RELEASE: Crapo Honors Fallen Heroes, Expresses Gratitude as Gold Star Families Remembrance Week Concludes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 27, 2026
Contact: Kyra Smith (Crapo)

Washington, D.C.– U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued a statement marking the conclusion of Gold Star Families Remembrance Week, held from September 20 through September 26, 2026. The annual observance honors the mothers, spouses, children and relatives of American servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation.

“Gold Star families shoulder a heavy price paid for the defense of our freedoms and the safety of Americans at home and abroad,” said Crapo. “While carrying the Gold Star designation represents a deeply profound honor, it is one no family ever wishes to bear. As Gold Star Families Remembrance Week ends, we reaffirm our solemn obligation as a nation to ensure these resilient families receive the recognition, support and deep gratitude they deserve.”

“The loved ones of our fallen warriors have embodied unimaginable strength,” Crapo added. “Whether through championing programs that give Gold Star family members a seat at the table in our nation’s government or working to declassify records to bring our missing heroes home, we must continue standing alongside these military families who have sacrificed so much for the Gem State and our country.”

Crapo has consistently championed legislative solutions to support our nation’s military families, including eliminating the so-called ‘Widow’s Tax’. Previously, federal law prohibited military surviving spouses from receiving their full survivor benefits from the U.S. Departments of War and Veterans Affairs, instead requiring a dollar-for-dollar offset deducted from their Survivor Benefit Plan annuity. This unfair penalty on surviving spouses and their families was finally ended with legislation Crapo co-sponsored, which was signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020.

About Mike Crapo

Senator Mike Crapo has represented Idaho in the Senate since 1999, following three terms in the U.S. House and eight years in the Idaho State Senate. A lifelong Idahoan, he currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

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