AP

In this March 29, 2011, file photo Senate Armed Services Committee member Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. listens to testimony on Capitol Hill in Washington.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin hit back Tuesday after another Democratic lawmaker suggested that coal was all his state has and that miners should find new jobs.

Following the criticism, Manchin released a letter inviting Conyers to visit his state, highlighting the importance of coal as an energy source in America.

“Without a reliable and affordable resource like coal, America wouldn’t be where we are – whether it’s the steel forged by West Virginia’s coal that then was used to build our great skyscrapers and military, or whether it’s the electricity from coal that today powers nearly half this country,” Manchin said. He added that coal is key to helping the country become independent from foreign oil.