As government funding locks up in Congress, philanthropists are
offering to step in to take up the slack with donations to fund
government programs until the shutdown ends.
After it was reported
Tuesday that the shutdown would prevent death benefits from being
provided to families of soldiers killed in combat, the Fisher House
Foundation offered an “advance grant” to make sure those benefits are
covered.
In a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin announced the plan.
“This afternoon, I spoke to Ken Fisher, the CEO of the Fisher House
Foundation,” Manchin wrote. “The Fisher House Foundation humbly
volunteered to offer the families an advance grant to ensure there is no
funding gap during the most difficult of times, with the understanding
that reimbursements would be made at an appropriate time.”
“The Fisher House will fund flights, hotels and other incidentals for all family members,” he said.
The Foundation provides homes and helps with air travel to enable family members to be near wounded or sick service members.
The “death gratuity” is a $100,000 check sent to the family of the
deceased service member within 72 hours of his or her death, and it is
intended to help cover the immediate costs like funeral services, and to
help ease the financial burden. Reports that it would not be paid have
angered senators. Speaking on the floor Tuesday, Arizona Republican Sen.
John McCain said all lawmakers should be “ashamed” and “embarrassed”
that they caused a situation where those benefits could not be paid.
On Monday, billionaire couple John and Laura Arnold offered $10
million to fund the seven Head Start programs that had been shuttered as
a result of the shutdown. Head Start provides education programs for
children under the age of five.