Senator McConnell Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Protect Health Care and Pension Benefits for Kentucky Miners

Statement

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) today introduced the Bipartisan American Miners Act of 2019, which protects health care and pension benefits for thousands of United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) miners and their families.

The Bipartisan American Miners Act of 2019 will amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to transfer funds in excess of the amounts needed to meet existing obligations under the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) fund to the 1974 Pension Plan to prevent its insolvency. The bipartisan bill also expands the existing health care benefits provided under Senator McConnell's HELP for Coal Miners Health Care Act of 2017 to the orphaned coal miners whose benefits have been put in jeopardy. These actions will secure the pensions of 92,000 coal miners and protect health care benefits for 13,000 miners.

"Since his election, President Trump and I have worked together to end President Obama's War on Coal that has hurt thousands of Kentucky families. Unfortunately, eight years of regulatory assault on coal country can't be undone overnight. The startling number of orphaned miners in the drastically underfunded pension plan presents an urgent crisis for entire communities of miners, retirees, and their families," said Senator McConnell. "To help these Kentucky miners and their families, Senators Manchin, Capito, and I proudly introduced our bill today to help prevent this looming pension crisis. Earlier this week, I personally raised with President Trump the importance of protecting these coal miners' pensions and health retirement benefits, and I am committed to continuing to work with him and my colleagues in Congress towards a solution."

UMWA President Cecil E. Roberts, applauded the introduction of the bill, saying, "I am greatly appreciative of the legislation filed today in the United States Senate, the Bipartisan American Miners Act of 2019, sponsored by Senators Manchin, Capito and Majority Leader McConnell. With this one bill, the United States Senate has taken a giant, bipartisan step forward in keeping America's promise to our coal miners and their families. I am especially thankful for Leader McConnell's support of this legislation. His voice on behalf of retired miners is critical, and I want to thank him on behalf of every retired miner in America. Let us get this legislation passed as soon possible, and finally provide some peace of mind to these retired American heroes."

UMWA retiree, Eddie Embry of Hartford, Kentucky, thanked Senator McConnell for his leadership, saying, "Working to reach a solution for our Kentucky miners has been a monumental effort. We greatly appreciate the leadership shown by Senator McConnell and the other senators with the introduction of today's legislation. Our miner families will be sleeping better tonight in the coal fields knowing another step forward toward protecting a lifetime of hard work and promises has been taken."

"Throughout my entire Senate career, I have been proud to serve as a strong voice for coal families and the affordable and reliable American energy source they provide," added Senator McConnell. "As Senate Majority Leader, I continue to advance policies to help Kentucky coal miners and their families recover from the Obama Administration's devastating War on Coal."

-In 2017, Senator McConnell mobilized Congress to permanently secure health care benefits for thousands of retired miners. Had Congress not acted, approximately 3,000 Kentucky coal miner retirees -- and tens of thousands more around the country -- would have lost their health care benefits. The bill also included additional assistance for troubled coal-mining communities and dislocated coal workers.
-As senior appropriators, Senator McConnell and Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) have secured hundreds of millions of dollars for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Economic Development Pilot Program (AML Pilot). ARC funding supports economic growth in Eastern Kentucky by helping create jobs, combat the spiking substance abuse epidemic, and provide employment training for former coal miners, among a number of other worthy initiatives. In 2015, Senator McConnell and Congressman Rogers established the AML Pilot, which promotes economic and community development on abandoned mine lands. Since then, they have helped secure more than $100 million for Kentucky for this program.
-Senator McConnell also helped secure $99 million through the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to provide career and training services to dislocated workers in rural areas, including dislocated coal workers in Kentucky who lost their jobs. This includes $3.7 million to help support the recently impacted Harlan County, Kentucky coal miners and their families with employment and training services.

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