Radiation Exposure Compensation Act

July 2, 2025July 2, 2025 Hazardous Waste

By Christen Commuso, Policy Specialist

As many of you know, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) expansion bill that we have worked on for several years was included in the GOP’s big budget bill, which has already passed in the Senate. I would like to acknowledge Senator Hawley for keeping his promise to our national RECA Working Group by ensuring that RECA is included in any bill moving through Congress. We are grateful for his steadfast commitment to our RECA communities, and we recognize that this move increases our chances of passing RECA. Unfortunately, it also puts us in direct opposition to our broader goals of protecting the environment and public health. It is difficult to view this as a victory when it comes at the expense of Americans’ health, prosperity, and the environment. 

This bill not only cuts access to healthcare and food assistance programs that millions of Americans—primarily seniors, women, and children—depend on, but it also rolls back renewable energy incentives while prioritizing more oil and gas production, burdens student borrowers, increases the national debt by trillions of dollars, and so much more. 

As a cancer survivor who would benefit from the RECA program, and having worked tirelessly for the past 12 years to share St. Louis’ story, I feel a deep sense of conflict and guilt. We must consider how many members of our community who could benefit from RECA could also lose access to healthcare if the proposed Medicaid cuts are approved. 

The bill is currently in the House, where a vote could happen as early as today. We encourage everyone reading this to contact their House representative to express their thoughts and/or concerns about the overall bill. We also invite you to share your comments here. 

Make no mistake: we unequivocally support RECA expansion to include all communities across the country who have lost loved ones, are battling their own illnesses, and have sacrificed so much to bring this to fruition. If the bill passes, we WILL promote the RECA section and assist residents in understanding the claims process and its requirements. We forever stand in solidarity with our “nuclear” family.