Congressman Morgan Griffith, a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, participated in a hearing titled “The Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Health and Human Services Budget.” The session featured U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., focusing on the agency’s budget request for fiscal year 2026.
During the hearing, Congressman Griffith engaged with Secretary Kennedy on various topics, including those related to the HHS National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and its approach to Black Lung Disease.
This year, HHS announced that NIOSH will join the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA) to improve coordination of health resources for Americans. Other agencies involved in AHA include the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Black Lung Disease, or coal worker’s pneumoconiosis, affects miners across the nation. Those diagnosed are entitled to federal monetary and medical benefits under the Black Lung Benefits Program. Congressman Griffith has visited facilities in Southwest Virginia that treat black lung disease, such as Stone Mountain Health Services Black Lung Clinic in St. Charles, Virginia.
In 2019 and 2020, Congressman Griffith participated in hearings held by the House Committee on Education & the Workforce to discuss protecting black lung benefits. He also serves as Co-Chair of the Congressional Coal Caucus.
