Potential Government Shutdown Could Impact North Texas Military Members
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - The United States government could shut down at midnight if the Senate does not pass a stopgap spending bill Friday. The potential shutdown would start on the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration, and lawmakers are already playing the blame game.
A bill was passed in the House on Thursday that would keep the government open through February 16. Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas is urging Democrats to pass that bill. However, without a deal on DACA first, the Democrats are threatening to filibuster.
The possible government shutdown would have an impact on military members in North Texas.
Perhaps the biggest impact would be to payment. Active duty troops as well as guard and reserve members would not get paid during a shutdown, unless a separate piece of legislation is passed.
Military retirees would still receive pension checks, as would veteran disability compensation and GI bill payments. Those are funded through different legislation, and would not be affected by a brief shutdown.
Medical care on bases, including the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, is still uncertain. In the past, military hospitals have stayed open for emergencies. But things like inpatient care, elective procedures and primary care appointments were canceled.
The Department of Defense's education activity schools stayed open during the government shutdown in 2013, and the same would likely be true this time as well. Also in the past, on-base child care services have stayed open, depending on whether or not they were seen as essential.
