Ensure The Pay of Our Servicemembers and Survivors
- by: Karen Francis
- recipient: House of Representatives, Senate
Ask Congress to pass these bills. Ask Congress to honor the contract the United States has with the men and women in uniform, their families and those mourning the loss of a family member who gave their lives.
We, The Undersigned, ask that Congress complete the work that was begun in March and April of 2011 and pass the "Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011", bipartisan bills, HR 1297 and S 724. These bills would ensure that our men and women in uniform are paid if the budget is not passed, or if the government defaults. The Honor Our Fallen Heroes Act, HR 1469 and 1494 would continue paying survivor benefits to the family members. These bills were introduced and sent to Appropriations, with no further action.
If the budget is not passed, our military is not paid; the men and women in uniform serving in Afghanistan, standing guard and walking patrols through the villages; the men and women standing the watch on our fleets at sea; our men and women on the flight lines around the world, flying the wounded home for treatment; will do so without pay. They will do their jobs, they are proud soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen; but they will be doing so with the additional stress of worrying about their families at home.
The families at home who have borne the brunt of the two wars our country is waging will undergo more stress, will be unable to pay their bills for rent, utilities, diapers, dance class, insurance, or groceries. Lower ranking enlisted families often have little or no savings to fall back on, they live paycheck to paycheck. While they worry about their service member in harms way, they should not be worrying about bouncing payments.
The survivors of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice should not be additionally stressed by the worry of whether their bills can be paid. The young widows, the grieving parents, should not be subjected to this additional burden.
The United States of America has a contract with these men and women %u2013 the men and women who put their lives on the line and the families who stand behind them, stand beside them.
We ask that Congress take the responsible course and continue the legislative process; pass these bills and fund them. Our military families deserve this; our military deserves this.
Thank you for your time and attention to this issue; we know you all care deeply about our military and their families.
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