U.S. troops will not get paid if lawmakers are unable to agree to a budget deal by Sept. 30, and some civilian Defense Department workers will be furloughed, according to the Pentagon’s No. 2.
“During a government shutdown, all military personnel would continue in a normal duty status; however, they would not be paid until Congress provides funding,” according to a memo sent Friday by Defense Defense Secretary Bob Work. “We have made necessary updates to our determinations of civilian employees who would continue to report to work in the event of a lapse in funding, and civilian employees who would be placed on furlough.”
Work added: “Importantly, the categorization of employees and whether or not someone is furloughed is not a reflection on the quality of an employee’s work, nor of his or her importance to the Department.”
If Congress is unable to agree on a spending bill by next Wednesday, lawmakers have the option of passing a short-term spending bill to keep the government running. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said on Friday that she supports a bill that lasts to Nov. 20, but could back a Senate version that extends funding to Dec. 11.
Work said the department is making its plans based on “prudent management,” but also said he and other administration leaders “continue to strongly believe that a lapse in funding should not occur.
“There is more than enough time for Congress to prevent this from happening,” he wrote.
