Joy Powers

Infrastructure / Transportation Connecting Every Home and Hollow - Finish the job of rural broadband, restore affordability credits for families, and ensure energy and transmission costs stay fair for households, schools, and small businesses. Taxes / Budget Feeding Families and Strengthening Local Farms - Protect SNAP purchasing power, expand local food processing and cold storage, and keep Appalachian-grown food in Appalachian communities. Economy Protecting the Land That Feeds Us - Support family farms, expand local processing and distribution, and defend farmland from corporate consolidation so agriculture stays local and profitable for generations. Defense / Veterans Honoring Service with Real Support - Bring specialty care and mental health services to every coal county, streamline benefits, and ensure veterans can access the jobs and healthcare they’ve earned. Education Supporting Families and Strengthening the Economy - Treat childcare as essential infrastructure by funding new centers, supporting childcare workers, and helping parents stay in the workforce. Economy Building a Real Economy for Southwest Virginia - Invest in advanced manufacturing, small business growth, and mine-land redevelopment to turn abandoned sites into job-ready land for industry, housing, and skilled trades. Education Linking Classrooms to Careers - Align schools, apprenticeships, and local employers so students can train and work in their home communities — turning “brain drain” into homegrown opportunity. Economy Making Southwest Virginia a Place Families Can Afford to Stay - Lower power bills, protect grocery access, and invest in workforce housing so people can live, work, and raise families close to home. Healthcare Keeping Care Close to Home - Protect rural hospitals, expand behavioral health and addiction treatment, and make sure veterans and families can access the care they’ve earned without traveling hours or waiting months. Healthcare Treating Addiction as Healthcare, Not Crime - Make medication-assisted treatment available in every community, expand recovery housing linked to job training, and eliminate red tape that delays care.