Unknowing, unwilling, and uncompensated victims of the Cold War
Tina Cordova and Laura Greenwood of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium
RECA is a bipartisan program that provides partial restitution for the devastating health impacts of radiation exposure from U.S. nuclear weapons testing and production. The program was championed by the late Sen. Orrin Hatch, and signed into law in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. These leaders recognized that the U.S. government bears responsibility for the downwinders, uranium workers, and atomic veterans whose lives and health were sacrificed for our national security.
Due to inaction in Congress, RECA expired in June 2024. It can still be reinstated, but the program as it stands now is still highly flawed, and many exposed communities have never been eligible for coverage. For decades, victims have watched countless loved ones pass away while fighting to be included in RECA, and many still desperately need this support. As a country, we must honor these sacrifices and provide the support that these communities and individuals deserve.
Congress must work together to strengthen and extend RECA, before it’s too late.
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Linda Evers
“My daughter was born with defects that could not be repaired with a simple surgery. She had to have 5 surgeries before she was 4 years old to build the hips she was born without. The professional medical people that were responsible for her surgeries and recovery convinced me that over exposure to radiation was the cause of her birth defect and I quit working in uranium that day.”
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Mary Dickson
“We were patriotic Americans who believed our government when it assured us, “there is no danger.” Our government not only lied to us for decades, but considered us expendable. We have paid and continue to pay an enormous price. A government that knowingly harmed its own citizens has a moral responsibility to take care of those harmed.”
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Lincoln Grahlfs
“When she was dying, I promised my daughter I would never give up advocating for the abolition of nuclear weapons. At 98, I admit I’ve slowed down a bit, but I hold out hope our elected officials can come together to do the right thing. By extending and expanding RECA, our government can take an important step towards rectifying the harms caused by U.S. nuclear weapons.”