Phoenix – Former Congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Matt Salmon on May 17th, issued a statement on the passage of S.4119, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) Extension Act:

"I appreciate Senator Mike Lee for introducing this bill and Arizona's delegation for doing their best to shape it to address our state's needs.

"To be frank, though, this extension is the bare minimum that Congress could have done to address the very real issues confronting victims of radiation exposure. The federal government has a solemn and overdue responsibility to provide justice to the Downwinders throughout our state whose lives and families were harmed by its nuclear weapons testing.

"If there is any cause for bipartisanship, the health and well-being of Arizona families is it. I hope that Congress will view this two-year extension as an opportunity to come together and finally expand eligibility under RECA so that the people of Mohave County and elsewhere can obtain the resources they deserve and the resolution they need to move forward."