01-20-2018, 11:53 PM
It could feel like more than just an inconvenience to military families who live paycheck to paycheck and need their jobs. But, I hope it doesn't come to that. No compromise and temporary solution was put forth in Congress today.
Snip:
Troops and Defense Department civilians faced the possibility of frozen pay and furloughs as the government shut down on Saturday after last-minute efforts on Capitol Hill to pass protections fizzled.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., proposed fast-tracking a bill on the Senate floor after a midnight budget deadline Friday that would have ensured paychecks continued. But the move was opposed by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., leaving the military and hundreds of thousands of civilian workers hanging.
“I want to send a very clear signal that we don’t want any moment to pass with there being any uncertainty with any soldier anywhere in the world that they will be paid for the valiant work that they do on behalf of our national security,” McCaskill said.
During the last government shutdown in 2013, Congress passed legislation in advance that kept troops paid and allowed about 350,000 furloughed Defense Department civilians to return to work. This time, bills were filed in both the House and Senate in the hours before the deadline and went nowhere.
The next military pay date is Feb. 1, and many workers are likely off for the weekend, so there may be no immediate threat to military checkbooks, but Defense Secretary Jim Mattis noted the potential hardship in a memo sent out Friday when the shutdown became certain.
“I recognize the consequences of a government shutdown,” Mattis wrote. “You have my personal commitment that the department’s leadership will do our best to mitigate the impacts of the disruptions and any financial burdens to you and your families.”
Active-duty troops are required to show up to work during a shutdown but will not get paid on schedule until a new federal budget is passed. War operations in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan will also continue.
The Defense Department’s 750,000 or so civilian workers potentially face more financial hardship. They will be sent home without pay if they are not deemed crucial to safety and protection of the military. Congress would likely need to pass legislation for furloughed workers to go back to work or receive back pay after the shutdown.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/congre...le/2646584
Snip:
Troops and Defense Department civilians faced the possibility of frozen pay and furloughs as the government shut down on Saturday after last-minute efforts on Capitol Hill to pass protections fizzled.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., proposed fast-tracking a bill on the Senate floor after a midnight budget deadline Friday that would have ensured paychecks continued. But the move was opposed by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., leaving the military and hundreds of thousands of civilian workers hanging.
“I want to send a very clear signal that we don’t want any moment to pass with there being any uncertainty with any soldier anywhere in the world that they will be paid for the valiant work that they do on behalf of our national security,” McCaskill said.
During the last government shutdown in 2013, Congress passed legislation in advance that kept troops paid and allowed about 350,000 furloughed Defense Department civilians to return to work. This time, bills were filed in both the House and Senate in the hours before the deadline and went nowhere.
The next military pay date is Feb. 1, and many workers are likely off for the weekend, so there may be no immediate threat to military checkbooks, but Defense Secretary Jim Mattis noted the potential hardship in a memo sent out Friday when the shutdown became certain.
“I recognize the consequences of a government shutdown,” Mattis wrote. “You have my personal commitment that the department’s leadership will do our best to mitigate the impacts of the disruptions and any financial burdens to you and your families.”
Active-duty troops are required to show up to work during a shutdown but will not get paid on schedule until a new federal budget is passed. War operations in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan will also continue.
The Defense Department’s 750,000 or so civilian workers potentially face more financial hardship. They will be sent home without pay if they are not deemed crucial to safety and protection of the military. Congress would likely need to pass legislation for furloughed workers to go back to work or receive back pay after the shutdown.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/congre...le/2646584