In October, I was honored to take part in a coal miners’ rally in the heart of the nation’s capital. Thousands of my fellow miners and our families gathered on the steps of the Capitol to call attention to the plight of the coal worker, who has been under attack by the overreaching environmental regulations of the Obama administration.

Hailing from Appalachia’s coal country, I see daily the devastating impact the administration’s coal regulations wreak on my community and those throughout America. In Washington, these rules live in the media, in presentations and in meeting rooms. But in our world, these rules play out in our daily lives — as each day, many hard-working Americans who help ensure we have electricity for our homes and workplaces hang up their hard hats and go home … for good.