“Middle-class families and small businesses have real concerns about the state of the American economy and rising costs of living, and I believe we can work in a bipartisan fashion to address this challenge. While there was no agreement on the elements of an economic growth package after today’s meeting, there was an agreement to work together on a package that truly is stimulative – not for the federal government, but for our nation’s increasingly-sluggish economy. Republicans continue to believe an economic stimulus bill must not raise taxes and must not increase unrelated federal spending on the backs of families and employers struggling to make ends meet. I am pleased with the initial discussion we had today, and I look forward to future discussions on a plan that will make a difference for struggling middle-class families and small businesses.”Boehner on Passage of FY 2008 Department of Defense Authorization Bill:
“Our brave men and women in uniform deserve the full support of this Congress. After Democratic leaders needlessly delayed this bill for weeks on behalf of special interest trial lawyers, I’m pleased that both parties have finally come together to complete work on this bill. This critical legislation ensures that our troops have the necessary body armor, protective vests, armored Humvees, and other equipment needed to fight and win the Global War on Terror. It also supports our military families and authorizes a full pay raise for our soldiers. I’m proud to join my colleagues in supporting this legislation and look forward to seeing the President sign it into law as soon as possible.”Boehner on Majority's S-MINER Act Will Saddle Employers with a Billion Dollar Federal Mandate, Place American Jobs at Risk:
“With middle-class families feeling the squeeze from rising costs of living, this bill could not come at a worse time. It will thrust upon employers a broad, billion dollar federal mandate that could endanger the jobs of the very miners the Majority claims it is intending to protect, making it just the latest shot in the Democrats’ massive, undeclared War on American Jobs. New, heavy-handed mandates have drawn strong opposition from a wide array of stakeholders in the mining industry, including mineworkers themselves – and for good reason. They saddle employers with burdensome new costs that could put critical American jobs in jeopardy.NOTE: The S-MINER Act would also impact the 11,000 stone, sand and gravel operations in the nation as this industry would fall victim to the over-reaching regulations in this legislation. There are more than 250,000 miners in the U.S. and about half work at a stone, sand and gravel facility. The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association notes that there has not been one multi-fatality incident over the past 12 years at one of their member operations.
“I am disappointed that the responsible Republican alternative to remove the onerous mandates at the heart of the Majority’s S-MINER Act and implement substance abuse testing to identify and deter drug abuse that could put miners’ lives at risk was turned back by House Democrats. This common sense proposal would have successfully built upon the implementation of the bipartisan, historic 2006 MINER Act, and I commend Reps. Buck McKeon (R-CA), Joe Wilson (R-SC), and John Kline (R-MN) for offering it on the floor today.”
In a letter to Boehner, Association President Jennifer Joy Wilson wrote:
“Provisions of S-MINER are unnecessary since they duplicate existing provisions of law. Other S-MINER provisions are financially punitive in that companies are determined guilty and financially penalized before they have the opportunity to prove their innocence. In addition, S-MINER takes a one-size fits all approach that fails to recognize that mines are unique and will result in many mines installing inappropriate or unnecessary technology.”
