Washington D.C. – The Senate yesterday passed a resolution sponsored by Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, to honor the families of our nation’s Armed Forces. The Senate unanimously agreed to declare Friday, May 6, 2011, as “Military Spouse Appreciation Day.”

“This Friday is an opportunity to make sure that the spouses of the men and women in our military know that their fellow citizens recognize the sacrifices they make and appreciate their valuable contributions. These spouses serve our country in unique ways and do so knowing that their loved ones may be in harm’s way.  The difficulty that they endure helps make our country stronger. Thank you to the men and women who support our servicemembers,” Senator Richard Burr said today.

The resolution, which is cosponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), specifically states that the Senate—

(1)   designates May 6, 2011, as ‘‘Military Spouse Appreciation Day;’’

(2)   honors and recognizes the contributions made by spouses of members of the Armed Forces; and

(3)   encourages the people of the United States to observe ‘‘Military Spouse Appreciation Day’’ to promote awareness of the contributions of spouses of members of the Armed Forces and the importance of the role of military spouses in the lives of members of the Armed Forces and veterans.

Sen. Burr has previously sponsored a similar resolution.  As a Co-Chair of the Senate Military Family Caucus, Senator Burr has worked to lessen the hardship that military duty often creates for families. In February, Sen. Burr joined colleagues in introducing legislation that gives military servicemen and women and their families the ability to enroll in flexible spending accounts, which would allow them to set aside a portion of their pre-tax income to cover out-of-pocket child care and health care expenses.  Currently, members of the military are not able to enjoy the same tax benefits that their civilian counterparts enjoy.

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