House lawmakers propose $1 billion in aid for struggling coal countryWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chair of the House of Representatives appropriations committee introduced a bill on Wednesday that would channel $1 billion to revitalize battered coal-producing communities. House Appropriations Chair Hal Rogers, a long-serving Kentucky Republican, said the RECLAIM Act would provide support to coal-producing communities hit by the decline of the industry to redevelop their economies. Under the bill, which he introduced with both Democrats and Republicans from Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, $1 billion would be released from the government’s Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program to help communities generate new economic activities.  “Many coal communities in Appalachia simply do not have the resources to reclaim the abandoned mine sites within their borders,” said Rogers, who represents eastern Kentucky’s coal-mining counties. “This bill allows these communities to be proactive in restoring these sites and utilize them to put our people back to work.” The bill comes after months of talks with the Obama administration, which last year proposed the POWER+ Plan, a multibillion-dollar strategy to support the revitalization of coal country using unused funds from the AML, which consists of fees on coal companies collected over the years. Republican lawmakers had initially been reluctant to support the administration’s plan because they blamed its policies, including regulations forcing power plants to cut carbon emissions tied to burning coal, for the contraction in the coal industry that has seen some of its companies go bankrupt. The bill reflects a few modifications to the White House proposal, including measures to compensate Western states. Wyoming pays the most into the AML because it is still an active low-sulfur coal producer, yet most federal money would likely flow to older coal mining regions like Appalachia. A White House official said the RECLAIM Act is consistent with the administration’s proposal. “The legislation introduced today would bring $1 billion in much needed investment to support abandoned mine land reclamation linked with economic development in struggling coal communities that badly need both,” the official said. Representative Matt Cartwright, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said the bill will create new opportunities “for the families that depended on mining jobs, benefits, and pensions that have disappeared as coal companies have closed their operations.” Local communities welcomed the bill and urged its swift passage. “This is what we’ve been waiting on. This bill, and the money that could come from the bill into our local economies, could give us a little more security,” said Kimberly Shepherd, a member of grass-roots group Kentuckians For The Commonwealth. politicsNews
house lawmakers propose billion aid struggling coal countrywashington reuters the chair house representatives appropriations committee introduced bill wednesday would channel billion revitalize battered communities house appropriations chair hal rogers kentucky republican said reclaim act would provide support communities hit decline industry redevelop economies under bill introduced democrats republicans virginia west virginia pennsylvania billion would released government abandoned mine lands aml program help communities generate new economic activities many coal communities appalachia simply resources reclaim abandoned mine sites within borders said rogers represents eastern kentucky counties this bill allows communities proactive restoring sites utilize put people back the bill comes months talks obama administration last year proposed plan strategy support revitalization coal country using unused funds aml consists fees coal companies collected years republican lawmakers initially reluctant support administration plan blamed policies including regulations forcing power plants cut carbon emissions tied burning coal contraction coal industry seen companies go bankrupt the bill reflects modifications white house proposal including measures compensate western states wyoming pays aml still active coal producer yet federal money would likely flow older coal mining regions like appalachia a white house official said reclaim act consistent administration proposal the legislation introduced today would bring billion much needed investment support abandoned mine land reclamation linked economic development struggling coal communities badly need official said representative matt cartwright pennsylvania democrat said bill create new opportunities families depended mining jobs benefits pensions disappeared coal companies closed local communities welcomed bill urged swift passage this waiting this bill money could come bill local economies could give us little security said kimberly shepherd member group kentuckians for the commonwealth politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: House lawmakers propose $1 billion in aid for struggling coal countryWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chair of the House of Representatives appropriations committee introduced a bill on Wednesday that would channel $1 billion to revitalize battered coal-producing communities. House Appropriations Chair Hal Rogers, a long-serving Kentucky Republican, said the RECLAIM Act would provide support to coal-producing communities hit by the decline of the industry to redevelop their economies. Under the bill, which he introduced with both Democrats and Republicans from Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, $1 billion would be released from the government’s Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program to help communities generate new economic activities.  “Many coal communities in Appalachia simply do not have the resources to reclaim the abandoned mine sites within their borders,” said Rogers, who represents eastern Kentucky’s coal-mining counties. “This bill allows these communities to be proactive in restoring these sites and utilize them to put our people back to work.” The bill comes after months of talks with the Obama administration, which last year proposed the POWER+ Plan, a multibillion-dollar strategy to support the revitalization of coal country using unused funds from the AML, which consists of fees on coal companies collected over the years. Republican lawmakers had initially been reluctant to support the administration’s plan because they blamed its policies, including regulations forcing power plants to cut carbon emissions tied to burning coal, for the contraction in the coal industry that has seen some of its companies go bankrupt. The bill reflects a few modifications to the White House proposal, including measures to compensate Western states. Wyoming pays the most into the AML because it is still an active low-sulfur coal producer, yet most federal money would likely flow to older coal mining regions like Appalachia. A White House official said the RECLAIM Act is consistent with the administration’s proposal. “The legislation introduced today would bring $1 billion in much needed investment to support abandoned mine land reclamation linked with economic development in struggling coal communities that badly need both,” the official said. Representative Matt Cartwright, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said the bill will create new opportunities “for the families that depended on mining jobs, benefits, and pensions that have disappeared as coal companies have closed their operations.” Local communities welcomed the bill and urged its swift passage. “This is what we’ve been waiting on. This bill, and the money that could come from the bill into our local economies, could give us a little more security,” said Kimberly Shepherd, a member of grass-roots group Kentuckians For The Commonwealth. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: house lawmakers propose billion aid struggling coal countrywashington reuters the chair house representatives appropriations committee introduced bill wednesday would channel billion revitalize battered communities house appropriations chair hal rogers kentucky republican said reclaim act would provide support communities hit decline industry redevelop economies under bill introduced democrats republicans virginia west virginia pennsylvania billion would released government abandoned mine lands aml program help communities generate new economic activities many coal communities appalachia simply resources reclaim abandoned mine sites within borders said rogers represents eastern kentucky counties this bill allows communities proactive restoring sites utilize put people back the bill comes months talks obama administration last year proposed plan strategy support revitalization coal country using unused funds aml consists fees coal companies collected years republican lawmakers initially reluctant support administration plan blamed policies including regulations forcing power plants cut carbon emissions tied burning coal contraction coal industry seen companies go bankrupt the bill reflects modifications white house proposal including measures compensate western states wyoming pays aml still active coal producer yet federal money would likely flow older coal mining regions like appalachia a white house official said reclaim act consistent administration proposal the legislation introduced today would bring billion much needed investment support abandoned mine land reclamation linked economic development struggling coal communities badly need official said representative matt cartwright pennsylvania democrat said bill create new opportunities families depended mining jobs benefits pensions disappeared coal companies closed local communities welcomed bill urged swift passage this waiting this bill money could come bill local economies could give us little security said kimberly shepherd member group kentuckians for the commonwealth politicsnews