[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 187 (Thursday, November 21, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6737-S6738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Bipartisan American Miners Act

  Mr. President, thank you to Senator Manchin and all of my colleagues 
for coming to the floor earlier today to remind this body that we need 
to act now on behalf of almost 90,000 miners who are living under the 
threat of massive cuts for the pensions they earned; 1,200 miners and 
their families could lose their healthcare by the end of the year 
because of the Westmoreland and Murray bankruptcies. That leaves us 
about a month.
  The bankruptcy court could allow these corporations to ``shed their 
liabilities,'' which is a fancy way of saying they could walk away from 
paying miners the benefits they have earned.
  Two years ago, we worked to save thousands of miners' healthcare. We 
have to do it again. We can't leave these workers behind to lose their 
healthcare over the holidays just because of the date their companies 
filed for bankruptcy. We have to make sure they don't lose their 
retirement security on top of that.
  All 86,000 UMWA miners are facing crippling pension cuts. They aren't 
alone. This retirement security of hundreds of thousands of teamsters 
and ironworkers and carpenters and many other retirees and workers is 
also at risk. The crisis facing their pensions is real. It is 
immediate. It can have ripple effects across the country.
  This week, the PBGC released a new report showing it could run out of 
money even sooner, and we should be concerned about that. If the multi-
employer system collapses, if PBGC fails, we are looking at a potential 
recession. Small businesses that have been in the family for 
generations could face bankruptcy. Workers will lose jobs at businesses 
forced to close up shop. Retirees will face crippling cuts to their 
income.
  Congress gave Wall Street a bailout a decade ago after they wrecked 
people's lives. These miner workers did what they were supposed to do. 
They gave up money at the bargaining table to put money aside for 
healthcare and pensions later. Is Congress going to abandon them? This 
is about our values. This is about whose side you are on. It is about 
the dignity of work. We should be committed to these miners, for these 
workers, these retirees. We should not give up. We are continuing to 
work for a bipartisan solution.
  It comes down to the dignity of work. When people have dignity, when 
work has dignity, we honor the retirement security they have earned.

[[Page S6738]]

  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I think we are running a few minutes 
behind. We have had a real crush of business here in the last hour. I 
ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 15 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.