With the sundown of the “Widow’s Tax” earlier this yr, Gold Star households are in search of to finish one other vestige of navy household life: a remarriage penalty.
The Love Lives On Act of 2023, launched within the Home of Representatives this week by congressional representatives Dean Phillips, D-Minn., and Richard Hudson, R-N.C., would enable Gold Star spouses to retain their survivors advantages after remarrying.
In line with the Division of Veterans Affairs, surviving spouses solely remarry in 5% of instances, citing monetary considerations about dropping advantages.
A surviving partner should wait till the age of 55 to remarry and nonetheless retain survivor advantages like TRICARE or the Fry Scholarship.
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Advocates of the Love Lives on Act declare that the present statute is stunting each the non-public {and professional} targets of Gold Star spouses, lots of whom depend on advantages to assist their youngsters after the lack of their service member.
A Home of Representatives cosponsor, Congressman Dean Phillips, D-Minn., is a Gold Star son whose mom remarried after his father, U.S. Military Capt. Artie Pfefer, died within the Vietnam Conflict.
“Spouses of those that die in service to our nation make unimaginable sacrifices and deserve endless respect and assist in return,” Phillips stated. “The Love Lives on Act is a part of my mission to make sure navy households have entry to each single profit they’re owed.”
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The invoice was additionally cosponsored within the Home this week by the Republican Congressman from North Carolina who represents Fort Bragg, Richard Hudson.
“We should assist surviving spouses who select to remarry and take away the worry of dropping the advantages paid for by their late spouses’ sacrifice,” Hudson stated.
Within the Senate, the invoice was cosponsored by senators Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.
“I’ve heard from surviving spouses in my state who need to remarry and supply their youngsters with a father or mom determine however really feel they need to postpone marriage as a result of the monetary danger of dropping their advantages is just too nice,” Moran, the lead senator on the Veterans Affairs Committee, advised Fox Information Digital.
Warnock, who additionally cosponsored the invoice in April, famous the timing of the invoice’s introduction.
“As our nation comes collectively to commemorate Memorial Day, it’s essential for all of us to do not forget that it’s not simply service members who present up,” Warnock stated. “Their households make super sacrifices for our nation as effectively.”
Present VA legislation declares {that a} Gold Star partner is not the duty of the navy as soon as she or he remarries, which incorporates well being care. A spokesperson for the Division of Protection confirmed in an e mail with Fox Information Digital that “TRICARE advantages for [a] surviving partner finish once they remarry.”
Amy Dozier is a surviving partner of SFC Jonathan Dozier, and the Love Lives On Act would profit her if signed into legislation.
“To remarry would imply to lose the advantages I paid into and earned as Jonathan’s spouse and now widow,” Dozier stated.
“The downstream impact, particularly on this financial system, can be detrimental not solely to our monetary stability, however, extra importantly, to the expansion [my daughter and I] proceed to have on this journey.”
“Selecting to remarry shouldn’t impression a surviving partner’s skill to pay payments. They need to not have to decide on between one other likelihood at love and monetary safety,” TAPS, or Tragedy Help Program for Survivors, added in an e mail to Fox Information Digital.
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The Love Lives On Act of 2023 awaits a vote in each the Home of Representatives and the Senate forward of Memorial Day Weekend and the annual congressional recess.
This text was initially printed by foxnews.com. Learn the original article here.
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