While each congressional chamber passed legislation last week designed to end the partial government shutdown, lawmakers left Washington, D.C., for a two-week break without sending a bill to the president, with an impasse involving Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding likely to continue until at least mid-April.

While active duty Coast Guard members were set to receive end-of-month paychecks, their future pay remains very much uncertain. MOAA supports legislation that would ensure servicemembers are paid during full or partial federal shutdowns; the Shutdown Fairness Act (S. 3168/H.R. 7137) is part of our annual spring Advocacy in Action campaign.

[TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Lawmakers to Protect Servicemember Pay During a Shutdown]

The Shutdown So Far

Coast Guard members have been paid throughout the DHS funding lapse, but the funding source is unclear and future paychecks are not guaranteed. The service is “operating under the grim uncertainty of whether we can make the next payroll,” Vice Commandant Adm. Thomas Allan told House lawmakers in written testimony before a March 25 House Homeland Security Committee hearing.

The partial shutdown is now the longest in federal history. Attempts to end it failed March 27 after the Senate passed a bill to fund the entire department except Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, and the House did not consider the measure. Instead, the House passed a bill hours later that would fund all of DHS through May 22. The Senate left Washington before considering that legislation, and both chambers are out of session until the week of April 13.

MOAA has shared with lawmakers how this situation creates both mental strain and financial hardship for those in uniform and their families. Alongside our Military Coalition partners, MOAA sent a March 9 letter to congressional leaders urging delivery of pay for those impacted.

[READ MORE: Funding Lapse Continues to Threaten Coast Guard Pay]

A Legislative Fix

The Shutdown Fairness Act would guarantee pay for servicemembers, including reserve components, during a funding lapse. This protects servicemembers from being part of budget negotiations in Congress and allows them to stay focused on their missions.

The bill should be amended to include NOAA Commissioned Corps officers. A fix also is needed for the USPHS Commissioned Corps but may be beyond the scope of this bill as USPHS members are paid by the department to which they are assigned; establishing a centralized pay system would streamline pay and enable similar shutdown protections.

Please join us in asking your elected officials to support the Shutdown Fairness Act to protect uniformed servicemembers from disruptions in pay.