President Obama signs 'death gratuity' bill into law

[cal04]

Source: NBC news

President Barack Obama has signed into law a bill that would restore funding for emergency payments to the families of deceased soldiers as the government shutdown continues.

Obama had previously approved a “creative” workaround for the problem that would have provided the benefits through Fisher House, a non-profit that helps military families. The $100,000 payments, known as “death gratuities,” are intended to cover funeral and transportation costs for the families of the fallen, but they were withheld after the government shutdown began on October 1.

But Senate lawmakers and the White House had come under intense public pressure to pass legislation to keep the money flowing rather than let an outside organization continue the funding.

(snip)
Thursday, the Senate quietly and unanimously approved it after Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, asked to bring it up for a vote. Reid called the point "moot" but did not object to its passage.

Read more: http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/10/20905201-obama-signs-death-gratuity-bill-into-law?lite

[moriah]

1. This kind of piecemeal funding should be unnecessary.

Vote to open the government, and we wouldn't have had the problem in the first place, stupid Republicans!

[quadrature]

2. piecemeal funding was the old 'normal',

things changed in 199x or 200x,
with the use of long-term continuing resolutions.

[humbled_opinion]

3. I know this was being used

as a political weapon against Democrats. However, until this point there was no precedent, now there is precedent so the repups can continue to do this piece meal and force Democrats to approve them.

[PeteSelman]

4. Pointless, political theater.

The President already solved this problem.