Conservatives push pay for military in shutdown

A band of conservatives in the House say if the government shuts down, the military should still get paid.

Rep. Louie Gohmert is introducing legislation to make sure that Army, Navy, Marine and Coast Guard members are paid regularly, even if Congress can’t agree on a budget for the rest of the year by April 8. He said he wants to assuage any fears that military members, who are required to continue to serve, will be working without pay until Congress makes up its mind.

“We want this taken off the table,” the Texas Republican said Friday. “This takes the military off the table as pawns back here at home in the political game.”

The Department of Defense’s accounting agency won’t comment on whether soldiers will get their paychecks on time if the government shuts down on April 8. A spokesman for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service told the Air Force Times this week that the agency can’t promise that soldiers will continue to get their paychecks on time. But Defense Department officials have prepared a draft letter to send to military personnel that commands them to keep working even if Congress hasn’t appropriated money for their paychecks.

The official silence has left some service members concerned about whether they’ll be paid on time if the deadline passes. Gohmert’s bill would set aside money for military pay for the rest of the year, whether Congress passes a 2011 budget or not.

The government shutdowns in 1995 and 1996 didn’t affect military paychecks at all. The House Republicans argued Friday that a possible shutdown is weighing on members serving abroad, and that Congress has to pass legislation to promise paychecks will arrive on time. They said they want to bring attention to how bad a government shutdown could be.

“I don’t think most people realize that the military checks will be delayed,” Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) said. “When you hear people like (New York Democratic Sen.) Chuck Schumer say this is a good political strategy, I don’t think he realizes all the consequences of it.”