FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2025
UMWA Sends Urgent Letter to Congress Warning of Grave Dangers in Reconciliation Legislation
[TRIANGLE, VA] The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) today sent a letter to United States Senators from coal-producing regions urging them to oppose the current reconciliation legislation under consideration in Congress. The letter, authored by UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts, highlights the devastating consequences the legislation would have on coalfield communities, particularly due to proposed cuts to Medicaid, SNAP benefits, and critical public services.
While the reconciliation bill promises significant tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and large corporations, it does so at the expense of working families, rural hospitals, veterans, Black Lung clinics, and government employees, many of whom live and work in coal-producing regions.
“This legislation isn’t just a bad idea, it’s a dangerous one,” said UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts. “It strips resources from the very people who keep our country running; miners, veterans, public servants, and their families, just to give billionaires a bigger tax break. Cutting off health care access, closing Black Lung clinics, and turning our backs on working-class communities is not how we move forward as a nation.”
In the letter, President Roberts warns that Medicaid cuts will hit rural America hardest, leading to hospital closures and reduced access to care. Black Lung clinics, which provide vital care for miners suffering from this deadly disease, would be among the hardest hit. The UMWA also raised serious concerns about cuts to benefits that support veterans and government workers, as well as threats to future job creation in energy and manufacturing across the coalfields.
“We are calling on our elected officials to stand with the people who sent them to Washington,” Roberts added. “This legislation must be reconsidered, and the voices of coalfield communities must be heard before irreversible harm is done.”
Click here to read the full letter sent to members of Congress
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