Manuel Lujan: “I come to the floor today to talk about the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act yet again. I appreciate this opportunity…”

“I come to the floor today to talk about the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act yet again. I appreciate this opportunity because as I have learned, every opportunity we get to talk about the families, to share the stories of the families who are dying of cancer and suffering--for the Federal Government has ignored them for decades--we are able to earn one more vote, one more Member who will stand courageously in that well and say: We can do the right thing, and we can ensure that we are going to provide support and coverage for these families. I come to the floor today to share the same concerns as my friend Senator Hawley. I have proudly been working on the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act since I was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2009. Prior to that, my predecessor in the Senate and in the House, Tom Udall, was working on this policy and these issues. I have had the honor of speaking with the late Senator Orrin Hatch--may he rest in peace--about the faults that were made when this legislation was passed in 1990 and amended in 2000, of the families that were left out. After we hear about this approach, we get a chance to talk a little bit more about another idea, and I hope to be able to share some quotes from Senator Orrin Hatch about how we should be working together. But today, Mr. President, for this portion, I want to share the story of Mary Dickson. Mary grew up in the fallout of nuclear testing.…”