Back on August 1, the Wheeling Intelligencer featured an op-ed by West Virginia Congressman Alex Mooney in which he claimed that Joe Manchin had betrayed West Virginians by supporting various Biden legislation on infrastructure: specifically, the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act.* Here was Mooney on the American Rescue Plan:

President Biden and Sen. Manchin crushed our economy once with the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. That bloated legislation has led to the highest levels of inflation in our country since 1981 and drove our economy in a recession.

And here was Mooney’s conclusion:

Make no mistake, Sen. Manchin is betraying West Virginia and destroying our economy.

Some recent developments from that “bloated legislation”

Elkins high speed internet connectivity

From the U.S. Department of Commerce on September 13:

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.7 million grant to Woodlands Development Group, Inc., Elkins, West Virginia, to support business and job growth by increasing internet connectivity in underserved communities.

The Department’s press release quotes Mooney’s reaction:

“I am pleased to see that Randolph County has received this EDA grant to support business and job growth in Elkins,” said Congressman Alex Mooney (WV-02). “The installation of underground fiber cable is vital to the competitive future of rural communities. This funding will help accelerate high speed internet access and spur job creation in Randolph and Tucker counties.”

The Commerce Department’s next paragraph, however, tells us the source for the funding:

This project is funded under EDA’s American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance program, which makes $500 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance grants available to American communities.

Berkeley Springs water and sewage

On Tuesday:

Warm Springs Public Service District, Berkeley Springs, will receive a $3.2 million grant for water and sewer system upgrades to support business growth and job creation.https://t.co/diGYxOFr4q

— Rep. Alex Mooney (@RepAlexMooney) September 27, 2022

Mooney then tells us why this is important:

This investment is vital to the competitive future of Morgan County. Solid investments in local communities are critical to the growth of business and commerce.

— Rep. Alex Mooney (@RepAlexMooney) September 27, 2022

And from the U.S. Economic Development press release the same day:

This project is funded under EDA’s American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance program, which makes $500 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance grants available to American communities. The Economic Adjustment Assistance program is EDA’s most flexible program, and grants made under this program will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through construction or non-construction projects designed to meet local needs.

I've done the legwork for them -- will any WV media point this out? Don't bet on it.

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*In addition to attacking Manchin, Mooney also used David McKinley's support for the American Rescue Plan to get Donald Trump's endorsement; this easily allowed Mooney to beat McKinley in the WV Republican primary. I'm sure McKinley is aware of the irony as he reads about Mooney's credit-taking.