Obama signs bill to pay military death benefits

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama has signed a bill to continue financial benefits to families of fallen troops during the government shutdown.

The White House says Obama signed the measure into law Thursday hours after the Senate cleared it for his signature.

Final passage came a day after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said a military charity, the Fisher House Foundation, would make the benefit payments during the shutdown. The lapse in funding meant the Pentagon had no authority to continue the payments.

The Pentagon typically pays out $100,000 within three days of a service member's death. Twenty-nine members of the military have died during active duty since parts of the government shut down on Oct. 1.

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