Law providing US military death benefits in force
12 Oct 2013 6:12 AM IST
US President Barack Obama signed a measure into law reinstating US military death benefits to families of soldiers killed on duty that had been halted by the government shutdown.
The Senate passed the mini funding bill by unanimous consent earlier yesterday, following approval by the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
Obama's move, announced in a brief statement from the White House, marks the end of a deeply embarrassing development for the administration, feuding lawmakers and the Pentagon, which was forced to turn to a private charity to fund the benefits after the shutdown suspended them.
That announcement Wednesday came hours after Obama demanded urgent congressional action and as the plight of four families who lost loved ones in Afghanistan grabbed headlines, sparking public outrage.
‘What I think we did here was the right thing to do,’ said Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat whose party has vehemently opposed the Republican strategy of passing piecemeal funding bills to open certain parts of the government.
‘We are trying to put out these little fires, spare the American people of the pain and injustice that's coming about as a result of this shutdown.’ Since 1 October, 29 troops have been killed, according to the Pentagon.
The Senate passed the mini funding bill by unanimous consent earlier yesterday, following approval by the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
Obama's move, announced in a brief statement from the White House, marks the end of a deeply embarrassing development for the administration, feuding lawmakers and the Pentagon, which was forced to turn to a private charity to fund the benefits after the shutdown suspended them.
That announcement Wednesday came hours after Obama demanded urgent congressional action and as the plight of four families who lost loved ones in Afghanistan grabbed headlines, sparking public outrage.
‘What I think we did here was the right thing to do,’ said Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat whose party has vehemently opposed the Republican strategy of passing piecemeal funding bills to open certain parts of the government.
‘We are trying to put out these little fires, spare the American people of the pain and injustice that's coming about as a result of this shutdown.’ Since 1 October, 29 troops have been killed, according to the Pentagon.
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