Former U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller says whether a Republican or Democrat wins the White House won’t make a difference in the big picture of West Virginia’s hurting coal industry.
The Democrat spoke Friday at the National Energy Conference at West Virginia University’s College of Law. The event discussed the industry’s issues and options to move the struggling state forward.
Rockefeller said a Republican president may rein in the Environmental Protection Agency a little bit, but many policies will be upheld by courts.
Rockefeller called for people to stop listening only to what they agree with ideologically. He said people have lined up on sides this presidential election, and he “simply can’t stand it.”
Rockefeller called for West Virginians to be hopeful, not grim, in trying to transition their economy.
Former Sen. Jay Rockefeller is delivering the keynote address at a national energy conference at West Virginia University this week.
The university said the conference will look at the effect of the global energy transition on coal communities in West Virginia and central Appalachia.
The conference takes place on Friday starting at 8:30 a.m. at the College of Law. Experts from industry, public policy organizations, environmental groups and academic institutions are expected to participate.
The College of Law’s Center for Energy and Sustainable Development and the university’s Rockefeller School of Policy and Politics are sponsoring the conference.
Sens. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Jay Rockefeller and plan to introduce legislation aimed at ensuring more fair treatment for coal miners with black lung disease as they pursue benefits claims.
The bill by the two coal-state senators comes after an investigation examined how doctors and lawyers, working at the behest of the coal industry, helped defeat the benefits claims of sick miners. The investigation was done by the Center for Public Integrity and ABC News.
Senator Rockefeller introduced the Black Lung Health Improvements Act last year, but the new bill is expected to address issues uncovered in the investigation.
Among other things, the bill requires parties in a case to disclose all medical evidence, and strengthens criminal penalties for making false statements in the claims process.
The senators plan to introduce the bill mid to late November of this year.
Black lung is an irreversible and potentially deadly disease caused by exposure to coal dust, where the dust particles accumulate in the lungs.
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx sat at a table with Senator Rockefeller, Congressman Nick Rahall and West Virginia DOT Secretary Paul Mattox in the main hall of the state Culture Center in Charleston.
He came to West Virginia to talk about infrastructure and the funding it will take to fix an aging system not just in West Virginia, but across the country. That funding, though, as Foxx said, is stuck in Washington.
“The Highway Trust Fund, which is the source that we as a nation use to pay for road, bridge and highway systems across the country, is on the brink of insolvency,” he said.
The bill Foxx is referring to, the federal Highway Trust Fund, will expire August 1.
Without it, Secretary Mattox says West Virginia will have to delay or cancel more than 200 construction projects. That amounts to about $240 million in highway construction.
Foxx has worked with some members to create a long term fix, what he’s calling the Grow America Act. The legislation provides funding for infrastructure for the next four years by utilizing the current gas tax, but also raises additional funds in new ways.
His bill calls for federal business tax reform, taxing corporations for overseas profits then utilizing those funds for infrastructure development at home.
“I think to be realistic, it’s going to be another one year patch,” Rockefeller said of Foxx’s proposed long-term solution.
Credit Ashton Marra / West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
USDOT Secretary Anthony Foxx and Sen. Jay Rockefeller talk infrastructure issues during a press conference Monday.
“I’m on the Finance Committee and we’ve been meeting constantly to try to figure out a long term funding proposal, but when it comes to signing their name on the commitment to raising the funds, the enthusiasm decreases because of the climate and the fear in Washington today.”
“Congress is going to act,” Congressman Rahall said, more optimistic than Rockefeller.
“While it may be a temporary extension, what is important to keep in mind is we’re not going to allow interruptions of funds to the states that will slow down or kill construction projects.”
All four men stressed the importance of federal funds to improve West Virginia’s system.
Mattox said he’s in talks with the governor about a possible special legislative session later in the year devoted to infrastructure issues. He said, though, that session can’t happen until the federal government finalizes its plans for funding.
Two major Congressional players made stops in West Virginia Monday to rally around their respective party’s candidate for Senate.
The atmosphere in Shepherdstown was upbeat, in a word, at current Secretary of State Natalie Tennant’s rally as supporters chanted and cheered for the Democratic candidate. Tennant was joined by veteran Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
In the days leading up to the rally, Tennant’s Republican opponent bashed her for teaming up with an anti-coal Senator whose agenda the state GOP says hurts West Virginia.
Warren has backed the latest regulations proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency meant to curb carbon emissions across the nation. Tennant stood firm saying she will fight those regulations if elected whether Warren is with her or not.
“Before you put regulations on us, invest in West Virginia and the technology we can deliver to cut emissions and bring jobs at the same time,” Tennant said after the rally.
“I will stand up to Elizabeth Warren if I need to, to the President, to the EPA to make sure that we have strong coal and energy jobs in West Virginia.”
Credit Ashton Marra / West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Congressman Paul Ryan joined Congresswoman Sheeley Moore Capito at her roundtable discussion with business leaders in Charleston.
From the cheers in Shepherdstown to a more subdued environment in Charleston, Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito was joined by Congressman and former Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan for a roundtable with business and industry leaders.
From the war on coal to Obamacare, Ryan’s appearance was full of the most notable Republican catch phrases of late. He answered questions about how to get Washington moving on issues like mounting student loan debt and expanding energy exports overseas.
“Elizabeth Warren is the left of the left of the Democratic Party,” Ryan said of the Senator’s visit scheduled the same day on the opposite end of the state.
“Elizabeth Warren is part of the war on coal. Elizabeth Warren is part of the United States Senate that is blocking legislation to preserve coal jobs that is blocking legislation to preserve energy jobs in America.”
Capito called Warren’s visit a “last ditch effort” for Tennant to save a struggling campaign.
At a hearing about health care reform earlier this week, Sen. Jay Rockefeller said that legislation is stalled and progress is not being made in Congress because some people think President Obama is he wrong color.
“I think it’s very important to take a long view at what’s going on here. And I’ll be able to dig up some emails that make part of the Affordable Care Act that doesn’t look good. Especially from people who’ve made up their mind that they don’t want it to work because they don’t like the president. Maybe he’s of the wrong color. Something of that sort. I’ve seen a lot of that. And I know a lot of that to be true. It’s not something you’re meant to talk about in public but it’s something I’m talking about in public because that is very true.” – Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D) West Virginia
Rockefeller was attending a hearing Wednesday of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The hearing examined the impact the minimum medical loss ratio requirements in health care reform have had on making sure that health insurers are accountable to consumers and provide appropriate value for premium dollars.
