U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito wishes more of her colleagues would get out of Washington and tour mines, power plants and other sites related to the coal industry, she told a reporter last week. Her comments came as Capito was touring a surface mine in southern West Virginia.

We agree with Capito - but we would add that more members of Congress should visit with families who will be adversely affected if Congress passes controversial “cap-and-trade” legislation. During her mine tour, Capito said Congress may take up “cap-and-trade” as early as May.

“Coal’s under fire in Washington, D.C.,” Capito said.

She is right on target there. Pressured by special interest groups, many members of Congress only know what they are told about coal by those who want the U.S. coal industry shut down. The fact that the anti-coal faction’s arguments simply don’t add up has not stopped the movement.

“Cap-and-trade” is a proposal that would require industries, including coal-fired power plants, to pay enormous fees for carbon emissions. The cost would be passed on to consumers. Capito said estimates of the cost of “cap-and-trade” to many consumers range between $1,000 and $3,000 a year. That would be a substantial blow to families already struggling to make ends meet.

Capito is right: Too many members of Congress do not understand the coal industry - and the impact it has on Americans. Either that, or they simply don’t care. Neither scenario is acceptable.

The Journal