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Ted Strickland lashes out at U.S. Sen. Rob Portman about Appalachia issues
STRUTHERS
Ex-Gov. Ted Strickland, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, lashed out at Rob Portman contending the incumbent Republican “doesn’t know a damn thing about Appalachia coal communities and pretends to be terribly concerned.”
Strickland kicked off a two-day “Working Families First” tour of Appalachia on Wednesday in Struthers. The three other stops were in communities – Lisbon, Martins Ferry and Marietta – that Strickland represented when he was a congressman.
“I know the coal industry, and I care about coal workers,” he said. “I have a history of standing up for these Appalachia communities.”
Portman says there is a “dramatic” difference between him and Strickland on Appalachia issues.
The two disagree on the other’s support of coal workers.
“He opposes the most-important issue for Appalachia: coal,” Portman said.
Strickland’s campaign points to a May 19, 1994, vote from Portman against simplifying the process for black-lung benefits for coal miners and their survivors. The bill passed. Also, five amendments failed that were related to restricting black-lung benefits that Portman supported.
Despite those votes, Portman contended he has strongly supported expanding black-lung benefits.
Michawn Rich, a Portman campaign spokeswoman, said Strickland was whining, and when he was governor he proposed taking money from a health-care fund for coal miners with black lung to pay for regulatory programs to oversee new coal mines. That proposal wasn’t implemented.
The two are locked in one of the most-contested and expensive Senate races in the country.
Portman touts his endorsement last week of the United Mine Workers of America’s National Council of Coal Miners Political Action Committee, the nation’s largest coal-miners union and a group that backed Strickland during his 2006 and 2010 gubernatorial races.
Regarding the endorsement, Strickland told The Vindicator: “I think that decision was made in Washington for reasons that are related to the concern that union leadership has regarding the potential for Rob Portman to do them damage in regard to their pensions. I don’t think it has anything to do with my relationship with coal miners.”
In response, Rich said, “It’s sad he is now attacking the United Mine Workers of America. His claim is laughable and reeks of desperation. The UMWA chose to endorse Rob over Ted because of Rob’s leadership protecting Ohio coal jobs. Ted turned his back on Appalachia when he went to work in” Washington, D.C., as a lobbyist.