[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 163 (Wednesday, October 16, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5830]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Coal Miners' Pensions

  Mr. President, it is critical that Congress act soon to protect the 
pensions of our Nation's coal miners. The pension benefits of nearly 
100,000 hard-working people are at risk if Congress fails to take 
action to stabilize the United Mine Workers pension fund.
  Over 25,000 current UMWA pension beneficiaries reside in West 
Virginia, making this a critical issue for communities and families 
across our State. I have worked in a bipartisan way with Senator 
Manchin, Senator Portman, Senator Brown, and others over the past 
several years to support legislation that stabilizes the mine workers' 
pension fund and protects these men and women and their families.
  We are not talking about lavish pensions here. The average 
beneficiary receives about $590 per month. Retired miners from across 
West Virginia routinely visit me in my office in DC, write letters, and 
talk with me as I travel the State. I really appreciate their efforts. 
We are working hard to make sure that when they tell me how critical 
their pension check is in allowing them to pay for food, medication, 
housing, and other essentials, that we don't let this critical issue 
lapse.
  These hard-working men and women deserve the pensions they were 
promised, and we should make sure they receive the benefits they earned 
by passing legislation to protect their pensions this year.