Hearing of the Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee - Coal Miners' Struggle for Justice: How Unethical Legal and Medical Practices Stack the Deck Against Black Lung Claimants

Hearing

"Thank you to Senator Casey for holding this important hearing so that we can learn more about the struggles that coal miners and their families face when filing claims for benefits under the Black Lung Benefits Act.

"Although we don't really mine coal in Iowa anymore, protecting the health, safety, and benefits of our nation's miners has always been important to me because of my father, who was a coal miner. Black lung disease is personal for me because I know what it is like to see a loved one fight for breath after years of working in clouds of coal dust and struggle to support a family. After years of hard, dirty work powering our country, the least we can do in return is make sure that we give miners a fair shot at accessing earned benefits.

"But that fair shot has been out of reach for many of those miners. Too many coal operators have put profits ahead of the safety and health of the miners they employ. And when these miners retire after years on the job, the companies and their legion of consultants work together to deny miners and their families a fair shot to receive benefits to which they are entitled. They use every trick and resource advantage to game the system long enough for miners to give up hope. Sadly, this playbook is not only familiar, but effective.

"This quest for profits above all has led some coal companies to fight against miners and the government every time issues regarding miner safety and health and benefits are debated. They have put profits ahead of the safety and health of the miners they employ.

"At the end of the day, if a miner is willing to travel into the bowels of the earth every day knowing that he may one day suffer from a lung disease, the least we can do is make sure he has a fair shot at justice and that the cards aren't stacked against him when he applies for benefits to support his family.

"Today's hearing will, I hope, provide insight into how we can have a more equitable process to ensure that our miners get a fair shake.

"To that end, I would like to note my support for the Department of Labor's recently announced rule to prevent miners from developing black lung disease in the first place. I also strongly support DOL's efforts to combat black lung and the actions that it has already taken to address the problems plaguing the black lung benefits program. Moreover, I was encouraged to learn that DOL intends to promulgate a regulation to fix some of the issues that will be raised today, and it is my hope that the Department puts forth a robust rule to re-establish an equitable process for miners."

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