After years of advocacy from affected communities and advocacy groups, legislative action to strengthen the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) is closer than ever to victory.
After years of advocacy from affected communities and advocacy groups, legislative action to strengthen the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) is closer than ever to victory.RECA provides partial compensation to communities across the country harmed by nuclear weapons testing and uranium mining. In July, the U.S. Senate passed an amendment to a major military budget bill that would significantly strengthen RECA by including many previously excluded communities and improving benefits. This success in the Senate is huge, but we’re not done fighting yet: this amendment now has to make it through a “reconciliation” process with the House. This is where your action is crucial!
Act now: contact your member of Congress to support this RECA amendment in the Pentagon budget. (Don’t know your member of Congress? Look it up here https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative)
Frontline advocates recently joined a press conference with the RECA amendment congressional sponsors to share a clear message: this fall, Congress has a choice – they can do the right thing and finally support these suffering communities, or they can continue to neglect them, allowing many more to get sick and die.
Tina Cordova, co-founder of a group that advocates for New Mexico downwinders, and a thyroid cancer survivor, shared at the press conference: “This is the legacy of the nuclear development and testing that took place in our country during the Cold War and before, and it is time for justice.” Like so many of these advocates, Tina’s family was first exposed nearly 80 years ago, and she has personally been fighting for this recognition for over 20 years.
Tri-Valley CAREs urges our community to help support this efforts by contacting your member of Congress today. Tell them that you stand with the frontline community members they just met with. Tell them it is time for justice.
Sincerely,
Letter to Target:
To: [Elected Official]
As your constituent, I am writing to stand in solidarity with the downwinders, uranium miners, and communities exposed to radiation. Together, we urge you to support S.Amdt 1058 to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), introduced by Sen. Hawley to strengthen the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA).
Starting in the 1940s, the U.S. government conducted hundreds of atmospheric nuclear weapons tests on American soil and in the Pacific. Uranium mining and processing exploded across the Western United States to develop our nuclear weapons arsenal. As a result, countless individuals living downwind from nuclear test sites, workers in uranium mining and processing, and military service members were exposed to dangerous amounts of radiation.
RECA provides partial compensation to suffering communities, but too many communities have been excluded from this program. You can help right this wrong by supporting S.Amdt 1058 to the NDAA.
Stand with these patriots who unknowingly sacrificed so much for this country. Please commit to telling HASC leadership and Rep. Jim Jordan to keep S Amdt. 1058 in the NDAA through conference and help expand recognition and compensation for nuclear weapons victims.
