Republicans Oppose Giving Money to Nuclear Radiation Victims in Home States

Several Republican senators on Thursday voted against a bill that would extend compensatory benefits for nuclear radiation victims.

Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, sponsored the legislation to extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act's (RECA) expiration date and claims filing deadline while also allowing residents in four new states to become eligible for compensation if they developed specific health conditions from living in communities affected by waste from the Manhattan Project. In the 1940s, that government program produced the first atomic bomb, which was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

On Thursday, the bill passed the Senate, with 69 senators voting in favor and 30 voting against. One senator refrained from voting.

Currently, RECA covers 12 states, and eligibility changes based on location. The states covered by RECA are Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, Washington, Utah, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas and Nevada. The bill says that parts of Missouri (including St. Louis), Tennessee, Alaska and Kentucky will be included in RECA.

Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, was among those who voted against the bill. If it bill becomes law, it will benefit residents of his state.

"The people of Paducah who were adversely affected by the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant are already eligible for and receive compensation and medical coverage through the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program," a spokesperson for Paul told Newsweek. "If anyone believes they are eligible for this program, please contact our office for help."

Several Republican senators representing states whose residents would benefit from the bill also voted against it. They are Senators Mitt Romney and Mike Lee, both of Utah; Senators Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso of Wyoming; Senator John Cornyn of Texas; Senators Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven of North Dakota; and Senator John Thune of South Dakota.

RECA benefits are currently available in those states, but Hawley's bill would extend the deadline and locations for those eligible for compensation.

Newsweek reached out to Hawley's press office by email for comment.

The Biden administration announced its support of Hawley's bill on Wednesday. "The President believes we have a solemn obligation to address toxic exposure, especially among those who have been placed in harm's way by the government's actions," a White House statement said.

Since the program began in 1990, RECA has provided compensatory payments to more than 40,000 people. If Hawley's bill passes, an additional 600,000 people could become eligible for compensation.

Now that the bill has passed the Senate, it moves on to the House of Representatives. If the bill doesn't pass, the program will close down on June 7.

"It is vital that Congress move quickly to reauthorize the program and to update it to reflect our knowledge now of just how extensive the federal government's nuclear program was and [what] the effects on people really were," Hawley said this week.