WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) issued the following statement today regarding the inclusion of the Bipartisan American Miners Act — legislation protecting the health care and pension benefits for coal miners — in the final funding agreement reached.
Congress is expected to vote on the measure this week, which includes these benefits for miners and several other provisions that will benefit West Virginians:
“We have finally honored the promise this country made to our coal miners back in 1946 and secured the health care and pension benefits they earned through a lifetime of hard work.
My Bipartisan American Miners Act has been included in the final funding package that will keep the government open beyond December 20th when the current temporary funding measure expires. It guarantees lifetime health care benefits for the 13,000 miners who would have lost their benefits entirely and the 92,000 miners who would have seen their pensions gutted next year without Congressional action.
This would not have happened without the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) and the thousands of coal miners who invested their time and energy, year after year, coming to Washington, walking the halls, and fighting for their brothers and sisters. It has been the honor of my life to lead this fight and bring together the coalition that made this possible. I also want to thank my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, for making this a truly bipartisan effort.
By working together across party lines, since 2016, we have been able to secure lifetime healthcare benefits for 36,000 and pensions for 92,000 miners and their families. This should be a reminder to us all that we can make this country better when we put partisan politics aside and focus on fixing the real problems facing the people we are here to represent.”
