U.S. troops deployed to combat theaters will not receive their paychecks if the government shuts down, Under Secretary of the Defense David Norquist told Pentagon reporters Thursday.
“Nobody gets paid,” Norquist declared, explaining that troops and civilian personnel will earn their pay but not receive it until the government is once again funded. Norquist faced the questions as a government shutdown looms as Democrats and Republicans argue over whether an immigration measure should be attached to a government spending bill.
“It could happen,” President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday of a possible shutdown. Senior republican leaders, however, told Politico they are confident they can keep the government open for at least the next two weeks as the Friday deadline looms, one saying: “We will get this done, with or without the Democrats.”
“The administration hopes to find fiscally responsible ways to avoid a government shutdown, address the looming sequester and devastating cuts facing our military, as well as fund important domestic priorities that will encourage economic prosperity and keep Americans safe,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters said in a late Wednesday night statement.
“If a shutdown happens, as the president seemed to be rooting for in a tweet earlier this year, it will fall on his shoulders,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told the Senate floor speech Thursday. “His party controls the Senate, the House, and the presidency.”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi declared, “We will not leave here without a DACA fix.”
Follow Saagar Enjeti on Twitter
Send tips to saagar@dailycallernewsfoundation.org
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.