Members of the Senate Commerce Committee reintroduced bipartisan legislation ensuring Coast Guard personnel would receive pay in the event of a government shutdown Tuesday.
U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair and ranking member of the committee, along with Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) said the bill would ensure the Coast Guard is treated the same as other branches of the armed services if there is a lapse in appropriations.
“Our bipartisan ‘Pay Our Coast Guard Act’ simply treats Coast Guardsmen the same as all other service members and ensures they receive their pay and benefits if there is a government shutdown,” Cruz said. “Texans depend on Coast Guard personnel to safeguard our ports, patrol our waterways, and stop illegal immigration and drug smuggling. With over 2,000 Coast Guard personnel stationed in Texas, from Corpus Christi to Galveston, to South Padre Island, and elsewhere, Coast Guard service members are hard at work to protect Americans at sea. It’s time we do the right thing and make it clear that if we pay our Department of Defense troops, we will also pay our troops in the Coast Guard.”
Because the Coast Guard is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security it was not included in previous stopgap funding measures for the U.S. Department of Defense where other armed services branches are housed.
“This commonsense legislation would ensure that Coast Guard members receive their paycheck in the event of a government shutdown, just like the other members of the armed forces,” Cantwell said. “Coast Guard members and their families make sacrifices for us every day and provide an incredible service to the Pacific Northwest and the nation through search and rescue, emergency response, oil spill prevention, facilitating maritime commerce, and protecting national security. We must honor their commitment and service by guaranteeing they receive their pay on time.”