Jacky Rosen Questions Nom About Getting Healthcare To Airmen Exposed To Radiation At Classified Locations

yesterday

At today's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) questioned Richard Anderson, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

Transcript

00:00Thank you, Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Reed.

00:05Thank you to our witnesses, your families today, your willingness to serve.

00:09I appreciate that.

00:10I want to change it up from the beaches of Florida to talk about something that you don't get to see,

00:17which is classified locations.

00:19And I want to talk about documenting exposure at classified locations.

00:24So, Mr. Anderson, I asked General Cain at his confirmation hearing about documenting exposure at data mass locations,

00:32where the duty station and its existence are classified.

00:36We have a lot of those all around the country, particularly in Nevada.

00:39So that service members' records, well, they accurately reflect service-connected injuries at these classified locations.

00:48I've heard from constituents who served at such locations within the Nevada test and training range,

00:53who believe they were exposed to radiation from our days of conducting explosive nuclear weapons testing,

00:59and to toxins from burn pits, which disposed of classified waste.

01:04However, DOD does not classify the range as a place where exposure has occurred,

01:10despite the Department of Energy providing a presumption of exposure for their personnel

01:15who served at the same exact locations within the range.

01:18And because their service records are data-masked,

01:21these veterans can't even prove to the VA that they actually were ever stationed there.

01:27One such facility that's covered for DOE but not DOD is the Tonopah Test Range,

01:32which is at both the DOE and Air Force installation.

01:36Portions of the range are still fenced off today due to contamination.

01:41But the airmen who served there were never told about the contamination.

01:46They do not have a presumption of exposure like their DOE counterparts that they served alongside with,

01:52and they can't even prove they were there again because their records are data-masked.

01:57All of this has prevented them from being able to receive the veterans' benefits that they deserve.

02:03So, Mr. Anderson, if confirmed, will you commit to working with me and this committee to find a solution

02:09that both provides a presumption of exposure at such Air Force locations

02:14and provides those who served and are currently serving these locations with sufficient documentation

02:20so that when they become veterans they can submit claims for health-related issues

02:25without compromising the security of their service details?

02:30Senator Rosen, absolutely, if confirmed, I will certainly do that.

02:35We owe the care and diligence to individuals who have worn the cloth of the country

02:42and have served at a masked location or an unmasked location.

02:46We take care of our people equally well, and I will commit to working with my counterparts

02:52in the Department of Veterans Affairs and with this committee.

02:55Thank you. It's extremely important, and I want to continue on this.

02:59A little bit talking about the NNSA equities that we have.

03:04So, Dr. Napoli, the Nevada National Security Site, hosts a nonproliferation test and evaluation complex,

03:12the largest facility for open-air testing of hazardous materials and biological stimulants in the world.

03:19It's where first responders actually train for nuclear catastrophes.

03:23If confirmed, another Nevada equity which would fall under your direction is the Remote Sensing Laboratory, RSL.

03:30It's on Nellis Air Force Base and Joint Base Andrews. There's two in the country.

03:35They provide radiological emergency response teams along the West Coast and the East Coast, respectively,

03:41stand ready to provide emergency radiological response anywhere in the world with deployable teams of experts.

03:48RSL has been undergoing a number of upgrades to their equipment, including their helicopters, detectors, communication gears, etc.

03:56And I've had the great pleasure of touring their facility at Nellis. I'm glad to bring you there. It's quite remarkable.

04:05So, Dr. Napoli, if confirmed, what additional investments in the Nevada National Security Site and the Remote Sensing Laboratory do you think would be prudent

04:14to ensure that they continue to fulfill their counterterrorism, nonproliferation, and nuclear detection missions in the years ahead?

04:22Thank you, Senator. The missions that you outline within the Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation are incredibly important.

04:31I do look forward to learning more about the nuclear emergency response teams and their actions in the state of Nevada.

04:36I've not previously gotten briefed on the details associated with those programs,

04:41but I do look forward to learning about that very quickly upon entering into the position.

04:46I would say that my experience with the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, I have extensive experience in emergency planning and emergency response.