Legislation introduced to secure miners pensions and health care

[TexasTowelie]

A recently introduced piece of legislation — the American Miners Act of 2019 — is aiming to secure the nation's retired miners' pensions and health care.

Introduced by U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Mark Warner, D-Va., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Doug Jones, D-Ala., and Bob Casey, D-Pa., the bill would:

• 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 fund to the 1974 Pension Plan to prevent its insolvency due to coal company bankruptcies and the 2008 financial crisis.

• Extend the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund tax at $1.10 per ton of underground-mined coal and $0.55 per ton of surface-mined coal for 10 years. The release said the tax is critical for supporting the Black Lung Disability Trust fund, which provides healthcare and benefits to more than 25,000 miners and their dependents.

• Ensure that the miners who are at risk due to 2018 coal company bankruptcies will not lose their health care.

“Our coal miners made a commitment to provide our nation with the energy we needed to power our nation to prosperity," Manchin said in the release. "They did so time and time again even when it risked their health and their lives."

Read more: https://www.register-herald.com/health/legislation-introduced-to-secure-miners-pensions-and-health-care/article_3dea66bd-f74d-520b-abba-4bb600537361.html

[KCDebbie]

1. What about the pensions of federal workers?

Trump stated that he wanted to reduce them last January...

[dem4decades]

2. Will McConnell bring it to the floor?

[bluecollar2]

3. Not if it will pass....n/t

[mr_lebowski]

4. Funny how the word "Democrats" doesn't appear in the headline

Or in the first sentence ... which means MAAAAAYBE 10% of readers encountering the story ... understand that Democrats are the ones pushing for these worker protections.

Not directed at you TT

[TexasTowelie]

5. That's an excellent observation.

Of course, since it is West Virginia, they would oppose the legislation if it did emphasize that Democrats were the sponsors.

BTW, I don't get too upset when people quibble out the headlines unless I make a substitute myself. I imagine that a few people might be upset with me when I posted an article in the Texas Group about Bevo instead of Beto. I couldn't resist the temptation.