virginia. and we deeply cherish that. those of us who live here. and we honor that profession. and people say, well, why do they go into those coal mines? they go into those coal mines to provide for their families, and in the process, they keep the lights on in america. [ applause ] but for the families, that means waiting each day, every day, for the sound of your loved one s footsteps on the front porch. it means waiting anxiously to hear that they have returned safely. every day. and the 29 families who one day never heard those footsteps knew what that terrible silence meant. it is almost too much to bear. so we ask why. why does this happen yet again? as the governor said, we will find out. we will learn exactly what happened. we will get answers. and we will pass legislation to meet the requirements of those answers. and we will do it for you, the miners, of west virginia and america. [ applause ] in closing, i should note that west virginia, all of west virginia, is i