Mitch McConnell Challenger Amy McGrath Releases Blistering Ad in Kentucky: He 'Left Our Coal Miners Behind'

Authored by newsweek.com and submitted by wenchette

Kentucky Senate candidate Amy McGrath released an ad Friday attacking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for having "left our coal miners behind years ago."

The ad, currently running in McConnell's home state, features a group of coal miners living with black lung disease. Pike County miner Jimmy Moore goes on to describe a 10-hour bus ride the 120-person group took last month to appeal to the senator for a restoration of their disability benefits. The objective of the meeting was to request that lawmakers collect additional taxes from coal companies to offset the miners' medical costs.

"Ten hours on a bus, and we got to see him for all of one minute," Moore says in the video.

McGrath took to Twitter with the campaign ad, writing "Our coal miners risked their lives to fuel our country—but Mitch McConnell would only give a group of them with black lung disease a scant minute when they rode 10 hours to visit him in Washington. My question for McConnell: Which side are you on?"

Our coal miners risked their lives to fuel our country—but Mitch McConnell would only give a group of them with black lung disease a scant minute when they rode 10 hours to visit him in Washington. My question for McConnell: Which side are you on? pic.twitter.com/6dzOZHTKOV — Amy McGrath (@AmyMcGrathKY) August 23, 2019

The former Marine fighter pilot quickly followed up, tweeting "Mitch McConnell has all the time in the world to cut taxes for rich people and corporations. But with time running out to protect coal miners with black lung disease, he's doing nothing."

Mitch McConnell has all the time in the world to cut taxes for rich people and corporations. But with time running out to protect coal miners with black lung disease, he's doing nothing. #BlackLungKills #SenatorForSale — Amy McGrath (@AmyMcGrathKY) August 23, 2019

Previously, coal companies were required to pay a $1.10 per ton excise tax in order to financially support the federal Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. Now, according to the U.S. Treasury Department, the trust fund has had to borrow more than $6 million to sustain itself.

McConnell spokesperson Stephanie Penn told Reuters in a statement last month, the senator is "working closely with interested parties regarding future funding for the program and will continue to ensure these important benefits are maintained."

In addition to air time across the state of Kentucky, Mcgrath's ad calling attention the coal miners' plight received a wide number of views within a few hours of being posted across social media platforms like Twitter and YouTube.

Democratic strategist and consultant Adam Parkhomenko expressed his admiration for the McGrath campaign, tweeting "Y'all are monsters. 664,000 views of 877,000 total views from you sharing this tweet in a matter of hours."

Y'all are monsters. 664,000 views of the 877,000 total views from you sharing this tweet in a matter of hours. Thanks for helping @AmyMcGrathKY spread the word! pic.twitter.com/jKLwzzaULk — Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) August 24, 2019

McGrath's ad has also garnered support from politically outspoken actor Sophia Bush, who reacted to the original Twitter by post by writing "THIS. I am so impressed by @AmyMcGrathKY and her fight for KY."

THIS. I am so impressed by @AmyMcGrathKY and her fight for KY. https://t.co/QSLdlN0yhU — Sophia Bush (@SophiaBush) August 24, 2019

Senator McConnell and his team have not yet responded to McGrath's ad.

dadhatt on August 24th, 2019 at 23:44 UTC »

I don't know anything at all about her but she is not Mitch McConnell so she's off to a great start.

Lionel_Hutz_Law on August 24th, 2019 at 23:12 UTC »

Sure would be awful if this went to the top of reddit and gave her tons of free advertising and an introduction to the non-political world.

Moscow Mitch falling would be the absolute cherry on top of the cake.

wenchette on August 24th, 2019 at 22:21 UTC »

Mitch McConnell has all the time in the world to cut taxes for rich people and corporations. But with time running out to protect coal miners with black lung disease, he's doing nothing.