WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans’ decision to abandon a congressional spending plan will cost troops their holiday pay unless an agreement is reached before Friday’s deadline to avoid a government shutdown , the Pentagon warned.
Even if they don’t get paid, these troops will have to report abroad as well as at home, said Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
Without an agreement to fund the government, troops won’t receive their paychecks at the end of the month, reservists who drill after Friday won’t get paid, and federal civilians who have to work during a shutdown won’t get paid either, he said .
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The military payroll is just one of thousands of federal accounts that would be affected, but one of the most visible.
Congress was on the verge of passing an emergency measure to keep the government running when President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk used Musk’s social media platform threaten Republican. lawmaker who supported its passage. Support for the bill quickly failed.
Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Trump was aware that his position on the bill could result in the military not being paid.
Other civilian personnel not deemed essential to immediate military operations will be laid off, Ryder said.
In previous shutdowns, Congress has made efforts to secure pay for troops, but not everyone was covered. In 2019, Coast Guard members were left out and went without pay for more than a month.
“A lack of funding will cause serious disruptions within the Department of Defense and is still avoidable,” Ryder said.
