WASHINGTON _ Congress is on track to pass legislation this year that will stabilize the pensions and health benefits of retired coal miners and their widows.
It's a huge win for longtime advocates of the cause, on and off Capitol Hill, who have spent years fighting for a legislative response to a mounting pension crisis in beleaguered mining communities.
It's also a significant political victory for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who had put his influence behind the effort.
