Black Lung Benefits Debated in Congress

Legislation that would make it easier for mine workers with black lung disease to receive benefits has been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate. While the Democrat-backed legislation, House Resolution 3625, and the similar Senate 2096, haven’t progressed far since their introduction in late September, the issues behind the legislation were aired during a recent hearing on mine safety policies before the Workforce Protections Subcommittee. Attorney Steve Sanders, director of the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center in Kentucky, told the committee that coal miners with black lung d...