Dear Friend,

It’s no secret that black lung disease continues to have a devastating impact in the Appalachian region. With recent reports indicating an alarming uptick of black lung cases, we’ve got to do more to curb this trend.

The reality is, the earlier black lung disease is detected, the better the outcomes are. That’s why mobile black lung testing units, made possible by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are a convenient tool to get more folks the confidential and free health screenings they need to detect and treat black lung without having to travel long distances.

This week I sent a letter to the committee in charge of funding these critical programs urging them to provide additional funding to purchase a new mobile health unit and perform needed maintenance on the two existing mobile units currently serving Appalachia. Because ultimately, this is about saving lives.

During my time in the Senate, I’ve been fighting hard for our coal mining communities. I successfully saw my bill signed into law to secure the pensions and healthcare of tens of thousands of retired coal workers and their families. I’ve also introduced and successfully passed into law legislation to improve early detection and treatment of black lung disease. Recently, I introduced legislation to make it easier for the families who’ve lost a loved one to black lung disease to access the benefits they rightfully deserve.

For years, our miners have worked to power Virginia, so you can be sure that I’m going to continue working to ensure that they get the care and benefits they deserve.

If you want to share your thoughts about an issue that’s important to you, you can send me an email any time using the form on my Senate website. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,