CAPE MAY – Coast Guard members and civilian employees at Training Center Cape May will be going without pay if the shutdown of the federal government, which began Oct. 1, goes beyond mid-October.
The Coast Guard website says that all excepted employees would continue to work during the funding lapse. Excepted employees include all members of the military plus anyone else “whose work is considered essential to safeguarding life or property, or otherwise mandated by law,” the site says.
Non-excepted employees would be furloughed, meaning they would not report to work and would not be paid. Both excepted and furloughed employees would receive back pay once Congress passes a funding measure.
“The Coast Guard generally will continue operations authorized by law that are necessary for the safety of human life, protection of property, or national security,” the website says. “This includes emerging contingency operations like hurricane preparedness and response. The Coast Guard will also continue to focus on asserting presence and securing America’s borders.”
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2) said, “In Cape May, our Coast Guard men and women are still on duty. Uniformed personnel and essential civilians keep working during a shutdown, while some civilian staff are furloughed. Their pay will be delayed, but they are guaranteed back pay once funding resumes.”
The total number of people at the Cape May base who would suffer pay loss was not immediately available.
According to the Coast Guard website, all personnel were paid through Tuesday, Sept. 30. If a shutdown extends beyond Oct. 13, they will miss the mid-October paycheck. If a shutdown extends past mid-October, personnel will be paid about two days after the shutdown ends.
The Coast Guard was able, in years past, to set aside some money to provide at least one paycheck for personnel after a shutdown. But in the current situation, the website says, the shutdown occurred at the beginning of the fiscal year, Oct. 1, so there was no funding available to set aside for military pay.
The payments halt does not apply to military retirees or to Survivor Benefits Plan beneficiaries, who will continue to receive disbursements.
Certain support services will stay open for Coast Guard personnel. Child development centers were to remain open, as well as the Coast Guard Exchange and dining facilities.
However, personnel with civil obligations, including insurance, rent or mortgages, child care and child support are obligated to make payment arrangements despite the shutdown.
Coast Guard members were advised to “remember to review your automatic payments and make any necessary adjustments. Creditors are not obligated to provide relief, so communicate with them quickly if you anticipate any temporary financial constraints.”
The Guard website contained information for its workforce advising that they could follow developments about the shutdown on the website. The Coast Guard also provided an email site where its members can ask questions related to the shutdown.
Van Drew said on Wednesday that House members were waiting for the Senate to pass a bill funding the government. He said the House had passed a “clean bill,” meaning a new draft of a bill containing amendments to the original funding measure that failed due to sharp disagreements between Republicans and Democrats, and was now awaiting Senate action.
The Coast Guard website also had advice for personnel about seeking financial and other forms of support.
It advised them that, generally, federal employees or those related to federal employees may not use a crowdsourcing campaign, such as through GoFundMe, to raise funds simply because they are in a non-pay status. Federal employees are urged to check with their servicing legal office before engaging in fundraising or other functions that might violate a federal ethics rule.
Coast Guard personnel may receive support from certain sources that are closely affiliated with the Guard, such as the Chief Petty Officers’ Association, local spouses clubs and auxiliary flotillas. In general, outside help, meaning help not affiliated with the Coast Guard, must be offered to all Coast Guard members and furloughed employees.
Acceptable forms of support include restaurants offering free meals to local Coast Guard members; food banks offering groceries to all furloughed federal employees; cash grants from charitable organizations to all veterans affected by the government shutdown, and gift cards (cash equivalent and store) offered to all members of a Coast Guard unit.
Unacceptable forms of support include gift cards or cash equivalent offered to all members of a Coast Guard unit by the owner of an inspected vessel; an offer of cash to just one or two persons at a unit from a local member of the community, and free meals offered to a unit’s command cadre.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or call 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
