< 25 Top Pension Power Players

Donald Trump may have won West Virginia on a promise to revive the coal industry, but will he stand up for coal miners’ pensions? That’s what Joe Manchin wants to know. The Democratic senator from West Virginia has led the charge on Capitol Hill to bail out the United Mine Workers of America’s health care and retirement funds. This year he helped reintroduce the Miners Protection Act, which would prop up the depleted funds with $3 billion over the next decade; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked the legislation in 2016. Manchin, 69, has cozied up to Trump, breaking party lines to support several of the new president’s cabinet picks. Representing a Democratic stronghold that backed Trump, he could be in a unique position to broker a bipartisan deal, but he faces a tough 2018 reelection campaign. — Jess Delaney

 
The 2017 Pension Political Power 25

1. Andy Puzder Secretary of Labor 2. Bruce Rauner Governor of Illinois 3. Betsy DeVos Secretary of Education Why Small-Caps Could Outperform in the Next Economic Cycle Sponsored by CME Group July 21, 2025 4. Laura & John Arnold Founders, Laura and John Arnold Foundation 5. Steven Mnuchin Secretary of the Treasury

6. Wilbur Ross Secretary of Commerce 7. Tani Cantil-Sakauye California Chief Justice 8. Paul Ryan Speaker of the House 9. Anthony Scaramucci Founder, SkyBridge Capital 10. Kevin de León California State Senator and President Pro Tempore

11. Mike Enzi Chairman, Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security 12. Steve Sweeney President, New Jersey State Senate 13. Jerry Brown Governor of California 14. Corey Lewandowski Co-founder, Avenue Strategies 15. Paul Singer President, Elliott Management Corp.

16. Randel Johnson Senior Vice President, Labor, Immigration, and Employee Benefits, U.S. Chamber of Commerce 17. Joe Manchin U.S. Senator 18. Kenneth Feinberg Founder and managingpartner, Feinberg Rozen 19. Scott Walker Governor of Wisconsin 20. Richard Trumka President, AFL-CIO

21. Mike Rawlings Mayor of Dallas 22. Elizabeth Warren U.S. Senator 23. Kent Mason Partner, Davis & Harman 24. Bernie Sanders U.S. Senator 25. Randi Weingarten President, American Federation of Teachers