[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 16, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H1395]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HEIDI LAWRENCE'S STORY

  (Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, West Virginia's families 
are struggling to make ends meet due to the war on coal. As coal mines 
close due to crushing regulations from this administration, families 
are forced to make tough choices to survive.
  Heidi Lawrence lives with her family in Cyclone, West Virginia. Her 
husband lost his coal-mining job more than 5 months ago. Here is her 
story:

       We are doing everything we can do to pay our bills and 
     raise our three kids.
       We have already lost vehicles because it takes everything 
     that he gets in unemployment to pay the house payment and 
     power bill, two things that we have to try to keep, not to 
     mention all the other bills that just don't get paid because 
     we can't afford them.
       My husband is a hardworking man. He has worked for 8 years 
     in the coal mines for what we have, and we are now losing it.

  Mr. Speaker, Heidi is a true West Virginia coal voice. Her family is 
an example of what happens when Washington regulates our coal jobs out 
of existence.

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