CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As the deadline to fund pensions and health care for thousands of coal miners approaches, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is vowing to halt all legislation in the Senate unless federal dollars for both will be part of the end of year spending package.
Manchin, in remarks Wednesday on the Senate floor, stressed the importance of securing funding before the year ends.
“Can you imagine being one of the coal miners trying to enjoy your holidays this year knowing you might wake up Jan. 1 with no health care coverage and a reduction in your pensions?” Manchin said.
“We can give them that peace of mind today, but no legislative business will pass without coal miners first.”
The pensions of 92,000 coal miners and health care benefits of 13,000 miners will end if lawmakers do nothing before the new year. The pension fund was expected to go insolvent by 2022, but the deadline was moved to 2020 after Murray Energy filed for bankruptcy in October.
Federal lawmakers also have until Dec. 20 to approve a funding measure to keep the government open. Congress last month approved a similar resolution affecting multiple agencies.
Manchin is the lead sponsor of the Bipartisan American Miners Act, which would transfer excess money from the Abandoned Mine Land fund to the 1974 pension plan as well as fund the health care for coal miners whose employers have gone bankrupt since 2018.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel, R-Ky., introduced the measure last month with Manchin, and similar legislation has received bipartisan approval in the House of Representatives.
One tool Manchin could use is blocking unanimous consent items; a senator can request the chamber sets aside rules to pass a resolution faster, but a colleague can reject the action. A Manchin spokesperson said the senator will not block nominations.
Manchin said he does not want to halt Senate activity, but he wants assurance coal miners will be protected.
“I am so committed to the people that built this country and a commitment that we’ve had in the 1946 agreement with the federal government that they would be able to have a pension and retirement for their very difficult and very dangerous hard work that they do,” he said.
Manchin attempted to amend November’s funding bill to include the Bipartisan American Miners Act. The resolution became law without the amendment.