The Republican-led initiative that passed in Congress on Thursday revives and expands a program designed to compensate Americans who developed cancer due to radiation exposure linked to the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Program.
This program, which was previously halted last year, aims to extend coverage to more areas, specifically including Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, and Missouri. The compensation amounts will also increase, with limits rising to $100,000 from either $50,000 or $75,000, contingent on the specific illness.
Mary Dixon, an activist from Salt Lake City, believes her thyroid cancer resulted from nuclear testing in Nevada. She expressed hope that she might finally qualify for compensation with this new legislation.
Between 1951 and 1992, the government conducted 928 nuclear tests at the Nevada site. “The winds grabbed the fallout and spread it all over—the fallout was constant here in Utah,” Dixon reflected, adding that she was emotional upon hearing the House passed the bill.
However, she also acknowledged a bittersweet feeling, stating, “I still can’t bring back my loved ones who have died,” referencing her sister who succumbed to lupus, an autoimmune condition.
This expansion marks a significant moment for lawmakers like Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who pushed for the program’s growth. He shared on Social Platform X, “To all radiation survivors and nuclear veterans across the country: we did that.”
Despite initially opposing the bill due to concerns over Medicaid cuts, Hawley eventually supported the radiation program, known as the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which garnered considerable backing from Democrats but faced some skepticism from Republicans who were worried about the associated costs.
Kyle Anne Sebastian, a spokesperson for the Coalition of Interested Scientists, noted that while the expansion is a crucial move, it also represents a compromise that leaves out other states, including Guam, Montana, and Colorado.
