RECA supporters urge House vote before program expires in June
WASHINGTON — What was a victory for advocates and supporters of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act is turning to urgency.
In March, the U.S. Senate passed an extension and expansion of RECA in a 69-30 vote.
Two months later, it still hasn’t received a vote on the House floor and time is running out – even for people already approved for compensation.
Since 1992, the Justice Department estimates the RECA program has provided around $2.6 billion in compensation for mining workers in some states and people downwind from nuclear tests in the U.S., as well as their families, who have experienced adverse health effects from radiation exposure.
That could all come to an end June 10 when RECA will expire if there is no action on it by then.
With the deadline leaving less than 10 working days for representatives, advocates and lawmakers on Thursday took to Capitol Hill. They called on Speaker Mike Johnson to take up a vote on the legislation.
“We’re asking Speaker Johnson to bring this up for a vote on the house floor. We have strong bipartisan support led by Senator Hawley and other Republicans,” Rep. Gabe Vasquez said.
According to advocates and lawmakers, Speaker Johnson cited the costs of the expansion as a reason for his hesitance.
In 2022, Congress approved a two-year extension of RECA. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated costs at around $50 million a year to fund.
The expansion, the CRFB estimates, would cost around $5-6 billion a year.
Advocates and lawmakers say it’s a small price to pay. Recent studies also show the effects of radioactive waste go farther beyond where researchers initially thought.
“The cost is being borne by the individuals rather than the United States and the United States is the one that caused the harm,” Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez said.
Congresswoman Leger Fernandez added there are enough votes for it to pass.
“That is why we implore those who make the decisions of what gets voted on the floor to listen to the majority of House members who would vote for this and bring it to the floor for a vote,” she said.
If it passes the House, it will then go to President Joe Biden’s desk. He has vowed to sign it into law.
If it’s signed into law, downwinders in New Mexico and other states, as well as uranium mine workers after 1971, would get coverage for the first time.
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