Marco Rubio, Bill Nelson: Don't Bury Vets in Cardboard Boxes

By Rich Abdill Thu., Jul. 5 2012 at 11:44 AM

Categories: Politics

"Funeral"

It's a small bill, but we've finally got a hint of bipartisanship in Florida.

Lawrence Davis was a World War II veteran who died without any family, any money -- or any casket. He was buried in a Florida national cemetery in 2004 in a cardboard box. His body was discovered years later by maintenance workers, and he was reburied yesterday in a full military service -- but not before becoming the impetus for a new bill introduced by Florida congressmen in both houses.

We might not be able to make anyone happy on the highway bill or health-care reform or Fast & Furious or just about anything else in Washington, but the Dignified Burial of Veterans Act of 2012 is being sponsored by, among others, Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.

"All veterans deserve a dignified final resting place," Nelson said. "A cardboard box certainly isn't one."

In the House, a matching bill was introduced by Palm Harbor Republican Gus Bilirakis. The Department of Veterans Affairs buys indigent vets caskets: Apparently, this is the best we can do when it comes to everybody agreeing.

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