JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville mother and daughter traveled to Capitol Hill last week to advocate for surviving military spouses who want to remarry without risking the loss of key benefits.
Anita Sullivan and her 11-year-old daughter, Sophia, are supporting the proposed “Love Lives On Act,” legislation they say would help protect families financially after the death of a service member.
It has been seven years since tragedy struck their family. In 2019, they lost Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Sullivan, Anita’s husband and the father of her three children.
Sullivan told News4JAX that Michael faced significant physical and mental health challenges during and after his time in the Navy, and she said he died on Feb. 9, 2019, in what she described as a service-connected suicide.
In the years since, Sullivan says she found love again and married John Mirance — but under current law, remarrying can put certain survivor benefits at risk if it happens before age 55.
Those benefits can include education assistance, Tricare coverage and housing support, depending on a family’s eligibility and circumstances.
Last week, Sullivan and her daughter traveled to Washington, D.C., where they testified in support of the bill. Sullivan said the goal is to ensure surviving spouses don’t have to choose between building a new life and keeping the support meant to help their families move forward.
Sophia Sullivan told News4JAX she believes the bill could help other children in survivor families, too.
The bipartisan legislation (H.R.1004) is being led by Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina.
For the Sullivans, the message is simple: military widows and widowers should be able to find love again without losing the benefits their families rely on.