MISSOURI, USA — U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) was openly critical of U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Missouri 2nd District)as she has voiced concerns about the cost of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.
Now, Hawley is calling on the House of Representatives to quickly pass RECA. The Senate passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act on Thursday. President Joe Biden has already said he’d sign it into law, but it faces an uncertain future in the House.
In a report from the Kansas City Star, Wagner said, “We’re just not looking to raise our deficits and debts any further than they already are. So, there needs to be a legit pay-for on this.”
In reaction to Wagner's statements, Hawley questioned her history of passing other legislation.
"She's voted for tens of billions of dollars in funding for Ukraine and other foreign wars," Hawley said. "If those things are priorities, shouldn't the citizens residents of St. Louis be priorities?"
Wagner reiterated her support for RECA on the site formerly known as Twitter. She said, "I have consistently fought on this issue for the last decade."
The bill by Senators Hawley and Ben Ray Lujan (D-New Mexico) would expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include more people who believe their illnesses were caused by that exposure. While many Republicans have balked at the cost — an estimated $50 billion, according to Hawley’s office — the senators have argued that the government is at fault and should step up. While in town to support union workers on strike at Graybar, Hawley spoke on the urgency of the bill.
"This has got to get done" Hawley said. "People in our state will get nothing unless the House acts by June."
The day before the legislation passed in the Senate, Biden released a memo saying it would support expanding and extending the compensation act. Hawley said that while he doesn't agree with Biden on much, he is glad to partner with him to support St. Louisans.
"I want to get it to his desk," he said. "June is when this program will go dark and thousands of Americans who depend on this program for life-saving help are going to get nothing if the house doesn't act by June."
Wagner took to social media to share that she is hoping to move the legislation forward as soon as next week. Wagner says she is working to add it to the House appropriations bill. Hawley said he hopes that is a good sign for the future of the bill:
"That sounds like we're moving in the right direction," Hawley said. "But there needs to be no excuses. No delays from anybody. And I've called I've talked to the Speaker of the House about this multiple times before, I'm going to talk to every house member who will listen to me, the Senate now has done its part the house needs to get on it."
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