Mitch McConnell is holding up legislation that would help Eastern Kentucky move forward

We are two women who have different connections to Appalachia. Melissa grew up in Van Lear, the home of Loretta Lynn. Many of her relatives worked in the mines, including both of her grandfathers. Rebecca lived much of her adult life in the hills of North Carolina. We have different histories, but we have one thing in common: We love the mountains and the mountain people. And we are heartbroken that the mountain region is always exploited, always left behind, always overlooked by folks in Washington.

Take the RECLAIM Act, for example.

The RECLAIM Act was introduced by Congressman Hal Rogers in 2016 and was designed to convert $1 billion of the Abandoned Mine Lands into economic development grants for Appalachia. Three years later, the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center (ACLC) published a press release with the title: $1 Billion RECLAIM Act Gains Momentum, Is Re-Introduced in Congress at Coal Communities’ Urging. The article claimed that “The RECLAIM Act would invest $1 billion in projects that clean up abandoned coal mines and waters polluted by them, and catalyzes community development projects on reclaimed sites.” The article goes on to state that “[s]upport for the bill is rooted in communities struggling with abandoned mines and the decline of coal jobs, including in east Kentucky where people have been calling for the initiative since 2013.”

Fast forward to July 2, 2020. Another press release from the ACLC reads: RECLAIM Act Passes the House as part of H.R.2, The Moving Forward Act. Now, understand that the Moving Forward Act is a gigantic infrastructure bill. We tried to find the RECLAIM Act hidden within it. With some help from a KY Congressional office, we spotted it, beginning on page 2404. The funds would be given to communities affected by a reduction in coal mining, to real communities in Kentucky that are hurting because of COVID-19 and the decline of coal. This bill passed the US House of Representatives on July 1 of this year.

The Moving Forward Act also includes a reauthorization of the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Fund, which is set to expire in 2021. Kentucky has a backlog of 1,089 sites that would qualify for support from the Abandoned Mine Lands fund. And these measures wouldn’t cost taxpayers a single dime. Not one single dime.

Given that Mitch McConnell represents Kentucky and has a tremendous amount of power in the Senate, one would think that The Moving Forward Act would be first on his list of priorities, right? Wrong. McConnell has stated that he will not even bring it forward to the Senate floor for debate. The reason? It includes many provisions that Republicans cannot support.

So please tell us Mitch. Which provisions would Republicans not support? In addition to providing money to clean up abandoned coal mines and putting miners to work, the bill includes other measures that would help rural Kentucky: (1) $130 billion for high-poverty schools; (2) $100 billion to deliver affordable high-speed broadband Internet access; (3) $25 billion for clean drinking water; (4) $30 billion to upgrade local hospitals and community health centers; and (5) $25 billion to modernize US postal operations.

Rural Kentuckians desperately need these benefits, yet Mitch is the one keeping us from getting them. Our own senator, who is supposed to be representing OUR interests, is once again telling us that we don’t matter. We keep hearing cries to “drain the swamp.” Perhaps we need to start with the Leader of the Swamp--Mitch McConnell.

Melissa Pack Moran is a UK graduate and has worked in education and administration for 33 years. Rebecca Powell is a retired educator and Professor Emeritus at Georgetown College.