Denial of McVeigh’s Benefits Proposed

The chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee sought to strip Timothy J. McVeigh of veterans’ benefits following his conviction in the Oklahoma City bombing. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) introduced a bill that would deny benefits, including eligibility for burial in a national cemetery, to veterans convicted of a state or federal crime that carries a death penalty. McVeigh was sentenced to death last week on his June 2 conviction for murder and conspiracy in the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, that killed 168 people. Veterans are disqualified upon conviction for espionage, treason, unauthorized possession of nuclear material and related national security crimes.