When President Trump recently suggested that we pass a full Obamacare repeal now and replace later,. Senator Mike Lee reintroduced the repeal bill Congress passed in 2915. While the the 2015 repeal bill was not a full repeal bill, Senator Lee reintroduced it becasue it could be passed with simple majority, using reconciliation. President Trump would probably sign the bill and not only would he have filed a promise that nation would art to recover from the self-inflicted wound know as Obamacare.
Almost immediately several several Republicanism sergeant suddenly had a probable with the exact same bill thy signed back in 2016. They would gladly sing the phony repel bill but not a real one. This brininess up the question why are Republican senators trying to save Obamacare. Two of the turncoat senators are Senators Rob Port man (R-Ohio) and Shelly Moore Capito ( R-W. Vir).
Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Shelly Moore Capito ( R-W. Vir) have more in common than their flip flop on the “full” repeal of Obamacare.
They both are Senators from coal producing States, and both are working hand in hand with the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) .
Many retired coal miners receive their health benefits from the UMWA 1974 Pension Plan. Both Senators, along with Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, have been working with the UMWA to get a bailout of the UMWA pension plan, which is on the verge of insolvency.
Senators Joe Manchin (D) and Shelley Moore Capito (R) introduced a bill called the “Miners Protection Act”, which was also co-sponsored by Sen. Rob Portman . The Miners Protection Act would take money from the Abandoned Mine Land fund to bailout the UMWA 1974 Pension Plan.
The Washington Post reported that Mitch McConnell prevented the pension and health benefits “fix” from being included in the spending package enacted in December 2016.
This leads me to believe that if the UMWA pension plan bailout does not happen, The UMWA wants Obamacare intact so they can throw the retired coal miners onto exchanges. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Rob Portman may be blocking the repeal of Obamacare for the entire nation, just to satisfy a small segment of their voters or a very powerful union.
There is another reason that coal miners may be leery of a full Obamacare repeal. There is a provision in the ACA, which makes it easier for minors to collect compensation for disabilities for respiratory problems, such as Black lung Disease. The provision shifted the burden of proof from the disabled miners to the mining companies. I cannot imagine that loss of this provision could not be easily fixed with a one-page bill. Therefore I doubt this is the main reason Senators Portman and Capito oppose repeal.
I have not had a chance to see if there is a financial incentive these two Senators to go against everything they were saying about Obamacare in the past. Whatever the reason they oppose repeal, they should admit which special interest they are serving. They should stop pretending that they are serving the best interests all their constituents.
· Miners union pleads with senators for pension fix | TheHill
"http://thehill.com/policy... ", 7/20/2017
The pension fund for coal industry employees is approaching insolvency.
· A huge coal miners’ pension plan is on the brink of failure. One senator is blocking a fix. - The Washington Post
"https://www.washingtonpos... ", 7/20/2017
Despite bipartisan support for a plan to save the workers' retirement and healthcare, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stands in the way.
· Charleston Gazette-Mail | Pulitzer Prize-winning West Virginia news | Capito says she’s hopeful about miners’ health care fix
"http://www.wvgazettemail.... ", 7/20/2017
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., offered a sense of cautious optimism Friday regarding the fate of the Miners Protection Act in the context of a potential government shutdown, which occurs if Congress does not pass a federal spending plan by April 28.
· Benefits In Jeopardy For Retired Coal Miners : NPR
"http://www.npr.org/2017/0... ", 7/20/2017
Without federal intervention, retired coal miners could lose their health care and pensions at the end of April. That would devastate the miners, and their communities.
· Coal Miners Worry Obamacare Repeal Could Mean Loss of Benefits - ABC 36 News
"https://www.wtvq.com/2016... ", 7/20/2017
· An Obamacare repeal could strip coal miners of their access to healthcare - Business Insider
"http://www.businessinside... ", 7/20/2017
The removal of Obamacare would scrap a provision allowing miners with respiratory problems to receive disability benefits from employers.
· Bankrupt Pensions and Insolvent Pension Insurance: The Case of Multiemployer Pensions and the PBGC’s Multiemployer Program | The Heritage Foundation
"http://www.heritage.org/j... ", 7/20/2017
The impending failure of multiemployer pensions and the PBGC program could leave millions without pensions and lead to a taxpayer bailout.
