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Ranking Member Roe Applauds Removal of Widows Tax in the NDAA

Washington, December 11, 2019 | Samantha Gonzalez (202-225-3527)

Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement after the House passed the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included a provision to remove the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)/ Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) offset, also known as the 'widows tax':

"It was my honor today to vote in favor of removing the so-called ‘widows tax’ as part of this year’s NDAA. The surviving spouses of the brave men and women who died in the line of duty have sacrificed enough. But, since the 1970’s, an estimated 60,000 of these widows and widowers have not received their survivor benefits from the Department of Defense in full because they were being offset by survivor benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Correcting this injustice would not have been possible without the tireless advocacy of numerous veteran service organizations, including Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), Gold Star Wives of America, Military Officers Association of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America, and Disabled American Veterans. I applaud them all for their work on behalf of America’s fallen and their families and I call on my colleagues in the Senate to deliver this bill to the President’s desk without delay. While nothing can ease the loss of a loved one - especially during the holiday season - I hope that the tens of thousands of surviving spouses of those who paid the ultimate price in defense of our nation can rest easier this Christmas knowing that they will, finally, receive the benefits they are owed in full."

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