HEALTH:: White House in Brawl Over Weapons Workers.

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> b

> Tue, 31 Aug 2004

> White House in Brawl Over Weapons Workers

>

http://story.news./news?tmpl=story & u=/ap/20040831/ap_on_go_pr_wh/weapon\

s_workers_1

 

 

> White House in Brawl Over Weapons Workers

>

> Tue Aug 31, 2:22 AM ET

> By NANCY ZUCKERBROD, Associated Press Writer

>

> WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is locked in

> a rare election-year fight with fellow Republicans

> in the Senate over a troubled program for tens of

> thousands of weapons plant workers who got sick

> building nuclear bombs.

 

> The lawmakers say they don't understand why the

> administration is blocking a Senate-passed amendment

> to the defense bill that would overhaul a

> compensation program bogged down by delays and other

> problems.

>

> " I can't fully understand what their resistance

> is, " said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (news, bio, voting

> record), who is in a tough re-election battle in

> Alaska. " We've been hammered by our constituents. "

>

> Many of the workers are from battleground states

> in the upcoming presidential election, including

> Colorado, Iowa, New Mexico, Ohio and Washington

> state.

>

> " These people are sick and dying, " said Terrie

> Barrie of Craig, Colo., whose husband was sickened

> while working at the former Rocky Flats plant near

> Denver. " The administration, the Department of

> Energy (news - web sites), is just refusing to

> listen. "

>

> The Senate proposal would streamline the

> compensation process by having the government pay

> claims directly rather than having Energy Department

> contractors do it and later reimbursing them. It

> also would move the program from the Energy

> Department to the Labor Department (news - web

> sites) and require the government to perform

> environmental studies of plants.

>

> The lawmakers complain the Energy Department has

> squandered much of the $95 million it received since

> Congress created the program. As of the end of July,

> the agency has paid only 31 claims out of about

> 25,000 filed. The $700,000 in paid claims amounts to

> an average benefit of roughly $22,500.

>

> Administration officials declined to comment on

> their opposition to the Senate measure, except to

> point to a statement by the White House budget

> office citing concerns that a change would create an

> " unworkable process, " cause more delays, increase

> costs and expand the program's scope.

>

> Senators say their bill does not add new benefits,

> but would ensure that more workers eligible for

> compensation get it.

>

> House members appear to be siding with the

> administration.

>

> Rep. Zach Wamp (news, bio, voting record),

> R-Tenn., said changing who runs the program would

> cause more delays. He also expressed concern about

> GOP members in Congress feuding with a Republican

> administration during a presidential election year.

>

> Harry Williams, a former worker at the Energy

> Department's Oak Ridge, Tenn., facility, said he is

> a Republican who doesn't plan to vote for Bush this

> November as long as the administration continues to

> oppose the changes workers want.

>

> " I voted for him last time, but this time around I

> don't think I will, " Williams said. " As it comes to

> dealing with the working guy, his administration

> doesn't have a feel for it. "

>

> Democrats are generally trying to steer clear of

> politicizing the issue.

>

> The tension between GOP lawmakers and the

> administration was highlighted a month ago when the

> White House announced the recess appointment of

> Susan Grant as the Energy Department's chief

> financial officer.

>

> Sen. Jim Bunning (news, bio, voting record),

> R-Ky., had been blocking her nomination to protest

> the department's handling of the compensation

> program. President Bush (news - web sites) made the

> appointment while Congress was in recess, skirting

> the need for Senate confirmation.

>

> The workers were exposed to toxic substances such

> as radiation, heavy metals, asbestos and harsh

> solvents and acids while employed by Energy

> Department contractors. They often were not told

> what they were working with and did not have

> adequate protections.

>

> " These are our Cold War veterans, " said Sen. Lamar

> Alexander (news - web sites), R-Tenn. " They were

> working in an environment that they thought was

> safe. It wasn't safe. "

>

> Other influential Republican senators who support

> the overhaul include Majority Leader Bill Frist of

> Tennessee, Energy Committee Chairman Pete Domenici

> of New Mexico, Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted

> Stevens of Alaska and Finance Committee Chairman

> Charles Grassley of Iowa.

>

> The proposal to help the workers is part of a

> defense bill passed by the Senate, but it is not

> included in a House-passed version. GOP senators are

> trying to persuade House members to include the

> changes in the final bill, but their efforts have

> been opposed by the Bush administration.

>

> Congress passed a law four years ago directing the

> Energy Department to help the workers file claims

> for lost wages and medical benefits under state

> worker compensation systems. That reversed a

> decades-old practice in which the government helped

> contractors fight the workers' claims.

>

>

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