Military Pay

Congress may protect troops' pay during government shutdown

Lawmakers Friday lined up to support bills to protect U.S. troops from losing their paychecks in a government shutdown amid a massive Facebook lobbying push by military family support groups and growing unease about cutting off funds from the nation’s war fighters.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) lead a bipartisan group of 73 other senators pushing for the bill, which would allow the federal government to give military service members and defense contractors serving in war zones their pay and allowances without specific appropriations from Congress. Hutchison also has helped coordinate the Facebook campaign demanding expedited consideration of the bill, which has nearly 1 million supporters.

During Senate debate Friday night, both Republicans and Democrats urged quick action on the bill.

“I think we put that on the floor in a clean fashion, I think it would sail out of here probably unanimously … I can’t speak for the House but my guess is we would see the same result down there,” Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) predicted.

Congressional sources said Hutchison’s bill, and a companion measure in the House by fellow Texas Republican Louie Gohmert with more than 100 sponsors, had languished while House GOP leaders focused on getting the Senate to take up a bill passed Thursday that would fund the entire Pentagon budget for the rest of this fiscal year and the rest of the government for a week.

The calls to debate and pass the military pay bill came as senators were discussing the House-passed spending bill, which contains $12 billion in spending cuts Democrats were unlikely to accept. President Barack Obama also has threatened to veto the measure.

The lack of a long-term deal on spending, the lobbying campaign and the fear expressed by military families that they would be left without money to pay their bills have pressured lawmakers toward action to take the pay issue off the table. Unless a deal on spending is reached or the pay measure is enacted, service members won’t get their mid-month paychecks due on April 15. Instead, the Pentagon has arranged to pay half that amount for service through Friday and will make up the rest when a new spending bill is enacted.

“The speaker is very sensitive to that fact and is considering bringing it to the floor today if an agreement to fund the entire military budget for the year is not reached soon. The pressure is fortunately mounting now on both sides to take care of those who are fighting for us,” Gohmert said in a statement Friday on his Facebook page.

Gohmert’s bill does not protect defense contractors, but congressional sources said discussions were ongoing to ensure that both chambers pass the same language and send a bill to Obama before April 15.

Groups representing service members and their families have lobbied hard for the bills to be rushed through Congress, arguing that the issue is too important to be tied to other spending disputes.

“With loved ones involved in three separate combat operations and humanitarian relief in Japan, military families should not have to wonder if they will be able to cover house and car payments and other bills,” wrote Norbert Ryan Jr., president of the Military Officers Association of America, in a letter Friday to Hutchison.

Some Republicans have also denounced the idea of using military pay as a bargaining chip in the spending talks.

“I am disgusted at the perception that leaders in my own party who did not move a defense bill earlier are now using the men and women in uniform, the individuals who are defending our freedom, as a way to pass yet another continuing resolution,” Allen West (R-Fla.), a former Army officer and Iraq vet who has emerged as a leading voice among House freshmen on military issues, said in a statement.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52837.html#ixzz1IzJrKeGy


Military pay affected by government shutdown?

With just hours remaining before a possible federal government shutdown, many people are concerned about military pay during such a situation.

In the event of a shutdown, military personnel will still be required to report for duty and perform their assigned duties, but would not actually receive their pay until the shutdown is over.

Without an appropriations act passed by Congress, the Defense Department cannot disperse funds except for very narrow exceptions for safety of life and protection of property.

Jim Garamone of the American Forces Press Service spoke with an official who said, "Based on these exceptions, we can maintain key national security functions: the war in Afghanistan, the transition in Iraq, Libya operations and humanitarian operations in Japan, and other key national security missions."

All military personnel are "excepted" if the government is closed and will report to work. Only civilians in excepted positions would be directed to report to work.

"All others will be placed on no-notice, non-paid furlough status," the official said. "We estimate about 400,000 civilians will be furloughed."

A shutdown would cause pay issues, the official said, noting the April 15 military pay day would have only half a paycheck.

"We will be able to pay the military retroactively once we get an appropriation," he said. "But in the meantime, it's tough on men and women in the military. They have kids to feed, car payments to make and mortgages to pay like we all do."

If the shutdown is over by April 12, Defense Finance and Accounting Service officials said they believe they would be able to get the full pay into the checks by April 15. If not, the service is looking at a special "catch-up" payday for troops.

Military retirees' paychecks would not be affected by a government shutdown; according to DFAS, military retiree and annuitants are not paid from Continuing Resolution appropriations, so they will be paid on the regular schedule.

For DOD civilians, the April 15 check will be complete for most because of the way the pay period occurs. For those directed to work, they can be paid retroactively. For those furloughed, Congress would have to pass special authority to pay them.

"If (the shutdown) were to go as long as April 30, then neither military nor civilians will get any pay at all," the senior defense official said.

To address the situation, U.S. Senator Max Baucus on Friday introduced a bill to continue support services for military families and troops in addition to pay, in the event of a government shutdown.

The bill also continues pay for border patrol and customs agents.

In a statement released on Friday, Baucus said, "As threats of a shutdown continue, we have a responsibility to protect the folks who put their lives on the line to protect us. This bill does just that by securing pay for our troops fighting overseas, services for their families, and pay for the border patrol and customs agents who keep us safe and secure here at home. There is no question our troops must get paid for their courageous sacrifice, but support for our troops goes well beyond a paycheck. It's proper care and screening for folks like the 819th RED HORSE Squadron that just returned to Malmstrom from Afghanistan."

The bill would ensure funding for the following in the event of a shutdown:

- Pay for members of the military and Customs and Border Protection.

- Pay for civilians and contractors that support military forces and those protecting the border.

- Programs that provide support for members of the military, military families, and those protecting the border. Such programs include providing rehabilitative services and counseling for combat injuries ... and family support services like childcare.

http://www.krtv.com/news/military-pay-affected-by-government-shutdown-/

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