WV Coal Association statement highlights Rahall’s betrayal

Check out this recent article in SNL where the West Virginia Coal Association addressed Gina McCarthy’s comment confirming that the EPA is waging a War on Coal. Here is the relevant piece:

 “West Virginia Coal Association Senior Vice President Chris Hamilton said that ‘every word’ and ‘every policy’ dating back to Obama’s pre-election remarks on coal has ‘consistently served to inhibit coal’s role in our domestic energy mix.’ * * * ‘Call it what you want, but the current regime cannot deny a strong bias against coal that has been laced throughout every single initiative they have undertaken throughout the past five and a half years.’”

Now, let’s compare that with what Nick Rahall has said and done over the past five years. Check out his comments to the Logan Banner:

“Rahall said much of what people had heard regarding the topics amounted to rumors and falsehoods and noted that President Obama understands the importance of the coal industry to the national economy and energy infrastructure. Of internet claims that Obama was out to put the coal industry under, Rahall said, ‘nothing could be further from the truth’…Rahall said the EPA’s job is to examine mining permits and that for eight years under the Bush administration the agency ‘was told not to do their job’…‘The Obama administration knows that it cannot turn its back on coal. It understands the role of coal, both to our economy and to our energy needs. This administration knows that coal will continue to be a part of America’s energy mix and a key fuel for low-cost power all around the world for a long time to come.’”

And of course, Rahall not only supported Obama for re-election in 2012, but he was also quite complicit in supporting his cap-and-trade policies and the expansion of the EPA.

NRCC Comment: “Since before he even was President, Barack Obama has expressed his willingness to bankrupt the coal industry and Nick Rahall has consistently voted to help Obama do so. By now it should be abundantly clear from his votes in Congress that Rahall values his seniority and status with Washington Democrats far more than he values standing up for West Virginia.” – NRCC Spokesman Ian Prior