最新杏吧原创

JEFFERSON CITY 鈥� U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner said Wednesday she supports U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley鈥檚 plan to expand an existing nuclear waste compensation program to cover 最新杏吧原创 residents.

The Senate attached Hawley鈥檚 amendment to its version of the National Defense Authorization Act, but no similar expansion had cleared the House, which has approved its own version of the annual defense bill.

Wagner, a Republican from Town and Country, had not spoken out publicly in favor of Hawley鈥檚 amendment until Wednesday.

In a statement to the Post-Dispatch, she said members of both chambers鈥� armed services committees needed to meet in a conference committee to work out differences between the House and Senate.

鈥淚 am supportive of the Hawley amendment being included in the merged bill, and hope that the conference committee chooses to include it in the final version, so I have the opportunity to vote for its passage,鈥� Wagner said.

She said she hoped Eric Schmitt, Missouri鈥檚 other U.S. senator and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, would be named to the conference committee 鈥渁nd fight for all of Missouri鈥檚 interests in the upcoming negotiations.

鈥淭he 最新杏吧原创 area was significantly impacted by our country鈥檚 WWII nuclear program, and I will continue to advocate for those affected by it,鈥� Wagner said.

Schmitt Hawley鈥檚 amendment, and U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-最新杏吧原创, also supports the Senate effort.

鈥淚 think this is incredible,鈥� said Dawn Chapman, one of the founders of Just Moms STL, of Wagner鈥檚 support.

She said it was 鈥済ood to hear it, because, you know, everything鈥檚 happening so fast with the Hawley amendment that we haven鈥檛 had time ... to reach out and get support or know where people stand.鈥�

State Rep. Tricia Byrnes, R-Wentzville, said she anticipated Wagner鈥檚 support for Hawley鈥檚 amendment.

鈥淪he sent staff to our meeting last week, and I think he was blown over by the reaction from the crowd and the people in her district that are reporting injuries,鈥� Byrnes said of a community meeting last week in New Melle.

Hawley鈥檚 measure, which has yet to pass the House, would provide reimbursement to people with a medical condition linked to nuclear radiation exposure and who were 鈥減hysically present in an affected area鈥� 鈥� defined by 20 ZIP codes 鈥� for at least two years after Jan. 1, 1949.

Affected ZIP code areas, which cover most of north 最新杏吧原创 County, the north riverfront area of 最新杏吧原创 and a large swath of St. Charles County are 63031, 63033, 63034, 63042, 63045, 63074, 63114, 63135, 63138, 63044, 63140, 63145, 63147, 63102, 63304, 63134, 63043, 63341, 63368 and 63367.

Bush met with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Tuesday at the Department of Energy-managed Weldon Spring site in St. Charles County.

In a statement following the meeting, Bush said, 鈥渢his conversation marks an inflection point in a positive partnership, and I believe that, together, we will work with the community to ensure the federal government cleans up its waste, restores trust, and ensures our neighborhoods are safer and healthier.鈥�

Granholm spoke to 最新杏吧原创鈥� nuclear waste history during a stop Tuesday in the city鈥檚 Carondelet neighborhood to promote a federal grant for a company to manufacture a component for electric vehicle batteries.

Granholm said there was 鈥渘o doubt鈥� 最新杏吧原创-area sites need to be cleaned up, and that 鈥渨e鈥檝e got to make sure that people feel safe.鈥�

鈥淚 can鈥檛 speak for the administration on that particular piece because I just don鈥檛 know the answer, but it certainly is something we鈥檙e looking at for sure to bring justice to families that have been affected,鈥� Granholm said.

Chapman said Wednesday she was waiting for more information on Granholm鈥檚 talks with Bush.

鈥淒id she agree to anything?鈥� Chapman asked. 鈥淚s she going to fight the amendment?

鈥淚s she going to go back to DC, you know, and maybe schedule a Zoom meeting so we can all figure out where she is on this?鈥� Chapman asked. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to fight this energy secretary. I don鈥檛 know if she鈥檚 a friend or a foe.鈥�

Speaking in New Mexico on Wednesday, President Joe Biden signaled he鈥檚 open to granting assistance for people sickened by exposure to radiation during nuclear weapons testing, including in New Mexico, where the world鈥檚 first atomic bomb was tested in 1945, The Associated Press reported.

Biden brought up the issue while speaking Wednesday in Belen at a factory that produces wind towers.

鈥淚鈥檓 prepared to help in terms of making sure that those folks are taken care of,鈥� he said.

The president鈥檚 comments appeared to signal a willingness to expand the program to also include people in the 最新杏吧原创 area that may have been exposed to Manhattan Project waste.