In a move crossing partisan lines, Rep. Ruben Gallego has joined forces with colleagues across both chambers of Congress, urging House Speaker Mike Johnson to call a vote on the Senate-approved Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act (RECA). Gallego, alongside a coalition of lawmakers, signed a bipartisan, bicameral letter highlighting the urgency of the legislation, which aims to address the aftermath of America's nuclear legacy.

The push for House action comes as the RECA program faces its expiration in June 2024. "We urge action immediately to strengthen the RECA program before its impending sunset in June 2024. The United States government exposed these Americans to radiation as part of our national security efforts through World War II and the Cold War. It is long past time that RECA be strengthened to give these Americans recognition and compensation. Their livelihoods, often devastated by the long-term consequences of radiation exposure, depend on your leadership and commitment to rectifying past injustices. Let us honor the commitment we made to these citizens by ensuring they receive the support and recognition they so rightly deserve,” the lawmakers stressed in the letter, a text of which was made available by Rep. Gallego's office.

Further impetus for the legislation was provided by the film "Oppenheimer," which delved into the genesis of the nuclear age, particularly the first nuclear test in New Mexico in 1945. The downwinders, those residing in the vicinity of nuclear test sites, in addition to individuals involved in uranium mining and related activities, are still grappling with the health ramifications of exposure to radioactive materials. The Senate's bipartisan backing earlier in March set the stage for the current appeal to Speaker Johnson.

The collective of lawmakers includes a spectrum of political leanings, featuring Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Sens. Mike Crapo (R-ID), and others from both sides of the aisle. As the June deadline looms, the call for Speaker Johnson's leadership becomes increasingly critical.