Democrats lose steam in coal miner, government funding fight

UPDATE: With less than hour to spare, the Senate late Friday voted 63-36 to continue funding the government through April 28, averting a shutdown. The vote came after Senate Democrats backed down from threats to shut down the government over benefits for retired miners. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., led the fight of coal-state Democrats, but conceded Friday night he did not have the votes to block the spending bill. He vowed to continue the fight next year.

OUR EARLIER REPORT (4:59 p.m.): WASHINGTON—A group of Senate Democrats threatening to halt government funding legislation over coal miner benefits does not appear to have the necessary support to do so.

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a continuing resolution 326-92 to fund the federal government through April and then left town for the holiday break. But a handful of Senate Democrats are saying they won’t approve the package because it leaves coal miners out in the cold. Protests led by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, want coal miner healthcare benefits extended a full year instead of the four months included in the resolution. They said extending benefits by one year allows enough time to negotiate a permanent fix.

“Give us the one year to fight another day; four months doesn’t do a thing,” Manchin said at a Thursday evening press conference flanked by retired miners. “But there’s no reason we can’t do the permanent fix.”

Manchin and other coal-state Democrats introduced legislation this year to protect the health benefits and pensions of more than 120,000 retired coal miners nationwide. But lawmakers have yet to hammer out differences in time for the more than 16,000 who could lose their healthcare at the end of the year. Lawmakers on both sides included the four-month extension to guarantee healthcare in the meantime. But Manchin says that’s not enough time since miners receive notices three months in advance, which means they will again get letters in January telling them their benefits are expiring.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on the Senate floor today Manchin and others have run out of options since the House has already packed their bags.

“While some Senate Democrats may want to delay into a government shutdown, House Democrats overwhelmingly rejected that approach,” McConnell said, indicating if Democrats were serious about this fight, they should have been on the same page.

Incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., joined Manchin, Brown, and other coal-state Democrats at the press conference with retired miners last night. He pointed fingers at House lawmakers for leaving without resolving the issue, leaving Senate Democrats with few avenues of recourse.

“What’s more important? The House of Representatives going home and having a good time or helping these people?” Schumer said, pointing to the miners gathered behind him.

Manchin and Brown announced an afternoon press conference to discuss their course of action today, but canceled moments before its scheduled start time.

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters Friday afternoon Democrats weren’t prepared to see this fight through to the end.

“They realize that they’ve taken the wrong hostage because they really have no recourse,” he said. “They can’t possibly get the result they want. This is just sort of ‘how long you want to extend the pain?’”

Cornyn said after multiple discussions he expects Democrats won’t have the necessary 41 votes to block a cloture vote, which would end debate on the bill, expected late tonight or early Saturday morning. If it clears the 60-vote threshold, dissenters can only pause the spending bill’s passage until Sunday morning.

The White House Office of Management and Budget said Friday federal agencies had begun preparing for a brief shutdown in case the Senate took until Sunday to pass the spending bill. While it hoped there was no lapse in operation, the office said it did not expect severe consequences.