Protecting Black Lung Benefits
As you know, I support the repeal of Obamacare and believe it will eventually collapse under its own weight. As many feared, its rollout was problematic. Federal officials are now telling us that implementation of Obamacare is on track. But they told us the website was on track too.
After refusing to work with Congress on altering or delaying portions of Obamacare, President Obama has on his own postponed employer mandate coverage multiple times, given insurers the option to temporarily keep people on health insurance plans that would otherwise be cancelled under Obamacare, delayed the Small Business Health Options (SHOP) program, delayed income verification requirements, and more. As written in Politico in December about the administration of Obamacare, “… there’s always some piece that isn’t quite ready.”
That being said, in roughly 2,000 pages of text and thousands of pages of regulations, President Obama and his allies were bound to get something right. As the expression goes, “even a blind pig will occasionally find an acorn.”
Among the few ‘acorns’ in Obamacare are some amendments related to Black Lung. Miners who are diagnosed with the disease are entitled to certain federal monetary and medical benefits under the Black Lung Benefits Program.
The Black Lung Amendments of 1981 eliminated certain presumptions of disease and disability in miners' claims filed and eliminated the presumption of death due to Black Lung for claims by a surviving spouse. The latter meant the widow had to prove that their spouse’s death was caused by Black Lung. But amendments to Obamacare made by former Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) restored these presumptions of benefits.
While I support repealing Obamacare, I believe it is wrong to take away these Black Lung benefits that miners and their widows need. For that reason, I introduced H.R. 3162, which would keep intact the amendments that were made to the Black Lung Benefits Act as part of the health care law in anticipation that Obamacare will be repealed or will collapse.
Constituents who rely on Black Lung benefits deserve the assurances that H.R. 3162 provides. Accordingly, I will work to spread the word and grow support for this simple, common-sense bill.
Protecting Affordable, Reliable Energy Resources
Regular readers of this column are aware that I believe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) greenhouse gas regulations for power plants will undoubtedly lead to higher energy prices for the average American family and the average American business. President Obama also knows that when you drive up energy prices, it costs businesses and consumers. As then-Senator Obama said in a 2008 editorial board meeting with the San Francisco Chronicle: “When I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, you know, under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it, whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.”
By the way – when he said consumers, he meant you.
On Thursday, March 6, the House of Representatives approved the Electricity Security and Affordability Act (H.R. 3826), a bipartisan, bicameral bill introduced by my friend Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), who now fills the late Senator Byrd’s seat. This bill offers a reasonable alternative to EPA’s proposed greenhouse gas emission regulations. The EPA’s regulations will be both burdensome and costly. Testimony in front of the Energy and Commerce Committee calls into question whether the technology to universally comply exists. In essence, the new regulations will currently ban most, if not all, new coal-fired power plants.
The Electricity Security and Affordability Act, which passed the House in a vote of 229-183, would require that EPA standards are actually achievable. This bill would allow coal – which is currently the largest source of electricity in the United States – to remain a component of our energy portfolio, helping to see that American energy is affordable and reliable.
I hope the Senate will follow Senator Manchin’s lead and pass this bill.
As always, if you have concerns or comments or wish to inquire about legislative issues, feel free to contact my offices. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov.
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