Katie Porter: “July marks the 75th anniversary of the first U.S. nuclear test in the Marshall Islands, a tragedy that continues today.…”

“July marks the 75th anniversary of the first U.S. nuclear test in the Marshall Islands, a tragedy that continues today. Orange County is proud to be home to one of the oldest Marshallese- American communities. But why the Marshallese came to the United States is a disgraceful chapter in our Nation's history. From 1946 to 1958, the United States conducted 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands. We deceived the Marshallese, using them as guinea pigs to study the effects of radiation. We turned ancestral lands into dumping grounds for nuclear waste. We still haven't done the bare minimum to make this right. We established a tribunal for compensation but provided less than 10 percent of the money owed. We don't even translate environmental studies into Marshallese. Our nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands is at the nexus of President Biden's top priorities: racial justice, healthcare, climate change, U.S. global reputation, and countering China through diplomacy. We must commit across party lines to make this right. ____________________”