U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to the Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences urging them to recognize American victims of nuclear testing as they prepare for the 2024 Academy Awards. Senator Hawley’s letter comes as the Academy announced the 2023 summer blockbuster “Oppenheimer”—which chronicles the Manhattan Project’s nuclear testing—is the leading film, receiving 13 award nominations.
“As you continue preparations for the ceremony on March 10, I write to urge you to include programming that recognizes the victims of America’s nuclear testing,” wrote Senator Hawley. “The Oppenheimer film tells a compelling story of these test programs. But it does not tell the story of the Americans left behind—still reckoning with the health and financial consequences of America’s nuclear research, after all these years. Shouldn’t the victims who are still paying the price have a voice, too?”
He continued, “The Oppenheimer film closes with a haunting image of the world consumed in nuclear fire. That particular future has not yet come to pass. But countless good Americans have already paid a price for their government’s negligence in testing and failure to clear up nuclear waste. They have the right to be heard on a national stage—especially yours.”
Senator Hawley has been fighting for Congress to reauthorize the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program (RECA) before it expires in a few short months. Last year, his NDAA amendment to do so passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support but was ultimately stripped from the final version of the bill by Congressional leadership. Senator Hawley has vowed to continue working to pass the renewal and make American victims of nuclear radiation whole.
Read the full letter here or below.
January 25, 2024
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
8949 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, California 90211
Dear Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences:
This week, the Academy announced its full slate of nominees for the 2024 Academy Awards. Christopher Nolan’s biopic Oppenheimer is in the lead, with 13 award nominations across a variety of categories. Public interest in J. Robert Oppenheimer’s life story has never been greater, and the ongoing significance of his legacy will undoubtedly be a major focus at the 96th Academy Awards.
As you continue preparations for the ceremony on March 10, I write to urge you to include programming that recognizes the victims of America’s nuclear testing. The Oppenheimer film tells a compelling story of these test programs. But it does not tell the story of the Americans left behind—still reckoning with the health and financial consequences of America’s nuclear research, after all these years. Shouldn’t the victims who are still paying the price have a voice, too?
Across the nation, thousands of Americans currently suffer from cancer and other debilitating medical conditions, brought on by long-term radiation exposure. In places like my home state of Missouri, the radioactive waste of the Manhattan Project was never fully cleaned up. In many Western states, Americans living downwind from nuclear tests were never told the truth of their exposure and its consequences. In both cases, innocent people have suffered for decades. And now Congress stands poised to allow what limited compensation the government has offered victims to expire. That cannot be allowed to happen. These victims deserve justice through fair compensation from their government—and you can help by telling their stories.
The Oppenheimer film closes with a haunting image of the world consumed in nuclear fire. That particular future has not yet come to pass. But countless good Americans have already paid a price for their government’s negligence in testing and failure to clear up nuclear waste. They have the right to be heard on a national stage—especially yours.
Sincerely,
Josh Hawley
United States Senator