[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7246]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
                         TAMMY LAMBERT'S STORY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from West 
Virginia (Mr. Jenkins) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, West Virginians are 
struggling right now. Our State's unemployment rate is one of the 
highest in the Nation. Our coal mines are closing, and so are our 
schools and mom-and-pop businesses throughout our State.
  There is a lot of uncertainty. Families are wondering how they will 
make ends meet without our coal jobs.
  Tammy Lambert is from Raleigh County, and her family is one of those 
who are worried about her family's future. Her son-in-law is 
considering moving out of the State just to find work; her daughter 
doesn't know if she will have the money to finish college; and her 
husband's mine has gone through periods of being idled. She is a West 
Virginia coal voice. Here is what she said:
  ``My daughter has worked hard to get this far and was just beginning 
to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now, she may not be able to 
ever get that degree.
  ``It is a shame when young people who try can't get ahead. It is even 
sadder when a man who has worked as a coal miner for 36 years can't 
feel secure in his job.''
  What our families need is not just hope; they need jobs that give 
them a good paycheck.
  We can make that happen in several ways. We can diversify our State's 
economy to attract new employers. We can expand retraining programs to 
help prepare the workforce. But most of all, we can get Washington off 
the backs of our miners.
  Let West Virginia miners get back to work, put food on their tables, 
and mine the coal that has powered our Nation.

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