BlueGreen Alliance Applauds Introduction of Bill to Extend Black Lung Excise Tax
Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Doug Jones (D-AL), Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Bob Casey (D-PA) Friday introduced the Black Lung Benefits Disability Trust Fund Solvency Act of 2020, a bill to extend the black lung excise tax through the end of 2030. The tax provides revenue to the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, which helps coal miners with black lung get the medical care they need.
In response to the bill introduction, the BlueGreen Alliance released the following statement from Executive Director Jason Walsh:
“This bill is an extremely important piece of legislation at a time when more and more coal miners are inflicted with this deadly disease. We thank Sens. Manchin, Jones, Warner, Kaine, Brown, and Casey for their leadership and urge quick passage of the bill. We hope the Senate Majority Leader will support this legislation as workers in Kentucky and in coal impacted communities across the nation are suffering from black lung in startling numbers. It needs to stop.”