A Letter to Chairman Stump

The Honorable Robert Stump
Chairman
House Veteran Affairs Committee
335 CHOB
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Honorable Chairman Stump;

According to an "anonymous" source in The Stars and Stripes [August 28-September 2000, p. 12], you were accused of repeatedly removing amendments of resolutions from bills in conference committee that would have made several more cancers presumptive for atomic veterans. Your assistant, Don Amons, responded to these charges saying "that atomic veterans legislation has been removed in conference committee because research hasn't conclusively linked specific cancers to radiation exposure, and service-connection is therefore difficult to establish." The article concludes, "VA physicians, however, have lobbied hard for inclusion of the additional cancers."

What is Mr. Amon's scientific source for his statement? Why is your position diametrically opposite to that of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs which approved S.1810 which includes Senator Paul Wellstone's amendment to make four more cancers presumptive? Why did you override the Senate's support of the Wellstone amendment?

Why did S.1515 add four more cancers to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act of 1990 yet your committee refused to add the same cancers to the already existing presumtptive lists in PL. 100-321 and 102-578? The Veterans Administration also supports your opposition to making more cancers presumptive. Obviously, Mr. Amon's position is not shared by the Justice Department which administers the RECA Act of 1890 and its recent admendments.

Respectfully Yours,

Oscar Rosen, Ph.D.
Veteran of Operation Crossroads, 1946.

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