US to Extend Veterans' Benefits to Married Gay Couples

Administration informs Congress

The Obama administration will allow same-sex spouses of veterans to receive federal benefits currently only available to heterosexual married couples, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a letter to members of Congress on Wednesday.

The decision comes just over two months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law that denied federal benefits to legally married gay and lesbian couples.

The announcement will make the same-sex spouses of veterans eligible for various benefits, including healthcare and survivor benefits.