While Del. Bob Marshall is busy urging the possibly soon to be indicted Bob McDonnell to use Virginia's animus based anti-gay marriage amendment to defy the Pentagon's directive on spousal benefits for married gay couples, the White House, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Veterans Affairs have been equally busy working to extend full equality to same sex couples. A press release from the White House lays out how Veterans benefits will be granted to gay veterans and their spouses. Here are highlights:
In the Obama administration’s latest step to ensure equal treatment for same-sex married couples following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a key section of the Defense of Marriage Act, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced Wednesday that President Obama has directed the Executive Branch to take steps allowing for same-sex spouses of military veterans to collect federal benefits. The new policy means that the administration will no longer enforce statutory language governing the Veterans Administration (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) that restricts the awarding of spousal benefits to opposite-sex marriages only. The language, contained within Title 38 of the U.S. Code, has, until now, prevented the Executive Branch from providing spousal benefits to veterans—and in some instances active-duty service members and reservists—who are in same-sex marriages recognized under state law.
The letter that Attorney General Eric Holder sent to Congress can be found here. Here is the full letter:
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