Media Advisory: Surviving Military Families Storm Capitol Hill to Push for End to “Widow’s Tax”
TAPS Will Join 30 Veterans Service Organizations to Advocate for the Elimination of the Survivor Benefit Offset
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 20, 2019
Overview: The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), the leading national organization caring for the families of fallen U.S. military service members, will join a group of 30 veterans service organizations for a “Storm The Hill” event to advocate for the elimination of the survivor benefit offset commonly known as the “Widow’s Tax.”
The offset reduces the benefits surviving families receive from the Department of Defense’s Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) dollar for dollar, thereby prohibiting surviving military families from receiving the full sum of financial support their service member sacrificed and paid for.
Who: 40+ surviving military spouses and children with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), along with partner veterans service organizations
What: Storm The Hill event to garner support for the Military Widow’s Tax Elimination Act of 2019 (S.622) and the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act (H.R.553) to eliminate the survivor benefit offset
Where/When:
Senate Press Conference: Tuesday, May 21 at 10 a.m. in Senate Park aka “Senate Swamp”
Senator Doug Jones will lead the press conference. Members of Congress, surviving military spouses and VSO representatives, including TAPS President and Founder, Bonnie Carroll, will speak.
Storm of the Hill: Wednesday, May 22 at 9:30 a.m. at VFW Washington Office, 200 Maryland Ave., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002
Ten teams of advocates and surviving spouses and children will visit House and Senate offices. Thirty veterans service organizations will be represented.
House Press Conference: Wednesday, May 22 at 4 p.m. at the House Triangle (located on the House side of the Capitol’s East Front)
Rep. John Yarmuth and Rep. Joe Wilson will speak along with surviving military spouses and VSO representatives, including TAPS Senior Advisor for Policy and Legislation, Candace Wheeler.
Media Contact: Rita Barry-Corke / Victoria Leoni, media@taps.org, (860) 304-1807
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ABOUT TAPS
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is the leading national organization providing compassionate care and survivor support services for the families of America’s fallen military heroes. Since 1994, TAPS has offered support to more than 85,000 survivors of fallen military in the form of peer-based emotional support, grief and trauma resources, grief seminars and retreats for adults, Good Grief Camps for children, case work assistance, connections to community-based care, online and in-person support groups and a 24/7 resource and information helpline for all who have been affected by a death in the Armed Forces. Services are provided free of charge. For more information go to www.taps.org or call the toll-free TAPS resource and information helpline at 1.800.959.TAPS (8277).