Military won't pay death benefits during government shutdown

CBS/AP

Updated 5:04 p.m. Eastern Time

The Pentagon said Friday will not pay the $100,000 death benefit to the families of members of the military killed in the line of duty if the government shuts down.

Families of fallen service members would get the money after the government reopens. But as CBS News' national security correspondent David Martin points out, the $100,000 payment is usually paid immediately to help cover a funeral and other extraordinary expenses.

The government will shut down at midnight if a new spending bill is not signed by then.

A Pentagon official said that if a new spending bill is signed by April 12 - Tuesday - members of the military may get their full paychecks on April 15. If not, service members will get paid through April 8. After that they will continue to earn money but not get paid until the shutdown ends. Once the government reopens, there will be a special pay day to give service members their back pay.

The official said all military personnel will report for duty during a shutdown, but about half of the Department of Defense's 800,000 civilian employees will be furloughed without pay. All routine operations, such as maintenance on buildings and classroom training, would cease immediately.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates told troops Friday this week that "my wife and I, when I was your age, we lived paycheck to paycheck and not getting a paycheck can be some - can lead to some pretty severe disruption in your life whether it's missing a car payment or rent or something else."

"So I really hope they get this thing resolved so that the pay keeps flowing," he continued, adding: "This troubles me a great deal because a significant portion of our military are young people and we have a lot of young families."

The Democrat-led Senate passed a bill on March 1 mandating that members of Congress not be paid during a government shutdown, but the GOP-led House did not take it up.

House Republicans passed a bill yesterday that would have funded the Department of Defense for the rest of the fiscal year. But it was tied to a short-term budget bill containing $12 billion in spending cuts that Democrats had not agreed to, as well as a policy provision that would prohibit federal or local funding paying for abortions in Washington D.C. President Obama vowed to veto it if it came across his desk.

Democratic Rep. Bill Owens of New York put forward a measure separate yesterday that would have ensured soldiers were paid, but it failed along party lines, with just one Republican joining Democrats to support the measure.

In the Senate, Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas says she has gathered at least 60 members in support of her bill to make sure troops get paid, the Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act. That same legislation was introduced in the House by Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas, but Republican leadership has not put it up for a vote.

Military pay hangs in the balance in government shutdown negotiations
John Boehner, Harry Reid vow to give up salaries during shutdown
Government shutdown: Can they make a deal?
Bob Schieffer: Congress' behavior "shameful"

[MyNicknameisMommy]

PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM DEADBEAT PARENTS IN THE MILITARY

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[their_final_call]

It is highly sad to hear our elected officials would perfer to allow soldiers who fight for our safety even thoseelected officals safety and their families not be paid for their DEDICATED workand sacrafice. Its thatt dedication which is allowing those elected to sit comfortable ... they are not having money taken from them or missing their pay checks. Instead they are looking to see where they can cut from and in the long run hurting our country, causing a war on our own soil they yet realize. You cut our public safety and crime wins hurting those of us who live here, but just continue to worry yourself of other countrie there government. If either of my brothers who volunteered or my husband who fights for this country shall be KIA, you can KMA because iwill need that money to support my family ... not to mention even I who work the front lines in our country in law enforcement is suffering your cut backs. Hey open your eyes, you the government is who is killing my fellow officersdo you pay attention to those statistics, because I know you aren't the war casualties. Its time to impeach everyone currently in office and start withthose who served our country, who understands the meaning of why our for fathers created government ... its time to again be the voice of the PEOPLE... And all those previous in office since the late 80s to now can start paying back the debt THEY put our country in NOT THE HARDWORKING TAX PAYERS

[GlobalPortInt]

something major wrong here

[korianna001]

Planned Parenthood is not completely funded by the government. I followed the link that you have in your reply, and all it states is the number people that received each service. There are already laws in place to prevent abortions from being funded with government funds. Would you have this organization shut down completely because they accept private payment for abortions? Did you look at the amount of other services they have provided, which far outnumber the the amount of abortions completed. I am a military spouse, and my husband is currently putting his life on the line in another country. We will be greatly affected by this shutdown, but I cannot place blame on the people who are trying to save an institution that has done so much good. In my opinion, the piece of legislation that was passed by congress should not have contained anything other than an emergency measure to ensure that our men and women serving would be kept safe, and if you think that their pay has nothing to do with their safety, then I assure you...you are just plain wrong!

[Guitfiddel]

Well...You see "korianna001" you actually read things for yourself, do research and have the mental facilities and intelligence to process the information that you have attained so, you can make better decisions about what to stand for. The others can't do this. They have to listen to the well paid$$$$ FOX News, Michelle Bachmann, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin and all the other Right Wing idiots as the wealthy2%, the corporations, oil companies and insurance company pimps continually make fools out them to think that if we give Richest in America tax breaks (for the last 12yrs) that some how they will give them the jobs that they outsourced over seas so they will only have to pay slave wages and glut themselves. They call it the "Trickle Down Theory". It should be called "Trick the Stupid Clowns Theory"!