442
Opinion of the Court
sistant Attorney General Schiffer, Deputy Solicitor General Kneedler, Mark B. Stern, and Jeffrey Clair.
Peter Buscemi argued the cause for the Trustees of the United Mine Workers of America Combined Benefit Fund as amici curiae urging reversal. With him on the brief were John R. Mooney, Mark J. Murphy, and David W. Allen.
John R. Woodrum argued the cause for respondents. With him on the briefs was Harold R. Montgomery.*
Justice Thomas delivered the opinion of the Court. This case arises out of the Commissioner of Social Security's assignment, pursuant to the Coal Industry Retiree Health Benefit Act of 1992 (Coal Act or Act), 26 U. S. C. § 9701 et seq. (1994 ed. and Supp. V), of 86 retired coal miners to the Jericol Mining, Inc. (Jericol). The question presented is whether the Coal Act permits the Commissioner to assign retired miners to the successors in interest of out-of-business signatory operators.1 The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that it does not. Sigmon Coal Co. v. Apfel, 226 F. 3d 291 (2000). We affirm.
I
The Coal Act reconfigured the system for providing private health care benefits to retirees in the coal industry. In restructuring this system, Congress had to contend with
*Grant Crandall filed a brief for the United Mine Workers of America as amicus curiae urging reversal.
Briefs of amici curiae urging affirmance were filed for the Bellaire Corp. by Donald B. Ayer, Jonathan C. Rose, and Thomas A. Smock; for R. G. Johnson Co., Inc., by Mary Lou Smith; and for USX Corp. et al. by David J. Laurent.
1 A signatory operator is a "coal operato[r] that signed any [National Bituminous Coal Wage Agreement] or any other agreement requiring contributions to the 1950 or 1974 Benefit Plans." Eastern Enterprises v. Apfel, 524 U. S. 498, 514 (1998); see also 26 U. S. C. § 9701(c)(1) (1994 ed.) ("The term 'signatory operator' means a person which is or was a signa-tory to a coal wage agreement").
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