Coats demands pay for National Guardsmen and Reservists during government shutdown

In their letter to Secretary Hagel, the senators wrote: “We are receiving disturbing and conflicting reports from constituents and military personnel that uniformed service members and civilians who are directly supporting troops, including those in combat, are being furloughed. Beyond the impact on the National Guard and Reserves, we have also received reports of civilians who have been furloughed, even though they directly support deployed troops and their family members.”

They added, “The law that we recently passed is explicitly clear: all members of the Armed Forces, including Reserve component personnel who perform active service, will be paid in the event of a government shutdown.”

The Pay Our Military Act passed unanimously in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and was signed into law on Sept. 30. The law appropriates funds for pay and allowances to “members of the Armed Forces, including reserve components, who perform active service during such period” as well as “civilian personnel of the Department of Defense.”

Earlier this week, Coats urged the Senate to pass the Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act, which also would ensure funding is provided for the pay and allowances of military personnel in the reserve component who are scheduled to report for duty as early as this weekend.

Indiana has over 20,000 reservists and guardsmen and is home to two Air National Guard wings, the 122nd Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne and the 181st Intelligence Wing in Terre Haute, as well as the 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Reserve Base.

In addition to Senator Coats, the letter was signed by Senators Manchin (D-W.Va.), Moran (R-Kan.), Udall (D-Colo.), Pryor (D-Ark.), Ayotte (R-N.H.), Roberts (R-Kan.), Rockefeller (D-W.Va), Shaheen (D-N.H.), Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bennet (D-Colo.), Feinstein (D-Calif.), Kirk (R-Ill.), Leahy (D-Vt.), Collins (R-Maine), Chambliss (R-Ga.), Stabenow (D-Mich.), Udall (D-N.M.), Hoeven (R-N.D.), Boozman (R-Ark.), Isakson (R-Ga.), Donnelly (D-Ind.), Hirono (D-Hawaii), Begich (D-Alaska), Boxer (D-Calif.), Menendez (D-N.J.), Coons (D-Del.), Wyden (D-Wyo.), Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Cardin (D-Md.), Landrieu (D-La.), Nelson (R-Fla.), King (I-Maine), Johnson (D-S.D.), Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sanders (D-Vt.), Blunt (R-Mo.), Tester (D-Mont.), Heinrich (D-N.M.), Baucus (D-Mont.), Grassley (R-Iowa), Franken (D-Minn.),Toomey (R-Pa.), Burr (R-N.C.), Murphy (D-Conn.), Sessions (R-Ala.), Inhofe (R-Okla.), Heller (R-Nev.), Hagan (D-N.C.) and Wicker (R-Miss.).

Below is the text of the senators’ letter to Secretary Hagel.

October 3, 2013

The Honorable Chuck Hagel
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000

Dear Secretary Hagel,

One of the issues that this divided Congress can agree on is ensuring that our troops who serve in harm’s way, and those that support them, receive the pay and benefits that they have earned. That is why Congress unanimously passed the “Pay Our Military Act” and the President quickly signed the bill into law.

The “Pay Our Military Act” gives the Department of Defense broad latitude to pay service members and civilians. The bill does not limit the provision of pay to civilians or certain service members who were previously categorized by the Administration as 'excepted' or 'essential' during sequestration furloughs. The law that we recently passed is explicitly clear: all members of the Armed Forces, including Reserve component personnel who perform active service, will be paid in the event of a government shutdown. Further, the bill requires that civilian Department of Defense personnel “providing support to members of the Armed Forces” continue to receive their pay and allowances.

Unfortunately, we are receiving disturbing and conflicting reports from constituents and military personnel that uniformed service members and civilians who are directly supporting troops, including those in combat, are being furloughed. It is our understanding that under the current Department of Defense guidance, our National Guard and Reserves are seeing disruptions for personnel, to include:

Traditional members of the Guard or Reserve who attend drill and annual training, including those who are performing domestic disaster relief and recovery operations; and

Dual-status technicians, who are uniformed service members, and also non-dual status technicians; and

Active Guard Reserve (AGR) personnel; and

Personnel on short-term, mission-essential, active duty tours (commonly known as ADOS); and

Federally reimbursed state civilians, such as firefighters, air traffic controllers and other civilians in direct support of military operations

Beyond the impact on the National Guard and Reserves, we have also received reports of civilians who have been furloughed, even though they directly support deployed troops and their family members.

Therefore, we urge you to review the policies that the services are disseminating to their commands to ensure that the spirit of the “Pay Our Military Act” is upheld and that guidance is standard across the services. Congress has given you the authority to maintain our national security without interruption. We strongly believe that all service members, and the civilians that support them, should receive equitable and fair treatment under this law.

Thank you for reviewing this matter.