[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15574]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    DEATH BENEFITS BILL H.J. RES. 91

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 9, 2013

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we lost five warriors on the 
battlefield of Afghanistan recently. They were 25-year-old 1st Lt. 
Jennifer M. Moreno; 24-year-old Pfc. Cody J. Patterson; 24-year-old 
Special Agent Joseph M. Peters; 25-year-old Sgt. Patrick C. Hawkins; 
and 19-year-old Lance Cpl. Jeremiah M. Collins, Jr.
  Unfortunately, their families were given the news not only that they 
had lost their loved ones, but they were also told that they would not 
be given the $100,000 in death benefits that they were entitled to 
receive within three days of the death of their loved ones.
  The $100,000 payment is being withheld from the families--two of them 
Army Rangers--and one Marine and the bodies of the five warriors will 
be returned to Dover Air Force Base today. Congress needs to act NOW to 
rectify this absurd and disgraceful situation.
  This money helps the families by giving them an immediate source of 
cash to help get through the tough times surrounding the funeral of 
their loved ones.
  The Pentagon says it has specific instructions from its budget office 
not to make payments for deaths that occurred after 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 
30, 2013--the date of the start of the government shutdown.
  Congress passed a bill last week which should have made it clear that 
the Pentagon had the authority to make these kinds of payments, however 
this Administration continues to play politics with this shutdown and 
has apparently directed DOD not to make these payments.
  In order to make it ABUNDANTLY clear that DOD has the authority to 
make these payments, I thank the Speaker for quickly bringing this bill 
up to the floor.
  It is my hope that the Senate quickly passes this bill, and the 
President signs it. There is no excuse that any other American hero's 
family is told that they will not get the death benefit they deserve.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________