It’s been one year since the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) expired. For the communities most affected by the U.S. government’s nuclear weapons program, every day without it is a day without justice.
RECA was created in 1990 with strong bipartisan support to acknowledge and compensate people who were unknowingly exposed to radiation from nuclear weapons testing and uranium mining in the western United States. For decades, the U.S. government conducted hundreds of above-ground nuclear tests, often in secret and without adequate warning to nearby communities. The radioactive fallout from these tests—along with radiation exposure from uranium mining and processing—caused devastating health effects, including cancers, respiratory diseases, and other life-altering illnesses.
Through RECA, some of these individuals received limited compensation and access to health screenings. But the program never went far enough. Many impacted people, especially outside the Southwest and uranium workers employed after 1971, were excluded. Despite FCNL’s advocacy alongside impacted communities to secure Senate passage of RECA expansion legislation, on June 10, 2024, Congress allowed the program to expire.
This isn’t just about compensation—it’s about recognition. It’s about justice.
For communities in states like Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and beyond, the legacy of nuclear weapons development isn’t history—it’s reality right now. People are still grappling with high cancer rates and long-term health damage. Families are still mourning loved ones lost too soon. Through all this pain and suffering, many have yet to receive a single dollar or apology from the government that hurt them.
This isn’t just about compensation—it’s about recognition. It’s about justice.
There is currently a plan to partially expand RECA in the reconciliation bill that’s currently moving through the Senate. While it regrettably wouldn’t cover every impacted community, it would reauthorize the program and open the door to further expansions.
As Quakers, we believe in recognizing the Light in every person. That belief calls us to stand with those who have been ignored for too long. FCNL and our interfaith partners continue to call on Congress to act. As a Quaker organization committed to peace, justice, and healing, we believe this moment is critical. There can be no true national security without redressing the harm done in the name of security.
We urge every member of Congress—especially those from impacted states—to support RECA reauthorization and expansion. It’s past time to listen to those who’ve carried this burden for generations. Their stories demand a response. Their lives deserve action.
Congress must act now. Repairing the harm caused by our nation’s nuclear weapons program is not only a moral responsibility—it is a necessary step toward a more just, peaceful, and compassionate society.
