Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 10 december 2016

LOCATED ACROSS FROM THE OCCIDIENTAL HOTEL ON PALM BEACH

At Press Time:

Senate pushes for miners’ benefits; government shutdown unlikely

ANDREW TAYLOR must-pass spending bill as floor late Friday, Manchin
MATTHEW DALY they’ve pressed for a one- stressed the importance of
Associated Press year extension for the ben- coal as an energy source.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The efits for thousands of retired “What 12 hours of the day
Senate pushed to avert a miners. Republican leaders do you not want electric-
government shutdown at such as Speaker Paul Ryan ity? ... Heat?” he asked.
midnight Friday as coal- balked at a lengthy exten- He was joined by other
state Democrats evoked sion and only agreed to a coal-state Democrats from
President-elect Donald four-month fix. states Trump won, including
Trump in pleading for a Although no deal was an- Pennsylvania and Ohio.
more generous extension nounced, the Senate was Absent a deal, there would
of health care benefits for on track to vote Friday be a post-midnight vote to
retired miners. night on the spending bill advance the spending bill
Democratic Sen. Mark War- that would keep the gov- over a filibuster barrier, with
ner of Virginia says coal- ernment operating through passage of the measure at
state Democrats won’t April 28. some point this weekend.
shut down the govern- Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Though a lapse in govern- The Capitol Building as seen in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 8,
2016. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia says coal-state
ment over health benefits Va., had hoped to provide ment funding was possible, Democrats won’t shut down the government over health ben-
for retired miners. Warner a one-year extension for White House spokesman efits for retired miners.
made the comments late the miners rather than the Eric Schultz said a shutdown (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Friday just six hours before shorter, four-month fix in the wouldn’t begin immediate- fice was sure that the tem- working-class voters in coal
a midnight deadline. The stopgap spending bill. ly in any event, especially if porary funding measure and steel communities.
Democrats have stalled a Speaking on the Senate the White House budget of- would pass later Saturday. Democrats are waging a

The underlying funding bill high-stakes fight a month
would keep the govern- after an abysmal show-
ment running through April ing with those voters, who
28 to buy time for the in- helped the GOP secure a
coming Trump administra- monopoly in Washington
tion and Congress to wrap next year.
up more than $1 trillion in “Who’s for the working
unfinished agency budget people? Where’s Donald
work. It also provides war Trump on miners?” asked
funding, disaster aid for Sen. Claire McCaskill,
Louisiana and other states, D-Mo., who faces re-elec-
and an expedited process tion in 2018.
for considering Trump’s Seventy years ago, Presi-
nominee for defense sec- dent Harry S. Truman guar-
retary, retired Gen. James anteed a lifetime of health
Mattis. and pension benefits for re-
Coal-state Democrats tired miners to avert a strike.
have pressed Trump, a self- Majority Leader Mitch Mc-
proclaimed coal cham- Connell, R-Ky., said the
pion, to intervene with four-month extension was
Republicans. Manchin, better than nothing. Mc-
mentioned as possible Connell himself represents
candidate for energy sec- thousands of miners in the
retary or secretary of state struggling coal industry and
in the new administration, said he tried to get a longer
will meet with Trump Mon- solution in talks with House
day and said he expects to Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.
raise the coal miners’ issue. “Would I have preferred
Trump won West Virginia, that provision to be more
Ohio and Pennsylvania generous? Of course I
and other states in Appa- would have,” the Republi-
lachia and the Midwest can said in a speech on the
with heavy support from Senate floor.q