Warner, Kaine, Fetterman Condemn Trump-Vance Administration’s Proposed Weakening of Silica Rule That Protects Coal Miners From Black Lung

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and John Fetterman (D-PA) released the following statement criticizing the proposed weakening by the Department of Labor (DOL) Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) of a rule that better protects America’s miners from health hazards related to exposure to respirable crystalline silica, also known as silica dust: “We’ve done so much to better support our nation’s miners, miner retirees, and their families, but the Trump-Vance Administration’s proposed changes to the silica rule threaten this progress and would result in more miners getting black lung disease. We cannot allow this Administration to turn its back on our promises to our miners. We will continue to do everything we can to make sure miners are protected from harmful silica dust and able to come home from work healthy.” In 2025, the senators sounded the alarm about the Trump-Vance Labor Department’s decision to pause enforcement of the silica rule, warning that it would likely lead to this proposed change. In 2024, the senators applauded the Biden administration’s establishment of this long-awaited rule, after urging the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the previous year to prioritize the creation of a new silica standard. ###