Wilson Aims to Protect Military’s Surviving Spouses
January 7, 2011
This past Wednesday, Representative Joe Wilson (SC-02) introduced H.R. 178, the ‘‘Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act."
Current policy requires surviving spouses of service members killed in the line of duty or from a service-connected cause to forfeit the Survivor Benefit Pension annuity. This proposed legislation eliminates the so-called, "Widow's Tax." Current policy allows for an amount up to $1,000 per month to be off-set from a surviving spouse's pay. This creates a substantial burden for the surviving spouses of those brave service members that have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty or from a service-connected cause.
Wilson stated, "Military members make necessary arrangements for their spouses to be taken care of in the event of their death. We owe it to these fallen heroes to carry out their wishes and to ensure their expectations are fully met. Having introduced this bill as my first piece of legislation in the new Congressional session, this issue will remain on the forefront of my priorities."
Current policy requires surviving spouses of service members killed in the line of duty or from a service-connected cause to forfeit the Survivor Benefit Pension annuity. This proposed legislation eliminates the so-called, "Widow's Tax." Current policy allows for an amount up to $1,000 per month to be off-set from a surviving spouse's pay. This creates a substantial burden for the surviving spouses of those brave service members that have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty or from a service-connected cause.
Wilson stated, "Military members make necessary arrangements for their spouses to be taken care of in the event of their death. We owe it to these fallen heroes to carry out their wishes and to ensure their expectations are fully met. Having introduced this bill as my first piece of legislation in the new Congressional session, this issue will remain on the forefront of my priorities."