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Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Enchancement Act of 2005

Date: July 26, 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security


SERVICEMEMBERS' GROUP LIFE INSURANCE ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - July 26, 2005)

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Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer) for the leadership that he has shown on this issue as well as the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley), the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner), and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) and others.

It is not often that we have the opportunity to come together to do the right thing, to do it in a bipartisan fashion. It is a tribute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer's) leadership and to our friends on the other side of the aisle, and all of the leadership of the committee deserve great credit for doing this.

The details of this bill have been discussed by the chairman and others. I do not need to go through the details. What I want my colleagues to understand is the importance of this bill and why we are doing this bill, why we are increasing the SGLI benefit, the death benefit, and instituting an insurance benefit for injuries.

Most of us have had the opportunity to visit our troops in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and in many other countries around the world, as we are fighting and prevailing in this war on terrorism. And what we have seen when we have visited our troops is the dedication, the sacrifice, the American grit and courage to get the job done to win this battle against terrorism.

And when things happen, when people pay the ultimate sacrifice, when they return with disabling injuries, our country has to make sure that we match their commitment so that they are able to, if they paid the ultimate sacrifice, know that their families will have an increased death benefit; or if they have traumatic injuries, realize that there is help for their recovery and for their family.

This bill does it. It is a major step in the right direction. It is one that has been done in a bipartisan fashion. And I salute the leadership on both sides of the aisle of the committee for getting the job done.

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