A prominent Democrat in the U.S. House stressed the need for a change in Congressional power to advance a compensation program for individuals affected by radiation exposure from uranium mining and nuclear testing conducted by the government. Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar and members of the New Mexico congressional delegation called for voters to pressure Republican House leaders to revive the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. Aguilar, from California, supported New Mexico Democrats and guaranteed their backing for the multibillion-dollar compensation program, attributing the delay in passing the legislation to government failure and leadership shortcomings.
Despite the Senate passing the bill earlier this year, it faced obstacles in the House over concerns about costs from some Republican lawmakers, leading to the act expiring in June. Advocates and affected groups, like Native Americans working in uranium-related fields and downwinders from nuclear test sites, argued that political considerations within the majority party impeded the legislation. Efforts to expand the compensation program have been ongoing for years, with a focus on affected communities in New Mexico, particularly those near the Trinity Test Site and in the Navajo Nation impacted by uranium extraction operations.
New attention was brought to the issue by the film “Oppenheimer,” highlighting the country’s nuclear past and the enduring consequences of nuclear activities. Congressman Gabe Vasquez, a first-term Democrat from New Mexico, criticized the prioritization of defense spending over compensating victims of nuclear exposure, proposing the inclusion of the legislation in defense spending bills with cost offsets. Vasquez emphasized the need for House leaders to take action promptly to address the longstanding issue.
The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, initially passed over thirty years ago, has dispensed approximately $2.6 billion in compensation to date. Lawmakers pushing for updates to the law held the government responsible for the exposure of residents and workers, advocating for its expansion to include more affected regions. Proposed changes aimed to encompass areas in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Guam in the program. Residents in Missouri, Tennessee, Alaska, and Kentucky who were exposed to radioactive waste would also be eligible for coverage under the revised legislation. In New Mexico, where families were unknowingly subjected to fallout from the Trinity Test, the proposed updates would address these oversights and provide relief to those who have suffered health consequences from exposure.
