A new attempt by Missouri U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, is being made to revive the expired Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA).
A new version of his bill has been added to the so-called, “Big, Beautiful Budget Bill” being considered by the U.S. Senate. Hawley said during a media conference call Friday that the latest version of the bill would not only reauthorize the program but expand it to Missouri.
“This has been – I was going to say – several years in the making. As you know, the Senate has twice passed RECA reauthorization and expansion by huge bipartisan margins,” Hawley said. “But really, it’s been 50 and 60 years in the making. That’s how long Missourians have been waiting for any form of health relief or compensation from the federal government.”
The U.S. Senate passed Hawley’s bill twice last year, but it died in the U.S. House over its price tag, estimated to range between $50- and $60 billion. A dollar amount for this year’s bill has not yet been determined.
Atomic bombs were built in St. Louis during World War II and nuclear waste from the production was improperly stored in numerous sites after the war. Many area residents have reported a variety of health problems they say are a result of the radioactive waste.
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