By MOAA Staff
MOAA has made the repeal of the widows tax a key part of Summer Storm advocacy efforts, and it's seeing civilian allies pressuring Congress to get the word out on the injustice facing 65,000 surviving military spouses.
WUSA9, the CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C., recently aired a report on the status of repeal efforts and how all Americans can join the fight to #AxeTheWidowsTax.
The story covers the strides military spouses have made this year and the battle the legislation currently faces to be included in the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Watch the report, which first appeared on the station's 11 p.m. newcast July 31, below:
WUSA9 reporter Annie Yu followed MOAA members and staffers during April's Storming the Hill event, where hundreds of Stormers engaged lawmakers on repealing the widows tax. Yu's recent piece includes interviews with several survivors and lawmakers, including Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), who has championed the issue in the Senate.
"We've really got to step up the pressure on the conferees to make sure that the ... final bill that goes to both houses includes the elimination of the widows tax," Jones said in the piece.
[TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Lawmaker to End the Widows Tax]
The widows tax is also known as the SBP-DIC offset, where a surviving spouse loses a dollar in Survivor Benefit Plan benefits for every dollar collected in Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. Families can end up losing at least $12,000 a year in benefits, despite paying into SBP.
With NDAA discussions at a critical point, MOAA has launched a Summer Storm advocacy push to bring this issue to legislators returning home for their summer recess. Visit MOAA.org/SummerStorm to learn more about these efforts, to read and share resources and videos about the issues, and to get information about contacting your lawmakers. Already taking part? Don't forget to use #MOAASummerStorm on social media to help spread the word.
