Bipartisan Missouri lawmakers blast Johnson for scheduling vote on smaller radiation exposure bill

Missouri Democratic and Republican lawmakers have slammed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) for his decision to hold a vote in the House next week on an extension of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) that would exempt the state.

First passed 30 years ago and set to expire this summer, RECA compensates Americans harmed by World War II-era nuclear testing and uranium mining. A bipartisan bill sponsored by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), which passed the Senate in April, would extend the act for six years and expand its coverage to several states, including Missouri. Coldwater Creek in St. Louis, Missouri, remains contaminated by runoff from wartime uranium production.

invoice schedule The 2024 RECA extension bill up for debate in the House next week is a non-expanded extension bill introduced by Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah). It has not yet been voted on in committee or on the full Senate.

“Let me be clear: any RECA bill that excludes Missouri will not pass with the consent of the Senate. I will demand every procedural vote, and every vote will be a reminder that the House prioritizes funding foreign wars over compensating Americans poisoned by their own government,” Hawley said. Tweeted Tuesday evening.

Hawley’s colleagues in the Missouri House delegation similarly voiced opposition to the narrow expansion.

“Next week, Chairman Johnson plans to defraud Missourians and thousands of others who are suffering from radioactive waste dumped in our backyard by the federal government,” said Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri). Tweeted“Not expanding RECA is not a realistic option, and we oppose any effort not to expand RECA now.”

Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Missouri) It is called He said the bill “will not pass” unless it includes compensation for Missourians, adding that he will “continue to fight to expand RECA so Missourians get the justice they deserve.”

Lee and Romney have defended the smaller bill as a lower-cost alternative to prioritizing extending the law before it expires. Romney also told The Hill that he and Lee have “reservations” on their bills. [for] “Individuals determined to be suffering actual suffering as a result of radiation exposure,” he said, drawing backlash from Hawley on the Senate floor.