House and Senate Near Agreement on RECA Reauthorization After 80 Days of Inactivity

Sep 24, 2024, 04:26 PM

Senate and House negotiators have reached a tentative agreement on the reauthorization of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), three months after it lapsed. Advocates, including two Native American women, are actively fighting to preserve nuclear exposure benefits. A bipartisan press conference was held on Capitol Hill at noon, where legislators urged Speaker Mike Johnson to bring RECA to a vote. The Senate has already passed its part of the legislation, and there is growing pressure on the House to act. Speaker Johnson has yet to sign off on a draft compromise, but if House leadership agrees, Congress could reauthorize the program during the lame-duck period. The act aims to compensate victims of radiation exposure, many of whom have suffered from diseases, including various cancers, due to nuclear testing. Advocates from Missouri and New Mexico highlighted the urgency, noting the House has been inactive for 80 days.