In the event that the United States government shuts down this weekend, it is reportedly possible that members of the United States armed forces will not receive their salaries during the holiday season.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the press secretary, told reporters on Thursday that active-duty troops will not receive their paychecks at the end of the month, reservists who report to drills will not be paid, and federal civilians will not be compensated if they are required to work during a shutdown.
“In the event of a lapse in funding and a shutdown of the government, the Department of Defense will continue to carry out our fundamental responsibility and mission to defend our nation and the American people. However, it’s important to note that military personnel would not be paid until new funds are appropriated by Congress.” Ryder stated.
This is unless lawmakers reach some sort of agreement before the end of Friday to fund the federal government.
Nevertheless, Ryder emphasized that even if they do not receive a paycheck, members of the armed forces and the military as a whole will continue to safeguard the nation’s security.
Before the infighting that occurred within the Republican Party delayed the process, Congress was on pace to enact a significant government funding measure earlier this week.
According to Elon Musk, who used his social media platform X to trash the bill and threaten Republican politicians who backed its passage, the initial proposal, which was an effort that was supported by both parties, was unsuccessful because it was opposed by a large number of members of the House of Representatives, President-elect Trump, and other individuals.
After that, on Thursday, the House of Representatives rejected a spending package that was developed by the Republican Party and supported by Trump.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stated that a plan C would be voted on on Friday.
This plan would include an extension of the government’s budget for three months with a total of 110 billion dollars in help for disaster relief and agricultural assistance.
Trump has sought an increase in the debt ceiling, but this package does not include that increase.
In the event that this also goes down in flames, a shutdown of the government would result in the furloughing of tens of thousands of employees, the delay of payments to vendors and government contracts, and the absence of a paycheck for service members at the end of the month.
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