WASHINGTON, DC - Senators Susan Collins today issued the following statement after the Senate passed the Pay Our Military Act, which, in the event of a government shutdown, would allow for continued funding for pay and allowances for all active duty military personnel and for Department of Defense (DoD) civilians and contractors that the Secretary of Defense determines to be providing support to members of the Armed Forces.
Last week, Senator Collins co-sponsored a similar bipartisan bill, the Military Pay Protection Act, which would also ensure the nation's military families, including National Guard units assisting in disaster recovery, will not have their paychecks delayed in the event of a government shutdown.
"The Senate, with my strong support, today passed legislation to ensure that our troops are paid in the unfortunate event of a government shut-down. The bill also covers civilian Defense Department employees who provide support for our military.
"Under any reasonable definition, the civilians at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery and at DFAS in Limestone play an essential role in supporting our men and women in uniform every day. I urge the President to immediately sign this bill into law and for Secretary of Defense Hagel to exercise his authority to ensure that all of our nation's service members and civilian employees at PNSY, DFAS, and other locations in Maine such as the Navy's office at Bath Iron Works are paid on time. And I continue to urge the President and congressional leaders to immediately negotiate at least a stopgap funding measure to avoid a disruption in many vital federal programs on which our citizens rely. The American people should not suffer because of the dysfunction in Washington."