|
Dear
friend,
A
few
months
back,
I
promised
to
keep
you
updated
on
our
efforts
to
protect
thousands
of
Virginia
coal
miners
and
their
families
from
losing
the
healthcare
and
pension
benefits
they
were
promised
nearly
70
years
ago.
As
you
may
know,
last
week
we
took
this
fight
to
the
floor
of
the
U.S.
Senate
as
Congress
was
wrapping
up
its
legislative
business
for
the
year.
I
joined
colleagues
from
West
Virginia,
Ohio,
and
Pennsylvania
in
an
effort
to
use
any
means
necessary
to
force
Congress
to
act
to
protect
these
retirees
before
lawmakers
left
town
for
the
year.
Our
appeal
was
simple:
If
miners
could
not
have
peace
of
mind
about
the
future
of
their
financial
well-being,
why
should
the
U.S.
Senate
be
allowed
to
speed-up
its
business
so
members
could
head
home
for
the
holidays?
We
felt
it
was
important
for
Senate
leaders
to
explain
their
reasons
for
ignoring
the
plight
of
retired
miners
and
their
families
to
the
American
people.
Senator
Warner
and
colleagues
are
joined
by
coal
miners
at
a
press
conference
to
urge
passage
of
the
Miners
Protection
Act
Please
know
it
was
not
my
desire
to
intentionally
slow-down
the
work
of
the
U.S.
Senate.
But
our
efforts
to
get
a
vote
on
bipartisan
legislation
to
fix
the
problem
have
repeatedly
been
ignored,
and
this
was
our
last
chance
to
do
something
before
the
end
of
the
year.
At
the
end
of
the
day,
while
we
were
only
able
to
get
a
four-month
extension
of
miners’
healthcare
benefits
that
were
set
to
expire
on
Dec.
31,
we
carried
our
message
to
people
across
the
country.
We
have
an
obligation
to
do
right
by
our
retired
miners.
*Click
image
to
watch
Sen.
Warner’s
full
remarks*
“She
said
he
grew
up
at
a
time
when
you
took
care
of
your
things.
He
believed
that
you
paid
for
what
you
got.
He
paid
dearly
for
his
pension
and
health
care.
Please
don't
let
that
get
away
from
him.
He
planned
for
years
for
his
retirement.
She
said
he
was
always
tight
with
his
money.
He
planned
for
years
for
his
retirement.
He
saved
and
budgeted
so
he
would
have
enough
with
his
pension
to
be
able
to
support
himself
through
the
rest
of
the
years
and
not
be
a
burden
on
anyone,”
–
Sen.
Warner
reading
a
letter
from
a
Southwest
Virginia
coal
miner’s
family
on
the
U.S.
Senate
floor.
Before
adjournment
last
week,
we
secured
funding
to
continue
healthcare
coverage
for
these
retired
miners
and
their
families
through
the
end
of
April
--
but
this
fight
is
far
from
over.
And
I
am
well
aware
that
thousands
of
other
miners
who
worked
at
nonunion
companies
are
also
losing
their
healthcare
and
pension
benefits.
So
you
have
my
promise
I
will
continue
to
fight
to
keep
our
commitment
to
these
families
when
the
new
Congress
convenes
in
January.
But
I
can’t
do
it
alone:
I
will
need
your
help
to
carry
this
message
so
everyone
sees
why
it
is
important
to
keep
this
promise.
We
need
to
hear
the
voices
of
coal
families
who
stand
to
lose
the
most
if
Congress
does
not
act.
If
you
would
like
to
share
your
personal
story
with
me,
click
here.
I’ll
keep
you
posted
on
our
next
steps.
Sincerely,
Sign
up
for
Sen. Warner's
newsletter
&
teletownhalls |