Pay Our Coast Guard Act
Pay Our Coast Guard Act
Plain Language Summary
# Pay Our Coast Guard Act Summary **What the Bill Does:** The Pay Our Coast Guard Act would ensure that Coast Guard personnel continue receiving their paychecks during a federal funding shutdown, but only under specific circumstances. The bill would automatically provide funding for Coast Guard salaries and benefits if: (1) the Coast Guard runs out of money because Congress hasn't passed its funding bill, and (2) the Department of Defense has already been funded. In other words, if the Pentagon gets money but the Coast Guard doesn't, this bill would fill that gap so Coast Guard employees don't go unpaid. **Who It Affects:** This legislation directly impacts active-duty and reserve Coast Guard members, civilian Coast Guard employees, and contract workers who depend on regular paychecks.
It would also indirectly affect their families and the broader public by ensuring the Coast Guard can continue operating during funding disputes. **Current Status:** The bill was introduced by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it hasn't been voted on by the full Senate yet. The bill attempts to address a real problem—federal employees, including military members, have gone unpaid during past government shutdowns—though it would only apply in the narrow scenario where the Defense Department is funded but the Coast Guard is not.
CRS Official Summary
Pay Our Coast Guard ActThis bill provides continuing appropriations to the Coast Guard for pay and benefits when there is a Coast Guard-specific funding lapse.Under the bill, a Coast Guard-specific funding lapse occurs when (1) a bill providing appropriations for the Coast Guard for a fiscal year has not been enacted before the beginning of that fiscal year, and no joint resolution providing continuing appropriations for the Coast Guard is in effect; and (2) a bill providing appropriations for the Department of Defense (DOD) for the fiscal year has been enacted before the beginning of the fiscal year, or a joint resolution providing continuing appropriation for DOD is in effect. If a Coast Guard-specific funding lapse occurs, the bill provides appropriations to the Coast Guard forpay and allowances for military members of the Coast Guard who perform active service or inactive-duty training;pay and benefits for certain civilian employees and contract employees;the payment of a death gratuity;payments for travel related to funerals, the dignified transfer of remains, and unit memorial services; andthe temporary continuation of the basic allowance for housing for dependents of members of the Coast Guard dying on active duty.The bill generally provides the appropriations to the Coast Guard until the earlier of (1) the enactment of specified Coast Guard appropriations legislation, or (2) the termination of the availability of appropriations for DOD.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.