New Mexico senator inviting ‘downwinder’ to State of the Union
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KVIA) -- U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján is taking Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium Co-founder Tina Cordova as his guest for tonight's State of the Union address.
Senator Luján has worked since his election in 2008 to pass legislation to strengthen support for downwinders, also known as New Mexicans impacted by nuclear testing in the state, especially the Trinity Test. The Senate is set to vote on Luján's Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) soon.
"I’m honored that Tina will join me for President Biden’s State of the Union address and as the Senate prepares to once again vote on RECA,” Luján is quoted as saying in a statement released Thursday. “Her leadership and advocacy have been instrumental in moving RECA forward, and I am glad to have her in this fight for justice.”
Cordova founded her consortium in 2005. She is a seventh generation New Mexican and Thyroid cancer survivor.
Generations of New Mexicans, including Tina and her family, have been impacted by the lasting impacts of the Trinity Test," Luján explained in the statement. "It’s far past time to do right by these families who sacrificed for our national security."
