Bid snags to change GI death benefits

Sen. McCain: Pay widow in Arkansas, but hold off on policy shift

— Legislation pushed by Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor that would extend death benefits to survivors if a National Guard member died off base during a training weekend has hit a snag in the Senate: Sen. John McCain.

The Arizona Republican said he is in favor of providing the benefits to an Arkansas family who lost a loved one, but wants to hold off on making a policy change.

Pryor introduced the amendment at the request of the family of Arkansas Army National Guard Capt. Samson Luke, who died inJanuary 2010, during a Guard training weekend. With the permission of the Guard, Luke, a decorated combat veteran who served two tours in Iraq, slept at his family home in Greenwood, near Fort Chaffee, where he was stationed for the training.

Luke died in his sleep after completing the first of two consecutive days of scheduled training. The Army has denied his widow, Miranda Luke, funeral benefits and a $100,000 death benefit, because Luke didn’t die on the post.

If Luke had spent the night at a motel near the post, the family would have received the benefits, Pryor said.

Pryor said that beforehe offered his amendment, which would extend benefits to service members who die in the vicinity of their training sites, he attempted to engage the secretary of the Army on the matter. When that didn’t work, he wrote the office of the secretary of defense.

“All they did was kick it back to the secretary of the Army,” Pryor said. “I’ve hit a dead end.”

Pryor said he talked about his amendment with Michigan’s Sen. Carl Levin, a Democrat and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and McCain, the committee’s ranking member.

According to Pryor, Mc-Cain would prefer to have thematter vetted in committee.

McCain said he has contacted the secretary of the Army’s office, adding that Luke’s family should receive the benefits.

“He died in the line of duty,” McCain said in an interview.

“I’m hoping we can address the individual situation, rather than having to change government policy.”

Asked whether the potential costs of Pryor’s amendment were a concern, McCain said: “It’s a major change in policy.” Pryor has referred to the amendment’s potential effect on the federal purse as “budget dust,” adding that he didnot know of any other cases similar to Luke’s.

He said a previous estimation of a $1 million price tag over 10 years was conservative - the actual cost, he said, would likely be closer to $300,000.

While Pryor said he hopes the Luke case can be handled by the Army, he wants to get a vote on his amendment.

Originally, he was hoping language of his amendment would be rolled into the broader bill. However, there have been unrelated objections raised over what will be included in that legislative package. Pryor said he has been talking to the Senate parliamentarian and is confident that the amendment will be considered “germane” to the rest of the bill, which could receive a final vote this week.

“If we’re germane,” Pryor said, “I’m entitled to a vote on it.”

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 12/01/2011

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