National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Chairman, this is an amendment that I am offering along with my colleague from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer). I want to thank him for his leadership on this issue.

Our amendment would very simply create a service medal to be awarded to atomic veterans or their surviving family members in honor of their service and sacrifice to our Nation.

Between 1945 and 1962, about 225,000 members of our Armed Forces participated in hundreds of nuclear weapons tests. Now known as atomic veterans, these GIs were placed in extremely dangerous areas and were constantly exposed to potentially dangerous levels of radiation in performance of their duties. They were sworn to secrecy, unable to even talk to their doctors about their past exposure to radiation.

Thankfully, Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush recognized the atomic veterans' valiant service and acted to provide specialized care and compensation for their harrowing duty.

In 2007, our allies Great Britain, New Zealand, and Australia, enacted their versions of this amendment by authorizing a medal to honor their atomic veterans who served with the United States.

Regrettably, the Pentagon remains silent on honoring the service of our atomic veterans, arguing that to do so would diminish the service of other military personnel who are tasked with dangerous missions. Mr. Chairman, this is a pitiful excuse.

Tragically, more than 75 percent of atomic veterans have already passed away, never having received this recognition. They served honorably and kept a code of silence that most certainly led to many of these veterans passing away prematurely.

Past administrations and Congresses have dealt with thornier issues of legality and compensation. What remains is recognizing these veterans' duty, honor, and faithful service to our Nation.

I want to thank my colleagues in the House for unanimously voting favorably last year by a vote of 424-0. I was shocked when the Service Medal was not included in the conference report. So I am urging my colleagues to join me in voting for this amendment again. Let us send a message to the Senate that this is important and that we are not going to give up. Together we can show them that we are serious about honoring this brave and distinguished group of patriotic Americans.

We owe it to our atomic veterans to recognize them for their selfless service to our Nation.

Mr. Chairman, let me close by saying, our veterans who are now known as atomic veterans served this country with great distinction. When they left the service they raised our families, they worked in our factories, and they contributed to our communities. They are getting older. Let us not wait until there are no surviving atomic veterans before we do the right thing.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring our atomic veterans. This is the right thing to do. It is shameful that we have not been able to do this sooner. I am confident that maybe this is the moment where we will do the right thing.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

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