VA still waiting on granting same-sex couples benefits
WASHINGTON Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki says Congress or the courts still has more work to do before the VA can provide federal benefits to married, same-sex couples.
The Supreme Court ruled in June that a law denying federal tax, health and pension benefits to married-same-sex couples was unconstitutional. However, the law governing veteran's benefits contained similar provisions. It specifically defines spouse and surviving spouse as someone of the opposite sex.
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Shinseki said that, so far, no court has deemed that particular provision unconstitutional, though three federal cases are pending. Nor has Congress taken up a bill to change the definition of spouse.
Shinseki told Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., in a letter that the VA supports a bill she has sponsored that would open up veterans benefits to all married couples.
Last February, Shinseki used his discretionary authority to allow the same-sex spouse of a member of the military to be buried at Williamette National Cemetery in Oregon. The couple was the first wives to be buried next to each other in a national cemetery.