In recent years, I’ve focused on our efforts related to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), a federal initiative aimed at providing limited compensation to several communities impacted by radiation from U.S. nuclear weapons operations. These communities have long sought recognition and redress for the health complications stemming from nuclear armaments, and for the last five years, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has stood in solidarity with them.
This summer marked a significant achievement. After numerous trips to Washington, DC, urgent mobilizations of advocates, moments of frustration (including the complete expiration of the program), and bursts of optimism, RECA has been restored and considerably broadened. According to congressional estimates, 125,000 individuals who had previously been excluded from RECA will now qualify for compensation, making this the most extensive program expansion to date. While this expansion does not fulfill all the needs of affected communities, it represents a crucial step towards justice and a noteworthy achievement in today’s political landscape.
The advocates at the core of this struggle have endured a lengthy and often heartbreaking journey. For those living downwind of the 1945 Trinity Test in New Mexico, the exposure began nearly 80 years ago, resulting in a relentless fight for acknowledgment and assistance. Others, including residents burdened with Manhattan Project waste in Missouri, contend with ongoing dangers in their neighborhoods. Throughout this ordeal, RECA advocates have witnessed many loved ones fall ill and pass away while striving for help. One of the most difficult aspects of this victory is the knowledge that it won’t restore those who died waiting for assistance.
No one should have had to suffer or face cancer due to these circumstances. The predicament we face arises because the U.S. government recklessly exposed communities while amassing a nuclear weapons arsenal and subsequently misled the public. While RECA attempts to acknowledge and compensate the affected, we recognize that no measure can truly replace a loved one and the life that has been prematurely cut short.
True justice may remain elusive, but RECA’s journey can still progress further. To appease fiscal conservatives, congressional leaders removed compensation provisions for certain exposed areas—like Guam and the region closest to the Nevada test site—and reduced healthcare benefits for claimants. This decision merely shifts the financial burden onto those who can least afford it: communities grappling with health issues related to radiation exposure.
The individuals omitted from this recent expansion deserve justice just as much, and we have already been collaborating with our coalition to fill these significant gaps in the coverage through various legislative efforts in Congress. However, before pivoting to the next phase of this campaign, it’s vital to reflect on our path to this moment.
How Victory Was Achieved
We gained invaluable insights and faced our share of failures along the way, but our coalition has also celebrated numerous successes:
- Bipartisan Congressional Advocacy. Over the years, we cultivated strong, bipartisan backing for this issue by fostering relationships with members from across the political spectrum. We coordinated visits from advocates and community members to DC, hosted both in-district and virtual meetings, and conducted hundreds of conversations with congressional representatives, alongside thousands of calls and emails directed at their offices.
- Media Engagement. Advocates and community representatives made concerted efforts to share their narratives, raise their voices, and maintain pressure on legislators through continuous media coverage spotlighting community experiences. They held press events, penned opinion pieces and letters to editors, and participated in numerous interviews. Consequently, over 100,000 media stories on RECA emerged from 2020 to 2025, including coverage from major national outlets such as CBS, NBC, the New York Times, NPR, and the Wall Street Journal, alongside extensive local coverage in every impacted state. Notably, these stories consistently featured community voices, ensuring that the issue remained at the forefront of legislative discussions surrounding RECA nationwide.
- Innovative Events and Tactics. We harnessed creativity! We linked our issue to the release of the Oppenheimer film, capitalizing on a significant cultural moment. Congressional advocates highlighted stories and photos from affected communities on the Senate floor. We also arranged for advocates to attend the 2024 State of the Union address, organized a cross-country bus journey with dozens of Indigenous advocates traveling from Albuquerque to DC over 38 hours, and held prayer vigils and marches to the U.S. Capitol.
- Building a National Coalition. We have worked to form and nurture a national coalition over the years, with diverse members from various backgrounds and ideologies. This group has demonstrated that even in this deeply divided era, collaboration, mutual respect, and support for one another are possible. Many within this coalition have referred to it as a family.
The following outlines UCS’s contributions to RECA, beginning in 2020 when we first became involved (building on ongoing efforts of affected communities for decades):
- 2020: Released a letter underscoring the impact of COVID on communities affected by radiation, signed by 150 organizations, which led to a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) office.
- March 2021: House Judiciary Committee hearing featured testimonies from affected community members, leading to the establishment of a RECA Working Group.
- December 2021: The House Judiciary Committee conducted a markup for a bill proposed by Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), which passed the committee with a 25-8 vote.
- 2022: Worked to secure over 100 bipartisan co-sponsors for RECA legislation.
- June 2022: Instead of a substantial expansion, RECA received a two-year extension until June 2024.
- July 2023: Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) joined the campaign, merging his bill to support communities in Missouri with Crapo and Luján’s broader bill. This combined initiative passed as an amendment to the Senate’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with 61 votes.
- December 2023: The amendment concerning RECA was removed from the NDAA.
- March 2024: A standalone RECA expansion proposal was introduced to the Senate floor and passed with 69 votes.
- May 2024: Our coalition successfully opposed another two-year extension proposed by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and other bills that would have offered limited coverage, continuing the push for expansion.
- June 2024: The RECA program lapsed as Johnson declined to bring the Senate-approved expansion to a House vote.
- December 2024: Successfully swayed the Utah congressional delegation from opposition to support for expansion, overcoming the final hurdle in the House.
- July 2025: The expansion of RECA was signed into law as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
This expansion would not have been possible without the commitment and courage of community members who have vigorously shared their experiences and organized within their neighborhoods. It has been a privilege to champion this cause alongside my exceptional colleagues at UCS and the dedicated advocates who have tirelessly fostered this movement over the years. While the battle is not finished, this victory stands as a testament to the dedication, skill, and resilience of these communities and what we can collectively achieve.
NOTE: This blog post was previously reported to state that the county nearest the Trinity Test site would not be included in the expanded RECA; this has been updated to accurately reflect that the county nearest the Nevada test site is not covered.
