Luján, Heinrich part of group reintroducing Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich have joined other senators on both sides of the aisle in reintroducing the Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act in an effort to revive and expand a program that compensates people who were sickened through the federal government's nuclear weapons testing and production.
A bipartisan attempt last year to renew the previous Radiation Exposure and Compensation Act — which applied only to parts of Arizona, Nevada and Utah — also would have extended the benefits to residents of New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Guam. The measure passed the U.S. Senate by a wide margin last year but was never voted on in the House; House Republican leaders cited concerns about the cost of the expansion.
The lack of action in the House allowed RECA to expire in June.
Advocates for New Mexico downwinders, exposed to radiation from the first-ever atomic bomb detonation in July 1945 during the Trinity Test, and former uranium miners slammed House leaders last year for not holding a vote to extend the law.
'It is unacceptable that so many who have gotten sick from radiation exposure have been denied compensation by Congress," Luján said in a statement.
"Despite having passed RECA legislation twice through the Senate with broad bipartisan support, and securing the support of the previous administration, I was disheartened that [House] Speaker [Mike] Johnson refused a vote on RECA to help victims," Luján added.
Along with Heinrich and Luján, both New Mexico Democrats, the bill was reintroduced by U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, and Mark Kelly, D-Arizona.
'The time to reauthorize RECA is now," Hawley said in a statement. "The Senate has done this twice before and must do it again. For far too long, Missourians and others across America have suffered without compensation from their government. It is vital that we unite to pass this legislation now, and that the President sign it into law."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rep. Adam Smith: The President is 'doing this parade so people can kiss up to him'
Democratic Congressman Adam Smith, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, weighs in on the Russia-Ukraine war and the military parade scheduled for next Saturday.
Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
San Antonio mayor live election results: Gina Ortiz Jones leads
Gina Ortiz Jones is leading the race to be San Antonio's new mayor, edging out Rolando Pablos in early election results posted Saturday. Why it matters: The mayoral election, the city's first in 16 years without an incumbent on the ballot, has evolved into an unusually partisan race for a nonpartisan seat, drawing money and influence from across the state and nation. Neither Ortiz Jones nor Pablos have held elected office before, and San Antonio has not elected a mayor who hasn't served on the City Council since Phil Hardberger in 2005. The latest: Early vote results as of 7pm Saturday showed Ortiz Jones with 52% of the vote, with 48% for Pablos. State of play: Ortiz Jones served as an Air Force undersecretary in the Biden administration and was twice the Democratic nominee for the 23rd Congressional District. Pablos is a former Texas secretary of state who has served as a senior adviser to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. During the runoff campaign, both leaned on their families' immigrant backgrounds. Ortiz Jones spoke of being raised by a single mother who immigrated from the Philippines and Pablos of his family moving from Mexico to El Paso when he was 8 years old. Follow the money: Pablos and his supporters appeared to both outraise and outspend Ortiz Jones in the runoff election, campaign finance reports show. Pablos raised nearly $333,000 and spent more than $275,000 from late April through May 28. He got a big boost from the Texas Economic Fund, a political action committee run by Abbott's former political director, which raised $1.35 million and spent over $623,000 during that time. Ortiz Jones raised nearly $249,000 and spent over $133,000 in the same period. She had help from Fields of Change, a national Democratic PAC, which spent more than $160,000 for her campaign. The big picture: The new mayor will lead San Antonio at a pivotal time, as officials seek to gain public support for a new downtown Spurs arena that could be surrounded by a sports and entertainment district. They will also lead the city through the remaining years of the Trump administration, under which San Antonio has lost millions of dollars in federal funding. The city is also expecting a budget deficit. Catch up quick: Mayor Ron Nirenberg reached his term limits after eight years in office, making him the city's longest-serving mayor since Henry Cisneros in the 1980s. San Antonio's next mayor will serve for four years after voters approved increasing term length from two years. They will work alongside several new City Council members. Flashback: Nirenberg's departure left a rare opening that drew a crowded 27-candidate field to replace him. Four sitting City Council members struggled to break through the noise as traditional backers in local elections, like the police union, sat out the first round of voting.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Elon Musk, Who Called Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' A 'Disgusting Abomination,' Responds To Coinbase CEO's Warning That Bitcoin Could Replace Dollar If Congress Isn't Held Accountable
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk signaled agreement with Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong's warning Wednesday that government overspending could lead to Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) replacing the dollar as the reserve currency. What happened: Armstrong was responding to a post by World of Statistics that highlighted the alarming rise of U.S. federal debt in the last few years. The debt has ballooned to $36.9 trillion in 2025. "If the electorate doesn't hold Congress accountable to reducing the deficit and start paying down the debt, Bitcoin is going to take over as reserve currency," Armstrong said. Trending: — no wallets, just price speculation and free paper trading to practice different cryptocurrency mogul said that while he loves Bitcoin, he also desired a 'strong America' that is fiscally responsible. Musk responded to Armstrong's arguments with a U.S. flag emoji, indicating an It Matters: Musk has lashed out at the latest congressional spending bill, describing it as a 'disgusting abomination.' The White House has dismissed the criticism, stating that the bill does not contribute to the deficit. The House passed the $3.8 trillion tax-and-spending package, which President Donald Trump calls the "big, beautiful bill." While it promises an immediate economic boost through wide tax cuts and higher defense spending, market analysts warn of serious long-term fiscal ramifications. Entrepreneur and investor Anthony Pompliano stated last month that concerns about debt and inflation could fuel Bitcoin's growth. Read Next: New to crypto? Get up to $400 in rewards for successfully completing short educational courses and making your first qualifying trade on Coinbase. A must-have for all crypto enthusiasts: Sign up for the Gemini Credit Card today and earn rewards on Bitcoin Ether, or 60+ other tokens, with every purchase. Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock/Joshua Sukoff This article Elon Musk, Who Called Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' A 'Disgusting Abomination,' Responds To Coinbase CEO's Warning That Bitcoin Could Replace Dollar If Congress Isn't Held Accountable originally appeared on
