Contributed Commentary: Congressman Mark Green
Gold Star Spouses Need Our Support
Today marks Gold Star Spouses Day, and April is also Month of the Military Child. Our Gold Star Spouses and Families hold a title I wouldn’t wish on anyone. These spouses and families encompass the very meaning of sacrifice. As a country, we must work to ensure those who came home in a flag-draped coffin are never forgotten. Their names, stories, and dreams must echo through time—we owe them that. And the families they leave behind, Gold Star Spouses and Children, need to know that they are cared for.
This week, I re-introduced my Protecting Gold Star Spouses Act in the 118th Congress. The legislation protects Gold Star Spouses by ensuring they receive their stipends from the federal government, even during a lapse in appropriations. When our military men and women sign up to serve, our country promises in return to support them and, should anything ever happen, care for their widows and children. We cannot forget that promise, because servicemembers don’t serve alone; they leave behind families who support them from time zones and oceans away.
Just as fallen men and women in uniform fulfilled their duty to protect and serve, we must fulfill ours to care for the ones they leave behind.
Rep. Mark Green is a physician, combat veteran, and businessman who represents the 7th District of Tennessee in Congress. He served three tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq and interviewed Saddam Hussein for six hours on the night of his capture. He is Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
