Rep. Evan Jenkins and Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito are working in their respective chambers to fight for health protections for West Virginians.
In a release Wednesday, Jenkins said he is fighting to strengthen and protect black lung benefits for miners, retirees and widows.
Jenkins is asking Congress to support his resolution, HR 26, which reaffirms Congress’ commitment to preserving and protecting black lung benefits and the Byrd amendment as health care reform is drafted.
“Just as we have relied on our miners to mine the coal that built the skyscrapers and won world wars, our miners should be able to rely on us. I urge my colleagues to support the protection of black lung benefits and to honor the hard work of our miners,” Jenkins said.
“This is a promise we made to them and it is a promise we must keep."
Capito and Manchin, along with 38 other senators, sent a letter Wednesday to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price emphasizing the importance of rural health care providers and their critical role in rural communities.
“As you take on this new leadership role at HHS, we request that you work with us to ensure that the federal government does not act as an impediment to providing health care in rural communities," the letter said. "Overreaching and onerous regulations from Washington disproportionately harm rural America."
Almost 90 percent of the nation is geographically rural, the senators said, with 20 percent of the population living outside urban areas, often miles away from a health care practitioner.
The senators wrote, "We believe that together we can enact and implement effective policies that help providers innovate in care delivery and enable them to make efficient use of available resources."
They concluded, "We hope you remain dedicated to ensuring all Americans — no matter where they live — have access to quality, affordable care. We look forward to continuing to work with you as we move forward to improve health care in rural America."