Jenkins pushes for aid to coal-dependent states with RECLAIM Act

U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-WV) recently supported the Revitalizing the Economy of Coal Communities by Leveraging Local Activities and Investing More (RECLAIM) Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) and for which he is one of four bipartisan co-sponsors.

“Thousands of West Virginia coal miners have lost their jobs in the past five years, and our communities have been decimated by the struggling coal market. Nowhere is this problem more critical than Appalachia, especially in my district in southern West Virginia,” Jenkins said. “Our small towns and families need the resources to rebuild, attract new employers, create jobs, and give hope to the people who call Appalachia home.”

The bill would see $1 billion in funding diverted from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to states impacted by significant losses of coal jobs, with $200 million going to each state every year for the next five years. The legislation is also co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Don Beyer (D-VA) and Matt Cartwright (D-PA).

“Many coal communities in Appalachia simply do not have the resources to reclaim the abandoned mine sites within their borders,” Rogers said. “This bill allows these communities to be proactive in restoring these sites and utilize them to put our people back to work.”