On Thursday, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine continued his travel through Southwest Virginia to discuss jobs and the economy, education, his support for coal miners’ retirement benefits, and other issues impacting local communities. Kaine’s roles on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Senate Budget Committee give him a platform to share the conversations he has around the Commonwealth as he advocates against these cuts in the Senate.
During his visit in Castlewood, Senator Kaine met with miners with the United Mine Workers of America union to discuss their concerns around health and future benefits for former miners. In January, Kaine joined a bipartisan group of Senators in reintroducing the Miners Protection Act, legislation that would ensure that the federal government and coal operators honor their obligation of lifetime pensions and health benefits to retired miners and their families who are facing uncertainty as a result of the financial crisis and corporate bankruptcies. Kaine recently reintroduced legislation to amend the Black Lung Benefits Act (BLBA) of 1973 to ensure that claims for benefits for coal miners and their family members are processed in a fair and timely manner and to protect miners from ‘pneumoconiosis,’ more commonly known as black lung disease.
Also during his visit, he stopped by the Sugar Hill Brewery in St. Paul for lunch.
Great lunch stop in St. Paul at @sugarhillbrewin! Thanks to owner Greg for the hospitality and bringing such a great spot to the community pic.twitter.com/Fjzt5urUA5
— Senator Tim Kaine (@timkaine) April 13, 2017
