LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — Team Mitch today released a new ad highlighting Senator Mitch McConnell’s commitment to fighting for coal miners and creating new opportunities throughout Kentucky’s coal communities. “War on Coal” makes clear that Senator McConnell will never turn his back on coal miners while Washington Democrats like Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and Amy McGrath would work to put coal miners out of business.
“Mitch McConnell is Kentucky’s coal champion, and nobody has worked harder or done more in the Senate to protect coal communities than he has,” McConnell Senate Committee press secretary Kate Cooksey said. “Anti-coal Amy McGrath had to trick coal miners into being in her false attack ad to lie about Senator McConnell’s record of delivering for our coal communities. McGrath’s Green New Deal allies like Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi are eager to continue the Obama administration’s War on Coal, killing coal jobs and ending the way of life for so many Kentuckians.”
Click here to watch “War on Coal.”
SCRIPT:
BRIAN KIRKWOOD: There’s a war on coal. It’s against our jobs and our way of life.
RYAN LOVELL: Amy McGrath is funded by liberals like Nancy Pelosi.
ROBERT HANNAH: Amy McGrath and the left is gonna try to put us out of business.
BRIAN KIRKWOOD: Kentucky coal miners are working hard, and Mitch McConnell’s working hard for us.
ROBERT HANNAH: He believes in the working man.
ANNOUNCER: Mitch McConnell delivered historic protections of pensions and health care benefits for coal miners and their families.
LLOYD MANN: He’s the backbone for our jobs here in Kentucky.
RYAN LOVELL: Mitch is fighting for our jobs, our families, and our way of life.
MITCH MCCONNELL: I’m Mitch McConnell, and I approve this message.
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BACKGROUND:
The United Mine Workers of America praised Senator McConnell for protecting health care and pension benefits for thousands of Kentucky coal miners and their families.
- In 2017, Senator McConnell led negotiations on bipartisan legislation to secure health care benefits for Kentucky coal miners and their families, and Leader McConnell’s language made it into the final legislation. (Louisville Courier Journal, 5/2/2017)
- Officials from the United Mine Workers praised Leader McConnell’s “decisive role” in ensuring health care benefits did not expire. (Lexington Herald-Leader, 5/1/2017)
- “Senate Democrats almost forced a government shutdown in December over the issue before McConnell worked out a four-month extension. McConnell had sought a one-year extension…” (Lexington Herald-Leader, 5/1/2017)
- Under Senator McConnell’s leadership, Congress approved legislation preventing the pension plan for 92,000 coal miners from running dry and expanding health care benefits for 13,000 miners. (WYMT, 12/19/2019)
- United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts: “And while words cannot truly express what retired miners and their families are feeling this day, I can say this: Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s support was crucial to securing this legislation, and on behalf of America’s retired coal miners I thank him for his efforts to ensure this became a reality. We will never forget it.” (WHAS, 12/17/2019)
On 2/24/17, the United Mine Workers Of America contributed to the McConnell Senate Committee. (The Courier-Journal, 5/10/2017)
- During the 2018 Cycle, 72 percent if the United Mine Workers Of America’s contributions benefitted Democrats. (OpenSecrets, Accessed 10/16/2020)
Kentucky Coal Association President Tyler White penned an op-ed applauding Senator McConnell’s record defending coal communities. (Kentucky Today, 8/26/2019)
- “When President Obama declared War on Coal, Senator McConnell stood strong defending our communities. He used every mechanism possible to prevent harmful regulations from putting coal miners out of work. To fight unprecedented—and probably unconstitutional—federal overreach by the Obama administration, our senator mobilized the nation’s governors and joined the fight against its anti-coal policies in court.”
- “Senator McConnell introduced and shepherded to enactment the repeal of the Stream Buffer Rule, which threatened to put up to one-third of coal miners out of work.”
- “Through programs like the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Economic Development Pilot Program, Senator McConnell and Congressman Hal Rogers are securing tens of millions of dollars to support economic growth in Eastern Kentucky.”
Amy McGrath came under fire last year for exploiting Kentucky coal miners in a false attack ad against Senator McConnell. A year later, the exploited miners shared their stories and how Senator McConnell has kept his word to all miners.
- “Two miners shown in a campaign ad for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Amy McGrath have sent a cease and desist letter demanding the campaign stop using their images” […] “said through an attorney that they were led to believe the footage was being used for a documentary for the Black Lung Association and that they ‘did not know and were never told they were being filmed for a political advertisement.’” (Lexington Herald-Leader, 9/5/2019)
- “Randy and Albrow felt that the trip was a success,” the letter states. “They deeply appreciated the warm receptions they received from a number of elected representatives who took the time to meet with the group, including Senator Mitch McConnell.” (Free Beacon, 9/5/2019)
- “Miners’ attorney sends cease and desist letter to McGrath campaign following ad” (WKYT, 9/5/2019)
- “Robbins says he was not aware of it until a few weeks later when his son told him he was on Youtube. ‘I said there isn’t any way. He said yeah you are on a commercial for Amy McGrath. I said that was a lie I did not ever do a commercial for Amy McGrath,’ said Robbins.” (WYMT, 9/22/2020)
A McGrath campaign staffer was caught admitting that Amy McGrath does not support coal. (Project Veritas, 9/16/2020)
- Question: “I know that she supports coal, right?”
- McGrath Staff: “So, she doesn’t.”
In a recent interview, Chuck Schumer admitted he thinks “coal is a bad thing” and would carry out the Obama Era’s War on Coal. (WAMC, 10/6/2020)
- “And second, the coal miners in the eastern third or quarter of the state who used to be solidly Democratic, are not anymore, because we’re a green party and we can coal is a bad thing. Certainly, if we get in power, we’re going to go to those coal areas like Eastern Kentucky like West Virginia and say, you know what, as we make a green economy, and we need to manufacture new types of things, whether it’s solar or windmills or anything else, we’re going to prioritize you guys. So you’ll have a new path to a job but in the meantime, they’re very Republican.”