The House of Representatives recently passed the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (H.R. 7744), which would restore funds to the department responsible for the Coast Guard. The legislation comes amid a partial government shutdown that began Feb. 13 and has threatened pay for Coast Guard servicemembers and nearly 750 U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officers supporting Homeland Security missions. The bill awaits consideration in the Senate, which has rejected similar funding measures in recent weeks.

The continued uncertainty surrounding funding serves as a mental stressor and financial burden to a class of public servants who joined the uniformed services to protect their country and provide for our national security.

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

As the cost of living continues to increase, any disruption in pay will only serve as an ever-present distraction to servicemembers who should be focused on their respective mission sets.

MOAA joined with members of The Military Coalition – a group representing millions of servicemembers, veterans, and their families – to send a letter to House and Senate leadership March 9 urging the prompt delivery of pay to those impacted by the DHS funding lapse.

[READ THE LETTER]

Every time Congress is unable to pass a budget, members of the uniformed services are at great risk of losing timely delivery of their pay and seeing disruptions to other agency functions needed to support their missions.

The longer a shutdown endures, the more challenging it becomes for a servicemember to cover necessary expenses such as rent, utilities and fuel, groceries, and child care. Although pay is provided retroactively once appropriations are granted, these expenses cannot be delayed or placed in arrears.

Training and movements are also directly impacted during a shutdown. Professional military education, joint exercises, career field enhancements, and retraining are all subject to cancellation or operating with fewer resources or participants due to lack of appropriations.

Members of the reserve component must suspend all inactive duty training until appropriations or alternative funding is granted and funneled to the appropriate organizations. This forces reservists to accomplish their required training in a more compressed timeframe while also placing them at risk of not fulfilling a “good year” toward retirement. Changes to drill schedules can create conflicts with personal schedules, family obligations, and civilian careers.

[MOAA PUBLICATION: Guard and Reserve Retirement Guide]

A Permanent Fix

To prevent these concerns from manifesting every year, MOAA supports passage of legislation that would guarantee pay for members of the uniformed services during a funding lapse. The Shutdown Fairness Act (S. 3168/H.R. 7137) does just that for members of the armed forces, to include their respective reserve components – enabling servicemembers to focus on the mission without worrying about additional financial burdens. Reservists will be able to continue their drill schedule and execute their necessary training requirements to support the active duty mission.

The legislation does not include a provision for members of the NOAA Commissioned Corps, which should be added before a final vote. Due to the current funding mechanism for members of the USPHS Commissioned Corps, an officer’s pay is provided through the executive agency to which that officer is assigned. A central pay office for these officers at the Department of Health and Human Services should be established to streamline the delivery of pay, at which point similar shutdown-pay protections should be legislated.

To ensure servicemembers never again face a disruption in pay, please contact your elected officials and express your support for the Shutdown Fairness Act.