Hagel seeks higher military death benefits

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

Published Wednesday | March 21, 2007
Hagel seeks higher military death benefits
BY JAKE THOMPSON
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Hagel wants to eliminate a financial penalty for surviving spouses of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and those who died from service-related disabilities in other wars.

Hagel and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., reintroduced a bill Tuesday that would allow qualifying spouses to receive two survivor benefits at the same time. Currently, the benefits count against each other.

The Military Retiree Survivor Benefit Equity Act could affect 61,000 survivors and raise the monthly benefits they receive by $300 to $1,066 a month, said Steve Strowbridge of the Military Officers Association of America.

"We're very pleased to see this," he said.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1216&u_sid=2351262

[SpiralHawk]

1. Because republicons in general HATE our veterans

as they have demonstrated over and over again by raising up chickenhawks and deserters to positions of power, and by verbally trashing veterans who served honorably, and especially by lying and profiteering at Walter Reed Army Hospital while letting our honorable Veterans suffer in deplorable conditions, it is safe assume most of them -- Hagel excepted -- will oppose this.

Why do republicons hate any American Veteran who served honorably?

[soothsayer]

2. because it reminds them of their own cowardice, and because

soldiers are in large poor, with lots of minorities in the mix. Not their rich neighbors.

[PittPoliSci]

3. i think some veterans' life benefits would be a good idea too.