Senate Floor Speech
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
September 20, 2002 -- Page: S9552

MRS. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, on September 11, 2001, our lives were changed irrevocably. It is a day none of us will forget, a day where each of us will remember exactly where we were when we heard our nation had been attacked and our freedom had been assaulted.

We lost so many innocent civilians in New York and so many dedicated military personnel in Washington, DC. The amendment I am introducing today deals with the military. Each of them has made a choice: to defend our Nation, its freedom, and its principles. On September 11, we were reminded of how real that sacrifice is, and how critical those contributions are.

We all witnessed the destruction of innocent people and American landmarks. These evil acts did not destroy our spirit, our faith, or our hope. And they will never destroy our freedom--because Americans are resilient, and our men and women in uniform brave.

It is why, in my career in public service, I have dedicated myself to supporting and defending these noble men and women and their families who serve our Nation in the Armed Forces. Their courage, their work, and their efforts are important, honorable, and inspiring.

We have only just started to deal with the greatest loss to our country since Pearl Harbor; only started to uncover the lasting effects of this heinous evil, and once again our military has been among those directly hit. In the months ahead we will respond and those who serve will put their lives on the line.

This is why I introduced legislation in June to ensure that all military personnel who die in the line of duty, like those who died serving their country at the Pentagon, are able to receive retirement benefits they have earned. In the military, personnel are not vested in retirement benefits unless they have served 20 years or more, or unless the services medically retire them before death. Clearly, someone who dies in the line of duty cannot fulfill either of these requirements, meaning their families do not receive their pro rata share of retirement pensions. It is horrible enough for a family to lose a loved one--it is an even greater hardship for them to not receive these earned benefits.

I think it is only right that those who die while defending our country and our principles can know that their families will be taken care of by their country. Therefore, today I am submitting an amendment to the Defense authorization bill that will ensure that the surviving spouse receives survivors' retirement benefits commensurate with the number of years their loved one has served--effective September 10, 2001.

This is the very least we can do for the families of our men and women in uniform, for the families who lost loved ones on September 11. They have made the ultimate sacrifice, and we must take care of them now. This is no different from a civilian worker's family receiving the retirement accumulated by a lost loved one.

Tragically, two of the very men who were working with me on this legislation were killed at the Pentagon on that fateful day. Gary F. Smith, the Chief of Army Retirement Services and a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, and Max Beilke, a member of his staff, a retired Army Master Sergeant, were impressive men who had provided invaluable assistance to me and my staff on this legislation. On June 15, Colonel Smith wrote my staff about this legislation saying, "Those of us who work on these issues daily know how important this will be. We'll keep our fingers crossed and hope it will get into law.''

In memory of Colonel Smith and Master Sergeant Beilke , I ask that we pass this amendment for those who died September 11 and those who will die in the future in the service of our country.

As the true impact of September's horrifying events become even clearer, this legislation would offer a measure of support for families facing unbelievable tragedy. It is, again, the least we can do.