Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District spoke on the House floor today on House Resolution 790, which supports the goals and ideals of a national day of remembrance for American nuclear weapons program workers and uranium miners, millers, and haulers.  Below are her remarks as delivered.

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker.  I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 790, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of a national day of remembrance on October 30, 2009, for American nuclear weapons program workers and uranium miners, miller, and haulers.  I would like to thank my good friend and colleague, Congresswoman Berkley, for introducing this important resolution. 

“The national day recognizes the contributions of heroes whose efforts on the front line of the Cold War changed history.  Their service to our nation was instrumental in the effort to create a nuclear deterrent that helped defeat the forces of communism.  Too often, their efforts are not recognized the way the veterans of other wars have been.  But just as our veterans of other battles served with distinction to protect our nation, so too did the workers at atomic weapons facilities.

“More than half a million Americans have worked since 1942 to create and maintain the United States’ nuclear arsenal.  And while they did not face the dangers of conventional warfare, unfortunately, too many of these workers were left with the lasting scars of a battle that was waged in labs and test facilities across the country.  Many former workers suffered from radiation and toxic exposure in their work on our nuclear forces.

“These workers from around the country deserve our support and are entitled to the care and benefits they have earned from their service during a period of our history when the threat of nuclear war was ever present.  Just as we care for our soldiers returning home from the battlefield, it is our responsibility to care for the workers from our nuclear weapons facilities who have been exposed to the dangerous material that has harmed their health.

“I especially salute the workers at the Nevada Test Site, also known as a national sacrifice zone, and thank them for their service.  For more than four decades, they tested nuclear weapons that would contribute to the safety and security of our nation.  I have been privileged to work with many of them as a board member of the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation and as a sponsor of state legislation to help facilitate the creation of Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas so their incredible story can be made available for all to see and contemplate.  The UNLV oral history program has also amassed hundreds of interviews with Test Site workers and preserved their experiences and reflections of life in the shadow of the mushroom cloud for scholars, journalists, and other people of interest to have access to. 

“So I thank you again, Mr. Speaker, and the other sponsors of this important resolution.  I urge its passage and I yield back.”

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