President Obama is now expressing "outrage" because the federal government has not been paying death benefits and providing bereavement assistance to the families of American servicemen killed in action in Afghanistan. What a charade!
Let's back up a bit to discuss this travesty. When a serviceman or woman is killed, his or her family is entitled to two "benefits" from the government: 1) A 100,000 life insurance payment, and 2) travel costs to come to Dover Air Force Base to collect the remains for burial. I put "benefits" in quotes, because these are not really any compensation for the loss of a loved one in battle. Nevertheless, these benefits are the least that America can do for the family of a fallen hero.
Prior to the partial government shutdown, the Pentagon warned Congress that if funding were cut off, the government would be unable to pay these death benefits among other costs. As a result, the House passed unanimously a bill which provided for the full funding of America's troops during any shutdown. The Senate then passed that bill and president Obama signed it. Thus, once the partial shutdown began, the death benefits clearly should have been paid.
The decision was made after the partial shutdown, however, that despite the new law funding all of the troops, the death benefits would be considered outside the scope of coverage of the bill. That decision was made by the Obama administration even though one of the items that was expressly discussed in Congress as being covered by the new law were these specific death benefits. It seems that in their zeal to inflict as much harm on the American people and to blame it on the GOP, Obama and the Obamacrats decided to hit the grieving families of fallen American heroes.
The position of the administration is appalling, disgraceful and disgusting. So far there have been 17 families who were cut off by the government in this way. The situation is so bad that the Fisher House charity has stepped in to provide the funds for these families since the government has reneged on basic decency.
Now that public outcry has arisen, president Obama is suddenly "outraged" that this has happened. It reminds me of how he was "outraged" by the IRS scandal. Obama's false outrage is even more disgusting than the act of his people to cut off the death benefits that were required by the new law to be paid.
I do not remember a president who sank to such a low, ever! Certainly there have been battles between political opponents. It is a messy process, but it one that is part of our democracy. There is, however, no possible excuse for Obama's using the families of fallen heroes as props for his political theater. The pain that he has inflicted on these families is unforgiveable.
Let's back up a bit to discuss this travesty. When a serviceman or woman is killed, his or her family is entitled to two "benefits" from the government: 1) A 100,000 life insurance payment, and 2) travel costs to come to Dover Air Force Base to collect the remains for burial. I put "benefits" in quotes, because these are not really any compensation for the loss of a loved one in battle. Nevertheless, these benefits are the least that America can do for the family of a fallen hero.
Prior to the partial government shutdown, the Pentagon warned Congress that if funding were cut off, the government would be unable to pay these death benefits among other costs. As a result, the House passed unanimously a bill which provided for the full funding of America's troops during any shutdown. The Senate then passed that bill and president Obama signed it. Thus, once the partial shutdown began, the death benefits clearly should have been paid.
The decision was made after the partial shutdown, however, that despite the new law funding all of the troops, the death benefits would be considered outside the scope of coverage of the bill. That decision was made by the Obama administration even though one of the items that was expressly discussed in Congress as being covered by the new law were these specific death benefits. It seems that in their zeal to inflict as much harm on the American people and to blame it on the GOP, Obama and the Obamacrats decided to hit the grieving families of fallen American heroes.
The position of the administration is appalling, disgraceful and disgusting. So far there have been 17 families who were cut off by the government in this way. The situation is so bad that the Fisher House charity has stepped in to provide the funds for these families since the government has reneged on basic decency.
Now that public outcry has arisen, president Obama is suddenly "outraged" that this has happened. It reminds me of how he was "outraged" by the IRS scandal. Obama's false outrage is even more disgusting than the act of his people to cut off the death benefits that were required by the new law to be paid.
I do not remember a president who sank to such a low, ever! Certainly there have been battles between political opponents. It is a messy process, but it one that is part of our democracy. There is, however, no possible excuse for Obama's using the families of fallen heroes as props for his political theater. The pain that he has inflicted on these families is unforgiveable.
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