This week in Congress, the House passed legislation ensuring Americans’ First Amendment rights; overturning EPA’s burdensome WOTUS rule; and, in a moment of bipartisanship, a bill requiring information on the origins of COVID-19. Additionally, it was a week of firsts in Washington as I chaired my first subcommittee hearing on the Biden Administration’s compliance to congressional oversight and had the high privilege of serving as Speaker pro tempore of the House of Representatives. Further, President Biden released his $6.9 trillion budget proposal, which doubles down on more taxes and policies that continue the spiral of financial hardships that hurts families across Virginia. Lastly, I was pleased to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Winchester Rescue Mission on the House Floor and had the opportunity to meet with constituents and see friendly faces around the Capitol. As House Republicans work to ensure freedom, transparency, and prosperity continues, I look forward to being back home with those I am fighting for in Congress.

COVID-19 Origin Act
With each passing day, the real role that China and a complicit media played in spreading falsehoods as to the origin and spread of COVID becomes clearer. In an effort to expose the truth, Congress unanimously passed 419-0, the COVID-19 Origin Act (H.R. 1376), which requires the Biden Administration to declassify all information relating to potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of COVID-19. Passing this legislation ensures that Americans are finally going to get the answers they deserve.

Attacking Government Censorship, Restoring Freedom
Far too many times we have seen agencies of the federal government weaponize their power by pressuring social media companies to censor Americans’ views online. Government agencies such as the FBI and the State Department have been secretly working with Big Tech to censor conservative views and suppress stories that don’t fit their narrative, like the COVID-19 lab leak theory. This week, House Republicans passed the Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act (H.R. 140), which prohibits federal bureaucrats from colluding with private platforms to silence lawful speech by expanding the Hatch Act, which prevents federal employees from engaging in political activities in their official capacity. Americans have the right to express themselves lawfully online without government suppression.

Protecting Our Farmers, Checking the EPA
Agriculture is the number one industry in Virginia, and the Sixth District is proud to be home to more than 8,000 farms. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working to regulate every pond and puddle, saddling folks with costly red tape. President Biden’s rule redefining “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act expands the federal bureaucracy’s regulatory power and broadens the EPA’s jurisdiction by failing to define what waters are covered. This new rule is going to negatively impact the vital goods and services that farmers, ranchers, and small businesses provide to the Commonwealth and the Nation. That’s why I was proud to vote for and that the House passed H.J. Res. 27 to block the Biden EPA’s overreaching WOTUS rule and protect small businesses and farmers from government overreach of power.

Click the image to watch my Floor speech speaking out against the EPA’s new WOTUS redefinition.

Oversight in Action
As Chairman of the House Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Responsiveness and Accountability to Oversight, I held my first hearing to try and get to the bottom of why the Department of Justice and Department of Education have ignored hundreds of Judiciary Committee letters requesting information on the agencies’ role in targeting parents at school board meetings. During the hearing, I was able to question DOJ and DOE Legislative Affairs officials on the agencies’ refusal to comply with requests for documents on their role in the targeting of parents at school board meetings in Virginia and across the country. While I’m pleased the witnesses came before our subcommittee and pledged cooperation, one thing was abundantly clear: we need answers from these agencies, and they better stand ready to come back up to Capitol Hill if they don’t provide them.

Click image to watch my questioning DOJ and DOE officials while chairing the Judiciary ‘Oversight Subcommittee.

Click the image to see my Q&A in the Ag Subcommittee.

Advocating for an Effective USDA
When I speak with farmers up and down the district, they always tell me they want a USDA that assists, not obstructs, their efforts. This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General testified before the House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee on recent investigations into wasteful spending at the agency. I spoke about how the SNAP program must operate effectively and be held accountable to the taxpayers that fund it.

The Fight for a Balanced Budget and Prosperous Economy is Just Beginning
Late, bloated, and inflationary, President Biden released his Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal to Congress. The $6.9 TRILLION tax-and-spend budget would continue the downward economic spiral hard-working Americans have faced over the last two years. Instead of addressing our unsustainable $31.5 trillion debt and soaring deficits, Biden’s budget is more of the same: more taxes, more costly regulations, and more inflationary spending. In the coming weeks, House Republicans will put forward a budget that actually works toward getting our fiscal house in order by reining in out-of-control spending and putting us on a path to balance.

The Winchester Rescue Mission
I was pleased to recognize the Winchester Rescue Mission on celebrating 50 years of caring for the homeless in our community. In 1973, Morris Whitaker took out a $20,000 loan and bought a building to convert it into a homeless shelter for men, and the Rescue Mission was born. Over a decade later, the Rescue Mission extensively expanded its operations to help more people in need, adding a commercial kitchen and increasing the number of beds. Today, the organization provides shelter for both men and women, and will offer even more services to help local residents without permanent housing get back on their feet. I was glad to recognize the Winchester Rescue Mission on the House Floor for its 50th anniversary, and wish the organization another 50 years of success.

Click the image to watch the floor speech celebrating the Winchester Rescue Mission.

This week I had the honor to preside over the House of Representatives as Speaker pro tempore.

Constituent Meetings

It was great meeting with representatives of New Horizons Healthcare, who advocated for critical community health centers.

Enjoyed meeting with a representative of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

It was great meeting with National Hemophilia Foundation representatives and hearing how Congress can offer support for its members.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Congressman. If my office can ever be of assistance, please contact my Washington office at (202) 225-5431.

For the latest updates from Washington and across the Sixth District, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest updates.

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U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and John Thune (R-SD), ranking member of the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, announced six new bipartisan co-sponsors for the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act, legislation that will comprehensively address the ongoing threat posed by technology from foreign adversaries by better empowering the Department of Commerce to review, prevent, and mitigate information communications and technology transactions that pose undue risk to our national security.

U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have signed on to the bill in the last week. This announcement brings the total number of cosponsors to 18 – nine Democrats and nine Republicans. The legislation has also been endorsed by the White House.

“We are pleased by the growing support for our sensible, bipartisan bill to establish a comprehensive, risk-based approach to tackle technology threats from countries like China and Russia,” said Sens. Warner and Thune.

The Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act would:

• Require the Secretary of Commerce to establish procedures to identify, deter, disrupt, prevent, prohibit, and mitigate transactions involving information and communications technology products in which any foreign adversary has any interest and poses undue or unacceptable risk to national security;

• Prioritize evaluation of information communications and technology products used in critical infrastructure, integral to telecommunications products, or pertaining to a range of defined emerging, foundational, and disruptive technologies with serious national security implications;

• Ensure comprehensive actions to address risks of untrusted foreign information communications and technology products by requiring the Secretary to take up consideration of concerning activity identified by other government entities;

• Educate the public and business community about the threat by requiring the Secretary of Commerce to coordinate with the Director of National Intelligence to provide declassified information on how transactions denied or otherwise mitigated posed undue or unacceptable risk.

“The technology challenges that we face require a strong approach to protect Americans online from our foreign adversaries,” said Sen. Luján. “I’m proud to co-sponsor the bipartisan RESTRICT Act to improve the federal government’s capabilities to address growing technology threats to our national security.”

“Beyond the piecemeal attempts we have seen in the past, the RESTRICT Act provides a holistic approach to dealing with current and emerging technologies emanating from our foreign adversaries that pose an undue risk to the national security of our country. I was proud to join my colleagues on Day One of this legislation, which establishes a clear plan to address these risks and threats,” Sen. Capito said.

“As a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, America’s national security is one of my top priorities,” said Sen. Kaine. “That’s why I’m proud to cosponsor the RESTRICT Act. This comprehensive legislation would help address 21st-century technological threats posed by foreign adversaries, who may seek to manipulate Americans’ personal data or track U.S. military personnel, assets, or their families, among other dangerous steps. There is bipartisan agreement on the need to counter these threats, and it’s time to turn that agreement into action.”

“Digital security is national security, and much like foreign purchases of land in the U.S., we ought to carefully scrutinize the technology products we use daily and store our personal data. This bill will establish a process to quickly identify and respond to foreign technology while making the public aware of the real threats they face,” said Sen. Cramer.

“The risks are unacceptable—foreign powers exploiting tech platforms like TikTok and Huawei to undercut our national security must be stopped,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “The reasons for passing the RESTRICT Act are real and urgent—preventing espionage and privacy invasion. This bipartisan measure should command broad support.”

A two-page summary of the bill is available here. A copy of the bill text is available here.

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As this legislative session comes to a close, I wish to extend my gratitude to each of you for sending my team to Richmond on your behalf. During our time at the capitol, we met with individuals from all industries and walks of life. We are glad to be home but still remain strongly committed to working toward the Valley’s priorities of efficient transportation, strong education and an affordable way of life.

Delegate Wiley and Legislative Assistant Susan Shick

Transportation & I-81 Corridor
This year, we continued to discuss problem areas in our transportation system. The House budget included funds to improve spots on Interstate 64 and 81. Our area is home to individuals who commute, and we are driven to revamp our infrastructure to meet the needs of our workforce. I will continue to push efforts to improve I-81.

Susan Shick with Cadets from VMI

Education
We continued to emphasize the need to improve our educational system in Virginia by providing more support to teachers and funding to schools. Teachers have an extraordinarily difficult job, which has only been exacerbated in the past few years. My colleagues and I introduced several pieces of legislation to empower teachers with the support needed to reestablish normalcy in their classrooms. However, a divide between House Republicans and the Democrat-controlled Senate halted bills that would’ve increased transparency and parents’ rights. One success I am glad to see HB1526 move to the Governor’s desk to establish an updated scope and sequence for literacy in grades four through eight.

Delegate Wiley with Jorge Gonzales, Chairman of the Winchester Republican Committee

Supporting our Veterans
One area of specific focus for my team was improving the quality of life and services for our veterans. Retaining veteran families here in Virginia and providing them with support was at the heart of several bills I carried this session, including HB2362, which provides burial fees for military spouses. I also was the chief co-patron of HB1470 that will provide a tax exemption for certain disabled veterans and their surviving spouses.

Delegate Wiley’s happy to be home and speaking with Cub Scout Pack 2!

The Budget
Setting Virginia’s budget is the primary responsibility of the General Assembly. I’m disappointed to say that we did not get that work accomplished in our 45-day window. The House budget that we passed includes significant tax relief for Virginians to ensure more of your hard-earned money stays in your pocket. As inflation continues to burden families, The House voted for several measures to lower costs. My Republican colleagues and I created a budget to reduce your electricity bill, ease the process of purchasing a car, and raise the standard deduction to minimize your tax burden. Democrats in the Senate prevented these measures. The “stopgap” budget we passed will hold us over until a more permanent agreement can be reached.

While not all of our efforts were successful this session, I remain sound in my commitment to serving our district. The City of Winchester and Frederick County are great places to live and work. It is my honor to represent you in the House of Delegates. I look forward to continuing to advocate for the issues we care about as your voice in Richmond as we transition into District 32.

If I can be of assistance to you and your family, please do not hesitate to reach out.

All the best,

Delegate Bill Wiley
Virginia House of Delegates – 32nd District (new)

District Office: 540-686-1771
P.O. Box 2034 Winchester, VA 22812
DelBWiley@house.virginia.gov

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On March 7, 2023, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and John Thune (R-SD), ranking member of the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, led a group of 12 bipartisan senators to introduce the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act, legislation that will comprehensively address the ongoing threat posed by technology from foreign adversaries by better empowering the Department of Commerce to review, prevent, and mitigate information communications and technology transactions that pose undue risk to our national security.

“Today, the threat that everyone is talking about is TikTok and how it could enable surveillance by the Chinese Communist Party, or facilitate the spread of malign influence campaigns in the U.S. Before TikTok, however, it was Huawei and ZTE, which threatened our nation’s telecommunications networks. And before that, it was Russia’s Kaspersky Lab, which threatened the security of government and corporate devices,” said Sen. Warner. “We need a comprehensive, risk-based approach that proactively tackles sources of potentially dangerous technology before they gain a foothold in America, so we aren’t playing Whac-A-Mole and scrambling to catch up once they’re already ubiquitous.”

“Congress needs to stop taking a piecemeal approach when it comes to technology from adversarial nations that pose national security risks,” said Sen. Thune. “Our country needs a process in place to address these risks, which is why I’m pleased to work with Senator Warner to establish a holistic, methodical approach to address the threats posed by technology platforms – like TikTok – from foreign adversaries. This bipartisan legislation would take a necessary step to ensure consumers’ information and our communications technology infrastructure is secure.”

The RESTRICT Act establishes a risk-based process tailored to the rapidly changing technology and threat environment by directing the Department of Commerce to identify and mitigate foreign threats to information and communications technology products and services.

In addition to Sens. Warner and Thune, the legislation is co-sponsored by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Mitt Romney (R-UT).

The Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act would:

• Require the Secretary of Commerce to establish procedures to identify, deter, disrupt, prevent, prohibit, and mitigate transactions involving information and communications technology products in which any foreign adversary has any interest and poses undue or unacceptable risk to national security;
• Prioritize evaluation of information communications and technology products used in critical infrastructure, integral to telecommunications products, or pertaining to a range of defined emerging, foundational, and disruptive technologies with serious national security implications;
• Ensure comprehensive actions to address risks of untrusted foreign information communications and technology products by requiring the Secretary to take up consideration of concerning activity identified by other government entities;
• Educate the public and business community about the threat by requiring the Secretary of Commerce to coordinate with the Director of National Intelligence to provide declassified information on how transactions denied or otherwise mitigated posed undue or unacceptable risk.

“We need to protect Americans’ data and keep our country safe against today and tomorrow’s threats. While many of these foreign-owned technology products and social media platforms like TikTok are extremely popular, we also know these products can pose a grave danger to Wisconsin’s users and threaten our national security,” said Sen. Baldwin. “This bipartisan legislation will empower us to respond to our fast-changing environment – giving the United States the tools it needs to assess and act on current and future threats that foreign-owned technologies pose to Wisconsinites and our national security.”

“There are a host of dangerous technology platforms – including TikTok – that can be manipulated by China and other foreign adversaries to threaten U.S. national security and abuse Americans’ personal data. I’m proud to join Senator Warner in introducing bipartisan legislation that would put an end to disjointed interagency responses and strengthen the federal government’s ability to counter these digital threats,” said Sen. Fischer.

“Over the past several years, foreign adversaries of the United States have encroached on American markets through technology products that steal sensitive location and identifying information of U.S. citizens, including social media platforms like TikTok. This dangerous new internet infrastructure poses serious risks to our nation’s economic and national security,” said Sen. Manchin. “I’m proud to introduce the bipartisan RESTRICT ACT, which will empower the Department of Commerce to adopt a comprehensive approach to evaluating and mitigating these threats posed by technology products. As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this critical legislation across the finish line.”

“Foreign adversaries are increasingly using products and services to collect information on American citizens, posing a threat to our national security,” said Sen. Moran. “This legislation would give the Department of Commerce the authority to help prevent adversarial governments from introducing harmful products and services in the U.S., providing us the long-term tools necessary to combat the infiltration of our information and communications systems. The government needs to be vigilant against these threats, but a comprehensive data privacy law is needed to ensure Americans are able to control who accesses their data and for what purpose.”

“We shouldn’t let any company subject to the Chinese Communist Party’s dictates collect data on a third of our population – and while TikTok is just the latest example, it won’t be the last. The federal government can’t continue to address new foreign technology from adversarial nations in a one-off manner; we need a strategic, enduring mechanism to protect Americans and our national security. I look forward to working in a bipartisan way with my colleagues on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee to send this bill to the floor,” said Sen. Bennet.

“Our modern economy, communication networks, and military rely on a range of information communication technologies. Unfortunately, some of these technology products pose a serious risk to our national security,” said Sen. Gillibrand. “The RESTRICT Act will address this risk by empowering the Secretary of Commerce to carefully evaluate these products and ensure that they do not endanger our critical infrastructure or undermine our democratic processes.”

“China’s brazen incursion of our airspace with a sophisticated spy balloon was only the most recent and highly visible example of its aggressive surveillance that has targeted our country for years. Through hardware exports, malicious software, and other clandestine means, China has sought to steal information in an attempt to gain a military and economic edge,” said Sen. Collins. “Rather than taking a piecemeal approach to these hostile acts and reacting to each threat individually, our legislation would create a wholistic, government-wide response to proactively defend against surveillance attempts by China and other adversaries. This will directly improve our national security as well as safeguard Americans’ personal information and our nation’s vital intellectual property.”

“The Chinese Communist Party is engaged in a multi-generational, multi-faceted, and systematic campaign to replace the United States as the world’s superpower. One tool at its disposal—the ability to force social media companies headquartered in China, like TikTok’s parent company, to hand over the data it collects on users,” said Sen. Romney. “Our adversaries—countries like China, Russia, Iran—are increasingly using technology products to spy on Americans and discover vulnerabilities in our communications infrastructure, which can then be exploited. The United States must take stronger action to safeguard our national security against the threat technology products pose, and this legislation is a strong step in that direction.”

A two-page summary of the bill is available here. A copy of the bill text is available here.

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It was a short week back in session, but that didn’t stop House Republicans from packing in a busy few days in D.C. As inflation continues to eat away at the paychecks of hardworking Americans, the House passed legislation that will provide a critical check on the Biden administration’s costly executive orders which have fueled this inflation crisis. Additionally, we voted to block the administration’s ESG investment scam, which chooses wokeness rather than financial return as a condition for investment, thereby potentially robbing seniors of their hard-earned retirement funds.

Back in the Sixth District, I spoke with folks at several “Coffee With Your Congressman” town hall events, and I had the pleasure of celebrating Read Across America Day with some grade school students. As always, it was great to see friendly faces around the Capitol and take meetings with constituents. Rest assured, as the work of getting America back on a path to prosperity continues, I will continue fighting for the Sixth District.

REIN IN Inflation Act
Before President Biden took office, inflation was at just 1.4 percent. Now, inflation is at 6.4 percent. Biden and the Democrats’ out-of-control spending spree has caused everyday goods and services to skyrocket, costing families roughly $10,000 over the last two years – from the grocery store to the gas pump to everything in-between. From canceling the Keystone XL pipeline to pushing out-of-touch and costly Green New Deal regulations on small businesses, Joe Biden must factor in the harmful impact of his failed Far Left agenda, which continues to worsen our inflation crisis.

That’s why, this week, House Republicans passed the REIN IN Inflation Act (H.R. 347). This important legislation will require the Biden administration to prepare a report of the inflationary effects for any executive order with an estimated impact of at least $1 billion, and provide these findings to Congress. American taxpayers deserve to know how much Biden’s executive orders will cost them. House Republicans are committed to holding the Biden administration accountable for their devastating economic failures, and the passage of the REIN IN Inflation Act is a good step in the right direction.

The Biden Admin Should Not Play Politics With Retirement Savings

In November 2022, the Biden Department of Labor (DOL) released a reckless new rule greenlighting financial managers to consider Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria when making retirement investment decisions, and will even automatically enroll retirement savers into ESG investment plans. These ESG “risks” make up a broad range of factors, including carbon emissions and diversity quotas. This would impact over 150 million Americans who currently participate in a federally regulated retirement plan. Retirement plan fiduciaries should be delivering maximum returns on retirement accounts for the men and women that depend on them, not advancing Democrats’ woke ESG policies.

I was proud to join House Republicans in passing H.J. Res. 30, a joint resolution introduced by Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY-06), which will nullify DOL’s rule by using the Congressional Review Act’s expedited procedures to allow Congress to consider whether to block newly enacted federal rules. This resolution was quickly passed in the U.S. Senate. The House Republican majority will continue working to fulfill our Congressional oversight responsibility by pushing back on the Biden administration’s attempt to force their Far Left agenda on millions of hardworking Americans.

Read Across America Day
In celebration of Read Across America Day, I had the pleasure of reading “House Mouse, Senate Mouse” to students of Pleasant Valley Elementary School in Harrisonburg, and Mount Pleasant Elementary School in Roanoke. Books are the fundamental building blocks to learning, so I encourage every American to never stop reading.

Reading to students at Pleasant View Elementary School in Harrisonburg.

Reading to students at Mount Pleasant Elementary School in Roanoke.

“Coffee With Your Congressman” Town Hall Events
I continued my “Coffee With Your Congressman” tour with folks in Clarke County and Roanoke City. I enjoyed insightful conversation and answering a wide range of questions. Stay tuned for the next event coming to a town near you.

Chatting with folks about the big issues in Washington and VA-06 and what matters to them most at Camino Real Mexican Restaurant in Berryville.

Folks braved the rain and came ready with interesting questions and feedback at the Golden Corral Buffet & Grill in Roanoke City.

Constituent Meetings

I was pleased to meet with members of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP) and appreciated hearing their thoughts on the health insurance industry.

It was a pleasure meeting with members of the Virginia Association of Broadcasters and hearing about how Congress can help local journalism.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Congressman. If my office can ever be of assistance, please contact my Washington office at (202) 225-5431.

For the latest updates from Washington and across the Sixth District, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest updates.

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On March 6, 2023, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), joined by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and John Fetterman (D-PA), urged the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate the adequacy of black lung benefits to meet the income and health care needs of disabled miners and their families. In a letter to Comptroller General of the United States Gene L. Dodaro, the Senators explained that the study is critical to informing policy aimed at helping coal miners and their families in the Appalachian region.

“Many recipients of black lung benefits are living month-to-month on limited and fixed incomes,” the Senators wrote. “Though this has historically been true, many miners sick with black lung disease who are applying for benefits today are contracting the disease at a much earlier age. These benefits, therefore, are not just supplementing an early retirement—they are replacing an income for many years that may need to support children and a household, aging or sick parents, and college and retirement.”

Decades ago, Congress established the Black Lung Benefits Act in conjunction with the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 to provide monthly compensation and medical coverage for coal miners who develop black lung disease and are totally disabled as a result. However, many miners and their families have been subjected to drawn-out legal challenges after being awarded black lung benefits. Frequently, these benefits are appealed by employers and if the benefit determination is overturned, recipients must pay back the money. In some cases, these challenges have taken years to resolve, causing undue stress to families that rely on these benefits to survive.

The Senators continued, “We have also heard from miners’ attorneys that almost all of the miners and families that they represent raise the fear of repayment with them and it frequently deters these families from using any of the interim benefits that they desperately need, regardless of how strong their respective cases are because they cannot afford to take the risk of being forced to repay a large sum of money. Since these cases can last for so long, many miners die from black lung disease before they are able to confidently spend their benefits without fear of a future repayment.”’

To help ensure that adequate benefits are provided, the senators are requesting a study that answers the following questions:

1. What are the state and Federal disability benefits that coal miners and their families can receive as a result of black lung?
2. What challenges have miners and their families faced in obtaining black lung disability benefits, including but not limited to recoupment?
3. How do these benefits affect the health and financial well-being of miners and their families, and what, if any, changes are needed?

Last year, Sens. Warner, Kaine, Casey, Brown, and Manchin introduced The Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act, legislation to make needed updates to the Black Lung Benefits Act to ensure Congress is fulfilling its commitment to the nation’s coal miners. To help fulfill those promises, in August of 2022, Congress approved a permanent extension of the black lung excise tax to fund the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund (BLDTF) that provides health insurance and a living stipend for those impacted by black lung as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.

“The UMWA has been at the forefront of battling black lung disease for more than fifty years. Enacted by Congress in 1969 as part of the Federal Mine Health and Safety Act, the black lung benefits system has been helpful to thousands of miners and their families. But more needs to be done. The cost of living has dramatically increased since 1969, miners are contracting the disease at younger ages and there are more severe forms of the disease. This GAO study will bring important answers on how to improve the benefit system so that all miners and their families receive the benefits they deserve,” said Cecil E. Roberts, International President of the United Mineworkers of America.

“The black lung benefits system was created over fifty years ago and since its creation has served as a lifeline for so many mining families,” said Rebecca Shelton, Director of Policy for Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center. “But a lot can change in fifty years. We know that the cost of living has increased, that more miners have severe forms of the disease, and that miners are getting sick at younger ages. This GAO study asks critical questions to determine whether the benefits system is still adequately serving families in spite of these and many other changes and will ensure that the benefits system continues to serve mining families as it was meant to.”

“Miners disabled by black lung deserve more than what they are currently receiving — $738 per month even for those with total disability,” said Appalachian Voices Legislative Director Chelsea Barnes. “We believe this GAO study will show that black lung disability benefits should be significantly increased to meet the needs of miners who are no longer able to work and provide for their families as a result of this debilitating disease.”

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