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WHEELING -- U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney -- while touting himself as the "true conservative" in the race for the Republican nomination for United States Senate -- offered his explanations as to why he voted against the $1.2 trillion spending package passed by Congress last week.
Mooney is among seven GOP candidates for the seat now open with the impending retirement of U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. Mooney and Gov. Jim Justice are considered the top two contenders on the Republican side.
Mooney touted his conservative bona fides in explaining his reasons for voting against the spending package. He was among 112 Republicans voting against the measure, while 101 voted in favor.
When Democratic votes were added, the spending bill passed with a vote of 286-134.
Mooney released a statement on his decision following the vote, giving the following reasons for choosing "no":
- It fails to fund former President Donald Trump's border wall, but does provide funding to the World Health Organization, he said.
- Mooney stated the bill provides $200 million for a new FBI Headquarters, and it gives $25 million to the Centers for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health to research gun control policy.
- The measure fails to defund the Department of Defense's abortion travel policy, but sends taxpayer dollars to centers that perform abortions, according to Mooney.
- It fails to prohibit funds for transgender surgeries and other "gender affirming care" while funding transgender organizations that encourage the chemical castration of minor children, he added.
- Mooney stated the bill sends billions of dollars in wasteful spending abroad, including refugee and migration assistance while the American border remains "wide open," he stated.
- The measure also fails to prohibit funds from going to states that allow illegal aliens to vote in federal elections, he said.
Mooney claims that Justice wouldn't have voted the same way, that he would have sided with the majority on the package and that Justice would likely vote differently than Mooney on many issues.
"I'm certain that Jim Justice ... would have supported that," Mooney said. "That's the message that I want to get out -- that there are two types of Republicans voters have to choose from on May 14.
"There's one who will go along with out of control Biden spending like Jim Justice. Or there is me -- an actual fighting conservative."
Mooney believes a lot of people aren't focussed yet on the primary election and that is why he trails Justice in the polls.
"I think a lot of people aren't yet looking at the candidates, and frankly some will just say (they support) what name they recognize," Mooney said. "And Mr. Justice is counting on the fact that he has very high name recognition.
"He is not out working and he is trying to hide how liberal he is."
Mooney recounted that he voted in favor of a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare in 2017 when Donald Trump was president. The measure was later defeated in the Senate when three Republican senators joined Democrats to vote against it.
Mooney said what he is hearing on the campaign trail is that conservative voters are still disappointed by this action seven years later.
"Mr. Justice (as governor) attacked us for repealing Obamacare. He said it would be bad for West Virginia, and said he did not support the repeal of Obamacare," Mooney said.
"I'm just trying to remind voters of that. If you do not want to be disappointed in your representation, vote for me. I'm the only true conservative running."
Mooney said people are telling him they find health care too expensive, and they want to be able pick their own doctors.
"Obamacare is just another step toward socialism and the government running our lives for us," he said. "People were really mad when no health care reform at all passed."
Mooney said the point he wants to impress upon voters is that "no two Republicans are the same."
"The voters this year have the opportunity this year to not allow them to be so disappointed by voting for me over him (Justice)," he said.
Mooney said what he is hearing from people is that "woke-ism" ideals are concerning them. This can include anti-energy policies that affect coal or natural gas operations, or allowing transgender girls to play in girls sports.
"Once again, I am the one who has stood up to woke-ism," he continued. "I have a conservative voting record reflecting traditional conservative values."
Mooney added the pro-life issue is perhaps the one most important to him personally.
"If some can't at least defend unborn children from being killed, I'm not sure you can trust them to defend other rights, as well," he said.
And Mooney -- the son of a Cuban immigrant -- noted the invasion of the southern U.S. border by illegal immigrants is especially troubling to him.
"It is so frustrating to have a president who won't do his job and secure the border," he said. "Again, the spending bill I voted against last week doesn't contain border security. It's frustrating some of my Republican colleagues voted for this bill when we've said it is supposed to.
"I'm all for legal immigration," Mooney continued. "This country is built on legal immigrants who work hard... But it has to start with having a law that is enforced. It is very unfair to legal immigrants to allow people to just to run in, so you have to secure the border. And spending bills like the one last week don't do that."