Congressman Zach Wamp said Tuesday that he will work as hard as he can in a bipartisan effort to get help as quickly possible for employees who have become sick as a result of their work at U.S. Department of Energy facilities in Oak Ridge and elsewhere.

"Department of Energy (DOE) workers who are sick due to on the job exposure to radiation or beryllium deserve to be compensated," Wamp said. "I have met with workers who have various illnesses, and my heart goes out to all those who have suffered for the sake of this great country. The time has come for DOE and the federal government to compensate veterans of the Cold War just as we have compensated other veterans."

"The Senate recently approved a compensation package that has been praised by union leaders, community activists, DOE and others who are involved in this struggle to fairly compensate these dedicated workers. As a cosponsor of several House bills to provide assistance to sick workers, I will work as hard as I can with a bipartisan group of members of Congress to help pass the legislation necessary to make this badly needed program happen," Wamp said.

"No amount of money can restore what many of these dedicated workers and their families have had to go through," he said. "But these proposals are a starting point. We have a solemn obligation to workers who have given so much to this country. I intend to honor that."