From
the
Hill
to
the
Mountains
Keeping
the
Full
Promise
to
Our
Miners
Two
weeks
ago,
we
finally
passed
a
permanent
fix
that
secured
healthcare
for
more
than
8,400
retired
miners
in
West
Virginia.
Although
this
in
itself
is
a
huge
victory,
we’re
still
only
halfway
there
to
keeping
the
promise
made
to
coal
miners
70
years
ago.
Now,
more
than
26,000
retired
miners’
pensions
are
on
the
line
in
West
Virginia.
We
cannot
waste
any
more
time
and
that’s
why
I
introduced
the
Miners
Pension
Protection
Act
last
week,
to
secure
the
pensions
that
these
miners
have
earned
and
paid
for
over
a
lifetime
of
backbreaking
and
dangerous
work.
Seventy
years
ago,
President
Harry
Truman
recognized
the
importance
of
the
coal
that
our
miners
produced
for
this
country
and
promised
that
the
government
would
guarantee
our
brave
coal
miners’
benefits
in
return
for
their
service.
In
turn,
our
coal
miners
propelled
the
American
economy,
ushered
in
decades
of
economic
growth,
started
an
energy
boom
that
made
the
U.S.
a
superpower,
and
helped
our
nation
to
victory
in
two
World
Wars.
This
agreement
was
a
sacred
promise
between
worker
and
country,
and
it
captured
the
very
best
of
America.
Just
as
I
did
to
secure
permanent
healthcare,
the
Miners
Pension
Protection
Act
will
be
my
highest
priority
and
I
will
bring
everyone
together
to
get
this
done.
I
will
be
working
with
the
West
Virginia
delegation,
my
Senate
colleagues
and
the
administration
to
pass
this
important
legislation.
And
I
will
continue
to
stress
how
important
these
modest
pensions
are
to
our
coal
miners
in
my
conversations
with
President
Donald
Trump
and
Vice
President
Pence.
As
we
are
working
to
pass
the
Miners
Pension
Protection
Act,
I
know
our
retired
miners
will
work
with
us
just
as
hard
as
they
did
when
their
healthcare
was
going
to
be
ripped
away
from
them.
The
strength,
energy
and
openness
they
displayed
made
the
difference
in
getting
a
permanent
healthcare
fix
and
we
couldn’t
have
done
it
without
them
sharing
their
deeply
personal
stories
with
lawmakers.
Securing
these
healthcare
benefits
demonstrates
what
Congress
can
do
when
we
work
together
and
put
partisan
politics
aside.
It’s
a
philosophy
that
I
have
followed
throughout
my
life
in
public
service
–
in
the
West
Virginia
State
Legislature,
as
your
Governor,
and
now
as
your
U.S.
Senator.
Members
of
Congress
are
here
for
one
reason:
to
do
what
is
right
on
behalf
of
the
people
we
represent.
West
Virginia
coal
miners
are
among
the
hardest
working
people
in
America,
and
they
have
dedicated
their
lives
to
powering
this
nation
and
keeping
it
the
strongest
in
the
world.
While
we
have
more
work
to
do
to
protect
the
pensions
our
miners
earned,
they
will
never
again
have
to
worry
about
their
healthcare.
We
cannot
allow
for
the
issue
of
their
pensions
to
be
put
off
until
the
deadline
only
to
kick
the
can
down
the
road
with
a
temporary
extension.
Our
retired
miners
deserve
better
than
to
receive
letters
notifying
them
that
they
will
no
longer
receive
their
modest
pension,
which
many
count
on
for
survival.
For
most
of
these
retired
miners,
their
pension
is
the
difference
between
paying
the
bills
or
being
kicked
out
of
their
home,
putting
food
on
their
tables
or
going
hungry.
I
know
my
colleagues
will
stick
by
them
this
time
just
like
they
did
with
healthcare
and
I
look
forward
to
working
with
them
to
finally
keep
our
full
promise.
On
the
Road
with Senator
Manchin
Meeting
with
UMWA
Miners
Last
week,
Senator
Manchin
met
with
United
Mine
Workers
in
Beckley to
discuss
his
legislation,
the
Miners
Pension
Protection
Act,
which
will
secure
the
pensions
of
retired
coal
miners.
Capital
High
School
Awards
Ceremony
Senator
Manchin
addressed high
school
seniors
at
Capital
High
School's
Scholarship
Awards
Ceremony
on
May
12.
WV
State
Fittest
School
Challenge
Also
last
Friday,
Senator
Manchin
addressed
students
participating
in
the
Fittest
School
Challenge,
which
promotes
the
Healthy
Lifestyles
Act
enacted
by
then-Governor
Manchin
to
improve
student
health
and
combat
childhood
obesity.
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