Hours before the President's State of the Union address, U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) said he hopes the President will deliver a message that "answers the priorities of West Virginia families."

"West Virginia families have some questions they need answered-questions about the protection of our soldiers, the protection of our miners, the protection of our families and the preservation of our future," Rahall said. "These are fair questions that deserve answers from the President and Congress."

According to recent data, 2,250 soldiers have died since the beginning of the war in Iraq, and more than 16,000 have been wounded.

"These numbers are startling. We have peacekeeping missions going on across the globe but nowhere else are soldiers being killed and wounded at the rates they are in Iraq," Rahall said. "West Virginians want to know what the government is going to do to better keep our soldiers safe over there. We need a strategy to turn Iraq's civil strife to their own citizens and to give our troops adequate armor and safe harbor."

The loss of 12 miners in Upshur in Logan counties in recent weeks has also brought to stark light the need for increased protection of those toiling underground to provide energy for America.

"Technology has increased coal production and these same technologies can and should advance the protection of our miners," Rahall said. "Just as our state's military families wait word on what will be done to better protect our soldiers, our mining community also will be listening with eager ears, as will I and the rest of the West Virginia delegation, to hear a call to help make our miners safer."

In addition to protecting lives of West Virginia, Rahall said he hopes to see the livelihood of West Virginians addressed.

"Right now, the survivors of West Virginia floods, much less Hurricane Katrina, are still living in trailers and campers; veterans are being turned away at the hospital doors; our grandparents are choosing between food and pharmaceuticals; and moms and dads are scraping pennies to pay high prices at the pump while, according to the Wall Street Journal, Exxon reaped profits of $80,842 a minute every minute last year," Rahall said. "If we want to spread the benefits of the economy to all Americans and make America competitive in a globalizing world, investments must be made."

Rahall has long proposed options for alleviating the pressure of high gas prices on the people of southern West Virginia. He is a proponent of alternative fuels to gasoline, especially coal-based fuels including liquid or gaseous coal-based fuels.

"I look forward to listening to the President and hope that the President will use this opportunity to show real leadership to protect America, create an economy that works for all Americans, address the health care crisis and use coal to break our dependence on foreign oil. As always, I want to work with him for the people."