Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this bi- partisan amendment that would increase funding for the Black Lung Clinics Programs in the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) by $2.7 million. This increase, when added to the $7.2 million provided in the appropriations bill being considered, will provide $10 million in total funding for Fiscal Year 2018. I want to commend Representative Griffith for his leadership on this issue. The additional funding proposed by the amendment is fully offset by a reduction in program management, and the total amount of $10 million is equal to the permanently authorized amount. That level, I would note, has remained the same since the Black Lung Clinics Program was first authorized in the 92nd Congress as part of the Black Lung Benefits Act of 1972. Today, there are 28 black lung clinics located in 15 coal mining states which, with small grants provided by HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, serve as a lifeline for disabled miners. In many cases, these coal miners spent a lifetime working in our nation's mines, but now face black lung disease--a debilitating and frequently fatal lung disease that continues to erode lung function even after a miner leaves work in the mines. Since 1968, 76,000 miners have lost their lives to black lung disease. The black lung clinics program is expected to serve 13,800 miners this year.…”