One amendment would allow military families to stay in military housing for a full year after the death of a spouse. The other would enable all military families to receive $500,000 in total death benefits when a loved one dies in service to America.

“Supporting the troops means paying attention to their needs both in the field and at home. It means understanding their lives both as warriors fighting for our nation, and as husbands and wives, parents, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters struggling to take care of their families,” said John Kerry.

“Investing in military families isn’t just an act of compassion -- it’s a smart investment in America’s military. Good commanders know that you recruit an individual soldier or Marine, but you retain a family. We have to keep faith with our military families if we are going to keep the experienced, enlisted leaders who are the backbone of our armed forces,” Kerry said.

Increase Survivors’ Death Benefit

Families of those killed in action currently receive $12,420 to supplement whatever insurance they may have purchased. More than a year ago, Senator Kerry proposed increasing the benefits paid to surviving military families to $500,000 through existing insurance benefits and an increase in the death gratuity.

The Administration recently proposed a formula to reach $500,000, but would limit the $100,000 death gratuity portion of it to only those who die in a designated combat zone. Kerry’s amendment would provide the increased death gratuity to any service member who loses their life while on active duty, regardless of where they fall.

“We do right by our fallen police officers and firefighters, whose families receive $275,000, and it’s time we did the same for our soldiers. No one can ever put a price on a lost loved one, but we should do everything we can to help families put their lives back together,” said Kerry.

Flexibility in Military Family Housing

Currently, survivors of those killed in action must move out of military housing in 180 days. For those with young children, that can mean starting a school year in one state and finishing it in another. Kerry’s amendment would give survivors the option to keep their military housing and housing allowance for a full year.

“We need a comprehensive Military Family Bill of Rights that puts action behind the promise to support our troops. These amendments are a good start,” Kerry added.

# # #