US Troops May Go Unpaid If The Government Goes Into Shutdown
It has been estimated that more than 1.3 million active military and TSA agents may have to work with no pay, if the United States government goes into shutdown with just a few days left before funding runs out. A short term funding deal has stalled, as the Republican party sees infighting in a deal that would keep funding for federal agencies after 30 September. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said during a Pentagon press corps this week:
‘A shutdown puts the government on a complete standstill, but the U.S. military is going to continue to do its job and protect our national security interests…A shutdown would be detrimental for the department’
The most recent US Government shutdowns came in both 2018 and 2019, but the US defense department was not impacted. As Congress and the then President Trump passed the Defense Appropriations Act just days before the end of that fiscal year. It has been feared that in the event of a shut down this year US troops may not be paid on time, even if the shutdown lasts a few days. A shutdown would effect 72% of the work force of the US Department of Homeland Security, with employees still being needed to work during the lockdown to ensure the security of the nation. As its employees are seen as an essential workforce.
Singh further outlined the effect of the possible shutdown on the US Military and its commitments overseas and the county’s commitment to supporting the war in Ukraine. With the US government still wanting to fulfil its military commitment’s overseas, noting with some uncertainty that “it doesn’t affect the funds that we have accessible to us, but, how we continue to do that, I just don’t have more on that.”
During the 2013 shutdown a total of 2.1 million federal employees were furloughed. It remains to be seen if the Government will shut down after the 1 October.