WASHINGTON - Around 120 coal miners with black lung disease were due in Washington on Tuesday hoping to pressure Congress to restore a higher excise tax level on coal companies to help fund their medical care, as rates of the progressive respiratory disease rise in parts of Appalachia.
The coal industry had advocated for allowing the rate to drop as scheduled, arguing the industry was already facing economic pain and that maintaining the rate was not required to cover the cost of support for afflicted miners. The miners and their families traveled by bus from southwestern Virginia, West Virginia and eastern Kentucky to call on lawmakers to restore and extend by 10 years the higher coal excise rate. They were due to meet with Democratic Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey and Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell.
Let`s do away with coal. It`s bad for your health and bad for the Planet ! ! !
Trump and his clean coal beliefs.
Yeah, and it's written into the contract, the govt has to promise to give the miners' kids black lung, too.
Hey coal miners...did you really think he’d bring back coal?
good luck with that.
I do not see why Congress should protect coal miners black lung benefits when they are not willing to protect the first responders from 9/11's fund benefits.
What happened to the 'clean coal'? No need for benefits when 45 said it is CLEAN coal.
Their gop friends will never let it happen.
Sounds “Socialist” to me. Maybe they should call trump. Doesnt he still “Dig Coal”?
I think TrumPublicans will say it is caused by wind power and cut the benefits to lower Epstein’s tax burden.