Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) is a Big Coal ally.
Americans expect our government to safeguard our health and well-being. But when lobbyists and Big Money get involved, our government often fails to do that.
Last week, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) offered an amendment to an anti-EPA bill that would’ve required a study of the impacts of transporting coal by rail. This study would’ve informed Americans about the potential hazardous health effects of coal dust.
But the House, led by Rep. Ed Whitfield (KY), killed the amendment. Whitfield is from a major coal state (Kentucky), and mining and electricity interests are his top donors this cycle, together giving him at least $381,000.
Almost all Republicans voted to kill the DeFazio amendment (seven supported it), and twenty-one Democrats joined them. Some of the Democrats who worked to kill DeFazio’s amendment are from coal states and count mining interests as significant donors, like Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV), but there were also a number of retiring Members like Reps. Dan Boren (OK) and Heath Shuler (NC) who voted against the amendment.
One has to wonder if these votes by these retiring legislators were made to court upcoming jobs as lobbyists for the industry.
Whitfield shames me because I live in Kentucky. Coal in all its forms is hazardous to human health, as well as to the environment. Particularly coal dust gets into lungs, causing ailments from coughing to emphysema. Coal dust blowing off traincars undoubtedly causes health problems. But Big Coal is just as greedy and corrupt as Big Oil and Big Gas.
Ah, H—! Didn’t your hear Mitt? Those guys are just whiners, just like he said, they want to use the government money to take care of their “health”. Health schmeltz. Just ignore them.
Thank God!! the new clean coal laws are killing us slowly and in a decade when it goes into full effect, This nation weill run short of power. Again, my liberal freinds want it both ways, super clean plant emmisions, and cheap power, and heaven forbid the government subsidizes it, then they are paying off Big Energy……. Make up your minds. Please.
So, you are willing to sacrifice human health for cheap electricity! Not me!