This morning Senator Hawley voted against the multibillion-dollar foreign aid package put forth by Senate leadership, criticizing the legislation for fueling the U.S. Defense Industrial Complex while neglecting to compensate nuclear-radiation victims at home, within America's own borders.
Last night Senator Hawley spoke on the Senate floor where he blasted Senate leadership for prioritizing unchecked military aid for Ukraine's war and the country's private sector over funding for American nuclear-radiation victims who have not seen compensation after decades of suffering.
Congressional leadership has repeatedly overlooked Americans poisoned by the federal government through its atomic program. Following its passage in the Senate in July, reauthorization for the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) was stripped from the NDAA in a back-room deal cut by congressional leadership.
In the early morning when nobody was watching the Senate voted to plow another $60 billion of your money into Ukraine. Not a penny for Missouri. Not a penny for radiation victims. But the Big War machine gets its billions. What a betrayal
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) February 13, 2024
The Republican Party has a choice to make. It can be the party of the War Machine or the party of the American people. Not both
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) February 13, 2024
Background
Senator Hawley has committed to doing whatever it takes to reauthorize RECA and bring justice to victims of government-caused nuclear radiation. This vital program—which is set to expire in a matter of months—compensates victims of nuclear radiation from the Manhattan Project. Last week, Senator Hawley filed a RECA amendment to the Senate supplemental aid package and joined advocates on Capitol Hill in a renewed push to compensate radiation victims.