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Floor Speech

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Mr. HAWLEY. Mr. President, I think now I have heard my friend from Utah change his position. Now he is saying he is willing to acknowledge that there needs to be an expansion of coverage for the people of Missouri, for the people of his own State, for the people of New Mexico.

I am glad we have gotten to this point. I am glad we are willing to acknowledge finally that indeed there are those who have suffered, Americans who have been poisoned by their government, who have never been compensated, and it is basic justice to compensate them. I think that is now the position that we are at. It has taken us a long time to get there, but I think that is what I now hear the senior Senator from Utah saying.

I think I also heard him say that cost should not be used as an excuse. Let's just be clear about something. The cost has been paid. It has been paid by the victims. Who is it who is paying the medical bills? The victims are. Who is it who is having to choose whether to do a cancer treatment or be able to afford school supplies for their kids? The victims are. Who are the ones who are having to decide whether they can afford the burial services or not for a loved one who has passed away from nuclear radiation? The victims are. They are the ones paying the cost.

The U.S. Government has gotten off scot-free. Fifty years, the U.S. Government hasn't paid a penny in my State, in New Mexico, the Navajo Nation in Arizona, to the miners, our veterans--nothing. Nothing. They are the ones who made the mess. In Missouri, it is still not cleaned up. As I stand here on this floor, Coldwater Creek is still poisoned, the Westlake Landfill is still burning, and Weldon Spring is not cleaned up. The government hasn't done anything.

I am glad to hear an acknowledgment finally that it is time for the Federal Government to take responsibility for what it has done. We can all agree on that.

We can all agree that the time to act is now, which is why this body has acted. It has done everything Senator Lee has just talked about. We have done it. We did it months ago--months ago. The Senator talks about getting this done today; it has been done. The Senate has done it. We passed this bill with nearly 70 votes months ago.

I urge the Senator to use his good offices in the House to speak to Speaker Johnson, who pledged, by the way, to the Congresswoman from Missouri, Ann Wagner, in a public statement--he said the House would take this up and make sure RECA is renewed.

I believe the Senator is right. They have 18 days--18 days. He made a commitment. Let's keep our commitments.

I urge the Senator to use his good offices, now that we all agree, to get this done in the U.S. House of Representatives. That is where the obstacle is. But I reiterate, I will not be party to any attempt at some halfway measure, some short stopgap bill, or some effort to sweep this under the rug--not anymore. The victims have waited too long. They have waited too long.

I yield to my friend from New Mexico.
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