National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE
June 16, 2004
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, it is an honor to come to the floor today to speak in support of this amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization Act on behalf of nuclear workers. I am proud to cosponsor this amendment. Why am I am honored to speak on behalf of this amendment? Simply put, because it is the right thing to do. The nuclear workers who will receive compensation under this amendment helped America win the cold war. They worked in our nuclear research facilities, our weapons facilities or, in the case of Alaskans, at the site of the largest nuclear test our country ever conducted. It was through their hard work and courage that our Nation was able to triumph in the most significant challenge we faced during the second half of the 20th century.

Will the compensation to be provided nuclear workers under this amendment really repay our Nation's debt to them? Of course not. It will not come close. Sylvia Carlsson is the widow of an Amchitka worker. Her husband was a mine shaft workers on the Project Cannikin at the Amchitka, AK, nuclear test site in 1971. Project Cannikin was our Nation's largest nuclear bomb test. He was exposed to ionizing radiation during the course of his employment. He died of colon cancer before his 41st birthday. Bev Aleck and Nancy Woodward-Tremper are two of a number of other Alaskan widows with similar stories. Other former Amchitka workers, such as Andrew Akula, are still living but are suffering from life-threatening conditions. Ask any of these Alaskans whether this compensation will make up for lives lot or a lifetime of debilitating disease. It wouldn't. However, the compensation they have earned will at least show that a grateful Nation acknowledges their contribution to our national security.

Let me briefly talk about what this amendment actually does. First, and perhaps most importantly, my colleagues should recognize that this amendment does nothing more than cure deficiencies in Energy Employees Occupational Illnesses Compensation Program Act that Congress passed in 2000. It is narrow, focused legislation. It certain is no brand new entitlement program.

The Energy Employees Act of 2000 established two programs for compensating nuclear workers. The program under subtitle B of the act is administered by the Department of Labor. Numerous claims have been processed and many claimants found eligible have received compensation under the Department of Labor program. Indeed, the Department of Labor's implementation of subtitle B has been universally recognized as a success.

In sharp contrast to the Department of Labor's record, the processing of claims under subtitle D of the Act by the Department of Energy has been unacceptably slow. In 4 years, only 3 percent of claims have been processed by DOE. The great majority of claims remain unprocessed by DOE.

DOE's failure to successfully implement its portion of the Energy Employees Act has been the subject of two recent Senate Energy Committee hearings. The record of these hearings unequivocally reflects both DOE's dismal claims processing record and its failure to develop any plan to provide funds to a significant percentage of nuclear workers found eligible for compensation.

In addition to the Senate hearings, the GAO recently issued a report on DOE's implementation of subtitle D of the Energy Employees Act. It found numerous problems with both DOE's claims processing efforts and confirmed the findings of the two Senate Committee hearings concerning DOE's ability to assure that claimant's found eligible would actually receive compensation.

I try to stay away from dry statistics when discussing issues that have such a direct impact on so many Americans' lives and health. However, I think that in this instance one statistic starkly illustrates the need for this legislation. After 4 years and more than $90 million in administrative funding, DOE has provided compensation to only 4-yes, 4-of more than 24,000 individuals that have applied for assistance under the subtitle D program.

There is nothing new or difficult about this legislation. There is nothing that requires lengthy reflection or consideration. This amendment simply implements legislation Congress passed 4 years ago. Unfortunately, what Congress intended in the 2000 Energy Employees Act has not occurred. This amendment addresses that failure.

I close my remarks as I began. Our Nation owes a debt of gratitude to the nuclear workers. It is well past time that we provided Alaskans and other Americans the compensation they have earned in service to our country. The workers and their survivors deserve no less.