Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) is talking “one-on-one” with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) about how to get a program for radiation exposure victims reauthorized in the lower chamber.
Hawley told reporters Thursday that he has spoken with Johnson “personally” in recent days about the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, signaling fresh hope that a deal can be hammered out before the end of the year.
“Over the last few weeks, he and I have had several conversations,” Hawley said. “You know, his staff has been involved, and his personal engagement has been really, really productive.”
Hawley had been pressing Johnson to expand the program to cover residents in Missouri, among other states affected by uranium storage and mining. But House leaders, concerned about the price tag of the expansion, allowed the program to expire in June.
Since that time, Johnson has been working with Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO), Hawley’s Missouri counterpart in the House, on a possible reauthorization. The Washington Examiner previously reported that a spending cap on the funds was among the proposals being considered.
Hawley’s involvement in House talks is a new development. Until this point, Hawley has been combative with Johnson, delivering a floor speech in May critical of the speaker’s “indecision” on the program.
He joked at the time that Johnson was not taking his calls.
That relationship appears to have thawed in recent weeks. Hawley had kind words for Johnson, repeatedly telling reporters he “really appreciates” his engagement.
“I don’t want to speak for him, but just speaking for myself, I’ve appreciated it, and what he’s expressed to me in terms of his desire to do something here and to resolve this issue, to help victims of nuclear radiation, has been very positive,” Hawley said.
Hawley declined to get into specifics of what a deal might look like. He, like other RECA advocates, disputes that an expansion would cost anywhere close to the more than $50 billion cited by GOP opponents of the bill, but he’s also been flexible on the price tag.
In March, his bill passed the Senate after he reached a compromise with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to slash billions from its total cost.
A House GOP leadership source cautioned that the existing sticking points over cost and possible offsets remain.
Still, Hawley expressed optimism over the legislation’s prospects, at one point telling reporters that he and Johnson were “close to a deal.”
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Hawley’s outreach is not limited to the speaker’s office. He told the Washington Examiner he has been in touch with members of Utah’s House delegation, including Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT). She is among the lawmakers pushing for a “right-sized” and more narrowly tailored bill.
Meanwhile, grassroots advocates for the program’s expansion will be traveling to Washington next week to lobby for a vote before lawmakers depart for an October recess.
