Congress took away this benefit for surviving military spouses 40 years ago. Now, they’re close to finally righting that wrong
After 40 years, Congress is close to fixing a mistake that prevented surviving military spouses from collecting thousands of dollars in benefits after losing their partner. More than 400 House and Senate members have signed on to help repeal a law -- passed four decades ago -- that strips 65,000 surviving military spouses of about $12,000 each year.