[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17319]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 SBP ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES SERVING ON ACTIVE DUTY

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, on September 11, 2001, our lives were 
changed irrevocably. It is a day none of us will forget, a day where 
each of us will remember exactly where we were when we heard our nation 
had been attacked and our freedom had been assaulted.
  We lost so many innocent civilians in New York and so many dedicated 
military personnel in Washington, DC. The amendment I am introducing 
today deals with the military. Each of them has made a choice: to 
defend our Nation, its freedom, and its principles. On September 11, we 
were reminded of how real that sacrifice is, and how critical those 
contributions are.
  We all witnessed the destruction of innocent people and American 
landmarks. These evil acts did not destroy our spirit, our faith, or 
our hope. And they will never destroy our freedom--because Americans 
are resilient, and our men and women in uniform brave.
  It is why, in my career in public service, I have dedicated myself to 
supporting and defending these noble men and women and their families 
who serve our Nation in the Armed Forces. Their courage, their work, 
and their efforts are important, honorable, and inspiring.
  We have only just started to deal with the greatest loss to our 
country since Pearl Harbor; only started to uncover the lasting effects 
of this heinous evil, and once again our military has been among those 
directly hit. In the months ahead we will respond and those who serve 
will put their lives on the line.
  This is why I introduced legislation in June to ensure that all 
military personnel who die in the line of duty, like those who died 
serving their country at the Pentagon, are able to receive retirement 
benefits they have earned. In the military, personnel are not vested in 
retirement benefits unless they have served 20 years or more, or unless 
the services medically retire them before death. Clearly, someone who 
dies in the line of duty cannot fulfill either of these requirements, 
meaning their families do not receive their pro rata share of 
retirement pensions. It is horrible enough for a family to lose a loved 
one--it is an even greater hardship for them to not receive these 
earned benefits.
  I think it is only right that those who die while defending our 
country and our principles can know that their families will be taken 
care of by their country. Therefore, today I am submitting an amendment 
to the Defense authorization bill that will ensure that the surviving 
spouse receives survivors' retirement benefits commensurate with the 
number of years their loved one has served--effective September 10, 
2001.
  This is the very least we can do for the families of our men and 
women in uniform, for the families who lost loved ones on September 11. 
They have made the ultimate sacrifice, and we must take care of them 
now. This is no different from a civilian worker's family receiving the 
retirement accumulated by a lost loved one.
  Tragically, two of the very men who were working with me on this 
legislation were killed at the Pentagon on that fateful day. Gary F. 
Smith, the Chief of Army Retirement Services and a retired Army 
Lieutenant Colonel, and Max Beilke, a member of his staff, a retired 
Army Master Sergeant, were impressive men who had provided invaluable 
assistance to me and my staff on this legislation. On June 15, Colonel 
Smith wrote my staff about this legislation saying, ``Those of us who 
work on these issues daily know how important this will be. We'll keep 
our fingers crossed and hope it will get into law.''
  In memory of Colonel Smith and Master Sergeant Beilke, I ask that we 
pass this amendment for those who died September 11 and those who will 
die in the future in the service of our country.
  As the true impact of September's horrifying events become even 
clearer, this legislation would offer a measure of support for families 
facing unbelievable tragedy. It is, again, the least we can do.

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