Bill Nelson: “for the last 4 years I have been talking about the unfair and painful offset of the Defense Department's Survivors…”

“for the last 4 years I have been talking about the unfair and painful offset of the Defense Department's Survivors Benefits Plan against Veteran's Affairs Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, or DIC. This offset mistreats the survivors of our service members who die on active duty now and our 100 percent disabled military retirees who purchased this benefit at the end of their careers. It is wrong, we know it, and we have got to fix it. Taking care of widows and orphans is a cost of war. I have reminded the Senate of the Good Book's words, that in God's eyes the true measure of our faith is how we look after orphans and widows in their distress. And they are in distress. We are in a violent struggle around the world with brutal and vicious enemies. Sadly, American troops are lost every day. We must never forget that the loved ones left behind by our courageous men and women in uniform bear the greatest pain. Their lives are forever altered; their futures left unclear. They suffer the enduring cost of the ultimate sacrifice, and the Nation that asked for that sacrifice must honor it. The Department of Defense has provided the Senate several objections to our amendment. For the benefit of my colleagues, I would like to answer each objection. First, just because the Pentagon objects to the amendment does not mean we should not act. The Pentagon's objections have not stopped Congress from correcting military benefit inequities before.…”