Griffith, Scott Request Black Lung Health Clinic Funding
Monday, April 3, 2017 – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, led a letter to President Trump requesting an increase in funding for black lung health clinics.
The Members in the letter requested, “$10 million for the black lung program, which is a $3.3 million increase over the $6.7 million funding level historically.”
The funding for the black lung health clinics has not increased in the past 5 years, yet the demand for services has increased. The letter noted, “Some clinics are so underfunded that they are operating with obsolete and inefficient diagnostic equipment, which is needlessly increasing miners’ radiation dose when they receive a chest X-ray.”
Congressman Griffith said, “It is important we adequately fund these black lung health clinics. Most of these clinics are in rural areas with depressed economies and it is a struggle to find funding. Congressman Scott and I will continue to speak up and fight for the medical care and black lung benefits our miners deserve.”
Congressman Scott said, “Based on three bipartisan roundtables on black lung disease that the Committee on Education and the Workforce held over the past year, it is clear that black lung clinics have far greater demand for the services they provide to coal miners than is currently provided by Congress. That is why Congressman Griffith and I are making the case for a significant increase in funding for the clinics. It is imperative to both protect these clinics from potential budget cuts proposed the Administration, and to ensure that coal miners can get the care they need and deserve.”
The text of the letter can be found here.
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Jessica Paska, 202-225-3861
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