WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee, is cosponsoring legislation to allow surviving spouses of fallen servicemembers to retain certain survivor benefits if they choose to remarry. Under current law, most benefits from the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are terminated for surviving spouses who remarry before age 55. The Love Lives On Act would allow surviving spouses to retain these benefits upon remarriage regardless of age.

“Every day, military spouses show tremendous courage and dedication to our country as they support their servicemember,” said Senator King. “These men and women deserve full access to the benefits they’ve earned alongside their spouses. However, a current rules penalizes a widow or widower of a fallen servicemembers if they choose to remarry before the age of 55. The bipartisan Love Lives On Act is commonsense legislation that eliminates having to choose between taking care of your family and continuing your life with a new partner — and allows families the opportunity to heal from a tremendous loss on their own terms.”

The Love Lives On Act is cosponsored by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Martin Heinrich (D-NN), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Fetterman (D-PA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

Representing one of the states with the highest rates of military families and veterans per capita, Senator King has been a staunch advocate for America’s servicemembers and veterans. Last year, he led the bipartisan Military Spouse Employment Act — pieces of which passed into law in the FY2024 NDAA — which allows military spouses to have a remote work career with any federal agency and helps them to maintain consistent employment should they move with their spouse. He also introduced the Improving Access to Prenatal Care for Military Families Act to expand military family care to cover critical health care during pregnancies. Most recently, he joined the bipartisan Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act to improve financial security for military families by ensuring life insurance packages for servicemembers and veterans adjust for increases in cost of living and inflation.

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