WASHINGTON, D.C. — Several thousand coal miners and widows of miners will have their eyes on Washington, D.C. this week to see what Congress does with promised health care benefits and pensions. The current extension of those lifetime benefits, first promised in 1946, runs out Friday.
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin said during an appearance on MetroNews “Talkline” late last week that the Senate will pass a permanent fix–the issue is with the U.S. House of Representatives.
“I’m urging all of our Congress representatives to push back, stop, shove, don’t leave town, don’t let (House Speaker) Paul Ryan leave town until they fix it this time,” Manchin said.
The House passed a four-month extension and left Washington on recess late last year. Manchin said that can’t happen again.
“I’m just not going to sit back and watch them continue to play with people’s lives. This is a time that we’ve got to take a stand. I’m asking our three congressmen to go to Paul Ryan and say, ‘Paul, we’re not leaving here until we fix it. A permanent fix, that’s what we’ve committed to, that’s what’s been promised. We have the pay-fors,” Manchin said.
The benefits are to be financed with federal Abandoned Mine Land funds.
A report in New York Times15 last week said Ryan was leaning toward a 20-month extension. The report also quoted Manchin saying that would line up perfectly with the 2018 election cycle so his Republican opponent, which may be Congressman Evan Jenkins, could, along with other Republicans, claim credit for another extension.
Manchin explained the comment during his “Talkline” appearance.
“This is one time when all of us, Evan Jenkins, David McKinley, Alex Mooney, Shelley Moore Capito and myself are all on one side and that’s the side of the miners–fighting for them. Now, if they want to believe they can fight for the timing, string this out to the election to give somebody an advantage, that dog doesn’t hunt. It really doesn’t. It doesn’t bother me at all,” Manchin said.