The bill for Gold Star families seeks to double the amount of military death benefits
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From the moment you get that knock on the door until you’re handed a folded American flag, Gold Star families experience a lifetime shaped by loss. Last week we celebrated Gold Star Spouses Day on April 5. April is also Military Baby Month. I invite you to think about the sacrifices of our military families, especially those whose loved ones have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Losing a loved one in the service of our country affects us differently. These families are asked to continue with strength and dignity, to unite the same ideals that their loved ones fought to protect. It is often called the honor that no one wants.
I recently had the privilege of meeting with members of the Gold Star Wives of America in my Washington, DC office. Their strength, kindness and willingness to stand up for military families left a lasting impression. Their stories are powerful reminders of the human cost of service.
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The sacrifice of our military families cannot be overstated. Every servicemember lost comes with dire consequences—lives disrupted, futures ruined, and families left with only memories and a folded flag.
As the father of a beautiful little girl, I do not feel the pain of losing a child. One Gold Star mother recently told my office about the loss of her son in 2010 to an IED in Afghanistan. He said, “Increasing the death benefit will help New Gold Star Families in many ways.” For him, this first bridge payment helped cover the travel expenses of the family members he wanted to honor; for others, it helped cover funeral expenses or other unpaid debts.
The sacrifice of our military families cannot be overstated. Every servicemember lost comes with dire consequences—lives disrupted, futures ruined, and families left with only memories and a folded flag.
Grief does not end after a funeral. Families must understand the fact that their loved one will never have another birthday or celebrate another Christmas. The couple will mourn the anniversaries and must decide when and if they will stop wearing the wedding ring.
Gold Star children will have to live with disappointment for the rest of their lives, facing the reality of walking down the street without their father or choosing a wedding dress without their mother. These are all painful possibilities that every service member knows they are risking when they sign up to serve and many more realities that they have to face.
A girl responds in front of a headstone during Memorial Day as visitors pay their respects to veterans and those lost in battle at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, US, May 31, 2021. (Reuters)
Besides the emotional difficulties, there are also practical concerns. Young couples often put their own careers on hold to support their military husband or wife. When the worst happens, they now need to figure out how to financially support themselves and their children and all while navigating great grief.
The reality these families face underscores an important question: Why have the benefits of survivors not kept pace with modern needs? The first payment families receive when a loved one dies has not been revised in more than 20 years. Some benefits, including social security, military retirement, and federal wages, are adjusted for inflation, but not “death benefit” payments for our military families. Time to right this wrong.
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That’s why I introduced the Gold Star Families Act called Honoring Our Nation’s Obligation to Remember. This law will increase the total military death benefit—often called a bridge payment—from $100,000 to $200,000 for the families of fallen servicemen.
The bill also adds a cost-of-living adjustment so that future payments automatically increase with inflation, helping to ensure continued support for Gold Star families over time. The legislation was co-sponsored by Armed Services Committee members Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii. It is also endorsed by American Gold Star Mothers, Gold Star Wives of America, Military-Veterans Advocacy and the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS).
Recent losses remind us that this burden continues. Take the recent conflict with Iran, where 13 members lost their lives. One of those soldiers was Capt. Cody Khork, a 35-year-old man who, according to his family, was very patriotic and described as “patriotic.”
Another service member who lost his life was Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor. She is survived by a son who is in his first year of high school and a daughter who is in the fourth grade. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan was also killed in the conflict.
His nephew wrote on Facebook. “He is our Hero with the heart of a slave, he leads with love and courage, he made a great sacrifice for our country, an honorable soldier, and I believe that God welcomed him home with open arms saying, ‘You did well my son, go well.’
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The loss and heartache these families are going through right now cannot be measured, but we can keep them in our prayers as they grieve, and we can support them in a meaningful way.
That’s why I put the HONOR Gold Star Families Act into effect. My bill will apply to all families who lost a loved one in Operation Epic Fury regardless of when my bill is signed.
Our Gold Star mothers, fathers, children, spouses, and siblings have given so much to our nation. It’s time to give them back—and this bill is one way to do that.
