As a 2023 Civitas Summer Intern, do you want to continue our conversations?
Since we had so many great conversations in our internship, we wanted to see if you are interested in an Intern Newsletter in which we continue our discussions. Any intern is welcome to submit articles, news blurbs, questions, etc. In our next newsletter, we'll let you know how.
Last Friday, July 28, the United States Senate passed a measure that provides relief for residents in Missouri and elsewhere from radioactive exposures that began with the Manhattan Project in the 1940s. This is a big victory for many citizens in the St. Louis area, and especially for JustMomsSTL, led by Dawn Chapman and Karen Nickel.
Passage of the bill required 60 votes in the U.S. Senate, and it cleared the upper chamber by a vote of 61-37. It is probably fair to say that the bill would not have passed the Senate without the work of Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley.
For the bill to now become law, it must pass the House of Representatives and then be signed by President Joe Biden. The House returns to DC in September after the August recess, and it is unclear what action it might take on the bill.
The 61-37 vote in the Senate is both bi-partisan, and very interesting. While the measure was sponsored by Republican Hawley, all Democrats voted for it, except West Virginia's Joe Manchin. We are not quite sure why he voted no. Here is a graphic look at the vote.
On the Republican side, twelve voted yes, almost all representing the handful of states that will receive money for radiation remediation or buyouts. We thank Senator Hawley, also Senator Schmitt from Missouri and the ten other Republicans who voted for the measure. But let's all keep in mind that the vote is truly a reflection of how voting in Congress works.
