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As a result of the “widow’s tax” repeal backed by Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), as many as 66 military families in Massachusetts’ Third Congressional District stand to benefit according to recent numbers released by the Department of Defense (DoD). That number climbs to 471 statewide, and more than 65,000 nationwide.
As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and conferee for the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, Congresswoman Trahan advocated for the repeal of the widow’s tax throughout the fiscal 20’s NDAA process, including in a letter to her colleagues. Prior to the repeal, the surviving families of servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice were subject to a steep and unfair tax on survivor benefits.
“Surviving family of servicemembers who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our nation should always have been entitled to their full survivor benefits. For a long time, however, Congress neglected to do right by them. That’s why I was enormously proud that we were finally able to eliminate the so-called ‘widow’s tax’ in the NDAA, and that such a broad, bipartisan coalition came together to get it done. It is among our most sacred responsibilities to see that these families are cared for. I’ll never rest in my advocacy for our veterans, servicemembers, and their families,” said Trahan.
