Safety hearings

The word on the street is, Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wy.), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, (HELP) is working with Ranking Member Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) to schedule an oversight hearing on mine safety in response to the West Virginia coal-mine accident that killed 12 miners. Enzi will also apparently expedite the confirmation process for Richard Stickler, President Bush's nominee to head MSHA. Stickler formerly was Director of Pennsylvania's Bureau of Deep Mine Safety during the 2002 rescue of nine miners who were trapped for more than three days in a mine near Somerset, Pa. In addition to the Senate HELP Committee hearing, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) has announced the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies will hold a mine safety hearing. Byrd has worked to schedule it with Sens. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)--the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee. Your comment?