(Photo by U.S. Army)
During the 21-day government shutdown of 1995, U.S. military personnel were paid in full because the President and Congress specifically agreed ahead of time that they would be. However, if the government shuts down this Friday, as seems increasingly likely, troops including those dodging bullets and shrapnel in Afghanistan and Iraq, may not get paid on time. Depending on how long the shutdown lasts, the impact, not so much on them directly but on their families back home,
could be a problem. As with other Americans, many of these families live paycheck to paycheck.
Because the shutdown would occur in the middle of a two-week pay period, they might only receive half a paycheck on April 15. And then nothing until government operations begin again. They would, of course, be expected to continue fighting. Other "essential" government employees, FBI agents, prison guards, and certain members of every department from Homeland Security to the Department of Agriculture would also be expected to work despite not getting a paid on time. Once the government starts up again, whenever that might be, they would be paid retroactively.
Last week, there was a proposal introduced in the House to pay the troops their full amounts if a shutdown occurs. U.S. Rep. John R. Carter (TX-31), who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, said at the time he thought the bill would pass easily:
“I don’t think anybody in either party wants to see that picture of a young wife with a baby on her hip looking into the camera and saying, ‘We couldn’t pay our mortgage and we couldn’t pay our house payment – my husband has just been wounded over in Afghanistan and I don’t know what I’m going to do,’” he said.
The bill did pass the House. But it was inserted into a bill that included spending cuts, and the whole package was rejected by the Senate.
While soldiers in the field, as "essential" personnel, would be required to keep doing their jobs, federal employees who "volunteered" to work during a shutdown instead of staying home can't do so. Under the Anti-Deficiency Act (31 U.S.C. § 1342), government departments are prohibited from "accepting voluntary services for the United States, or employing personal services not authorized by law, except in cases of emergency involving the safety of human life or the protection of property."
They will get a surprise holiday. But they won't be getting a retroactive paycheck when the government gets back to business.