New Mexico
RECA has expired. What's next?
Help for people sickened by radiation from nuclear tests and uranium mining, including here in New Mexico, is coming to an end after 34 years.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Help for people sickened by radiation from nuclear tests and uranium mining, including here in New Mexico, is coming to an end after 34 years.
The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act expired Friday after U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson didn’t call a vote on a bill to extend and expand it.
That’s despite a 69-30 U.S. Senate vote in March.
The expiration left New Mexicans, who worked in uranium mines and were downwind of nuclear tests, in wonder. What’s next for them and their families?
“I’m the fourth generation in my family to have cancer since 1945. And unfortunately, now I have a 24-year-old niece who’s diagnosed with thyroid cancer,” said Tina Cordova, co-founder and executive director of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium.
Advocates like Cordova are never giving up. For her and others, it’s a lifelong fight – but this is a massive setback.
“While they play politics, we’re gathering up our resources for someone to have cancer treatment. We’re having bake sales and car washes and selling cattle so we can meet our health care needs,” Cordova said.
Lawmakers are using this energy and support to chart the next steps for RECA.
Starting Tuesday, the House Rules Committee will decide which amendments could be made to the National Defense Authorization Act.
“There’s over a thousand amendments and ours is one of them,” U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez said.
Cordova is pressing local Republican leaders to call on their counterparts in Congress.
“The Republican Party of New Mexico knows and has supported our efforts to expand RECA in the past. They know that radiation exposure is not discerning. It’s affected the young, the old, the black, the white, and the Republican and the Democrat alike,” she said.
Just a simple extension isn’t enough either. With RECA the way it is, it doesn’t cover New Mexico downwinders and their families, like Cordova and her family.
Rep. Leger Fernandez says people already covered aren’t budging either.
“They’re saying no. The Navajo Nation, whose members can benefit from the existing RECA, have passed a resolution calling for the expanded RECA,” she said.
While the RECA program has expired, the office will still process claims submitted before June 10. The office will remain open until they’ve addressed all of the claims.
KOB 4 reached out to the Republican Party of New Mexico for a response to Cordova’s call to them. Chairman Steve Pierce issued the following statement:
“During my time in Congress, I supported the RECA program to provide compensation for the victims of radiation exposure from United States nuclear testing. The main challenge has always been to negotiate a bill that is fair to all parties involved. From the outside, it appears the Senate bill has provisions that House leadership is currently not willing to accept. The issue is bipartisan, so I trust that negotiations are ongoing, which will see that the program continues. Even if the bill expires, provisions can be incorporated to mitigate any disruption to the program.”
We also reached out to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office for a statement. However, we have not heard back from them yet.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Rail Yards Market celebrated the state’s rich indigenous culture and history over the weekend through artistry, food, and craftsmanship. Some of the many attractions included a variety of southwestern jewelry pieces, handmade leather goods, as well as contemporary beadwork and artwork showcasing centuries-old traditions.
The Ry-Dale Largo Dance Group also performed traditional Navajo dancing styles. “I think it’s really important for everybody to get out and mingle and sit next to each other and create art. It really forms a sense of community, and it’s nice to just sit and create with people next to you that just really enjoy doing art,” said Lisa Richards, beading instructor.
Organizers say the Rail Yards Market sits on Tiwa land, emphasizing their pride in uplifting indigenous voices through their vendors and partners.
VALENCIA COUNTY, N.M. – Valencia County Fire Department responded to a serious UTV crash after two people suffered major injuries in the Rio Puerco area.
The Valencia County Fire Department one patient was flown to the hospital with critical injuries. A second patient went by ambulance with serious injuries.
The fire department said this was the second serious ATV or UTV crash its crews handled that day.
Earlier in the day, units responded to an ATV crash that sent two children to the hospital with multiple traumatic injuries.
The fire department urged riders to wear helmets, stay off roadways and make sure children do not operate ATV or UTV vehicles without supervision.
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