A bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández is pressing the Justice Department to quickly implement updated regulations for the expanded Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, warning that delays could cost gravely ill survivors precious time.
In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the New Mexico Democrat and her colleagues thanked the department for promptly updating RECA application forms but stressed the urgency of fully implementing the newly expanded program.
“Our constituents have waited far too long for justice,” the legislators wrote. “Many survivors are already very ill, and with each passing week, more may die or be diagnosed.”
The lawmakers outlined specific steps they want the Justice Department to take, including hiring navigators to assist claimants, offering multiple application methods, providing multilingual resources and protecting survivors from scams.
The expanded RECA program, passed earlier this year after decades of advocacy, broadens eligibility to include communities long excluded from compensation. The changes cover downwinders in New Mexico and uranium workers in additional states who were affected by the government’s nuclear testing program.
Leger Fernández has championed the expansion since taking office, repeatedly introducing legislation to cover all impacted communities and holding press conferences with survivors. Uranium worker Phil Harrison joined her for the 2024 State of the Union address.
Joining the letter were Reps. Gabe Vasquez and Melanie Stansbury, Sens. Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Mark Kelly of Arizona, Ruben Gallego of Arizona, and Reps. Celeste Maloy of Utah, Greg Stanton of Arizona, Wesley Bell of Missouri, Dina Titus of Nevada, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson Jr. of Georgia, Pramila Jayapal of Washington and Brittany Pettersen of Colorado.
The lawmakers requested a meeting with Justice Department leadership to ensure the agency understands the needs of impacted communities and acts in accordance with tribal customs and rural realities.
People with concerns about the program can contact their local member of Congress, call the RECA Program at 1-800-729-7327, email civil.reca@usdoj.gov or contact the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium at trinitydownwinders.com for free assistance.