Obama Speaks At Memorial For West Virginia Coal Miners (Full Video)

Both President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden spoke today at a memorial service in West Virginia for the 29 coal miners who died in an underground explosion earlier this month. Biden told the crowd that “no one should have to sacrifice their life for their livelihood” and called the miners the ‘”heart and the soul and the spine of this nation.”

During his address Obama named each of the miners who had perished and said “nothing I say can fill the hole they leave in your hearts” and later remarked that the after the disaster the White House was deluged with letters asking him to simply “not let this happen again.” Said Obama: “”How can we fail them? How can a nation that relies on its miners not do everything in its power to protect them?” Full address below.

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