New Mexico
New Mexican RECA activists voice frustrations in Washington, D.C.
It’s a fight dozens of New Mexicans have been fighting for years to get medical compensation for radioactive exposure.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Dozens of New Mexicans have been fighting for years to get medical compensation for radioactive exposure.
This week, another group is taking the fight to Washington, D.C.
“Many of them had stories. Many of them have family. Many of them themselves are sick,” said Loretta Anderson with the Southwest Uranium Miners Coalition.
Anderson is talking about all the Four Corners uranium miners. They say the health issues span generations.
“The hospitals, the clinic, they just send us around circles, and they don’t give us a clear diagnosis. So that the RECA, the old RECA Bill had expired on June 10. That’s when I realized this is wrong. This is wrong completely,” said Maggie Billman, a RECA activist from Sawmill, Arizona.
That’s why the group is lobbying for the U.S. House of Representatives to vote on re-instating RECA, the Radioactive Exposure Compensation Act.
Maggie Billman’s father was a Navajo code talker. He died from lung cancer in 2001. It’s stories like hers they want House Speaker Mike Johnson to hear.
“We’re going to his front door, and we’re going to demand that something gets done,” said Anderson.
The group took off Sunday, and after a 37-hour bus trip, they met with the New Mexico delegation Tuesday in D.C.
“RECA has expired because of Speaker Johnson,” said Sen. Ben Ray Luján.
“We have the votes it passed the Senate, it will pass the House, bring it to the floor. These people should not have to cross the country for justice,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury.
The Senate already passed the legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support.
This week, House lawmakers are hearing from New Mexicans about why passing RECA is so important.
Mildred Chino from Laguna Pueblo says her husband was a uranium miner for 11 years, but was excluded from RECA because the government said he only had low levels of exposure. He died last year.
“I come with the voice of my spouse’s voice ‘Why mom why.’ Every time he got a denial letter. I have a stack of denial letters 2015 to about 2022 his claim went back and forth,” said Chino.
The group says they’ll never give up.
“‘You should’ve been dead by now,’ they told my sister last week. She said, ‘No I’m not, I’m fighting it,’” said Carol Etcitty Roger, a cancer patient from Shiprock.
The speaker of the House decides what goes to the floor for a vote.
The bill that passed the Senate would expand to cover people who were wrongly excluded, like Chino’s husband. It would also extend the bill for six years.
It’s unclear if there will be a vote this week while the group is at the Capitol.
Josh’s Saturday Night Forecast
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Calmer weather has moved back into the state this afternoon. Temperatures are slightly warmer across northwestern New Mexico, while southeastern areas are cooler thanks to the backdoor cold fronts that moved in on Friday. Breezier winds will return Sunday and will help kick off a warming trend across the state, along with an elevated fire threat in eastern New Mexico.
Warmer weather will continue building in across the state throughout the upcoming week. A few isolated rain chances will return Monday in parts of New Mexico, but some of that rain may evaporate before reaching the ground.
Good morning!
Heading out the door this morning? Bundle up! Cold air has settled into the Land of Enchantment after two cold fronts passed through New Mexico within the last 24 hours. Temperatures have fallen to the teens, 20s and 30s throughout northern New Mexico. The metro area is just as cold with Moriarty falling to the teens and several other cities bottoming out near the freezing point. The National Weather Service (NWS) has Freeze Warnings in place until 9 a.m. for several locations in northern and central New Mexico. However, one of the aforementioned cold fronts is still moving through eastern New Mexico this morning. That back door cold front has brought 30-45 mph wind gusts, or more, in southeastern New Mexico. The front will push west further west this morning bringing breezy winds to far south and southwestern New Mexico this afternoon. Otherwise, much calmer weather will be on tap for the state compared to the majority of this week.
The colder air this morning will bring cooler and seasonable weather to the Land of Enchantment later on Saturday. Afternoon highs will range from the high 50s, in sections of the northern mountains, to the 70s in southern New Mexico. Throughout the weekend into early next week a warming trend is expected as a ridge of high pressure builds on Sunday, which is forecasted to last through at least Tuesday. By next Tuesday, high temperatures will be 5 to 15 degrees above normal, and even warmer for some locations by next Wednesday with breezy conditions returning to the state.
Moisture does stream back into the state early next week across New Mexico. Tomorrow’s forecast is expected to have cloud coverage increase with warmer weather. On Monday sufficient moisture in the mid to upper levels of the atmosphere will bring the chance for showers; however, moisture levels toward the surface will be lower. That will also bring the chance for dry showers and thunderstorms throughout the state. Have a great weekend and stay warm this morning!
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A New Mexico man has taken a plea deal for his role in the death of a three-year-old girl more than two years ago. Police said that Kerri Santos brought her toddler to University of New Mexico Hospital, claiming that she fell and hurt herself. Medical staff determined the child was already dead when she arrived, and noticed signs of abuse, including evidence that she had been tied up. Police said that Santos and three others were staying at James Welch’s home when the abuse took place.
On Friday, Welch pleaded no contest to three counts of child abuse and tampering with evidence. He faces up to five years behind bars.
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