By Alabama Public Radio
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate has approved an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill. The amendment was sponsored by Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions. It would raise the life insurance coverage for soldiers. The proposal would increase the Servicemen's Group Life Insurance coverage from 250-thousand to 350-thousand-dollars without an additional charge. Soldiers currently pay more than 16 dollars a month for 250-thousand dollars of coverage. The amendment would also add a year's pay for a military person's family if they die on active duty and two years' pay to beneficiaries if the service member is killed in combat. If the amendment becomes a law, the additional benefits would be retroactive for all soldiers killed during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Meanwhile...U.S. Senator Richard Shelby says several projects included in the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill will be funded next year. The bill passed the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday and is now headed to the Senate floor for consideration. Included in the bill...the Center for Domestic Preparedness at Fort McClellan received 55 million dollars...there's 700 million dollars in firefighter assistance grants...transportation security grants total 325 million...and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will receive more than seven million dollars.