McConnell, a defender of his home state’s coal industry, blocked the pension measure past year and says he’s not going to fast-track a plan that some Republicans warn amounts to a bailout. “Because we’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business, right?”
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Members, families and supporters of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) from 13 states will converge on Washington, D.C., today, September 8, to urge Congress to pass legislation to preserve benefits for retired coal miners and widows.
The bill would ensure that retired miners receive hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits now at risk amid the industry’s steep decline.
Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., promoted the bipartisan effort during a morning event at the National Press Club, aimed at drumming up more media coverage of the crisis facing thousands of UMW retirees, widows and other family members. “They put their lives and their health on the line every day to make sure that you and I can turn on our lights, power up our computers, heat and cool our homes”.
According to its rally announcement, UMWA is calling on Congress “to keep America’s promise to thousands of retirees, spouses, and dependents”.
McKinley and Capito placed the average pension for a coal miner as being between $530 and $600 per month.
Capito said the bill has a chance of succeeding eventually, but she is “pessimistic” that it will happen in September or October.
“If we don’t solve this problem this year there will be 19,000 people who lose their healthcare benefits in January”, said Phil Smith, spokesman for United Mine Workers of America.
Manchin said there are 46 Senate Democrats who support the measure and that the bill is essentially in the hands of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).
The Miner’s Protection Act seeks to address the potential shortages by tapping the Abandoned Mine Lands fund.
Sponsors are portraying their bill as a moral obligation, fulfilling an agreement struck by the federal government with the UMWA in 1946, after coal miners had helped win two world wars by producing the energy necessary to fuel America’s military construction needs.
McGinty is running against Toomey in November’s general election.
The candidate bragged about his landslide victory in the West Virginia primary – a win he attributed to the heavy coal mining presence in the state. Almost 11,000 coal workers have lost jobs in the past year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the pension bill “wouldn’t help put those folks back to work”, Enzi said earlier this year. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who is up for re-election, for his work on the bill.
But its sponsors leveraged support for a Puerto Rico bankruptcy response in July for Senate Finance Committee consideration next week, and a possible vote on the Senate floor before Congress adjourns later in the year. The money in question now goes to the U.S. Treasury, so the bill would cost the government between $2 billion to $3 billion, Capito said. “These coal miners are not just numbers or statistics”. That deal with the UMWA provided lifetime retirement benefits to union workers. The union endorsed Simon in her 58th district state Senate race earlier this year.
“If we can’t fulfill this commitment, shame on all of us”. Cockrum, who walks with a cane, said he’s has three herniated discs in his back related to his time underground. “Because if we don’t provide for these coal miners now with some sort of an immediate stop-gap measure, it’s very possible you could see. taxpayers generally having to step in and do some kind of a bailout” to prevent a collapse of the pension fund.
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Smith said he is optimistic that the measure will be passed and the funds would have no impact on those now employed in mining.
