Political Quotes

“for my colleagues who don't know, during World War II, the Federal Government established the Hanford site in Central Washington State to produce the plutonium that our Nation needed for nuclear weapons. To this day, workers are on the job in cleaning up that site. It is important but dangerous work. One of those dangers is beryllium exposure that causes serious respiratory diseases. Now, Congress passed legislation providing care to those working on our nuclear arsenal, but here is the thing: Not everyone who needs these critical medical benefits for beryllium exposure can get them today. Right now, people have to jump through very costly, unnecessary hoops, and, even then, they could be denied--all because the statute is outdated. Right now, a beryllium blood test that is ``borderline'' does not count toward a diagnosis even when you are experiencing the effects of beryllium exposure or when it is your third such borderline result. That is just not right. By the way, it is not consistent with the current science either. My amendment simply updates the statute and brings it in line with an OSHA rule that was finalized under the last administration so that more workers can easily get the care that they need. And it is a fiscally responsible measure. The CBO estimates it will cost less than $500,000 over 10 years, if anything at all, but it will make a real difference for these workers who have sacrificed so much for our country.…”