IT'S
IT'S JUSTICE. >> REPORTER: IN PRINCE WILLIAM,
WUSA 9.
WUSA 9.
WUSA 9. >>> NOW A STORY YOU SAW FIRST
ON WUSA 9. FOR YEARS, MEN AND
WOMEN HAVE STORMED CAPITOL HILL
DEMANDING CONGRESS CHANGES 4@A
LAW THAT STRIPS THEM OF
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS 4@A YEAR.
THE PROBLEM AFFECTS 65,000 OF 4@
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. THE
THEM. THE JOURNEY TO FIX IT.
>> REPORTER: OUR GOVERNMENT HAS
BROKEN A SACRED PROMISE TO
SURVIVING MILITARY SPOUSES.
FINANCIAL BENEFITS PROMISED TO
THEM HAVE BEEN TAKEN AWAY.
WE FIRST EXPOSED THIS WRONG
BACK IN FEBRUARY AND SINCE OUR
REPORTING ON THIS ISSUE, THE
TIDE IS TURNING, BUT THE BATTLE
IS NOT OVER.
AND DEFEAT IS NOT AN OPTION.
>>
>> 4@MY
>> 4@MY NAME'S CHRISTIE. MY HUSBAND WAS SERGEANT FIRST
CLASS IN THE 4@UNITED STATES
ARMY.
ARMY.
ARMY. >>
ARMY. >> REPORTER: THEY ARE TREASURED
POSSESSIONS.
POSSESSIONS. >> MY HUSBAND'S NAME IS
LIEUTENANT -- U.S. ARMY.
>> REPORTER: CHERISHED
MEMORIES.
MEMORIES.
MEMORIES. >> EDITH SMITH, LIEUTENANT
COLONEL VINCENT M SMITH, UNITED
STATES MARINE CORPS.
>> REPORTER: PERSONALLY 4@
REMINDERS OF THE ULTIMATE 4@
SACRIFICE.
SACRIFICE. >> MY HUSBAND IS PETTY OFFICER
SECOND CLASS JEFRY -- WHO IS
SERVING ON THE USS AUSTIN WHEN4
HE DIED.
HE DIED.
HE DIED. >> REPORTER: THEIR SAILOR,
NAVAL OFFICER, MARINE AND
SOLDIER SERVED OUR 4@COUNTRY.
>> AND 4@REMEMBER, OUR HUSBANDS
PROTECTED AND DEFENDED THIS
FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
>> REPORTER: BUT THOUSANDS OF
MILITARY SPOUSES FEEL THAT SAME
GOVERNMENT HAS 4@ABANDONED THEM
>> THERE'S MANY DAYS AND NIGHTS
GOVERNMENT HAS 4@ABANDONED THEM >> THERE'S MANY DAYS AND NIGHTS@
THAT I HAVE SHED TEARS OVER
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. >>
THIS. >> REPORTER: ON THIS DAY, A
GROUP OF WIDOWS MEET AT THIS
FALLS CHURCH VIRGINIA HOME.
>> WE'RE GOING TO BE USING 4@OU
LAPTOPS TO EMAIL AND OUR CELL
PHONES TO MAKE PHONE CALLS TO
OFFICES.
OFFICES.
OFFICES. >> 202 -- 4@
>> REPORTER: MOBILIZING TO
LOBBY LAWMAKERS.
LOBBY LAWMAKERS. >> MCCONEL.
>> MCCONEL. THAT'S 4@MITCH MCCONNELL.
DOWN TO 4@THE S'.
CHARLES CHUMMIER.
CHARLES CHUMMIER. >> REPORTER: TO REPEAL A LAW
THAT TAKES THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
IN BENEFITS AWAY FROM THEM AND
THEIR CHILDREN.
THEIR CHILDREN. >> I'M CALLING IN REFERENCE TO
SENATE BILL 622.
>> REPORTER: THE 4@DIC, THE
DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY
COMPENSATION IS A BENEFIT
SPOUSES ARE ELIGIBLE TO
RECEIVE.
RECEIVE.
RECEIVE. IT'S A MONTHLY $1,300 TAX-FREE
BENEFIT TO SURVIVORS 4@OF SERVI
MEMBERS WHO DIE IN THE LINE OF
DUTY OR IF THEIR DEATH IS DUE
TO A SERVICE-RELATED INJURY OR @
DISEASE.
DISEASE.
DISEASE. >> THOSE WHO DIED EARNED THIS
BENEFIT.
BENEFIT.
BENEFIT. IT'S NOT A GRATUITOUS 4@BENEFIT
THEY EARNED IT.
>> REPORTER: IN 1972, 4@CONGRES
ESTABLISHED THE SURVIVOR
BENEFIT PLAN.
BENEFIT PLAN. SURVIVING MILITARY SPOUSES
THOUGHT THEY WOULD RECEIVE 4@A
COMBINED A MONTHLY PAYMENT OF
THE SBP 4@AND THE DIC.
BUT AN EXISTING LAW PREVENTS
SPOUSES FROM COLLECTING BOTH
FEDERAL BENEFITS EVEN THOUGH
THE SBP IS 4@AN INSURANCE
PROGRAM.
PROGRAM.
PROGRAM. ACCORDING TO THE MILITARY
OFFICERS ASSOCIATION 4@OF
AMERICA, THAT COSTS SURVIVORS
ABOUT $12,000 A 4@YEAR.
>> IT HAS 4@BEEN A BIG IMPACT.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU HAVE TO DO
WITHOUT AND YOU SEE YOUR
CHILDREN SUFFER AND 4@YOUR
HOUSEHOLD 4@SUFFER.
HOUSEHOLD 4@SUFFER. IT IS 4@JUST TOTALLY INHUMAN.
>> REPORTER: SURVIVING MILITARY
SPOUSES ACROSS THE U.S. HAVE
BEEN FIGHTING FOR MORE THAN TWO
DECADES TO OVERTURN THIS LAW.
>> WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO HAVE
THAT MONEY TO REPAIR THINGS IN
YOUR HOUSE THAT'S FALLING 4@
APART?
APART?
APART? I'VE WATCHED OTHER OFF SETS BE
ELIMINATED.
ELIMINATED. >> REPORTER: IN FACT, 4@6 TIMES
CONGRESS HAS REPEALED BENEFIT
LAWS THAT UNFAIRLY IMPACTED
VETERANS AND SURVIVORS.
>> WE'RE THE ONLY ONES STILL
FIGHTS AND IT'S SAD.
>> THIS IS SOMETHING TO STEP 4@
FORWARD AND DO THE RIGHT THING
FOR YOUR MILITARY WIDOWS.
>> REPORTER: BILL IS MAKING
PROGRESS IN THE SENATE.
61 COSPONSORS ARE NEEDED TO GET
IT TO A 4@FLOOR VOTE.
SO FAR THEY HAVE 65.
ON THE HOUSE SIDE, AT 4@4@LEAST
CONGRESSIONAL COSPONSORS ARE
NEEDED AND THEY HAVE 273.
THEY ARE 4@JUST 17 MEMBERS SHOR
>> I DIDN'T REALIZE SERVING
YOUR COUNTRY, 4@ONCE YOU PAY TH
ULTIMATE SACRIFICE THAT WE WERE
EXPECTED TO MAKE MORE
SACRIFICES.
SACRIFICES. >> MY 4@NAME'S 4@MARIA GALL4@EY
I'M A WIDOW.
>> MY NAME 4@IS LINDA WALTERS.
MY HUSBAND WAS STAFF SERGEANT
CLIFFORD WALTERS.
CLIFFORD WALTERS. >> MY NAME IS SANDRA DREW AND
HIGH HUSBAND WAS COLONEL NELSON
DREW.
DREW.
DREW. >>
DREW. >> MY NAME IS KATHY THORPE.
I'M A UNITED STATES NAVY
VETERAN.
VETERAN.
VETERAN. MY HUSBAND IS CAPTAIN OWEN
THORPE THE 4@THIRD.
>> REPORTER: WE'VE LEARNED MARK
WARNER HAS JUST 4@SIGNED ON AS
COSPONSOR FOR THE BILL.
HE SAYS I'M PLEASED TO SUPPORT
THIS LEGISLATION THAT WILL FIX
AN UNFAIR FINANCIAL BURDEN THAT
TOO MANY MILITARY FAMILIES
FACE.
FACE.
FACE. WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS
MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION,
BUT THEY NEED YOU TO HELP THEM
CROSS THE FINISH LINE.
CALL YOUR LOCAL LEADERS WHO
HAVE NOT COSPONSORED 4@THIS BIL
IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE, YOU
CAN SEE THOSE NAMES PLUS A
NUMBER TO CALL.
>> WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF 4@
HOURS, THE NUMBER OF COSPONSORS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES