The troubled coal industry, which stirred such great political concern during the presidential campaign, is about to take on a decidedly human dimension in the Senate. A bipartisan push is underway there to rescue the failing pension and health benefits of thousands of retired union coal miners. Their benefit plans have become severely underfunded during the industry’s downturn, as coal companies declare bankruptcy and renege on obligations to workers at a time when there are fewer young miners to contribute support.

One by one, hard-pressed coal companies have been bailing out on contract promises. The latest, Patriot Coal’s benefit fund, told 12,500 retirees last month that their health coverage will stop on Dec. 31. More than 10,000 other retired workers face similar cutoffs over the next year, according to the Senate sponsors of an emergency rescue plan. It would tap into funds from an existing mine cleanup program in order to bolster union health and retirement plans with an estimated contribution of $220 million a year.

The plan, called the Miners Protection Act, was sent for floor action by a bipartisan 18-to-8 vote of the Senate Finance Committee in September. But it has run into trouble with the Republican majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. He questions why the bill would protect only members of the United Mine Workers of America, which has an estimated 89,000 pensioned miners and family members and 22,000 workers vested for the future.