Military Pay Would Be Delayed by Government Shutdown

Members of the armed forces will stay on duty if the government shuts down, but they won't receive any paychecks until the government re-opens.

"They may not be paid on their regular payday," Pentagon press secretary George Little told reporters, according to The Hill.

But they would be paid after the shutdown, whereas civilian Defense Department employees who work during the shutdown wouldn't get paid without a "legislative fix" by Congress, Little said.

The government will shut down if Congress and the White House can't agree on a spending bill by Monday. The House approved a spending bill Friday. But it almost certainly won't pass the Senate, as it includes a defunding of the Affordable Care Act.

The Pentagon is still figuring out which civilian employees are essential and would thus work during a shutdown.

In 2011 when a shutdown appeared likely, the Defense Department planned for about half of its civilian workers to stay at home. The Pentagon is likely to follow that same plan this time around, The Hill reports.


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