Sen. Franken, Congresswoman Meng Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Bring "Atomic Cleanup Veterans" The Health Care They Need

Press Release

Senator Al Franken and Congresswoman Grace Meng have introduced a commonsense bipartisan bill to bring important health care benefits to "Atomic Veterans" who were exposed to high levels of harmful radiation when assigned to clean up nuclear testing sites during the late 1970s.

The bipartisan Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act--named after the late Congressman Mark Takai of Hawaii--would designate veterans who participated in the nuclear cleanup of Enewetak Atoll on the Marshall Islands as "radiation-exposed veterans," and make them eligible to receive the same healthcare and benefits given to other service members who were involved in active nuclear tests.

"One of my highest priorities as a Senator is making sure that our veterans and their families get every benefit that they deserve," Sen. Franken said. "Atomic Cleanup Veterans are often forced to pay out of pocket for certain medical costs because the VA does not recognize that they were exposed to high levels of radiation. Despite being put in harm's way, these veterans are being shortchanged. Our bipartisan, bicameral legislation ensures that veterans who participated in the cleanup of the Enewetak Atoll receive the benefits they deserve and should have received long ago."

"Service members who cleaned up Enewetak Atoll deserve the same benefits that U.S. law guarantees to other service members who were exposed to dangerous radiation and nuclear waste," said Rep. Meng. "It is imperative that Congress recognize and correct this discrepancy as soon as possible. My good friend Rep. Takai cared deeply about this bi-partisan issue, and this legislation will not only rectify the omission, but honor his commitment to our service members and his dedication to public service. I'm happy to partner with Senator Franken on this important initiative, and I thank him for introducing a version of this legislation in the Senate."

The bipartisan bill, which is cosponsored in the Senate by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), is named after Rep. Takai, a veteran of the U.S. Army and Hawaii Army National Guard who passed away last year. Rep. Takai originally sponsored the bill in the House during the last session of Congress.

Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands was the site of more than 40 nuclear tests between 1946 and 1958. The service members who participated in its nuclear cleanup between 1977 and 1980 suffer from high rates of cancers due to their exposure to radiation and nuclear waste, but are currently unable to receive the same treatments and service-related disability presumptions that other "radiation-exposed veterans" receive. The Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act would tackle this issue by extending key VA benefits to those who helped clean up the Marshall Islands, which remain partly uninhabitable due to high levels of radiation.

You can read a copy of the bill by clicking here.

Source