[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 196 (Friday, December 1, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1632]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NDAA SUPPORTS GOLD STAR WIDOWS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, December 1, 2017

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of the House 
Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee and a conferee for the FY2018 
National Defense Authorization Act, I am grateful for the continued 
support of Gold Star Widows included in the FY2018 NDAA. The bill 
includes a permanent extension of the Special Survivor Indemnity 
Allowance under the Survivor Benefit Plan. The more than 60,000 
Americans whose spouses died either on active duty or during retirement 
will continue to receive $310 per month plus a Cost of Living Allowance 
indefinitely. My predecessor, the late Chairman of the House Armed 
Services Committee, Floyd Spence, championed this kind of relief for 
our military families, and I have continued that fight because our 
military personnel risk their lives to defend our nation and they 
should be able to trust that the benefits they designate for their 
spouses and families will always be there.

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