Posted on 04/25/2017 5:22:09 PM PDT by Timpanagos1
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that he wants a long-term fix for miners’ healthcare benefits in the next government funding bill, moving Congress closer to a deal on the issue.
“I’m in favor of a permanent fix on miners’ healthcare. It’s my hope that that will be included in the final package,” McConnell told reporters Tuesday after meeting with the GOP caucus.
The question of what to do about the government-backed healthcare benefits for coal miners has complicated congressional spending debates in the past.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
It appears the tax payers will funding health care for union mineworkers.
Why???
Shouldnt they be covered like the rest of us. Yeah I know high risk category..so employers should be covering it.
“Why???”
Apparently because the Senate majority leader lives in Kentucky and a powerful senator lives in West Virginia.
This is total bullsh!t! The miners are unionized and work for companies able to offer insurance, why do they qualify for $$$ from the state or fed government.
If they get hurt on the job they are entitled to workers comp, if they get black lung they get social security disability. Why special benefits for well paid workers?
“I’m in favor of a permanent fix on miners’ healthcare. It’s my hope that that will be included in the final package,” McConnell told reporters”
Trump needs to start playing hardball. He should tell McConnell:
“Mitch, I favor a permanent fix for the miners. I’m on-board. Provided that you fund the border wall NOW. If the money I’ve requested for the wall this year is not in the legislation, I’ll veto it, including the fix you want for the miners.
“The ball’s in your court, Mitch.”
I agree with you. And I live in Kentucky.
How about if you and I pay for our own health care, the miners pay for their own health care and we not intertwine health care for miners with the border wall or any other project?
How about it if we abolish Medicaid, EBT cards, and federally funded housing subsidies?
You won’t get any push back on those, or a plethora of other, federal programs from me.
But I’m not president or Senate Majority Leader.
Do you think Trump will veto the bill if it funds miners’ health care? He should, for the principled, conservative point you were making. But I don’t think he will. And if Trump won’t veto a bill with that and other pork in it, he should at least try to get something in return that will benefit all Americans: a border wall
I believe the crisis concerns retired miners and their dependents, who were covered by labor contracts in 1974 or 1950. These folks did not pay social security per contract and federal regs, thus most are not covered by Medicare. Active miners have traditional group insurance.
“I believe the crisis concerns retired miners and their dependents, who were covered by labor contracts in 1974 or 1950.”
If there is a coal miner that retired in 1950 and is still alive, he is a much tougher man than me.
““Mitch, I favor a permanent fix for the miners. I’m on-board. Provided that you fund the border wall NOW. If the money I’ve requested for the wall this year is not in the legislation, I’ll veto it, including the fix you want for the miners.
“The ball’s in your court, Mitch.””
Because Trump needs 8 Dems to vote for passage of the bill, not Mitch. 60 votes are required for passage, and neither Trump nor Mitch will get 8 Dems to vote for The Wall.
“Because Trump needs 8 Dems to vote for passage of the bill, not Mitch. 60 votes are required for passage, and neither Trump nor Mitch will get 8 Dems to vote for The Wall.”
You are right, the tactic I recommended for dealing with McConnell will not work with Schumer. The only way to deal with a brass knuckle Dim like Schumer is to cut out of the proposed budget some pet project of Schumer’s and then have the backbone to wait out a government “shutdown” to see who blinks first.
If there is any industry that chews up its workers giving them black lung, cancer and a short life expectancy it is coal. WV has to find something else besides coal. The companies are blowing the tops of beautiful mountains for coal. They won’t pay for anything nor do they care.
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