The coal miners' union asked the senator to rethink his opposition to the legislation.
The United Mine Workers of America asked Manchin to reconsider saying no to the bill because it had provisions for coal miners who suffer from black lung disease.
Coal companies pay a fee to fund benefits for victims of coal workers' pneumoconiosis, or Black Lung. Cecil E. Roberts, leader of the United Mine Workers of America, wrote in a statement that the fee will be cut in half, further shifting the burden of paying benefits away from the coal companies and on to taxpayers.
Coal miners are at risk of black lung disease because of continued exposure to coal dust. The excise tax that funds the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund is set to expire at the end of 2021.
The bill includes provisions for tax incentives that could encourage manufacturers to build facilities in coalfields that could create thousands of jobs for coal miners, according to Roberts.
The bill will provide tax incentives to encourage manufacturers to build facilities in the coalfields that will employ thousands of coal miners who have lost their jobs, according to the statement. We are ready to help supply those plants with a trained, professional workforce. The potential for those jobs is in serious danger.
Roberts urged Manchin to revisit his opposition to this legislation and work with his colleagues to pass something that will help keep coal miners working and have a meaningful impact on our members, their families, and their communities.
Coal miners had previously opposed the bill. The Clean Electricity Performance Program was removed from the bill. Roberts strongly opposed the idea of keeping fossil fuel plants running and the idea of building wind and solar generation plants.
The United Mine Workers of America has a long-standing relationship with the senator, having named him an "Honorary Member" in 2020. Manchin founded a coal broker firm that he has millions of dollars in holdings in.
Manchin said on Fox that he couldn't vote for it if he couldn't explain it to the people of West Virginia. I've tried everything possible. I can't get there. This is a no.
There is a chance that Manchin will vote for a scaled-down, $1.8 trillion counter-offer to Biden's plan, which includes provisions for universal pre-K and measures to combat the climate emergency. There might be hope for Build Back Better after Manchin and Biden had a phone conversation.
