On January 28, U.S. President Joe Biden was in Pittsburgh to spotlight his Administration’s efforts to strengthening the nation’s supply chains, revitalize American manufacturing and create union jobs via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
This is a welcome development for miners with black lung disease and their families who rely on the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund for a small monthly living stipend and health insurance. On Jan. 1, 2022, the excise tax rate was cut by more than half after Congress failed to pass a four-year extension in the Build Back Better Act, and the trust fund is now losing.