Report: black lung funding cut will cost taxpayers billions

[groundloop]

Source: ABC News

A cut to the tax coal companies pay to fund a trust for sick miners will cost taxpayers at least $15 billion by 2050, according to a new report from a national watchdog group.

An excise tax rate on mined coal that funds the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund expired at the beginning of 2019 due to inaction by Congress. That led to a reduction in the amount coal companies pay into the fund, which pays benefits and medical bills for miners diagnosed with black lung disease.

“By failing to extend the excise tax, Congress is shifting billions of dollars in liabilities from coal companies to taxpayers,” said Autumn Hanna, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense. The Washington-based group released a report on Tuesday that said the fund's debt could be as high as $26 billion by 2050.

The U.S. Department of Labor earlier this year confirmed to The Associated Press that a funding shortfall in the Black Lung Trust Fund would be covered by borrowing from the U.S. Treasury.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/report-black-lung-funding-cut-cost-taxpayers-billions-67623439?cid=clicksource_4380645_null_headlines_hed

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. Privatized profit, socialized risk.

[Newest Reality]

2. Ain't it...

Ain't it a dream come true? We accommodate! Anything to let them that has get.

[keithbvadu2]

3. "by borrowing from the U.S. Treasury" - more republican debt

[Brother Buzz]

4. Mitch McConnell, please pick up the nearest white courtesy telephone.

[iluvtennis]

5. Love that billboard sign. nt

[Brother Buzz]

7. Indivisible Kentucky is the real deal, and any jingle we throw their way will be well spent

WHO WE ARE

Indivisible Kentucky is part of a national grassroots movement based on the Indivisible Guide. We are regular people, just like you, who live in and near Louisville, Kentucky, for whom November 8, 2016 was a rude awakening. Many of us have been more couch-potato than activist, but now we realize that we no longer have the luxury of watching from the sidelines.

We believe that protecting our values, our neighbors, and ourselves will require mounting a strong, united, indivisible resistance to the Trump agenda — a resistance that seeks to protect all our civil rights, built on the values of inclusion, tolerance, and fairness.

Donald Trump is the biggest popular vote loser in history to ever call himself President. He is attempting to use his congressional majority to reshape America in his own racist, authoritarian, and corrupt image. If progressives are going to stop this, we must stand indivisibly opposed to Trump and the members of Congress (MoCs) who would do his bidding. This includes: phone calls, in-person meetings, public appearances, town halls, media events, emails and social media campaigns. Together, we have the power to resist — and we have the power to win.

Here in Kentucky, we have a unique opportunity: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the power behind the obstruction of the last eight years, is accountable to us, his constituents. He has become the most powerful politician in Washington, DC during the Trump administration.

It is our obligation to make sure that Mitch McConnell remembers that he works for us.

Indivisible Kentucky is designated a 501(c)(4) organization by the Internal Revenue Service.
We are a "Social Betterment Organization" recognized by the IRS as tax exempt. However, donations to a Social Betterment Organizations are not tax exempt.

https://indivisibleky.org/donate/

[iluvtennis]

12. Thanks for the info on Indivisible Kentucky

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

6. But...but...Cheeto digs coal! He said it himself!

What else do they want? They got a clever slogan out of their support for him. Isn't that enough?

[CousinIT]

8. Since they plan on gutting medicare and social security

they'll probably just raid that for it.

[OneCrazyDiamond]

9. I don't expect much from the pubes, but

but the Senate Dems, and The House could at least show we can do something about this.

[Mc Mike]

10. No one cares about the Miner more than Rumpf repugs.

[Mopar151]

11. Poor little coal barons....

If Blankenship, Murray, and the spawn of Peabody are not sleeping out in the rain yet, there is work to be done!