{"id":46819,"date":"2016-12-09T17:39:12","date_gmt":"2016-12-09T17:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2016\/12\/09\/government-shutdown-looms-but-likely-means-little-disruption-for-the-military\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:14:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:14:01","slug":"government-shutdown-looms-but-likely-means-little-disruption-for-the-military","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2016\/12\/09\/government-shutdown-looms-but-likely-means-little-disruption-for-the-military\/","title":{"rendered":"Government shutdown looms, but likely means little disruption for the military"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Congressional gridlock could cause another government shutdown this weekend, but troops and defense civilians are unlikely to see much disruption from the funding fight. That’s because the shutdown is expected to last less than two days, starting early Saturday morning and ending sometime midday Sunday, when a new budget deal can be put in place. The deal — brokered by Republican leaders in the House and Senate — extends current federal spending levels until next March. House members approved it over scattered objections by Democrats on Thursday, and Senate leaders had hoped to vote on the issue Friday. \u00a0But Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Sherrod Brown of Ohio blocked a speedy vote on the matter in their chamber over objections about provisions involving health and pension benefits for coal miners. That has potentially pushed the Senate timetable for final passage of the budget deal to Sunday morning, well after the current budget extension deal expires at midnight Friday. Unless Brown and Manchin agree to drop their objections, government funding will run out Saturday morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

The full effects of that aren\u2019t expected to be nearly as monumental as the last shutdown, in 2013. That funding lapse lasted 16 days, caused problems with military payrolls and forced furloughs of some civilian employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pentagon officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but former Defense Department Comptroller Robert Hale said he expects only minor effects from a two-day shutdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“DoD leaders and other agency leaders will probably have to scramble to do planning just in case a shutdown lasts longer,” Hale said in an email. “This highlights the need to avoid the shutdown if at all possible.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But military personnel are not furloughed under a shutdown, and civilian personnel who would have to face furloughs likely won\u2019t be working over the weekend. Those who are may fall into positions responsible for the protection of life and property, and would be required to keep working through a shutdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

If the situation is settled by Monday, supervisors won\u2019t have to worry about which employees are allowed in the office and which should be sent home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hale, who presided over the federal government shutdown of 2013, said there could be some selected other disruptions, such as payroll problems for reservists whose pay schedules coincide with the shutdown. But those would likely result in\u00a0only\u00a0short delays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Congress passed a full-year budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs earlier this year, so its operations would be unaffected by any problems with the other departments\u2019 budget extension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senate leaders are expected to work through the night Friday to try to avoid the situation, but have promised to work through the weekend if needed to resolve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they can\u2019t find a solution, the shutdown will be the 13th since 1980. Eight of the previous shutdowns lasted three days or fewer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n