Hearing of Committee on Veterans' Affairs on Benefits for Survivors: Is America Fulfilling Lincoln's Charge to Care for the Families of Those Killed..
Hearing of Committee on Veterans' Affairs on Benefits for Survivors: Is America Fulfilling Lincoln's Charge to Care for the Families of Those Killed in the Lne of Duty?
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. PATTY MURRAY, U.S. SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON
Senator Murray. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank you and Senator Akaka for calling this extremely
important hearing today. You mentioned in your opening statement the words of Abraham Lincoln of 140 years ago that we
have to promise to care for the veteran who has borne the battle, his widow, and his orphan, and I think as Members of
this Committee, we have a tremendous responsibility and an opportunity to keep that promise still today and I look forward
to working with you towards that goal.
I also want to welcome all of our panelists who are here today, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Gold Star
Wives of America, and National Military Family Association. All of you are to be commended for being such strong advocates for families and I really appreciate the work you do across the country.
But I particularly want to thank the women and the men who have lost loved ones fighting for our freedoms. Mrs. Petty and
Mrs. McCollum, you are very brave to be here today and all of us really appreciate your coming today and sharing with us your
experience so we can do the right thing for everyone who has lost someone in their service to this country.
Mr. Chairman, my father was a disabled veteran from World War II and I grew up understanding the commitment that he made to this country and the responsibility we carry to make sure that he and others like him are kept the promises that were
made to them. During my college internship back in the early 1970s, I worked in the Seattle VA Hospital. I was a senior in
college during the Vietnam War and was working with young men and women my age who were coming back from Vietnam. I know the tremendous burden they gave to this country and the responsibility we owed them, and that is one reason why I have served on this Committee for some time and keep the commitment to making sure that those who serve us are kept the commitments that we have given them.
That is why today, a lot of my work is continuing to make sure that our brave soldiers and airmen and women have the
tools that they need to accomplish their missions, but that we also make sure that those who have served us get the benefits
and services they have earned and don't have to keep fighting for them, to make sure that they get them quickly and
honorably, as well, and to make sure that we take care of the families who have lost loved ones who certainly have given the
ultimate commitment to our country.
Last year, or several years ago, I fought with a number of Members of this Committee against a VA rule that would have
limited the amount of unclaimed benefits that a survivor could receive. VA's policy said that if a veteran had not received
any unclaimed benefits by the time they died, their survivors could only get 2 years of the benefits that they owed the
veteran. We made that change 2 years ago and now survivors do receive all the benefits that are owed them.
I am also proud to have worked with my colleagues on this Committee to update the survivor benefits formula. Now, the
Senate voted to increase those benefits last year, but unfortunately, it was left out of the defense bill last year,
so we have more work to do in that area, as well. That is one of the reasons why your being here today and having this
hearing is so important, so that we can make sure that we get benefits timely to the people who deserve them so much.
Mr. Chairman, I look forward to the testimony. I do have another commitment and another hearing that I will attend, but
I will be reviewing all the testimony. Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Akaka, who is now here, I look forward to working with you on this Committee to make sure we keep the promises that we made.
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