IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 285 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that a postage stamp should be issued 
honoring the Nation’s coal miners. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 29, 2008 
Mr. KANJORSKI (for himself, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. WILSON of Ohio, Mr. 
ALTMIRE, Mr. MURTHA, Mr. CARNEY, Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsyl-
vania, Mr. CHANDLER, Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. GEORGE 
MILLER of California, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. GERLACH, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. 
SHUSTER, Mr. WOLF, and Mr. SPACE) submitted the following concur-
rent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that a postage stamp 
should be issued honoring the Nation’s coal miners. 
Whereas the Nation is greatly indebted to coal miners for the 
difficult and dangerous work they perform to provide the 
fuel needed to operate the Nation’s industries and to pro-
vide energy to homes and businesses; 
Whereas millions of workers have toiled in the Nation’s coal 
mines over the last century, risking both life and limb to 
fuel the Nation’s economic expansion; 
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•HCON 285 IH 
Whereas during the last century, over 100,000 coal miners 
have been killed in mining accidents in the Nation’s coal 
mines; 
Whereas thousands of coal miners have contracted black lung 
disease as a direct result of their toil in the Nation’s coal 
mines; 
Whereas coal provides 50 percent of the Nation’s electricity 
and is an essential fuel for industries such as steel, ce-
ment, chemicals, food, and paper; 
Whereas the United States has a demonstrated coal reserve 
of more than 491,000,000,000 tons, with an estimated 
263,000,000,000 tons of recoverable reserves which, at 
current production rates, represents about 275 years of 
recoverable coal reserves; 
Whereas these coal reserves represent about 95 percent of all 
fossil fuel reserves in the United States, and about one 
fourth of the world’s known coal reserves; 
Whereas the recoverable coal reserves in the United States 
have the energy equivalent of about 1,000,000,000,000 
barrels of oil, which is comparable to all of the world’s 
known oil reserves; 
Whereas since the energy crises of the 1970s, United States 
dependence on foreign oil has grown substantially, with 
imported oil accounting for 39 percent of all oil consumed 
in 1973 and about 60 percent today; 
Whereas energy security is an integral component of the Na-
tion’s economy and national security; 
Whereas coal mining continues to be the economic engine for 
many communities, providing jobs to areas with little eco-
nomic diversity; 
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•HCON 285 IH 
Whereas coal mining provides economic benefits far beyond 
its direct revenues, including billions of dollars in eco-
nomic output and household earnings and hundreds of 
thousands of jobs in other industries; and 
Whereas issuing a postage stamp to honor the Nation’s coal 
miners is fitting and proper: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the United States Postal Service should 
issue a stamp honoring the Nation’s coal miners; 
and 
(2) the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee 
should recommend to the Postmaster General that 
such a stamp be issued. 
Æ 
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