Department of Defense Survivor Benefits Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, this past Sunday, four brave United States servicemembers died in service to our Nation. Like too many before, Lieutenant Jennifer Moreno, Sergeant Hawkins, Sergeant Joseph Peters, and Private First Class Cody Patterson were killed--far from home--by an improvised explosive device in the remote Kandahar province of Afghanistan.

Now, due to the government shutdown, their families have not been disbursed the standard survivor benefits from the United States military that they are rightfully owed. These benefits include reimbursement to the family for funeral expenses, payment of survivor housing, reimbursement for funeral travel, travel associated with dignified transfer of the remains, and other expenses.

This is, beyond a doubt, an outrage. Two of the fallen, Sergeant Hawkins and Private Patterson, were based in my district at Fort Benning, Georgia. Both soldiers were members of the Army's prestigious 75th Ranger Regiment. Sergeant Hawkins was serving his fourth deployment to Afghanistan and Private Patterson his second.

Imagine the pain these families are going through in coping with the death of a loved one. Now imagine being greeted with the cold shoulder of a shuttered government, their country turning on them all because of an unnecessary shutdown.

How dare we not provide these grieving families with the necessary support in their time of need. I am truly embarrassed that these shutdown shenanigans have impacted these brave soldiers' families in this way.

To those people who say the government shutdown is only of minimal impact, remember these families. This is not minimal. These are our sons and daughters we have sent to combat in faraway lands, and they should never have to question our Nation's resolve in taking care of their families. We must reopen our government so that such inconveniences do not continue to plague our Nation.

In the meantime, let's pass this bill, H.J. Res. 91, for our Nation's military families.

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