Political Quotes

“Madam President, yesterday I joined Senator Manchin, Senator Warner, Senator Capito, and others about the mine workers' pension. I come to the floor again today as I just cannot believe that my colleagues are going to go home. Some wanted to go today and make this the last day of session. Others are saying next week. I think there is no excuse for this Senate to leave without taking care of the longtime--starting with Harry Truman--agreement we have made with the people who go down into coal mines and do their work. They powered this country and have for decades. It is one of the most difficult, least safe jobs in the country. On my lapel I wear a depiction of a canary in a bird cage that was given to me at a workers' Memorial Day rally. The mine workers stuck a canary down in the mines. One hundred years ago they had no union to protect them. They had no government that cared enough to protect them and their safety. They relied on this canary. If the canary died, they got out of the mines. They were on their own. We know this proud history of mine workers in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Western Pennsylvania, and Southwest Virginia. We have an obligation--the anti-labor sentiment in this body, particularly in Republican leadership--to these mine workers. When they negotiated their wages at the bargaining table, they gave up wages 20 years ago, 30 years ago, or 40 years ago. They gave up wages then so they would have pension and health care later.…”