Vasquez Urges Congress to Pass the Expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, December 1, 2023, ahead of the release of the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), U.S.Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) urges Congress to ensure the expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) stays in the NDAA. 

“We’ll never forget that New Mexico was the first U.S. nuclear testing site, and our communities and loved ones have suffered greatly because of it. It’s long overdue that the rest of the country remembers this as well,” said Rep. Vasquez. “We must ensure New Mexico’s downwinders receive the compensation they rightfully deserve. That’s why I am a proud co-sponsor of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act and I urge Congress to pass the expansion and compensate New Mexico’s downwinders.”

RECA provides a one-time benefit payment to individuals who may have developed cancer or other diseases after being exposed to radiation from atomic weapons testing or uranium mining, milling or transporting. The program was originally passed in 1990, but is scheduled to end in 2024.

Vasquez applauds the new amendment that recently passed the U.S. Senate in the National Defense Authorization Act that updates the current program by expanding eligibility to include then-residents of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. This legislation would also expand eligibility for individuals working in uranium mines, mills or transporting uranium ore after 1971.  

Ahead of the release of the final NDAA, Vasquez praises the expansion and urges Congress to ensure the expansion of RECA stays in the final NDAA.

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