Honor Gold Star Families: Media Roundup
Honor Gold Star Families: Media Roundup
In March, Reps. Matt Van Epps (TN-07), Jen Kiggans (VA-02), and Jill Tokuda (HI-02) introduced the bipartisan Honoring Our Nation’s Obligation to Remember (HONOR) Gold Star Families Act.
This legislation doubles the military “death gratuity” or bridge payment from $100,000 to $200,000 for the families of fallen servicemembers and also includes a cost-of-living adjustment so future payments account for inflation. In light of the deaths of multiple U.S. servicemembers in the Middle East following Operation Epic Fury, the legislation also applies retroactively to the beginning of 2026 to ensure those families receive the enhanced benefit.
The Washington Examiner by Emily Hallas
“Rep. Matt Van Epps (R-TN) is introducing his inaugural piece of legislation on Thursday, marking an effort to raise the ‘death gratuity’ for Gold Star families for the first time in decades. …Van Epps framed the bipartisan HONOR Gold Star Families Act in the context of the United States’s war against Iran, arguing it is needed to support those closest to slain soldiers.” Read more here.
Politico by Leo Shane
“The Iran war is forcing Congress to reckon with whether the military's support services in the wake of a service member’s death are enough to keep up with families’ needs. With the deaths of at least 13 service members during operations in the Middle East, lawmakers are reviewing whether posthumous benefits—in particular, death gratuity payments—face an overdue update. ... The lack of action on the stipend is in part because the issue faded from public view as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wound down. The last major action Congress took on the issue of military death gratuities was in 2013, when lawmakers passed legislation to ensure payouts were processed even if the government was facing a shutdown. … Rep. Matt Van Epps introduced bipartisan legislation last month to double the payout and include annual inflation adjustments for the benefit, tied to a federal cost-of-living index. He said the issue ‘carries greater urgency’ in light of the recent overseas service deaths.”
Fox News op-ed by Rep. Matt Van Epps
“From the moment you get that knock on the door to the moment you’re handed a folded American flag, Gold Star families face a lifetime shaped by loss. … Losing a loved one in service to our country hits differently. These families are asked to carry on with strength and dignity, embodying the very ideals their loved ones fought to defend. It’s often called an honor no one wants. … The reality these families face underscores a critical question: Why haven’t survivor benefits kept pace with modern needs? The initial payment families receive upon the death of their loved one has not been updated in over 20 years. Other benefits, including Social Security, military retirement and federal salaries, have been adjusted for inflation, but not "death gratuity" payments for our military families. It's time to correct this wrong.
That’s why I introduced the bipartisan Honoring Our Nation’s Obligation to Remember (HONOR) Gold Star Families Act. This legislation would increase the military death gratuity—often called the bridge payment—from $100,000 to $200,000 for the families of fallen service members.” Read the full op-ed here.
Clarksville Now by Chris Smith
“Rep. Matt Van Epps, serving his first year as congressman for District 7, has introduced his first piece of legislation, and it’s one close to the heart of the former Fort Campbell soldier: It doubles the military death benefit for surviving family members. The Honoring Our Nation’s Obligation to Remember (HONOR) Gold Star Families Act increases the ‘death gratuity’ or bridge payment for the families of fallen servicemembers from $100,000 to $200,000.” Read more here.
Newsweek by Sam Stevenson
“Representative Matt Van Epps, a Republican who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, is leading the effort, alongside Republican Representative Jen Kiggans and Democratic Representative Jill Tokuda. … Military death benefits have not been increased in nearly two decades, even as costs facing grieving families have risen sharply. Recent U.S. troop deaths in the Middle East have renewed scrutiny over whether current support is sufficient.” Read the report here.
The Washington Report in the National Guard Association of the United States
“The Honoring Our Nation’s Obligation to Remember, or HONOR, Gold Star Families Act (H.R. 7932) introduced by Rep. Matt Van Epps, R-Tenn., a drilling Tennessee Army National Guard officer, also includes a cost-of-living adjustment going forward. It also applies retroactively to the beginning of 2026 to include the families of service members killed in Operation Epic Fury.” Read more here.
MichaelPatrickLeahy.com
“During a Wednesday appearance on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Van Epps described the bill as ‘critical’ for the families of fallen service members. ‘It’s very important. It increases the death gratuity that gets paid to a service member’s family after they’ve made the ultimate sacrifice from the current amount of $100,000 to 200,000 and then provides a cost-of-living adjustment each year,’ Van Epps said." Read more here
Inside Politics With Ben Hall on News Channel 5
“During his campaign, Van Epps vowed to increase the death gratuity for Gold Star Families. His bill proposes raising the payment from $100,000 to $200,000, with annual cost-of-living adjustments to match inflation. ‘This is the right thing to do for families after their loved ones paid the ultimate price.’ The bill also calls for retroactive coverage back to Jan. 1, 2026, including deaths from Epic Fury.” Read or watch more here.
Background:
This legislation
- Doubles the military death gratuity from $100,000 to $200,000 for the families of fallen servicemembers.
- Locks in annual inflation protection through an automatic cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), ensuring the benefit never again erodes in real value.
- Applies retroactively to service members who lost their lives on or after January 1, 2026.
Read the legislation here.
Read the one-pager here.
You can also read more from the Stewart County Standard here or here.
You can read What They’re Saying here.
Watch Rep. Van Epps’ video on the HONOR Gold Star Families Act here.
Watch Rep. Van Epps’ whiteboard video here.
Watch Rep. Van Epps talk about the bill with Newsmax here or News Channel 5 here.
Listen to Rep. Van Epps talk about the bill with Liberty Radio here and Michael Patrick Leahy here.
Rep. Van Epps honors the Month of the Military Child here.
Rep. Van Epps honors Gold Star Spouses Day here.
- Rep. Van Epps honors Medal of Honor Day here.