Faux zeroes in on egregious waste in the new spending bill about to be voted upon in the Senate

[Roland99]

CREW found a $174,000 death benefit for the widow of Lautenberg. Why is this a priority now

[antiquie]

1. The Senate handbook says

that upon the death of a senator who had been serving in office, “in the next appropriations bill, an item will be inserted for a gratuity to be paid to the widow(er) or other next- of-kin, in the amount of one-year’s compensation.”

Lost the citation, sorry, this is when Byrd died.

[Roland99]

2. Tell that to Faux and their faux outrage

fucking sickening.

[frazzled]

3. Survivor benefits when a senator dies in office are written in the code

Deceased Member’s Office, Staff, and
Survivor Benefits

Senate Practice


A deceased Senator is removed from the Senate payroll as of the date of death. The Employee
Benefits Section of the Senate Disbursing Office ascertains any benefits77 due to a beneficiary
previously identified by the Senator, or the widow or widower or other relevant survivors.78 The
Senate Handbook indicates that “in the next Appropriation Bill, an item will be inserted for a
gratuity to be paid to the widow(er) or other next-of-kin, in the amount of one year’s
compensation.”79 By statute, a death gratuity is considered a gift.80

79
U.S. Senate, United States Senate Handbook, p. I-92.

80 2 U.S.C. 38b.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34347.pdf

I suggest that if a Republican senator wishes to receive the $174,000 for his or her family, he or she should elect to die in office.