Posted on Sep 25, 2015
"DOD: No troop pay, civilians could be furloughed if government shuts down"
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From: Stars and Stripes
WASHINGTON – Troops will not get paychecks and Defense Department civilians could be furloughed if Congress fails to pass a new federal budget and the government shuts down Thursday, according to a DOD memo sent out to personnel.
The department was still holding out hope for a solution on Capitol Hill, according to the Friday memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work. However, if lawmakers do not act by midnight Wednesday, the fallout could be similar to the last government shutdown in 2013, which caused turmoil and temporarily forced about 350,000 Pentagon workers on leave without pay.
“During a government shutdown, all military personnel would continue in a normal duty status. However, they would not be paid until Congress provides funding,” Work wrote.
The DOD has updated its plans to determine which civilians will continue reporting to work and which will be furloughed, he wrote. The letter did not provide any additional details.
“As we saw in 2013, should a shutdown occur, and depending on the length of the shutdown, these determinations may change over time as circumstances evolve,” Work wrote.
The last time the government shut down for more than two weeks – over attempts to defund Obamacare -- about 800,000 federal workers were placed on furlough. But the DOD was able to bring its civilians back to work after about a week.
Troops and personnel were to be contacted by their chains of command with more details on the shutdown plans.
The clock was ticking on Capitol Hill on Friday with a glimmer of hope for a budget deal in the Senate early next week following a fight over defunding Planned Parenthood, but there was major political upheaval in the House with the announced resignation of Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
Senators rejected a temporary Republican budget Thursday that would have cut all support for the federally subsidized health care provider, in what was seen as an attempt to appease right-wing conservatives in the party.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was set to introduce a new budget resolution Monday that could fund the government at current levels until December but does not include the controversial Planned Parenthood measure.
“There are two different roads that we can take. One is to insist that no more money go to Planned Parenthood and cause a government shutdown,” McConnell said after his first budget proposal failed Thursday. “The other is to take a slightly longer-term approach, taking advantage of the fact that we have the attention of the country as probably never before.”
However, the effort to defund Planned Parenthood using a federal budget bill may not be over in the House.
Boehner stunned Washington by announcing he will resign from Congress in October, a move that was seen as a victory for conservative Republicans who want to a more hardline strategy on Planned Parenthood and other issues.
“It was my plan to only serve as Speaker until the end of last year, but I stayed on to provide continuity to the Republican Conference and the House,” he said in a written statement. “It is my view, however, that prolonged leadership turmoil would do irreparable damage to the institution. To that end, I will resign the Speakership and my seat in Congress on Oct. 30.”
Boehner’s ouster showed the power of his far-right foes in the party, who may insist on defunding the health care organization and hold up any budget in the meantime.
http://www.stripes.com/dod-no-troop-pay-civilians-could-be-furloughed-if-government-shuts-down-1.370194
WASHINGTON – Troops will not get paychecks and Defense Department civilians could be furloughed if Congress fails to pass a new federal budget and the government shuts down Thursday, according to a DOD memo sent out to personnel.
The department was still holding out hope for a solution on Capitol Hill, according to the Friday memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work. However, if lawmakers do not act by midnight Wednesday, the fallout could be similar to the last government shutdown in 2013, which caused turmoil and temporarily forced about 350,000 Pentagon workers on leave without pay.
“During a government shutdown, all military personnel would continue in a normal duty status. However, they would not be paid until Congress provides funding,” Work wrote.
The DOD has updated its plans to determine which civilians will continue reporting to work and which will be furloughed, he wrote. The letter did not provide any additional details.
“As we saw in 2013, should a shutdown occur, and depending on the length of the shutdown, these determinations may change over time as circumstances evolve,” Work wrote.
The last time the government shut down for more than two weeks – over attempts to defund Obamacare -- about 800,000 federal workers were placed on furlough. But the DOD was able to bring its civilians back to work after about a week.
Troops and personnel were to be contacted by their chains of command with more details on the shutdown plans.
The clock was ticking on Capitol Hill on Friday with a glimmer of hope for a budget deal in the Senate early next week following a fight over defunding Planned Parenthood, but there was major political upheaval in the House with the announced resignation of Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
Senators rejected a temporary Republican budget Thursday that would have cut all support for the federally subsidized health care provider, in what was seen as an attempt to appease right-wing conservatives in the party.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was set to introduce a new budget resolution Monday that could fund the government at current levels until December but does not include the controversial Planned Parenthood measure.
“There are two different roads that we can take. One is to insist that no more money go to Planned Parenthood and cause a government shutdown,” McConnell said after his first budget proposal failed Thursday. “The other is to take a slightly longer-term approach, taking advantage of the fact that we have the attention of the country as probably never before.”
However, the effort to defund Planned Parenthood using a federal budget bill may not be over in the House.
Boehner stunned Washington by announcing he will resign from Congress in October, a move that was seen as a victory for conservative Republicans who want to a more hardline strategy on Planned Parenthood and other issues.
“It was my plan to only serve as Speaker until the end of last year, but I stayed on to provide continuity to the Republican Conference and the House,” he said in a written statement. “It is my view, however, that prolonged leadership turmoil would do irreparable damage to the institution. To that end, I will resign the Speakership and my seat in Congress on Oct. 30.”
Boehner’s ouster showed the power of his far-right foes in the party, who may insist on defunding the health care organization and hold up any budget in the meantime.
http://www.stripes.com/dod-no-troop-pay-civilians-could-be-furloughed-if-government-shuts-down-1.370194
Government
DoD
Troops
Government Shutdown
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 62
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It has happened before. But they always either write another bill to continue troop pay, or pay it retroactively.
Furlough will suck for me though.
Furlough will suck for me though.
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This is ridiculous for DoD to claim that troops will not be paid if the government shuts down.
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LTC Stephen F.
SGT David T. - this tactic has been tried several times before in the past 20 years or so. Essential government operations are always funded despite all the threats about government shutdowns.
Granted non-essential personnel may not get paid on time. However, government workers including military service members get paid eventually while contract support employees don't have that benefit from the government since although they support the government they are not government employees.
Granted non-essential personnel may not get paid on time. However, government workers including military service members get paid eventually while contract support employees don't have that benefit from the government since although they support the government they are not government employees.
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If there is a government shutdown no government employee should be paid...to include Congress, Senate, and the President until it is fixed...I was a Govt employee during the last shutdown and enjoyed the time off. However, I got paid for that time when I came back to work so it was a paid vacation.
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Oh please! They do this every year, "threatening" everyone with the 'shutdown.'. Maybe if Congress had their pay withheld too, they might get on it, and pass a reasonable budget on time.
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Not a threat. Obama made the last shut down as unnecessarily difficult as possible including shutting down access to private property (the Mount Vernon Estate) and shutting down public roads keeping kids living near and in Federal Parks from getting to school. Remember the barracades around public monuments in D.C during the last one. Expect that kind of crap to happen again.
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1SG (Join to see)
Well we keep electing the same people back into those seats. Do you think anything will ever change in D.C? Sorry they are so fat in there pockets they seem to forget people that put their lives in danger daily!
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Here we go again. Another year, another round of waiting on Congress. In an ideal world the 27th Amendment would have included a provision that prevented Congress from getting paid until it agreed on the budget from which their pay is coming.
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I think we are going to a three party system. There will be the Majority Democrats, the Minority Republicans, and the irritating and destructive Tea Party. CPT L S
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SMSgt Tony Barnes
SFC Joseph Weber - I agree. I am intrigued by Carly...but, Jindal is very sharp. Still haven't taken my Perry sticker off...he's most qualified.
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SFC Joseph Weber
Capt Seid Waddell - I don't know. I have always thought Carney's have a strong sense of family and are very supportive of each other. I think the hair would be thrown out of that community pretty quickly.
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I know that in Louisiana you can recall any state or federal elected official, i.e. a Senator. If your state has this as well and any type of furlough happens, I say we begin the process of recalling them from office. This would send a clear message to them that we the people are sick of their BS and we will hold them accountable.
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The military (DOD) should be de-linked from other government programs and not be held hostage by any branch of government especially the person who holds the office of Commander-in Chief who is demanding pay increased for other parts of government if the military get their "pittance" pay raise, And it is time to address: why-in-the-H are there 350,000 civilian workers at the Pentagon? And, we are not even addressing the VA. Time to cut bureaucracy at the Pentagon, hire a few more competent doctors and staff at the VA and to STOP holding the pay of retired and active duty hostage for the parlor games played by the White House and Congress. Note, democrat Senators have refused to take up (filibustered) the independent funding bill for the military based on a veto threat by our President / Commander in Chief who wants more money for the rest of Government.
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MCPO Roger Collins
What and take away a bargaining chip from the politicians? Yes, you have said exactly what should happen and part of the problem involving the large number of DOD officials supporting the drawdown of our troops. Do like the rest of the government and have two sets of books, discretionary and non-discretionary spending allocated to the military. Pork = discretionary and pay and benefits = mandatory.
Darn, Major Bill Smith, it they put us in charge, this could be fixed tout de suite
Darn, Major Bill Smith, it they put us in charge, this could be fixed tout de suite
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