Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Death Gratuities Equity Act of 2016. I am joined by Senators Cardin and Warner in support of this bill. Congress required the Office of Personnel Management to study and report back on death gratuities and funeral expenses given to families of Federal employees killed in the line of duty. OPM provided its report in 2012, and what it found deeply disturbed me. Across the board the numbers were wildly different. Some families would get a $10,000 death gratuity with $800 for funeral expenses. Those funeral expenses were then deducted from the lump sum death gratuity. The $800 allotment for funeral expenses had not been updated in 50 years, and the $10,000 amount has not been updated in 20 years. This report really struck a nerve with me. If you are working hard every day for your country and you are killed in doing that duty, your country should do all it can to thank you. I think that's a pretty reasonable request. So I worked with OPM and the administration to create this legislation here today. My home State of Maryland has one of the highest numbers of Federal employees. Marylanders are called to service, and we proudly represent team USA at home and around the world. In 1998, when Al Qaeda bombed the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, killing twelve Americans. Maryland lost two of its own that day, Julian Bartley Sr. and his son, Jay.…”