[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 645]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            COAL MINE SAFETY

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take my Special 
Order at this time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from West Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in anger and outrage. This very 
afternoon two more coal miners perished in my home State of West 
Virginia in Boone County in separate unrelated incidents. This comes on 
the heels of the 14 coal miners in West Virginia who tragically died in 
two mines just last month.
  The death toll must stop. This is scandalous. The leadership, if I 
may use that word, of the Federal regulatory authority charged with 
coal mine safety, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, has 
apparently completely abdicated its responsibility under this 
administration.
  For the national spotlight to be turned on coal mine safety just last 
month, for those responsible for coal mine safety to be grilled during 
a committee hearing held in the other body just last month, yet to 
remain so aloof and so deficient in meeting their mission and mandate 
just boggles the mind. It defies logic. It smacks of callous disregard. 
It is inhumane. It is inexcusable.
  Just this morning the West Virginia congressional delegation 
introduced remedial legislation to force the issue, to compel the 
Federal agency in charge to do its job, to enforce the coal mine and 
health safety standards of this Nation. This initiative is high 
priority for us. The shame is that it now comes on the tears of even 
more grieving families and this sudden and unexpected departure of two 
more coal miners. Why is it that every Federal coal mine health and 
safety law we have on the books is written with the blood of coal 
miners? The status quo is unacceptable. It is totally unacceptable. It 
must change.
  I now call on the Mine Safety and Health Administration to do its 
duty and respond immediately to the request the Governor of West 
Virginia just made in a press conference. Send additional assistance to 
my State to allow the Mine Safety and Health Administration to do its 
job. Conduct a massive and comprehensive safety inspection of our 
mines. We must put an end to this continuing nightmare.

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