HR0105 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0105 LRB094 10640 CSA 40991 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, All Americans owe a debt of gratitude to the brave men and women who honorably serve in our nation's armed forces; and

WHEREAS, The trials faced by our servicemen and women in the field are shared by their families who endure for months or years at a stretch the uncertainty of not knowing when, or if, their loved ones will return; and

WHEREAS, The news to a family that their loved one has been killed in service is, sadly, just the first terrible blow to the survivors, for they often face long-term financial struggles resulting from the loss of a wage-earning spouse or family member; and

WHEREAS, Many surviving family members, veterans groups, and legislators have long believed that the death payment provided to service members' families, currently set at $12,420, is woefully inadequate; and

WHEREAS, Properly taking care of service personnel and their families will, over the long term, undoubtedly raise the morale of our troops stationed all over the world by providing them with the comfort of knowing their families will be taken care of should they die while serving their country; and

WHEREAS, It is reported that President Bush will propose a sizeable increase, to $100,000, of the death benefit payment as part of the 2006 budget submitted to Congress; as part of this proposal, the Pentagon would also increase life insurance benefits from the current $250,000 of coverage to $400,000 and troops in a combat zone would have the additional premiums paid for by the government; the proposal would be retroactive to October 7, 2001 and would apply to families of U.S. troops killed in war; and

WHEREAS, Even though no amount of money can replace a spouse or loved one, an increase in the death payment and life insurance benefits provided to the family members of those servicemen and women who die while on active duty would help alleviate the overwhelming impact their families face; and

WHEREAS, While the President's proposal is a much-needed measure, the benefits for surviving families should not be determined by mere geography of where death occurred, but rather, benefits should be extended to all servicemen and women who equally defend the freedom of this country in a profession fraught with danger no matter where they are stationed; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we hereby commend the President on his initiative to increase the death payment and the life insurance benefit package to assist families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the President and the Congress to broaden the President's budget proposal to provide the same financial increases to all military personnel who die in the line of duty while performing military service for our country, whether here or on foreign soil; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to President Bush and the Illinois Congressional Delegation as a sign of our commitment to this important issue.