María Elvira Salazar: “I rise to introduce a simple piece of legislation. The idea underlying this bill is simple: words matter. How we…”

“I rise to introduce a simple piece of legislation. The idea underlying this bill is simple: words matter. How we characterize what we do sends a message, and nowhere is that more clear than in the question of survivor benefits for survivors of military fatalities. The Senate this year is considering major increases in survivor benefits for military families. That is as it should be, and I am proud to support two specific proposals to increase that assistance. We have an historic opportunity to raise both the direct DoD assistance and the life insurance payouts to families from $12,420 to $100,000 and to provide an extra $150,000 in life insurance payouts. We also have an opportunity to allow full concurrent receipt of the DoD's Survivor Benefit Plan and the VA's Dependency & Indemnity Compensation. We also have the opportunity to improve the help that military survivors get in navigating the bureaucracies of the VA and the DoD to get the benefits they deserve. And finally we have the opportunity to protect military families from predatory life insurance companies. All of these reforms are needed, and all are within our reach this year. As I studied this issue, I was struck by the term 'Death Gratuity.' That is the name for the assistance that taxpayers make available to military survivors. The term gratuity means gift. I believe that not one of the widows, widowers, or children left behind think of that money as a gift.”