and a new era of american energy has begun. foe far too long, politicians and bureaucrats in washington, d.c. have crippled our nation's economy and crippled west virginia's economy. without regard to the impact that it has on people's utility bills, the impact that it has on jobs of hard work americans. right here in west virginia, they pushed mining companies to the breaking point, they jeopardized thousands of good paying jobs and cut off a brighter future for countless families. items hart bre it's heart breaking to think that west virginia lost more than a third of its mining jobs. that over 130 mines have been shut down since 2009.