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 atmoic 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, hve 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.