of West Virginia who comes from the small town of Palestine in Wirt County with a population of about 5,800. She was in a hospital in…
A war will always involve risk and uncertainty. That is especially the case when we are dealing with a dangerous dictator like Saddam Hussein, who has used illegal; weapons before, and who knows that in this instance, war will not end…
It would be natural, in the nature of this body, for people to come and say--the Senator referred to this in her remarks-- you are talking about making available $30 billion to the States; we have enough problems of our own at the Federal…
I want to talk about the debate in the Senate this week regarding late-term abortion. I am a strong opponent of late-term abortions, and I know many Americans find them as deeply troubling as I do. As I have done in the past, I voted this…
I am pleased and proud to introduce the MediKids Health Insurance Act of 2003. Congressman Stark is introducing a companion bill in the House. This legislation is, without a doubt, ambitious. It is a deliberate effort to try to ignite a…
as a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am proud to reintroduce legislation today intended to strengthen mental health programs within the Department of Veterans Affairs a key element of caring for those who have…
I am proud to re-introduce a bill that reauthorizes the landmark welfare reform legislation passed in 1996. It is basically the same bill as I introduced in the last Congress and it is designed to allow States to continue the important…
this past Saturday, the world once again became painfully aware of the risks inherent in manned space travel. The Columbia tragedy has deeply wounded not only members of the NASA community, but also every American and indeed every person…
This is a two-part problem. One is the $1.5 billion shortfall in this fiscal year, and the $1.6 billion in the second fiscal year. The States have the money. Since we did not put the program under Medicaid at the very beginning, States…
this budget cycle State legislators face the largest deficits in 50 years. To balance combined budget deficits of $60 to $85 billion, most States will be forced to raise taxes and cut spending. In July of last year, 75 Senators voted to…
I am delighted that Congress passed the National Science Foundation Doubling Act last week. I have been working for quite some time to increase basic research funding at the National Science Foundation. Passing this bill at such a critical…
it is with a tremendous amount of frustration and disappointment that I come before the Senate to discuss the failure of efforts in the 107th Congress to craft an energy bill. I have been a long-time advocate of a comprehensive national…
I am very proud to join my friend and colleague, Senator DeWine, as an original cosponsor of two important bills, S. 3165 and S. 3166, to offer loan forgiveness to social workers and attorneys willing to work in the child welfare field…
Paul Wellstone was a committed and effective Senator who will be deeply missed by millions of often ignored Americans, people who relied on him not only to fight their battles, but to win important victories on their behalf. I worked…
we convene again today after a national holiday set aside to honor one of America's greatest treasures, its veterans. This important holiday, originally called Armistice Day, began as a commemoration of the historic ending of World War I…
I am very pleased my friend from Minnesota is in the Chair because he is on the Armed Services Committee, and so it makes me very happy to be able to present this argument to him. We are all very familiar with this practice of requiring…
MR. President, as chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I urge the Senate to pass S. 2237, the proposed "Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2002," as modified by a manager's amendment which I developed with the committee's…
Washington is graced this week by the visit of Madame Chen Wu Sue-Jen, the First Lady of Taiwan and a distinguished humanitarian and advocate for human rights. Mrs. Chen has worked tirelessly to promote human rights and democratization on…
The Paralyzed Veterans of America, too, is very concerned about these new regulations, as the new system "completely ignore[s] the other key missions of the VA health care system to care for the poor and medically indigent and those…
today I introduce the Medicare Incentive Payment Program Refinement Act of 2002. This bill makes needed and long-overdue changes to the Medicare Inventive Payment Program, an initiative conceived to address the growing primary care…
We do not have the time, we do not have the money, we do not always have the wherewithal to do that with domestic.
Politicians like Jay Rockefeller
