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Connolly & Rooney Introduce Bill to Ensure Payments of Military Death Benefits

Congressman Gerry Connolly and Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL) have introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure our nation keeps its sacred obligation to families of service members who have died in service to their country. Read more.

Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL) have introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure our nation keeps its sacred obligation to families of service members who have died in service to their country.

The Connolly-Rooney bill (H.R. 250) - The Families of Fallen Servicemembers First Act - would ensure the immediate payment of military death benefits to survivors of fallen servicemembers during federal government shutdowns or any other circumstance when federal spending authority lapses.

“I was outraged by reports during the 2013 government shutdown that death benefits were delayed for the families of more than a dozen U.S. service members who were killed in action in early October of that year,” Connolly said. “We must keep our sacred trust with every man or woman who dons the uniform in defense of our nation and with the families of those whomake the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  We cannot allow political posturing in Congress or other factors that force a government shutdown to prevent the distribution of funds and other resources to military families in times of need and grief.  We must honor our commitment, no matter what.”

“Our bill ensures the swift and uninterrupted delivery of needed benefits to the families of our fallen troops,” Rooney said. “Nothing should stand in the way of keeping our obligations to our military families, particularly in times of immense grief and sadness. I’m glad to work with Rep. Connolly on this common sense, bipartisan bill.”

The Honoring Families of Fallen Soldiers Act (H. J. Res. 91), which passed Congress and was signed into law by President Obama on October 10, 2013, provided a continuing appropriation for military survivor death benefits, but only for fiscal year 2014. The legislation did not make any such provisions for the possibility of future shutdowns.

The Connolly-Rooney bill would make permanent the appropriation for military death benefits and other survivor benefits, protecting military families of fallen servicemembers from Congressional inaction.

The longstanding purpose of the federal death benefit is to assist families of deceased service members in meeting their financial needs during the period immediately following a service member's death and before other survivor benefits become available. These payments are delivered within three days of a service member’s death so families do not have their grief compounded by worrying about financial matters, including the immediate expenses of flying to meet their loved one’s remains at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware or arranging funeral and burial services, Connolly and Rooney noted.

The Connolly-Rooney bill will ensure these benefits are never subject to Congressional inaction. “The sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform and their families do not cease just because Congress fails to get its job done, and neither should the financial support they deserve in times of tragedy,” the congressmen said.

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