Military pay during a government shutdown: What service members should know

As many Americans begin their holiday festivities, service members are facing uncertainties as a potential government shutdown looms.

Congress had reached a bipartisan agreement Tuesday to keep the government funded through March, but it was toppled by conservative fallout. Current funding runs out at end of the day on Friday.

Now, all eyes are on Capitol Hill as lawmakers race to see if they can find an agreement to keep the government open.

The federal government has closed 21 times since 1977, for a total of 162 days and an average of nearly eight days per shutdown.

Here is what you need to know about how a government shutdown could affect service members.

Live updates on the latest from Congress Will there be a government shutdown?

What is a government shutdown?

Each fiscal year, Congress appropriates funds for federal agencies to operate. When a signed appropriations or a continuing resolution is not present, the affected federal agencies must shut down or stop normal spending, explains the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Military and federal law enforcement personnel

Active service members are generally not paid in a government shutdown, despite continuing to report for duty.

In the run up to a potential shutdown in September 2023, the Defense Department said in a memo to Pentagon leaders that "military personnel will not be paid until such time as Congress appropriates funds available to compensate them for this period of service."

The government has about 1.3 million active-duty service members and 800,000 National Guard and reservists.

The Pentagon is also likely to pause military recruitment and operational planning. The pause in pay and furloughs will have impacts that go beyond U.S. borders.

USAA government shutdown program

USAA is preparing to step in for impacted members with a zero-interest loan equal to the amount of one net paycheck (from $500 to $6,000) and various payment relief options, the financial services company said on its website.

People who are eligible to apply are employees of an impacted federal agency and receive their government paycheck in their USAA Bank deposit account, the financial services company said.

Which federal employees are affected in a government shutdown?

In the event of a government shut down not all government operations will cease, the OPM explains.

Employees in national defense, law enforcement, and other departments that protect life and property are expected to continue working, the government agency said.

In addition, employees not paid from appropriated funds and those that will administer shutdown operations, will continue to work, OPM said.

Will government employees be paid?

OPM explains that employees “who are not required to work under one of the exceptions above may not even volunteer their services.”

Until the shutdown ends, employees that are not required to work are furloughed, OPM said. Being furloughed means that employees are placed in a non-pay or a nonduty status, the government agency said.

Contributing: Sarah Al-Arshani, Riley Beggin, Savannah Kuchar, Eric Lagatta, Medora Lee, Ramon Padilla, George Petras; USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Do military members get paid during government shutdown? What to know