US troops will not get paid if the government is forced to shut down due to a political deadlock over the budget, officials said Wednesday.
The US military will keep up operations overseas, including wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, but troops — including those fighting abroad — will have to wait to be paid until Congress approves legislation to fund the government, administration officials said.
"They will continue to earn money during this period of time but given that we don't have any money, they will not receive paychecks until Congress appropriates," a senior administration official told reporters.
"They will be paid once we have money to pay them."
In the event of a government shutdown this weekend, troops would likely receive one week's worth of a two-week paycheck due on April 15th, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan told reporters.
Asked if troops would only be paid for one week's wages on April 15th, Lapan said: "Absent any other action, that's accurate."
Share This Article With Planet Earth
