One of the consequences of a government shutdown is that while it lasts, families of fallen soldiers don’t receive the benefits meant for them. As a result, a charity has now pledged to pay the benefits to those in question. The benefits to the families of fallen service members include funeral and burial reimbursements.
The Fisher House Foundation plans to provide benefits such as a $100,000 payment that families would receive within days of a death, Fisher House spokesperson Kerri Childress told CNN.
The Maryland-based charity foundation is a response to the U.S. government shutdown that started at midnight on Friday after both parties did not succeed to pass a spending bill that will keep the government funded until February 8.
Dana White, the chief Pentagon spokeswoman said in an interview with CNN that “Under a government shutdown, the Department of Defense has no authority to pay death benefits to these families.”
According to The Hill, the foundation says it is communicating with the Department of Defense and the Office of Casualty Assistance so that they can be ready to provide support to the affected families.
“Any and all who need help; either through its network of comfort homes, Hotels for Heroes and Hero Miles programs. Fisher House is also on standby to help fly families to Landstuhl, Germany or other military hospitals because it is not just families of the fallen that will be impacted but also families of our wounded, injured and ill service members,” Childress said.
According to CNN, as of Sunday night, there have not been any reported combat deaths during the shutdown. However, two service members were killed in an Apache helicopter crash on Saturday at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California.
“The Fisher House Foundation has not yet been in contact with families of those who were killed in the helicopter crash at Ft. Irwin, but is standing by to provide assistance,” Childress said.
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