Political Quotes

“just last month, we marked the 70th anniversary of President Truman's historic promise to mine workers. President Truman promised lifetime health and pension benefits to coal miners in exchange for their continuing the back-breaking work which built our Nation, but today tens of thousands of miners and widows are in imminent danger of losing not part of their health benefits but all of them--100 percent of them. Their modest pension benefits are also at serious risk. A promise that has been kept for 70 years is about to be violated, broken. We shouldn't let that happen. There is a bipartisan solution that would avert this crisis. Senator Manchin wants the Senate to vote on his Miners Protection Act, and so do I. If it is up to Senator McConnell, we are not going to be given a chance to vote before the recess, despite the gravity of the situation. Just 2 weeks ago, more than 3,000 miners and their supporters rallied in Lexington, KY, urging congressional action. The Senate should vote on the Miners Protection Act before we recess for the political conventions that will be held this summer. A promise made by President Truman is a promise we should keep because a promise made should be a promise kept. Madam President, as we work to help these families, we should not forget the many West Virginians who are fighting the devastating flooding that has ravaged that State. Twenty-five have died.…”