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January 27, 2000
ROCKEFELLER JOINS IN ANNOUNCING NEW FUNDING FOR RETIRED COALMINER BENEFITS
WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) today joined with Vice President Al Gore and the Clinton Administration in announcing that $346 million has been included in the fiscal year 2001 budget to secure benefits for retired coalminers.
Rockefeller, who authored the 1992 Coal Act, said, "At my strong urging, the Vice President insisted on including a substantial amount of funds in the budget to guarantee the security of retired miners' health benefits for more than a decade.
"More than a half century ago, coalminers were promised lifetime health benefits by the companies they worked for and by the federal government — Vice President Gore has fought to ensure that this promise is kept. He understands that more than 65,000 miners and their widows are counting on these benefits and that they deserve them.
"Unfortunately, since we passed the 1992 Coal Act, it has been a constant fight to maintain these benefits. Some companies have fought to avoid or delay their obligations to miners, and year after year we have faced attacks in Congress and in the courts. Last year, after a series of damaging court decisions and inadequate inflation adjustments, the fund faced a serious shortfall. Thankfully, action by Senator Byrd protected the fund for at least one more year, and if Congress now agrees to the Administration's plan, we'll finally get long-term security.
"This budget provision demonstrates the Administration's rock solid commitment to protecting retired miners' health benefits. Congress must now make the same commitment. I will not rest until miners' benefits are once again secure."
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