President requests review of policy on condolence letters

The White House is reviewing a long-standing policy that prevents President Obama from sending a condolence letter to families of service members who have committed suicide, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said on Wednesday.

Some families want the policy overturned and are lobbying the White House to do so.

"The president believes that the previous policy that didn't write those letters can and should be reviewed, and that review is ongoing," Gibbs said.

Gibbs noted that this year the president asked for the policy to be reviewed on allowing media to cover the return of fallen military to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, and the result was the decision is now left to families of the deceased.

Obama speaks often about signing condolence letters to the families of each U.S. service member killed in action. Gibbs said the president requested the policy review because he cares about service members who take their own lives.