At the end of this month coal miners will lose their health benefits if Congress does not act. According to the article How Congress can be coal miner's lifeline written by Van Jones and Jason Walsh Congress failed to include the Miners Protection Act (MPA) in the Continuing Resolution from last year. This bill would allow for federal funding to be used so that mine worker retirees could continue to receive health benefits.

        During President Trumps campaign he told the miners that he would help them. Many of these miners believed him and voted for him in hope of a resolution to their problems.  Since Trump has been in office he has maintained silence on the issue. There are many families such as the Leaches who depend on the health benefits for severe medical conditions.

        I feel that Congress has allowed corporations such as Peabody and the United Mine Workers of America Health and Retirement Funds to take advantage of these retirees. These companies promised the miners and their dependents lifetime health benefits. When Peabody sold the company to Patriot Coal is when things got bad.

      Unfortunately for the miners, Patriot Coal was able to discontinue these benefits by filing for bankruptcy.  I feel that Congress should step in and help these men and women who put their health on the line by working underground in horrible conditions. These retirees contributed to the win of World War II.  Without these individuals there would not have been power and steel that aided in the victory for The United States.

      I have chosen to do my commentary on Ashley Underdown's article,Women of America. In her commentary I feel that Ashley is targeting women and liberals. Ashley speaks of Trump's efforts to decrease funding for programs such as Plannned Parenthood. She states that this type of program is very important to women from low-income or middle class families.  I agree with her ideas that women should have a right to their bodies and preventative care.
      I feel that programs such as these are important to women and also young ladies. Speaking from personal experience, I  did not always have private insurance, so I turned to Planned Parenthood for yearly exams. I can not imagine the amount of money I would have had to pay out of pocket, had it not been for this program.
      Ashley states that women turned to intrauterine implant devices to protect themselves from Trump's policies. I would have like to have seen a source listed to further read and inform myself of these potential policies. This commentary was well thought out and educational. Ashley's blog showed me, I need to be more aware of policies that could potentially affect women's health.