We owe so much to our military service members and veterans, who make countless sacrifices every day in order to protect the freedoms and values we cherish as a nation. That’s why it couldn’t be more important for Congress to not only remain committed to taking care of every American in uniform, but also to keep our promises to care for the families who provide critical support making their loved ones’ service possible.

          For the tens of thousands of military spouses whose partners have made the ultimate sacrifice in our armed forces, Congress is taking an important step forward this week in our mission to deliver on that promise. While this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) isn’t perfect, I’m pleased that it does include a provision I’ve fought for: eliminating the Widow’s Tax.

          I’ve been working alongside our veteran community to push for this critical fix because for years, benefits from the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation program have been cancelled out by payments from the Survivor Benefit Plan. That means that the spouses and children of those who died in service to our nation were being denied more than $11,000 per year, on average, in federal assistance.

            While our military families don’t wear official uniforms, they are the backbone of our armed forces. On behalf of all Oregonians, I thank our military service members, veterans, and their families for everything that they do to support and protect our nation. Please know that I will remain committed to fighting for them, just like they fight for us -- and that means making sure our military communities always receive the support they need and deserve.

All my best,
Jeff