Congress Includes $174K 'Death Gratuity' for Sen. Feinstein's Daughter in Funding Bill
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The recent funding bill included $174,000 for late Sen. Dianne Feinstein's daughter Katherine. This is a tradition called a "death gratuity" that's been around for over 140 years.
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The death gratuity is meant to help surviving families when a member of Congress dies in office. Originally it helped in an era before life insurance was common.
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The death gratuity totals a year's salary - $174,000 for most members. This is more than what military families get when a soldier dies in service.
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Recipients get the payout regardless of their own personal wealth. Groups like the National Taxpayers Union argue this is wasteful since some recipients are already wealthy.
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Death gratuities are sometimes tacked onto unrelated bills, like the 2013 debt ceiling legislation. Some legislators have tried unsuccessfully to ban the practice.